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Redfish Techniques

They've been called "the poor man's bonefish," and with good reason: They tail on the flats; you can sight-fish to them; they take the fly eagerly; and they run hard. There are two ways to fish for them-wading or from a boat. Each approach requires a slightly different technique.

The best shots you have at reds are when they are tailing, with their heads down and their tails up and slightly breaking the water's surface. Then their attention is on food and, with their heads down, they cannot see well.

	Redfish have mouths on the bottom of their heads (left), and they feed mostly on the bottom. When you are fishing the flats, look for feeding fish that poke their tails through the water's surface and present your fly ahead of them.

If you are boat fishing and you spot a school of redfish, you should first watch them to determine if they are tailing or moving, or both. If they are tailing, they are feeding. If they are feeding toward you, let them continue feeding into casting range. If they are tailing away, try to maneuver your boat ahead to a point where you can stop and let them feed toward you.

If the fish are tailing in weeds or grass, your fly should be weedless. If not, you will hang up on each presentation. If the fish are not moving when they feed, try poling to within casting range. In some weedy areas, that might mean as close as six feet!

Your approach must be extremely quiet. Redfish are shy and can sense the pressure waves created by a boat moving across a quiet flat. The slap of waves against the boat's side can alert reds that have been fished, and you may see them simply quit feeding and move off. Under such conditions, be prepared to make long casts-up to 80 feet.

Once you have wade-fished for reds, you'll be spoiled for life. As in bonefishing the flats, it's all visual. You spot the tailing afar and wade to intercept it. Reds tailing happily and hungrily across a glassy-calm flat can set your heart racing as you sneak, quietly edging forward to close the distance between you and the tails.

If you present a small popper softly, fish oftentimes explode on the fly and that is why fly fishers sneak alone across quiet flats. At other times you must cast the fly to land quietly just ahead of the feeding fish, or just to their right or left. The noise of the fly landing must get their attention but not frighten them. What happens then is between you and them.

On the take, simply lift your rod hand and strip lightly to tighten the line with your line hand. Don't grab the line tightly! The fish has inhaled the fly into its rubbery mouth. The sharp point automatically penetrates on the strike. When the fish dashes away, let line slide though your fingers until the red is on the reel on a light drag setting.

Redfish usually run less than 100 or 200 feet. They do not jump, but they fight bulldoggedly, with head-shakes to free the fly. It usually takes less than 10 minutes to land them. On the best flats, with professional guiding and good tides and weather, you can expect from 10 to 30 hookups in a day of fishing.

Red Tides
You must catch the tides for the best redfishing. Like bonefish, reds come and go with them. An early morning incoming is the ideal tide, since the fish, after six hours off the flats during nighttime, are eager to rush into the shallows for breakfast. Hungry, happy fish provide prime targets. You may find low-tide flats that hold reds all day, and they are special places for guides, for they prolong the bite. And the places which have little tidal change can provide you with the best fishing year after year.

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