OK… I can tie a copperhead that looks pretty darn close to the ones I bought as a model… I have been practicing a lot and my casting is slowly coming back and I am learning to throw the bigger flies… I found a school of reds and got my fly near the edge of where they were feeding… got the fly where I think I needed it… then it hit me… “now what do I do?”… Do you strip them like a clouser, twitch them along, slow pull along the botom or all of the above? After a couple of tries and bouncing my fly off a few reds, they scatterd for deeper water and I tied on a clouser and tried blind casting and still nada. I dropped a mud minnow on the bottom with my spinning rod and before it hit bottom they hit it… Man I need some help with the fly fishing for these reds
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
Nikon,
First and foremost you need to determine where the fish are heading. Then place your fly in front of them… I usually lead them by a good 4 or 5 feet. At this point let the fly settle to the bottom and wait until the fish are practically on top of it. When the fish are about 1 feet or less away from the fly begin your strip. I usually strip short and abrupt, (ive heard this called a bonefish strip) Pulling about 8" of line at a time, and leaving a small pause between strips to allow the fly to settle on the bottom again… what will happen is the fly will “jump” up off the bottom, leaving a litttle puff of mud. Keep doing this until your fly is too far away from the fish for them to see it… if a fish persues, do not change the retrieve until you feel the strike.
This retrieve works great with a number of patterns, but especially with the copperhead… And you may need to adjust the retrieve if your on oysters or somthing, but as long as your on a mud flat you should be fine.
Thanks again Mike… that does help. I didn;t let it settle enough and I think I had it too close… Now I can’t wait to get back out and try it again What do you do if they are just milling around… they really weren;t heading in any direction, just kinda making circles… do you toss it close to where the circles are by a couple of feet and wait til they see the “puff” BTW… Jerms… I did think about that… I had some smaller MM
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
if there just milling around i usually throw it close the the outside of the school and wait on one to wander close then use the same retrieve to draw a strike.
Thanks again Mike. I am hopefully going to be out at it again later this week. I am hoping to get off early in Friday and head out… I’ll let ya know how I do. If you do hear a faint “WAHOOOO!!!” that you can hear down in your neck of the woods it may be me with my fist red OTF
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
Alright Mike… I am taking a day of leave on the 10th of Dec to go yakking and try and catch some fish and work some more on a photo story I started… I am TRIPLE DAWG Darin ya to come along and show me you ain’t yoda!!! So far me and my buddy form work here are going to go out. I am hoping Dolphin Dave and ScottyD will be abel to make it again and I am not sure if we are gonna hit Redfishville again or try somewhere new… What say you MasterYoda??
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
sorry man… im off on the 11th, but i have to work the 10th… let me know how yall do though… btw got one red on the fly this mornin before the wind kicked up.
Ive never had much luck w/ the copperhead after the water begins to clear. I like it to sit still on the bottom, let them find it. especially in the real skinny, they are keyed in on the botttom and all that movement in the flash is more than enough. last week we were having great luck on an Enrico Puglisi baitfish pattern called backcountry minnow I believe. That one and an almost all pearl/white (same profile) they were racing to it.
Hey Scotty… I still have your pix man! I am planing anpther photo/fishin trip on the 10th of Dec… whatcha doin day day? I really need to meet up with ya and get you those pix from the last time! I was hoping to get out this weekend with the long rod but the kids and wife had other plans for me
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
Cool Scotty… I am not exactly sure where we’re gonna go… I REALLY want to go back to Redfishville but I was also wanting to shoot some different backgounds… I am still looking at where I want to shoot that will also provide some good fishing and the weather… I’ll have the spot and time nailed down by weeks end. I’ll give ya a call and post the time date location here… BTW this IS and open invitation to anyone else who would like to come along… the more the merrier… It is Christmas anyway!!
“Well sounds like a textbook release. I’m sure he will live to fight another day.” – Misplaced Prioity
Try to read the fish a bit before you uncork the cast and let the fish tell you how they want to eat your fly. Generally speaking most folks over work thier flies as well as don’t spend enough time trying to figure out where the fish are going. So slow down and spend a bit more time trying to read the fish ie happy, negative or neutral as well as the prevaling conditions like the wind and current then let this combination of facts and conditions tell you where you need to put the fly. At times you have to lead the fish while at other times you have to drop it right on thier nose, just never make a cast over thier backs or right into the middle of a big school of Reds less you like watching departing v wave moving away from you a warp speed. The other thing that I do if my fly is spooking the fish when it hits the water, is to tie up a few patterns that are lightly weighted with bead chain eyes or slightly weighted with a glass bass style rattle. If the fish are still blowing out, then try something with less flash and a bit more suttle. After all it’s called fishing and not catching for a reason!
Just use a bit tippet if your breaking fish off. As for your fly patterns think, smaller over bigger and bait fish over critter patterns. White as well as white with a darker or hot color over white will typcially get you bit. If you need a weighted fly go with a Clouser or Jiggie. Just dress them down and keep the profile small. Personally I like synthetics over natural trying materials for Albie flies. While the naturals will catch fish they won’t last nearly as long as a good synthetic that been treated with a good head cement or epoxy.
Do you strip them like a clouser, twitch them along, slow pull along the botom or all of the above? 
After a couple of tries and bouncing my fly off a few reds, they scatterd for deeper water and I tied on a clouser and tried blind casting and still nada. I dropped a mud minnow on the bottom with my spinning rod and before it hit bottom they hit it… Man I need some help with the fly fishing for these reds 
