As I approached an oyster covered point a nice red with big shoulders was grubbing for a crab and I slowly and quietly worked a little closer. We were both in the zone and I had the advantage. I no sooner had rolled the line out, lifted it into the air into a back cast when……..BLAHAAAAAAAA Woosh…… a G.D. airboat turns the point, running right on the shoreline and spins to a stop not 75’ from me!!!!!! I no longer remember what happened to the cast or the red, I was to pissed to care. Then he almost got blindsided by his buddy, that was right behind him and turning the corner in step, they were followed by no less than six other airboats!!!!! They all fanned out and regrouped and headed off to race those 8 cylinder beasts down another quiet mangrove lined shore. I had been hearing them earlier, waaaaay off but I must have tuned them out for a half hour or so and when they were on their way to greet me. They are definitely much quieter coming at you than going away. So un-cool. They blew the fish off whole next flat and this was where I normally find lots of reds (see last weeks fly report).
I grabbed a cold drink of water and cooled off for a while to let the flat settle. After a half hour or so and a little paddle to a pocket of oysters in the corner of an adjacent flat, I found it, Nirvana, a few Sheepies milling and crabbing. The sight window shrunk to 20’ with a slight ripple outside of that in which I could still make out silhouettes. A nice sheepie was sitting in a sand hole so I rolled out the line and after a short back cast sent it out. The fly landed about 2’ aside and beyond the fish. (After learning last time not to let em look at it to long) I did a few quick 3” strips and let it set. The pectoral fins showed he was interested so I repeated and when the fly set down he was on it, it looked like he actually pushed it into the bottom to get it. The line flicked and I set the hook. Sheep on! After, a few short runs and a lot of figure 8 maneuvers it was at hand. Nice!
The ultimate Crab Crusher
After that I resumed the wade and had a few sheepies refuse the crab, but I learned something from each one. Finally, I picked up an 18” red and it appeared as if the flat was coming back to life. However, it was time to go. I’ll be back, hopefully without all the airboat traffic.
