By Capt. Adam Jaynes
I know how much I enjoy getting to fish with my dad so when I get to charter father and son trips it is that much more enjoyable. Recently I had Will Jenkins and his son, Roy, out for a sight-fishing trip for redfish in the marsh. Will has fished with me a couple times in the past but this was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting one of his sons. Roy is only ten years old but is already well on his way to becoming a heck of a fisherman and a fine young man.
The wind was blowing a sustained 20-25mph easy with some pretty heavy gusts mixed in. Fortunately for me the 17’ Yellowfin skiff poles very well so poling in those winds was not as brutal as you would think. However, casting a fly in that wind is another story, especially when you are attempting to catch your first ever redfish on a fly! Roy reminded us early on in the trip what the day was really about, “we’re here to have fun!” He was absolutely right and we did just that. That one statement made the frustrations of casting into the wind seem very trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Despite the howling winds the water clarity, the marsh has been holding up tremendously well. Ideal conditions for sight casting include clear skies and light winds, we had neither but still had a great number of shots at some really nice redfish. Landing just one redfish on a fly in the conditions we were faced with was a heck of an accomplishment however we were blessed with more than that. We also even broke a couple hooks on some larger redfish. Roy is still looking for his first ever redfish on a fly rod but he did manage to land the largest redfish of the day with spinning gear. We did not weight the fish but snapped a few pictures prior to letting it go, a memory that will last a lifetime for sure. Roy, like his father realized last year, is now aware that you do not have to travel some great distance to sight fish in crystal clear water. It is right here in our own back yard.
Our fishing will continue to get better in the marsh as we move along through spring and into summer. If you prefer to venture out into Sabine Lake and chase speckled trout that bite is currently in full force. We are catching the majority of our trout on Egret’s new Zombie Walker topwater and Heddon Super Spooks. If you can this summer try and get a kid hooked on fishing!
Capt. Adam Jaynes | www.justfishsabine.com | 409-988-3901