Mikey D Fishing: Cape Charles-Potter County Fishing Report, 10-18 June: From the Salt to the Fresh to ... well....

Capt. DiPaola and I had the opportunity to spend the early part of the week down in Cape Charles to chase Reds. Joining us were good friends John and Heidi Hall. The solunar calendar for the week predicted slow fishing. But if you're not on the water, you'll never know.

We wade-fished off the beach down by Plantation Creek. Weather was decent: partly cloudy skies, temps in the low 80s, water temps in the low 70s. A bit windy, but the water was reasonably clear. Both days we got on the water right as the tide started going out. Which turned out to be a good thing. Normally the bite turns on about an hour or so after the tide changes. These two days, however, we hit fish at the top of the tide, but at prime time the fishing just turned off. Again, the solunar calendar is a good guide, but the fish don't read it.

The good news was that our guests caught some nice slot Reds. Just about everything we threw worked; Dyne XL, gold Johnson spoon, soft plastics under a popping cork. I managed a couple of Reds and a small trout on the flyrod, tossing a Puglisi baitfish pattern (chartreuse and white). Have been using that particular fly for the last year and a half. It's gotten eaten quite often, but is still holding together.

Of greater importance, we picked up our first Reds for the year. I was a bit afraid that some recently-acquired body art might have jinx'd me.

(Pro guide tip: Never thrown down a dare after a few too many adult beverages in a cigar bar in Ybor City. H/T to Dr. Jim Beam)

Headed back to Potter County on Wednesday. Streams up here are low. Air temps in the 70s, but lows in the 40s. On Sunday Mary and I headed south to fish Kettle Creek. Figured there would still be enough water, and cool enough to sting some trout. Fished from 9:30 in the morning to about 2 in the afternoon. Water temps were probably in the low to mid-60s, close to the edge of no fishing. But air temps were in the 60s-low 70s, and I needed to get my trout fix in.

We fished the lower end of the C&R section for a few hours. Water was ankle to shin deep, but a lot of fish in the stream. Catching was tough. We were down to fishing small flies on 6X. Managed some misses, lost fish, and got one to the net. Flies of choice were beetles, Griffiths Gnats (tough to see), and small Sulphurs.