Cold Turkey, but 1 hot fish...

[gottaflylee]

It all started with a good breakfast and some hot coffee at crack of dawn this morning with Bob Rohde, that was to be my fly-fishing charter for today and he and his wife on Sunday but that is yet to be seen. Being that this was/ is Azalea Feasterville weekend here in Wilmington and 20,000 non residents are in town for this 3 day event, I opted to drive 30 miles to the north to miss most of the crowds. As we cruised down the highway, chatting about fishing, this was a "Cold Turkey" trip for me as I got back home the afternoon before from Oriental. As I pulled into the boat ramp, almost at the end of the world, we were met by a crowd of none and I knew that this was going to be a good day and at this time...very light winds. We hustled to get the boat in the water and shortly we were scooting out the channel heading to the first spot. I opted to start on the windward side of the cove and slid the boat into the cove and climbed onto the cooler to pole the bank. I see Bunker and finger Mullet flipping up ahead of us and I strain my eyes to see that elusive Red Drum tail waving me over. As we move toward the bank I feel out Bob with his casting as to his distance and how he works the bow of the boat as to the clock as I called out for him to hit here or there, when I spot what I want...Mr. Drum, flipping me the tail. Hot Damn, now I'm excited. I tell this to Bob as unexcitedly as I can, (hard to do when that second cup of coffee is ready to come out from the excitement that I am feeling) swing the boat so he has his cast to his favor and ease the boat closer so he can reach that area with his cast. Ok Bob, cast 10:00 you full cast, short. Bob, pick it up soft and cast again...short again and by now I have lost the fish. No worries I say and we head on down the bank. The windward side was very muddy due the couple of 4" of rain that the area got the first of the week and the many creeks that feed into it, so I push on around the cove, toward the other side, while Bob makes some blind casts along the bank with out coming in contact with any love. As we near the leeward side I tell Bob that the water will or should clear up and that we will/ should find the school of Drum in the middle of this cove. As we ease to that area, sure enough, there they are, a nice school of 20 to 25 fish, all fat and happy. Bob, 11:00 as far as you can cast, drat...behind, recast, more to 10:00 and led them more. Short short again I think, but little did I realize but the school had only split into 2 groups and on the 3 strip, Bob is hooked up and on with his biggest Red Drum of his life on fly. Life is good and I east the stern anchor over as the Drum goes into the backing on Bob's reel, this was only the second time that Bob has seen the backing on this reel and you couldn't pry the smile off his face with a crowbar. After a 10 minuet battle of give and take Bob's Drum comes to the boat and I lift her into the boat with the Vulcan paralyzing lift, putting her to sleep while we take the hook out, pose her for a few pictures and return her back to the water so she can put another smile on another anglers face. By now the wind is up and seeing is hard to do. We find some more fish in a couple of other areas but we could not get any love from them as the wind was making the fly harder to work and at 1:30 pm we call it a day and head back to the ramp...all in all, it was a great day on the water. God I love the thrill of the hunt...


to the backing...



staying in the backing...



coming to the boat,finely...



Nice 28+" North Carolina Red Drum on an Orange rattle Shrimp fly...



Released to play another day...

[Capt_John]

Nice ....30 mile north of Wrightsville huh? I got an idea where you were.

[Dave Sikorski]

Pretty damn work Capt. Lee.

That's what it's all about. Seeing the backing never ever ever gets old.

-D

[BYRD]

Sweet report. Great job getting the man on the fish. Can't wait for them to turn on up here! Congrats again on a successful outing.

[brad regan 01]

nice report capt. lee

[CapeMayRay]

Nice report and some great pictures. Gives us all hope as we wait for the bite to start up north. All we can say is any day now! and get excited reading about the great fishing in other places.