basics of fly fishing Texas bays

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Thunder1
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basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by Thunder1 »

Hey all,

I've been fishing the Texas coast by kayak for several years now. However, I have yet to do so while casting a fly. I'm still having a hard time visualizing how this usually happens. Do you guys wade, cast from the kayak, etc? Also, is fly fishing the coast for reds primarily sight casting? If so, how do you get a good vantage point without the elevation a boat provides? Thanks for any advice you may have.
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GoDoe
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by GoDoe »

Sight fishing with the fly rod is all I do and I do that between 50-60 days a year.

Finding fish is the hard part, catching them is generally easier.

My Musts:
Stand in kayak/paddle board or in my case Solo Skiff now.
Once I have seen enough fish to go after I exit the craft and wade to them.

Now all you need is the right water level and clarity, the right wind, the sun to shine, the fish to be in the right place at the right time as you wade by, to be ready to cast to a sighted fish in 1 second or less without making too much noise or movement, to be able to lay the fly silently in the path of your chosen target and then just hope like hell that the fish will eat. If any of these things are not perfect then it screws up the whole pie.

It is no "proper" way to catch fish but it is dang fun when it happens. Give it a shot.
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karstopo
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by karstopo »

Anything fly fishing you will get some variety in the responses. I think each person works out ways to fish that works for them and their preferred areas.

I fly fish mostly standing from my kayak, a WS Commander 140, but I have waded and fished from boats too. I find it much easier to spot fish standing in a kayak or a boat than sitting in a kayak. I find it easier to cast from a standing position versus sitting. Wading is good too for seeing fish, especially in knee/thigh deep water or less. Much of the area I like to fish is not very good for wading so it's a kayak or some other shallow water craft much of the time.

Like everyone else might reply, I tend to study water levels when picking a spot if I'm semi-serious about it. Much of the time these days, I just go somewhere nearby for no good reason and see what turns up.

Sight fishing is an interesting concept. I look at it in a pretty broad way. Maybe that's about fishing in muddy/off color water much of the time. So you have sighted fish in clear water where the whole fish or multiples of fish are completely and clearly visible. You can see the spots on the tail, blue tails, every detail, etc. That is at one end of the spectrum. Then at the other end is a hint of a fish, a wake that appears then is gone, a fish rushing bait on a shoreline shoulders out for a moment the gone, bait acting weird or scared in a narrow zone. I'm interested in fly fishing any and all of that spectrum. What I do and how I might approach each situation changes with the nature of the sighted fish.

Then you have structure fishing. That's something I enjoy too. Reef margins, bars, choke points, guts, stuff like that. Tossing flies in places that look likely or that I know from past experience hold fish. I usually resort to that when sight casting isn't in the cards.
Thunder1
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by Thunder1 »

Thank you so much for the detailed responses. Your insights help tremendously.
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karstopo
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by karstopo »

Thunder1 wrote:Hey all,

I've been fishing the Texas coast by kayak for several years now. However, I have yet to do so while casting a fly. I'm still having a hard time visualizing how this usually happens. Do you guys wade, cast from the kayak, etc? Also, is fly fishing the coast for reds primarily sight casting? If so, how do you get a good vantage point without the elevation a boat provides? Thanks for any advice you may have.
If you've been fishing arties for a while on the bay the skills you have gathered with arties and finding fish translate pretty well to fly fishing. It's just harder to cast a fly rod for much distance while sitting, IMO, than a bait caster or a spinning outfit. One thing that I had to get over mentally is how a fish could possibly locate a relatively small fly pattern as compared to a plug or paddle tail in off color water. Fish have senses and powers far beyond our own.

You can just focus on finding fish in real shallow stuff and that's a blast and you can fly fish in slightly deeper water near drop offs and other structure. You will need more weighted flies for that. I don't have any experience fly fishing below West Matagorda Bay on the coast. I have had a lot of fun wading that bay with a fly rod around the airport flats and a couple lakes in that area. Sometimes, I go on a sight casting wade there and other times I move deeper and just wade parallel to shore with my baitcasting Artie using friends along the bars and troughs. Some people would call that blind casting but there almost always is some promising bait sign. It just takes a little more effort to cast a fly rod wading in thigh or waist deep water and I get in less casts than my baitcasting friends but the production is about the same on average.

Most of my fly fishing is in the Freeport area. That's a mix of sight casting, structure and sign fishing. I only fly fish with the exception of being on other people's boats so if it's muddy, semi-clear, windy or calm I fish like I'm using a paddle tail or plug but I'm using flies with a fly rod. If a spot has a history of being productive with conventional tackle plugs, lures or paddle tails my experience has been it will be productive with fly patterns. The only difference I've noticed using flies versus plugs/lures/plastic tails is that I get more odd ball fish on the fly like croakers, black drum, sand trout, and tiny fish that I never really got on bigger, heavier tackle.

I still fish with friends using plugs and lures and they are probably many days making 2 or 3 casts for every one of mine but at the end of the day we've often have very similar catches. Some times it's a smaller shrimp or baitfish pattern the fish want and the lure guys struggle and sometimes it's the reverse. I'm getting more of a work out than them but I enjoy the exertion.

The point of this whole explanation is if you want to stay strictly with sight casting do that. I think it's the pinnacle of the fly fishing experience for the inshore scene and nothing is better than seeing a fish, setting up a stalk, making the cast, seeing the inhale and setting the hook.

I just kind of got where chunking hardware wasn't doing it for me day in and out and I like the high effort and energy fishing that using fly rod can mean and didn't want to be limited to times and places that were good for sight casting.
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by StrykerDM »

I think Karstopo pretty much covered it. I second that sometimes you just cast to boils and wakes. Or if in the bays you fish the shell and grass.


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karstopo
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by karstopo »

I have had a great time committing to using fly only. I think it helped fishing the same basic areas with lures and paddle tails for years prior to fly fishing. Then it's a matter of applying what was learned from that to fly fishing. Fishing structure and sign I think is pretty interesting with the fly gear. For me, it's been almost like using bait in that you catch such a variety of species. I like to stake out next to a reef with moving water and toss a weighted pattern like a Clouser or weighted shrimp as close to the reef as I can. I let it drift with the current or do a variety of strips to impart action.

Sometimes, I'll throw weighted flies up against bulkheads with moving water. I just let them sink and move with the current and keep the fly line in a condition where it's a dead drift but I have the slack almost all taken in by mending. If the cast is on target, it can be a fish every cast type of deal, usually little redfish.

When the water levels are low, marsh drains can get stacked with fish. It's easy fishing not requiring long casts or anything special other than a fly that gets down pretty quickly. None of structure fishing requires, usually anyway, long casts. For me, I like to stake out in the kayak and fish the structure from a comfortable casting distance which can vary with the conditions. In cloudy, sandy, water you don't have to worry really about lining fish. It has made things easier for me since I learned to cast reasonably well from my off hand side. That skill helps neutralize the wind being an issue. Once I learned to cast right handed, the left side cast was much easier to learn. I'm no casting wizard or athelete.

One good thing about structure fishing is that it helps build casting and line management skills. It keeps the edge sharp for those days that sight casting is favorable. I'll pick a spot say 2 feet from an exposed reef and aim my cast right at it over and over. Range practice. Then again, when that upper slot is up shallow and it's live fire sometimes the adrenaline can make the shot go wide.

It's probably more efficient to fish structure with bait casting or spinning gear. Those methods will allow more casts per time period. But I think flies by nature sometimes work better than bigger heavier lures and jig heads. Much of what predator fish eat are little baitfish, shrimp and crabs.
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by eightweight »

I also fish with a fly rod, only a fly rod. Have for years. I would be today, but got my foot caught in the door on the way out this morning. So I thought I'd to GoDoe and Karstopo's post, always good advice.

Fly fishing for reds can mean a lot of different things, depends a lot on the kind of fish you’re hunting, when, and where. I can think of at least four very different scenarios:

Stalking a flat on foot
Imagine a sandy flat, clear skinny water, a foot deep. You’re walking slowly, carefully, up a line of cordgrass, much like an egret. You have rod in hand, pinching your favorite size 4 shrimp fly between fingers, about 50 feet of line trailing behind in the water. You might be looking for tailing fish, cruising fish, or laid up fish. If the water’s clear enough, you can see them at some distance. And they can see, and hear you. So it’s all about stealth, and long casts. For this I’ll carry a 7 weight with a bone fish line, 12 foot leader with 12 pound fluoro tippet, unweighted flies size 4 or smaller. Very technical. This can be tough, very tough, especially if the fish are laid up. (GoDoe knows.)

Drifting a flat
This might be a big, open grass flat. The water’s clear, maybe a foot or two deep. You paddle your yak to the far side of the lake, and set up a drift downwind. Paddle’s in your lap, rod in hand with the fly pinched between fingers and thumb with about 30 feet of line in your lap. You may drift into cruising fish, or fish held up in shallow depressions on the flat. Only seconds to react, casts are short and fast. It is possible to nail them this way, and when you do it’s a rush. More likely though, you’ll spook them, drop anchor, jump out and chase them on foot. So that 7 weight is you’re best bet.

Prowling the marsh
You’re prowling the creek channels of the mangroves with a yak. Water is shallow, a foot or so, and likely a bit muddy. You paddle along, slowly, watching the line of mangroves for tails, or backs, or wakes. You must choose, sit or stand, and most of us have strong preferences. I prefer to keep my butt firmly in my seat, rod in my lap with 20-30 feet of line coiled neatly. You spot a heavy wake, a back, not a mullet. Paddle quickly, quietly to within 50 feet, yak’s in position, drop the paddle, grab the rod, one false cast for distance, one for more for good measure, drop it on his head. One short strip, he tails on the fly, and the marsh erupts, mud and water flies everywhere. So much fun. I think a heavier rod is better here, to control the fish in tight quarters. I’d rather an 8 or even a 9 weight, heavy front taper redfish line, short 9 foot leader with 16 pound tippet, a weedless shrimp with bead chain eyes. Less technical, no 60 foot casts into the wind. But difficult in its own way. You’re fishing with your paddle as much as your rod. It helps to know the marsh, get local. These are often resident fish you get to know, so catch-and-release.

Hunting
Now imagine paddling a line of mangroves or cordgrass, along a deep channel, or near an open pass. The water’s shallow, but drops off quickly. Tide’s moving strong. Paddle, paddle, paddle another mile. You’re looking for bulls, who came in on the tide, to pillage. They move in gangs, raking the cordgrass line, flushing mullet and shrimp ahead of them. Such violence. You spot them some distance away. You paddle hard to intercept, position the yak just off their line. Wait for them. Then drop a 1/0 baitfish or shrimp in their path. Once on it, they push and shove each other fighting over it. One strip and fish on, set the hook hard, and enjoy the sleigh ride. For this, I’ll carry a 9 or 10 weight, 12 foot leader, 18 lb fluorocarbon tippet, 1/0 shrimp or baitfish fly, heavily weighted. You’re fishing as much with your yak as the fly rod. Need to understand the seasons and the tides.

Nice thing is, on the Texas Coast, you can move from flat, to marsh, to mangrove all in one day, all with just a fly rod.
Thunder1
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by Thunder1 »

Once again, thanks to all for the insights. This really helps me visualize.

As an aside, I'm heading off to Mexico for a few days. Fortunately, one day includes a fly fishing trip for baby tarpon and snook. I'm a virgin to saltwater fly fishing, so this should be one heck of a time. I'm hoping to learn as much as possible from the guide, take it all in, and observe. If I land a fish that's a bonus.
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by eightweight »

Guide says, "Under the mangroves, man, tarpon rolling, can you get it under there?" You strain for a moment, trying to see what he sees, you don't, but pretend to, to save face. You try to gauge the distance, the wind, the angel of the cast. One back cast, another, low and side armed, you do your best to avoid the branches. "Too short man, get it under there!" You pick it up and throw it hard, damn the mangroves. It's wide, but lucky you, the current sweeps it in, under the branches in the quiet of the shade. "Good man, leave it. He sees it, strip once, wait . . . again . . ." A silver flash in the water, and you feel the weight of a log hit your line, rod doubles over, then tarpon clears the water and tail walks with a clap of thunder, the reel screams as he races down the creek channel, backing trailing behind.

That's tarpon on a fly rod, man. You'll never be the same.
Thunder1
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by Thunder1 »

Wow! Your description couldn't have been more spot on. I put two in the boat, lost two in the air, and trout set another few. Man, what an experience. I've replayed that day over and over and it was just Friday. I certainly struggled getting the distance and not putting the fly in a mangrove. I certainly achieved that feat many more times than a good landing. However, when I did put it just under an overhanging mangrove that was an amazing feeling. Strip,wait, wait, wait, now strip-strip-strip, set the hook!!!
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Re: basics of fly fishing Texas bays

Post by StrykerDM »

Some flies that are tied with some form of weed guard I'll actually cast just onto the edge and slowly tease it out so it plops into the water from the reeds. Just don't strip too aggressively that first pull or you'll snag even a seedless fly.


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