Persistence can prevail in rough weather

The weather once again conspired to try and keep me off of the water. This week, heavy wind and rain were the culprits. However, I did brave the elements and go fishing in the hope of catching the first fish with my new TFO 6 weight fly rod. Gale force winds, torrential downpours and lightning are not your friends when fly fishing. So conditions were tough all week. Yet, persistence (or stupidity depending on your point of view) once again prevailed and I managed to catch a bunch of Trout on the fly.

Given the extremely windy conditions, I concentrated my efforts along tree lined (leeward) shores. Subsequently, I ended up fishing in places that I had not fished before. Rather than jumping right into fishing, I took the time to scout the area with the depth finder. It took a bit of looking but there were fish holding along a depth transition from 10 to 15 feet. Using this knowledge, I positioned the skiff to drift along the target depth range and cast the fly (a tan Clouser Minnow) into the current. Whenever the fly sank into the 12-foot depth range, a Trout inhaled it. Many of the fish were smaller but I was happy to be outside (even in the wind and rain) and actually catching fish. Especially since I was catching them on my new fly rod.

If you want to learn more about fly fishing in the Lowcountry, the Daniel Island Fishing Club is hosting an educational event at the Charleston Angler in Mt. Pleasant on January 26 beginning at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to join.

Also, the Charleston Boat Show is this weekend. I will be sharing lure information and techniques at the Coastal Angler Magazine Angler Academy on Saturday at 1:15. Hope to see you at the show.