The weather has been hit or miss the last couple weeks forcing me to cancel or reschedule several trips and more unfavorable weather is on the way here tomorrow. We have managed to get in a few trips, however, some more successful than others.
On the 21st, I fished with John and his daughter Kristin on a cloudy and windy day in Mosquito Lagoon. The pair managed to catch seven redfish and a black drum all while it was raining. Due to the rain, we did not break out the camera.
Sunday the 24th, Peter, from Michigan, came to Mosquito Lagoon to catch his first saltwater fish on the fly. Again, it was overcast and a bit windy but we did manage to spot quite a few fish. Peter used my TFO 7wt and a black crab pattern to land two black drum and had a redfish hooked up that did not make it to the boat.
The following day, the weather had improved significantly. Brain and Jeremy from Orlando had shots at both redfish and big trout all day in both large schools, singles, and small groups. We used the new Morning Glory DOA CAL tail which the fish were eager to eat as long as it was in front of them. We did get a couple redfish and a nice trout to the boat and had a few LDR's (long distance releases). Almost all the fish we saw were extremely shallow with the big trout concentrated in the sand holes.
Tuesday, we arrived to find heavy fog and winds much higher than we had anticipated. When the fog finally cleared, the clouds moved in. Alex and Susan were on their first saltwater fly fishing trip in less than desirable conditions. When we did spot the fish, they were nearly under the boat and casting to them in the wind was difficult. We spent a good portion of the day practicing casting and did not catch a fish. Hopefully, we will get another chance on a nicer day.
Friday, Bob and Tony from Maryland joined me for their first sight fishing trip. This was a new style of fishing for them and they were not used to casting to fish they could see. Our first stop revealed a school of over 100 large redfish. Although it sounds like it would be simple to catch them, combine some adrenaline with some rusty casting and it can be a challenge. It only takes one errant cast to spook the entire school. If you spook them too many times, they may decide to stop feeding. After a couple hours of trying, Tony hooked into a nice redfish which measured 34 inches.Throughout the day, they had shots at other schools of redfish, black drum, and some single reds. Bob landed a trout but that was the only other fish caught.
We are now in to March which can be one of the windiest months of the year. The fish don't mind the wind but it certainly makes spotting the fish and casting to them more challenging.
Take a few minutes out of a windy day you are not fishing to practice your casting accuracy and you will be rewarded with more fish when you are on the water.
Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
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