WE NEED YOUR HELP....Sciaenops ocellatus (Redfish) and Cynoscion nebulosus (Speckled Trout)

Image via Wikipedia

So as most of you know, the TLTFF Crew will be fishing the 1st Annual CCA Catch & Release Redfish/Speckled Trout Tournament (Red Trout Tourney) in about 10 days down in the southern part of the Bay. For those of you who don't know...now you do.

There is still time to sign up and have a chance at winning some big prizes including a Regal vise, TFO rod, Cheeky Fly Fishing swag and more. All of that aside, lets get down to the nitty gritty...

Neither Luis or I have hooked up on and landed a Redfish or Speckled Trout on the fly. We are both looking at this tourney as an opportunity to not only catch fish and have a blast in our native waters while also trying to win the tournament, but also knock two species off of our FF Bucket List. We read A LOT about both species and watch more video than can be fit into both the original and remastered versions of the Titanic combined. But with all of that research, it still makes us believe that you, our followers and readers, may have more information than we can scrounge up via major fly fishing outlets.

We feel as though, if we lay out the setting of what water we'll be fishing, you may be able to help us with patterns to use and gear to have on board. So moving right along, lets get to it...Crisfield, MD is where Jane's Island State Park is located and where Luis and I will be making base camp for the CCA Tourney weekend. Some of you may have followed us while we fished JI back in May and got into around 100 Stripers but no Specks or Reds. If you did follow us you have and idea of what the scenery looks like, we posted A LOT of photos. Check them out on our Instagram and Facebook if you missed out.

Jane's Island and the surrounding water we'll be fishing is 2-8ft semi-murky water (5ft water clarity depth on a good day). This water is full of eel grass beds and full of back marshes and ditches or "gulches" as the locals call them. The water moves pretty well in and out of backwaters leaving good channels for bait to hang in. The eel grass is anywhere from 12-24" long and filters the water pretty well. As far as food sources, baby blue crabs have been spotted and I'd assume there are good amounts of baitfish in the area from Bay Anchovies to Bunker. We will be fishing the River Hawk (Gheenoe) and have the ability to go super skinny if need be.

Sandy presumably brought the Reds into the Bay pretty heavy last year and most that were caught were in the 16-18" range. This year they're back and all the way up to the 24" range with multiple 30-40" fish caught down south, where we will be. We anticipate most of the Specks and Reds to be in the mid 20" range but always hope for bulls and gators.

Can any of you give us suggestions for ideal fly patterns, leader lengths, rod weights to use?

Boom...The TLTFF Crew

The Hunt for #17...

Luis and I are headed off to new water in search of carp (#17 on my FF Bucket List). Check out the TLTFF Instagram for constant updates on what is on the end of our lines and how the day is going...

Boom...Morgan

Word of the Day: Jealousy

Via Mr. P's Blog:

My #17, I want a Ghost on the fly so bad...

I came over to central WA to make my presentations at the Washington FFF fair.  My last post was about fishing for a while on Saturday afternoon after the presentation.  Staying at the Carp Lodge makes fishing for Carp easier.  We have the Internet here, we have a small printer, I bring a Netbook, and my cell phone works here.  That basically counts as a "home office" at the Carp Lodge.  Never mind that the "office" is on the table; hey, it works.  In fact I wrote up a Purchase & Sale Agreement from the Carp Lodge on Friday evening. 

Because I have a "home office" here I can work in the mornings and the evenings and fish during the day.  That doesn't always work but it works some of the time.  I do have to meet with clients some days.  It's Tuesday and I'm still here at the Carp Lodge.  I worked Sunday morning, fished some of the day, and then worked in the evening.  I fished some on Monday and again today (Tuesday).  My 61 year old legs are darn tired so I don't know if I can fish again tomorrow. 

I was going to try and make a blog post each evening but just had too much work to do so I didn't do it.  Maybe I will get caught up.  Maybe I won't. 

I went to some new water today that I had scouted at the end of the day on a late season trip last year.  The water actually looked very promising.  It looked like a nice wide open flat that would be easy to wade.  Well it was a nice wide open flat that was easy to wade.  It sure looked Carpy.  I never saw a single fish.  That would mean I didn't catch any either.  No spawners, no cruisers, no sunbathers, no nothing.  How does that happen?  I'm such a nice guy. 

I left the new (damn) water after lunch and headed back near the Carp Lodge to familiar water that is well known to many.  I have caught some very nice Carp here.  Hmmm...  Not today.  Just like the new water there were no spawners, no cruisers, no sunbathers, no nothing.  How does that happen?  That's the kind of thing that makes me wonder if I really like Carp fishing as much as I think I do.  I'm such a nice guy.  How does that happen? 

My Carpwagon took me way down the river for a last shot at a  couple hours of fishing.  Okay then, I saw some fish.  Within just a few minutes I got this 6 pounder.  It was such a relief. 

#17

Photo by John Singleton.  Inland tributaries like the Severn Run and Jabez Branch propel clear, fresh water from underground springs into the local rivers.

By John Singleton

Splitting the mist on the Severn Run the morning of Saturday, September 11 presented a glimpse into a mystery. There is no universally accepted definition of a stream’s source. Yet the nose of the kayak pushed upstream against the cold, fresh, water that feeds the Severn River.

On September 7, the U.S. Geological Survey released a published report confirming substantial improvement of the water quality in the Potomac River. On September 1 the state of Maryland proposed tripling its efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. It was a cascade of press releases promising a universally accepted virtue – a cleaner environment.

Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin stands ready with legislation to authorize $1.5 billion in taxpayer dollars to fund the retrofitting of storm drains, the upgrade of sewage plants and household septic tanks, and new legislation to curb farm runoff.  To pay for it state legislation requiring all counties and municipalities to levy storm water fees may be reintroduced.

Only moments ago, mud-carp leapt out of foot-deep water as we left the Severn River for the tightening channel ahead. The orange bellies of the carp gave them away. In our hands our paddles felt like clumsy and useless when what we really wanted was a rod-and-reel. The mud-carp wouldn’t be following us into the clear waters of the Run.

“West of the Severn Run, the Jabez Branch pumps fresh, water into the Severn River from underground acquifers,” explained Millersville resident and local naturalist Linna Vlavianos. “The Jabez Branch is thought to be the only naturally reproducing brook-trout stream in the coastal plains from New York to Florida. These native fish have been there for a millennium.”

Could this be the source of the Severn River we were looking for? Ahead lay the possibility of brook-trout and the answer to a mystery. Like the Severn, the Magothy River is tidal - its primary influence being the massive volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay. But the Magothy and Severn are also thought to share the same aquifer – an underground layer where fresh water collects and can be extracted.

“I grew up on the Magothy River. I’ve seen its decline,” added Matt Griswold a local outdoorsman and writer. “If a large group of people make a small individual effort it can make a huge impact on the Bay. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the government making new laws.”

Before reaching the underpass at Route 97 our kayaks bottomed-out. We dragged them into the brambles and walked upstream. The mud flats beneath our feet are the hatching area for yellow perch in the spring.

“The Jabez is a unique stream with a unique environment despite the urbanization around it,” added Vlavianos. “The waters of the Jabez Branch exit the steep slopes above the Severn Run from hidden springs.”

The Jabez Branch empties between the Dicus Mill Road Bridge and the Route 97 Bridge. As we trudged west we searched the brambles for an egress point. The underground springs that flow into the Run remained hidden from our eyes, but we felt the secret gush of current against our bare legs, turning the water icy cold.

Hugging the sides of the Run in ankle-deep water presented the clearest path home. We kept an eye out for our kayaks. I thought of improvements to plant communities living at the bottom of the river and the $950-million enhanced nitrogen removal facility breaking ground along the Potomac River in a few months.

The ancient stream rippled behind us tickling the back of our legs. The east flowing current was gently urging us out, having thwarted our attempt to identify its source, and a universally agreed upon direction outside the secluded Run.

Boom...Morgan