I have been on a mission lately to catch a sheepshead on fly. So I tied up some dime size rug yarn crabs and 2 bay anchovies over a few beers the night before and hoped for the best. I planned to catch the incoming tide on a stretch of shoreline that had a good number of oyster beds intermixed with sand and shell. On the way to the spot I drifted over some deep potholes where the trout usually hold and flicked out the anchovy. On the second cast bam… fish on. However this was no dink trout, it was an 18” sheepshead! Go figure. After a few more casts and no more takers I move on.
Along the mangroves I got out of the yak and started to wade with yak in tow. The wind was providing only a 20’ sight window up against the shore. Just enough to work with, there would only be short casts today. My pace was slow due to the intermittent clouds and sun. After a while I approached a small batch of oysters and spotted a red, nose to shell and crabbin’ with a quick load of the rod the fly was off and landed 2’ off the nose. The fish acknowledged the site of the crab with a wave of the tail, eased over and picked it up to crush it. I felt the line tick and set the hook, fish on! It was more like waking a drunken bear, slow at first and then the fight was on. After wrestling the 22" fish with the 6 wt I had it to hand. The crab was hooked just outside the crushers, with a quick pop of the finger the barbless crab was out and this red was going home for dinner.
I kept wading the shore in pursuit of the sheepshead and after 15 more minutes of wading, there one was with red a in tow. Every time that sheepshead stopped the red would rush over and push it out of the way. I gave the sheepie a good lead and dropped the fly 3’ out. The sheep approached it, tipped up and here comes the red, like a bull dog, the sheep blew out, the red tipped up and the line went tick, I set the hook and fish on! This one had shoulders and it was all that 6 wt could do to keep up. After a while the 27” red was at hand and she was thick in the head and shoulders. I popped out the crab and slipped her back in. And kept wading. This time a big sheep, well over 20” was easing my way I flicked the fly 3’ in front and as she approached she tipped up on it, stared at it for to long and did not like my workmanship and moved on, I was refused on this and 4 other sheeps with this style crab but I have some more ideas for realism.
On the last 50 yds of shore there is one last bar. As I was finishing my wade along the bar what I thought was a big oyster encrusted rock, moved its pectoral fin! A quick flick and the fly landed off to the left, to far out, I repositioned and dropped it on the nose. Doh! But she didn’t spook, the fly drifted down and rest on the bottom for a minute or so, I moved it a gnats ars. She leaned forward and picked it up, the line went tick, and Fish on! This was another brute with shoulders, after wrestling for a while I had the red at hand, popped out the fly and slipped her back into the water. What a beautiful day! And not another soul on the water.
1/1 Fly Fishing Report
I had a sheephead on a clouser at Ft. D a couple of weeks ago. I also catch a lot on CAL jigs this time of year in the same area. There was a pic posted recently of one being taken on a Mirrodine. The sheepies holding in the potholes get real aggressive and commonly attack baitfish. This might help a little in your quest. Good luck!
Paddles - they aren't just for the bedroom anymore.
~Mark~
~Mark~
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