The haunt for reds in October

“I am haunted by waters.” — Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

For most fly anglers in our state, it’s not the waters that torment us, but what swims in them. As we count down to All Hallow’s Eve, and the invasion of predatory species into our estuaries, the fly fishing can be so good it’s frightening.

So many options to choose from.

First, there’s night fishing. Yes, Count Catchula comes out at night! I can work the lighted docks, casting to creatures that go bump on my flies in the dark. Creatures with fang-like teeth, and yellow mouths, that prey upon innocent Crystal Shrimp or Clouser Minnows (tied on size 2 hooks).

Or perhaps I will head to the passes for one final shot at that denizen of the deep — Redzilla! A large Deceiver or EP Mullet on a sinking line, stripped slowly in, will get the attention of a bull red. When you feel tension, set the hook. Then listen as your reel makes the unholiest of sounds as line and backing melt away.

If you catch him from a kayak, you might end up on a Cajun Sleigh Ride to Cuba. Boy, just that thought makes my skin crawl! Not the kayak skipping across the open Gulf, but me ending up in Cuba.

Think I might just stick to the ponds instead, where I can do the tricking and the Spottail Elvis and friends can do the treating.

There has been a pestilence of Poisson Rouge this summer, the likes which haven’t been seen in many years. I’m hoping it gets worse — much worse — now that fall is here.

Exactly what makes this time of year so special for flyfishing the marsh? Several factors.

First, northerly winds push out the high tides of late summer, exposing banks and giving sightcasters more opportunities to see backing fish.

Then there’s Cormier’s 2nd Law of Fly Fishing, “Clear water favors the flyrodder.” Hot water holds more suspended sediments and organics than cooler water. The shallow ponds are the first to cool off when fronts pour through. The water there begins to clear out sooner.

If you can see your fly in 18 inches of water, you have as good a chance to catch fish as any lure angler and even most bait chunkers.

Finally, the crabs and baitfish swarm back into the ponds. Where bait goes, redfish follow. Sometimes pods of reds follow. Over the last decade, the best redfish reports posted to my forum each year have come in October and November. Twenty- and 30-fish days are not uncommon.

Last year, on the Saturday before Halloween, I slipped my canoe into a marsh just north of Pointe-aux-Chenes, right at first light. Armed with an 8-weight rod, a floating weight-forward line and a Pencil Popper, I began casting to a flat where a couple of “backs” were cruising along.

I wasn’t just hunting them, I was haunting them. A red cannot stand the sound of something plopping on top the water — it has to be eaten. Eaten alive!

Believe me, no horror movie is as thrilling as watching a big red follow a popper and then suddenly blow up on it just a few feet from a canoe or kayak.

Reds tend to shy away from poppers as the morning wears on. So soon I switched to my gold spoon fly — uh, make that “ghouled” spoon fly. Whether it’s the spinning-type Coma Spoon or the wobbling types like a Waldner Spoon or Kirk’s Spoon, they are all deadly on the Spottail Elvis.

I entered one pond that was still full of grass. Here, a spoon fly works OK, but the Prince of Tides works better. It’s a bendback pattern that has no weight and rides hook up. As a back would pop up in various isolated openings, I’d cast just past that spot, then drag the fly over the grass to the hole and let it fall in. Can you guess what happened next?

By midday, the wind was up considerably from the forecasted 5 knots. More like 15 knots. Hard to believe the weatherman was wrong — when does that ever happen?

A brisk wind over a flat stirs the bottom and leads to dirty water. And although cooler water holds less sediment, it still can hold enough to make a fly disappear a few inches under the surface.

The water soon got milky, and if there’s anything worse than casting in a strong wind, it’s fighting dirty water. In these conditions, I like a dark contrasting fly, like a black LaFleur’s Charlie, or a noisy fly, like a Rattle Rouser, or a fly that pushes water, like a Seaducer.

Another strategy for dirty water is to fish a Clouser or other weighted fly about 2 to 3 feet below a vosi (flyrodder’s popping cork). The popping sound of the vosi gets the fish’s attention. This technique also attracts drum and flounder.

It also is the best method for catching marsh specks, so give it a try. A vosi is nothing more than a perch float cut in half, with the half side then sanded into a concave face (to give it the popping action). Slip the vosi up the leader with the concave face toward the fly line.

The lesson of this fishing trip is that it took several different flies and several different techniques to be successful. But at the end of the day, five nice slot-sized reds graced my stringer, with over a dozen more released to be haunted another day.

Tippets

As stated in the article, bull reds, marsh reds and speckled trout abound this month. Drum, sheepshead, flounder and sand trout also get wild and crazy. At times, drum and sheepshead will readily take pink charlies and spoon flies.

Sand trout, a.k.a. white trout, reach their peak in October. This short-lived, fast-growing cousin of the speck loves flies. Toss a weighted Clouser in any area where there’s a convergence of tidal movement. Let the fly hit the bottom. The strike occurs in the first few strips up. What was a 10-incher in August is now 12 to 13 inches and a great fight on a 6- or 7-weight rod.

Bass, crappie and white bass will be schooling this month in reservoirs and lakes. For bass, I like any of Enrico Puglisi’s flies that imitate shad. Fish it on an intermediate line, and strip fast. It’s not unusual for crappie to sip bugs on the surface in early fall. If you spot surface activity, try an Adams (dry fly).

North Louisiana trout enthusiasts are giddy about the return of rainbow stocking this month in Southwest Arkansas and Southeast Oklahoma tailwaters. Most of the stockers will hit the usual (woolybugger), but a few of the big holdovers will demand a size 20 Baetis or Smidge (better have 7x tippet).

Events

• Oct. 16 — The Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club will hold its fifth-annual “Fall-N-Tide” fall kayak fishing tournament out of Delta Marina in Empire. Entry fee is $40, and includes a tournament T-shirt and post-tournament meal. Grand Prize is a new Hobie Pro Angler. Registration is open through Oct. 15. For more info, or to register, go to www.bckfc.org.

• Oct. 21-23 — The 13th annual Southern Rodmakers Gathering will be held at Fulton’s Lodge in Mountain Home, Arkansas. It’s one of the country’s largest gatherings of bamboo rodmakers, collectors and enthusiasts. The agenda includes programs, demos, even a bamboo rodmaking workshop for beginners. Pre-registration is required; deadline is Oct. 8. Cost is $60 and covers all activities, refreshments and several meals. For more info, or to register, go to www.southernrodmakers.org.

• Nov. 5-7 — It’s the 20th annual Southern Flyfishers Rendezvous at North Toledo Bend State Park in Zwolle. Members of fly fishing clubs from across the mid-South gather for plenty of fly tying, fly casting, food and fishing. A reasonable fee covers lodging and meals. For more info, go to www.laflyfish.com or www.northlaflyfishers.org.

About Catch Cormier 275 Articles
Glen ‘Catch’ Cormier has pursued fish on the fly for 30 years. A certified casting instructor and renowned fly tier, he and his family live in Baton Rouge.