Ask and You Shall Receive

This week has been tough as a guide because wind and rain has dominated the week but the days in-between have been the other extreme.  Yesterday morning I was out with a great client of mine, known to his family as Kool Uncle Kenny, aka KUK. He drives down to fish with me as much as he can around his busy schedule, and has fished with me for quiet a few years now.  I have been able to watch him grow as a fly caster and therefore watch him grow as a fish catcher!

We found hundreds of fish right off the bat up around thick oyster mounds that just kept working the same pattern down the bank and then back up, so we were able to get multiple shots.

Ken pulled a nice 23 inch fish from this school after laying out his best cast of the morning, to that point.

We pulled out from behind the shells as things were getting a little skinny and went on to found a different school of fish on a more open mudflat.  Originally the school was moving away from us so instead of pressing them we took our time poling so they could settle in.  We started a conversation about taking trips to fish in other regions of the country and KUK ended the conversation with the statement, "I would like to catch a 30 plus inch redfish in this boat first though, before taking any trips anywhere else.  I have a history with this boat."  About two minutes after that statement we were in casting range of the school and just as KUK reached the fish they lifted just a bit and I thought they were going to spook but instead one creamed the fly as the school was pushing away.

While we were fighting the fish another flats boat came motoring in, closer then any I have ever had before.  The boat owner proceeded to pole closer, heading toward the water between my boat and the bank.  We had a few words in which I asked him if my boat was camouflaged and he told me that he did me the favor of pushing some fish toward me.  I would have been better with that if he didn't pick those fish up with his engine running.  KUK and I went back to focusing on the fish we had on and just ignored our new company.  When my hand felt the large diameter of KUK's fish, I laughed thinking on two minutes earlier..."catch a 30 plus inch redfish in this boat..."

Ask and you shall receive…the fish measured dead on at 32 inches and 13 pounds.  KUK was about as excited as I have ever seen him.  It was a moment in my boat I will always remember.

When the other engine started up and left the flat, the school got really unsettled and we were not able to even somewhat approach them any more.  We moved onto one last spot and proceeded to increase the number of total fish caught to more than any other day we had ever fished together on the fly.

Next on KUK's list is a Cobia and a Triple Tail, I look forward to it!