Jan. 4, 2008

Of course by now the reds are more than tight in large schools. The water is clear as we start with very cool temperatures in 2008 and most bait has long since left the flats. So this is the start of a very strong fly-fishing season.

I like bright colored flies this time of year something like a rattle fish, bright clousers, and spoonflies are all good selections. Anything yellow, pink, or chartreuse will usually work in the winter months with a good cast. It is more important this time of year than any other to be able to make a fairly lengthy cast to these schools, otherwise you stand a high chance of spooking them. Once the school is spooked it can be very difficult to get them settled enough to take anything.

As far as conventional tackle goes I turn mostly to sand eel grubs or red rippers this time of year. Both can be cast a pretty long ways, hopefully beyond the school, as to not spook the fish. To help you cast further make sure you remove the skirt from the red ripper so that wind resistance will be minimized. Honestly I don't feel that the fish care anything about the skirt anyway.

DO NOT let these winter days slip away without fishing them. Calmer schooled up fish in clear water make the winter some of the best fly-fishing the year has to offer.
Tight Lines, Capt. Tuck

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