Capt Tuck Scott, “Match the Hatch- Salt Water”   14 Sept 2011

Based on Jack Baggette’s notes and recording, the following recap of Tuck’s recent talk is offered.

Fresh water trout fishermen focus on insect hatches, even hourly changes to what the hatch is doing.  Salt water anglers are more concerned about which bait the season offers.  Are shrimp jumping?  Are fiddlers present?  Is bait being scattered?  Are reds tailing, cruising and/ or busting bait?  The size of bait is a function of the season, with shrimp and other prey growing larger as the year progresses. 

Salt water seasons focus redfish on the bait available:
Winter-mud minnows, blue crabs
Spring- mud minnows, blue crabs, fiddler crabs, finger mullet
Summer- mud minnows, blue crabs, mullet, shrimp, fiddlers
Fall- shrimp, blue crabs, fiddlers, mullet, mud minnows

Matching the general salt water “hatch”:
Seeing is eating to the fish.  Fishermen must understand how a fish sees its prey.  The fly’s movement, color, size, and weight are factors that vary with the season and water conditions experienced.  Fish eye lens are round and dense, and contain both rods and cones.  Fish are able to regulate incoming light in spite of no eyelids.  They have 180 degree vision and can detect movement on a broad angle. 
Color is more a factor in clear water than dingy water.  Tuck demonstrated how reds and oranges quickly become invisible as the water becomes more dingy.  Darker colors like blue are relatively more visible in dingy, low light conditions.  In general, color is less important the deeper, choppier, lower light conditions we fish.  
Weight of flies is important. We must keep the fly where fish feed in the water column. 
-Floating: Used when bait is on the surface and water is calm and more clear.  Birds feeding on the surface is a good tip off.  No weight added is good for schooling fish at low tide and when fish are not after crabs.  Puglisi Everglades, mullet flys, Kinky Muddlers, and Deceivers are good choices. 
- Bead chain eye flys: work on shallow and spooky tailers, in clear to dingy water, on schooling fish, over oyster beds, and over soft bottoms.  Bead chain is used on many Clouser style flys.
- Dumb bell eye flys: work in deeper water, on non cruising fish and fish tailing.  Razmataz, Crimp, and Kung Fu Crab are good choices.  Extra weight is needed for focused, hard tailing fish and when you see mudding on a firm bottom.  Heavy, fast sinking flys are required when quick moving fish are targeted. 
Seasons 
-Winter: More color & realism in flys is helpful if water is clearer.  Kung Fu Crab, Puglisi Everglades, colorful Clousers, and Dupree spoons (not black) are effective. 
- Spring/ Summer: Darker colors work and Tuck likes Razmataz in brown, A Way Shrimp, Kinky Mud Minnows and dark Red Fish Toads.  The Toad’s plumage allows quick strips and has good action. 
- Fall: The Red Fish Toad is a very versatile fly.  Dupree spoons, large mullet patterns and large shrimp patterns work well. 

High movement flys: The Red Fish Toad is strike zone friendly.  It has excellent movement with a slow retrieve and is good on tailers.  The Toad allows muddy water awareness.  Dark Brown is good and the fly’s plumage offers visibility from all angles. 

Flashey flies:  Cobia want flashey flies and are aggressive feeders.  The Reducer is a good cobia fly and flash works best on sunny days.  The Dupree is also good on reds when sunny conditions prevail. 

Very heavy flies:  When shallow water is very muddy, a heavy fly such as a Razmataz works well before fish can move away.  The same works in a high wind and in higher grass. 

Dupree spoons:  At one time this spoon was Tuck’s go- to first choice.  All Dupree colors, except black, are stripped like a minnow.  Black Duprees should be fished like a crab and allowed to rest on bottom with little movement. Often reds are hooked in roof of mouth on the black Dupree.  The Dupree is the go-to fly for many locals and should be given a chance if conditions dictate. 

Size of fish:  Fish grow over the year and so does bait.  The Dupree size fly will generally catch smaller fish.  Larger flys catch the larger fish, especially in the fall and closer to the ocean.  The Kinky Muddler Minnow is a good large fly choice. 

Wrap Up:  While fishing with John Kamisky I asked him about success and luck.  He said luck had nothing to do with success.  Being ready, being prepared was the key.  Have a variety of flys either tied on or available to take advantage of conditions.  Observe the water, the birds, etc. for signs and be able to react to what is going on.  As a recent example, Tuck found lady fish taking large shrimp on the surface, over twelve feet of water.  Birds alerted us to the action and he tried several flies until he discovered that poppers worked.  Being observant and ready is the key and be able to get fish to see what you are throwing.