# First Redfish on a Fly!!



## glgardnerjr (Apr 15, 2009)

First red on a fly. Committed myself a few days ago to fly only and it took longer than I thought. Been hammering them on conventional but a lot more to go wrong with a fly. Fishing my '07 BT Skiff by myself and getting everything positioned when the reds are moving that fast is tough. Finally figured it out and caught this (released) 20"'er, if you bend the tail. I'll be back at them again this afternoon!


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## JayTeeDubya (Feb 24, 2013)

Awesome man! Such an awesome feeling and sense of accomplishment. I caught my first on a fly earlier this year.


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## BrandonFox (Jan 8, 2013)

Heck yeah. Nice fish. You'll never forget the first.


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## duck commander (Sep 19, 2005)

Awesome man welcome to the addiction. Much like the first time you drive an arrow through an animal.


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## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

I see your problem now you need someone to pole you around those flats don't you? That's the problem with going solo in a Florida skiff. You need to get fly rod and push holders rigged up on your poling platform where you can go from one to the other fast. That way you can use standing way up high to your advantage. Google around you'll find what you need.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Congrats, I got my first last November. Yes, there are lots of moving parts. I'm still using mainly baitcasters, but look get into using the fly gear more in the fall


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

I have the same boat. You can pole the boat backwards from the front deck if you have to. Doing all that alone from the poling platform is hard and an accident waiting to happen.


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## glgardnerjr (Apr 15, 2009)

Thought I had it figured out and went again today. Rough & Windy. Only found one school but they were good ones. Apparently they didn't read the script. Instead of following the shore through the little cove they cut the corner right at the boat and spooked. Still a great day on the water!!

Duck Commander - VERY much like that first bow kill and incredibly a lot of the same adrenaline rush when the reds are right next to you feeding that aggressively.

Stuart - Not trying to pole and cast yet. Just using the trolling motor, finding the school and then getting ahead of them and waiting for them to come to me. Casting from the Yeti on the front of the boat. Mine is a 2007 Beavertail Osprey. Yours?


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

glgardnerjr said:


> Thought I had it figured out and went again today. Rough & Windy. Only found one school but they were good ones. Apparently they didn't read the script. Instead of following the shore through the little cove they cut the corner right at the boat and spooked. Still a great day on the water!!
> 
> Duck Commander - VERY much like that first bow kill and incredibly a lot of the same adrenaline rush when the reds are right next to you feeding that aggressively.
> 
> Stuart - Not trying to pole and cast yet. Just using the trolling motor, finding the school and then getting ahead of them and waiting for them to come to me. Casting from the Yeti on the front of the boat. Mine is a 2007 Beavertail Osprey. Yours?


 2007 Bare Bones with a 50 E-tec tiller.


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## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

GL that's the right approach...let them come to you. Your success rate will good using that technique. Try to get that fly out in front of them resting on the bottom so when they are within a few feet all you need to do is lift the rod tip up use a long slow strip and they'll do the rest. Try to eliminate too much slack in the line.


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## glgardnerjr (Apr 15, 2009)

Took me a little while to figure that out and they are moving so fast that you've got to get WAY further in front of them to allow enough time to get set-up. My casting isn't good enough, yet, to put it on their nose so laying it out there ahead of them getting there was how I caught the first one. Can't go today but will be back at them Thursday!


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

If you need a hand I'll pole your boat for you. I have a Carolina Skiff I try to sight cast from, you think its tough from a BT, try a CS with a 78" beam.

I'm serious, I need to fish with more fly fishermen. My haunts are all along the ICW in West Bay. I have seen some pretty good tailing action lately but its just tough to get to them quietly enough.


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## SKIFFSTIFF (May 8, 2009)

I too have an 07 Beavertail.Mine is the Osprey.I have rigged mine so that I can fly fish solo.If you would like I can send you some pics of the rig as I have it set up.
Skiffstiff


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## TexasSaltFlyflinger (Sep 29, 2013)

Felt the need to chime in. I too have a BT. I have the Strike that they put out last year. Love the boat. It's great. Cool to see a few other BTs in here. I still don't have a trolling motor but when solo I will pole from the platform and then set the power pole if I want to fish and hop down quietly as possible to the bow with a rod. Not the ideal scenario but I wouldn't blame the set up yet. I just haven't seen much in the drum bay, christmas bay area. I am heading out tomorrow and going south from Surfside towards the San Bernard. Haven't seen much from Freeport Marina up to Christmas. I'm fly only most of the time except for a gold spoon for my buddies that don't fly fish here and there. Hopefully we find them tomorrow!:ac550:


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## glgardnerjr (Apr 15, 2009)

NSEA - very hard to set that up with someone. I am extremely lucky and fish in the morning before I go into work (if I go............) and then in the evening when I get home. Sometimes work from home for awhile and then just can't take it anymore and take-off for a quick hour of fishing. Almost never fish on the week-ends unless its the last hour of the day. Too many idiots. I've got plenty of people who would love to go but no one has my schedule and its usually last minute. 

Caught 2 on a fly this morning before the weather hit. Could have got my third but the lightening had me running for the house.

Question. What weight are you throwing? I've got an 8 and honestly I feel like I'm over gunned HOWEVER; only 5 fish thus far and 22" is the biggest one. I know that a 28" will absolutely be a different fight but I'm thinking I need to drop down. Thoughts??????????


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## snuffer (Oct 6, 2014)

TexasSaltFlyflinger said:


> Felt the need to chime in. I too have a BT. I have the Strike that they put out last year. Love the boat. It's great. Cool to see a few other BTs in here. I still don't have a trolling motor but when solo I will pole from the platform and then set the power pole if I want to fish and hop down quietly as possible to the bow with a rod. Not the ideal scenario but I wouldn't blame the set up yet. I just haven't seen much in the drum bay, christmas bay area. I am heading out tomorrow and going south from Surfside towards the San Bernard. Haven't seen much from Freeport Marina up to Christmas. I'm fly only most of the time except for a gold spoon for my buddies that don't fly fish here and there. Hopefully we find them tomorrow!:ac550:


Not to highjack the thread butâ€¦I bought a Strike this spring, planning to fish the P O'Connor area in about another week. Do you guys know anything about the fishing in that area?


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

snuffer said:


> Not to highjack the thread butâ€¦I bought a Strike this spring, planning to fish the P O'Connor area in about another week. Do you guys know anything about the fishing in that area?


 Yeah, go Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Congrats!


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## salty_waders (Feb 13, 2006)

glgardnerjr said:


> NSEA - very hard to set that up with someone. I am extremely lucky and fish in the morning before I go into work (if I go............) and then in the evening when I get home. Sometimes work from home for awhile and then just can't take it anymore and take-off for a quick hour of fishing. Almost never fish on the week-ends unless its the last hour of the day. Too many idiots. I've got plenty of people who would love to go but no one has my schedule and its usually last minute.
> 
> Caught 2 on a fly this morning before the weather hit. Could have got my third but the lightening had me running for the house.
> 
> Question. What weight are you throwing? I've got an 8 and honestly I feel like I'm over gunned HOWEVER; only 5 fish thus far and 22" is the biggest one. I know that a 28" will absolutely be a different fight but I'm thinking I need to drop down. Thoughts??????????


I like to use a smaller, slower rod when fishing from skiff. I use a fast 7 or 8 wt when I wade (which is 90% of the time). When Im on the bow of a skiff I prefer a slow 7 wt. Reason is the slower rod loads faster and easier for close-in shots, which is typical from a skiff.


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## SaltMan (Jun 15, 2012)

:dance: Right on Hayden! you me and clint need to go soon!


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## MarkA70 (May 3, 2011)

Good job!!! Put me down as another Beaver Tail guy. Got my 08 Osprey and do the same thing with the trolling motor. Wanna get one of the Pilot type and have even less to worry with. My BT is going to be heavier than yours, Jack Plate, Hydro steering, whaddaya going to do. I fish outta Cove Harbor Marina, so am Traylor Island and So sites fishing. Reds will be moving after this next front!!!


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