My cousin Michelle got married in Florida in early March, and since we were going to be in the area my dad, uncle, and I paid a visit to the sort-of famed Mosquito Lagoon. We were lucky and got to fish with the well known Captain Scott MacCalla. Scott is a fantastic saltwater guide and totally on point with spotting fish and giving anglers a good shot at them. He works hard at his job and there is a reason that he is so in demand. I never really thought much about fishing for redfish, but after I hooked into one I instantly understood what the hype is about. They are strong, aggressive fish and they are not afraid to eat a fly. Fly fishing in the saltwater is pretty much all I want to do these days and if you are into fly fishing at all I highly recommend getting yourself into some redfish.
There is a ton of aquatic life in Mosquito Lagoon. Here is the sign at the boat ramp reminding you to not be a douche.
We met Scott in Titusville and headed out from there. It was an early morning on the lagoon, but we were able to watch the sun rise over the Space Coast.
My dad got the skunk out of the boat when he hooked up and landed this healthy redfish.
That gold reel up there is made by a really great Canadian company called Islander Precision Reels. This particular reel has some super awesome mojo on it. It belonged to a great friend who spent a lot of time on salt flats hunting for fish. We take it with us on most all salt trips we go on. The Islander drag has a unique sound when there is a fish on....and I love it....There is just something about it. It is old school or something. Idunno. For "reel". Islander.
It took a few shots, but I eventually got my cast together and hooked up to a redfish. The lesson here is if you are serious about your fly fishing work on your double haul kids.
Here is the first redfish that I caught. I'm not going to lie, it was an exciting fight and I am now a little bit "hooked" on fishing for redfish. I get it. It is fun stuff.
This beautiful orange and red fellow was the best fish that I caught during the trip. Fish this color are less common than the one above. They aren't rare or anything. Just less common.
Here is El Jefe with a nice redfish that he caught. It is cool to get to spend some time with my dad in a flats skiff, we always tend to have a good time...even when the fish aren't biting.
My favorite part of the day was at the end when my uncle Dr. Mark Salzburg, who doesn't fly fish (yet!), hooked up with a redfish on the fly. It was a ton of fun to see it go down. I screamed and fist pumped while he fought the fish...The excitement may have been a little much, but hey I was stoked. We didn't land the fish, but it was probably the biggest one of the trip. It was a special day and I am glad that I got to spend it with my pops and my uncle...until next time friends.
