Like many of life's passions, fishing is expensive. We anglers like to collect rods, gear, flies
and accoutrement over the course of many years and seasons. While part of the
fun, sometimes there are unexpected costs in pursuit of that tug on the end of
the line. I guess "unexpected"
was the key word on one of the last days July as I sped to Cape Charles to wade
for redfish near Plantation Creek. My
quick trip to catch a red was interrupted by the local law. Twenty minutes and $190 later, I was back on
the road anxious to focus on anything other than speed trap avoidance. Capt. Felker, patiently(?) waiting for me on
the porch at Cape Escape, was prepped and ready by the time I arrived.
As recent blog entries suggest, a morning outgoing tide is
often best for triggering a predatory response from red drum. However, our morning outing yielded zip. With the wind up, there was a lot of bay
grass snagged on each cast. Capt. Felker
broke out the fly rod, while I tried an electric chicken paddle tail on a
popping cork. No fish in the AM, but
wading through the water, it was very apparent why the mouth of the bay is so
prolific. Bay grasses laid out like a flowing
carpet, crabs, clams, oysters abound with baitfish everywhere. As slack tide rolled in, there was little to
do but head back to Cape Escape and wait for the water to start moving again.
We returned to the same area early in the evening and I grabbed for the popping cork while Capt Felker tossed the tried and tested Dyna XL. About 15 minutes in, I got my first hit. Never saw him, but the redfish crushed it. After a hookup that lasted about a minute, he came right at me and spit the hook. The second red wasn’t so lucky. He also hit hard and after a nice fight, he smiled for the camera in exchange for a release. Like Capt Felker noted in a previous entry, redfish will surprise you. A red came out of nowhere just feet from where I was standing and tried to inhale the popping cork. With a slap of his tail, he disappeared into the flats. All in all, a pricey, but great day. One fish in hand, several hits, and a great time on the water with Mikey D Fishing
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
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