Byline: ROB STREETER Special to the Times Union
Casting a fly rod in the wind is a little tricky. Casting a 9-weight fly rod in the wind with a rock jetty behind you is another thing.
More than once the big saltwater Clouser minnow tied on a 1/0 hook winged by uncomfortably close as it passed me and headed toward the water at high speed.
My wife's folks recently retired to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and we were there to visit for a week's vacation. I always bring my fishing gear along and found time to look for redfish and sea trout along the coastal area.
Redfish have become a very popular saltwater game fish in recent years. The craze for Cajun blackened redfish greatly reduced their numbers. Commercial fishing interests harvested many redfish, putting a dent in the population.
Redfish grow large and frequent shallow bays and grass flats. Thus much of the fishing for them is done by sight. Reds eat a variety of foods including minnows and baitfish, but they prefer crabs and shrimp.
In Florida, there are many good areas to fish for redfish along the Gulf of Mexico and other areas along the Space Coast. The Indian River and Mosquito River lagoons are basically shallow saltwater estuaries protected from the ocean.
These areas are fished by boat, and in some cases by wading where the bottom is hard enough.
Other Gulf states like Louisiana and Texas have great fishing for redfish and sea trout.
Redfish exist all along the Atlantic coast, all the way up to North Carolina. The best areas are around river mouths and along saltwater bays and inlets where there are grass flats and shallow pockets with lots of oyster bars and areas where their favorite foods like crabs can be found.
Sea trout are a bonus often encountered while fishing for redfish. They have big teeth and can get as big as 20 inches or so. They are fun to catch on light tackle.
Both redfish and sea trout can be caught on spinning gear. One of the best systems is a popping cork and a live shrimp or small crab underneath it for bait. Both of these species also will hit artificial lures. Soft plastic jigs that mimic shrimp or bait are great, and many of the jig bodies built for saltwater have shrimp scent to draw these fish.
Redfish can also be caught on fly tackle. Most of the areas where you fish are windy, and bigger rods like an 8-weight or a 9-weight are best. Fly choice is also pretty simple. There is a variety of patterns that look like shrimp or crabs, and a few Clouser minnows and a couple of poppers will round out the selection.
For redfish, there are a couple of ways to go about it. If you have a boat, you go along the shallow flats and look for the tails of feeding reds and then cast to them. You can also fish blind by throwing into likely areas, like the flats around oyster bars.
My favorite way to fish for sea trout is to use a tandem fly rig. A midsize saltwater popper is my point fly to which I tie about 18 inches of leader off the bend of the hook. The dropper fly is usually a brown Clouser minnow.
The popper attracts the fish, but they usually won't hit it. They will grab the fly underneath it, though. The rig also works on redfish.
For the Myrtle Beach area, I did not find a lot of great wade fishing, but have found there are a number of boat rentals in the area as well as a couple of fly-fishing guides who can get you out on the water.
Rob Streeter is an outdoors columnist for the Times Union. You can reach him at robertstreeter@sprintmail.com, or send items to 961 Stoner Trail Road, Fonda, N.Y., 12068.
