Man, where is the time going?! Summer’s almost here, the snow in Utah is starting to melt, mother nature is a beautiful thing. To escape some of the cold this winter and early spring, I decided to plan two fishing trips to chase my favorite fish that swims on this planet : Redfish. Although there are many species that are near and dear to me, my love for saltwater fly fishing began with Redfish, and it was time to revisit my roots.

For Christmas, my family and I decided to visit Apalachicola, Florida to relax for the vacation and fish the water that I grew up fishing. Over the past couple of years, the water clarity and conditions in Northwest Florida have been terrific and have allowed great sight fishing opportunities for these fish. Although we only did a day or so of guided fishing on this trip, the wade fishing turned out to be the highlight of the trip, and had a handful of great sessions consisting of both blind-casting and sight fishing to tailing fish.

Due to the water conditions, the primary fly patterns consisted of natural colors and crustacean imitations. Whether these were crabs, shrimp, or glass minnows, it was interesting to catch redfish on some patterns that were somewhat non-traditional to our usual fly box. These also led to the occasional catch of a speckled trout in that these are their primary food sources as well (a surprise visit from a flounder was also a first for me).

Although the winter can be hit or miss when it comes to redfishing specifically, the overall outcome was extremely positive, and some very healthy fish were the result. There is a reason as to why this is my favorite place on earth.

But hang on a second…we are just getting started! After revisiting my old stomping grounds during the New Year, there was another red fishery that I bumped to the top of the priority list to get back to. That’s right, the redfish capital of the world. Louisiana.

Now the funny one with Louisiana is that although it seems as if I have fished the area multiple times, the truth is I had only been there twice previously. We have had two trips in the past also get cancelled (due to weather, and also one bad incident with a case of frost bite…not my proudest moment. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger though am I right?!). So, with one of my best buddies from college, we thought “why the heck not” and shot down to the bayou here at the end of April for a weekend that would turn out to be one for the memory books.

Upon arrival of Louisiana, a couple of things were evident. Although it was indeed warm and no strong weather fronts were on the horizon, the water was definitely dirty (chocolate-milk like as we say), and that sun was not going to be a guarantee. However, when you are in a place like Louisiana with hundreds of miles of marsh all around you, you can use the weather to your advantage with the right guide and mindset.

Luckily for us, fish were tailing and crawling all day along the banks of the marsh, and as long as the fly was right on their nose, the fish were eager to eat. This was a somewhat new experience for me in that I’m used to leading fish by a foot or two in traditional saltwater settings; being able to buggy whip big flies right in front of the face of huge redfish was an adrenaline rush at its finest. Although many fish were spooked due to this technique, it was a necessity to get fish to eat, or else they would not see the fly.

Although several large fish were caught during a couple of days of fishing, the biggest red of the trip was a 40/41 inches that was caught on a home-tied black and purple slider. This was the second biggest redfish of my life, and was one of the coolest eats and fights I have ever had. Back out of the water, moving slowly along the bank, the cast was a little too ahead of the fish so I had to wait on the strip, but it found the fly, chased it in, and hit right at the boat. After a 15-minute fight the fish was to the boat and the trip was off to an incredible start.

I can’t wait for the summer to begin and for more trips to come. I have made it a News Years resolution to stay on top of this sight, in that the passion keeps me going, and I can’t think of a better way to chronicle the adventures that keep me going. Tight lines.

Joe