by Ed Snyder/Outdoors, Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
Eyeballing a grassy edge of a salt-marsh I rolled the streamer on top of a swirling pock of a feeding speck. Making a quick stripping retrieve the reaction I was hoping for imploded on the fly. With bowed rod and splashing silver you could only visualize the action of the next few minutes of swirling leaps and zipping runs, until finally, a solid 3lb speck slid into my net. It was going to be a good day with the first of many specks fanning my ego.

Fishing an early morning outgoing along the edge of a salt marsh provided some superb speckled trout action with marauding specks ambushing “tons” of shad fleeing a dropping tide with gnashing teeth. The specks were greedily snapping up shad like buttered pop-corn at a Saturday afternoon matinee.

The idea of chasing speckled trout with a fly-rod came naturally for me as I often enjoy a challenging edge to my fishing. Fishing this same area the day before when schooling specks were on a feeding frenzy provided an interesting option. The main reason for the trout being there in the first place was due to the shad in the salt grass. When the high tide turned, pulling water out of the grass, the shad had no other option but to swim out where the specks were waiting in ambush. I realized then that a fly-rod rigged with a shad like imitation “just might” be the key for some thrilling fishing action…. And I was right!

Opting for an 8 weight Redington/Crosswater fly-rig, a nine footer with enough backbone to handle big fish, I then rigged a 6lb test mono tippet (leader) to a “high visibility” weight forward fly-line, spooling on enough backing to withstand a possible redfish hookup. For the lure I chose a two inch Mylar streamer fly resembling a shad with “pop-eyes”, adding several more to my fly tack of different shades and colors for back up.

Typically, you won’t have to fly cast very far, about 10 to 15 yards or less, but I highly recommend practicing your fly casting skills into the wind prior to your fly fishing trip. Casting from a boat, kayak, or wade fishing can be tricky, especially when stripping line for casting or retrieves. You can either strip your line into a bucket at your waist to keep from tangling, or strip directly into the water as I do. As you’ll be casting and retrieving on short 30ft casts, stripping into the water shouldn’t become a problem.

Fly fishing may not be for everyone, but to those who can master this technique it can be very rewarding experience providing a true sporting pleasure. And believe me; the extra work with a fly rod will add extra fun on your trip. With all the modern fishing gear now available for the sport angler today, fly casting seems like a lot of work. And it is! However, it’s a labor of love enjoyed to those who take pleasure in it.

But if you can’t adjust to a fly-rod, try Ultra-Lite fishing, which can provide anglers with that “little extra” edge we crave for adding more excitement to our sport of fishing. Ultra-Lite involves using “whippy” light-weight spinning rods matched with “tiny” open faced spinning reels. My choice of rods are 5-to-6 foot graphite class rods and I recommend Browning Gold Medallion or Pharr rods matched with Cardinal ultra-lite spinning reels, spooled with 4-or-6 lb premium mono line, which allows for maximum fishing action when hooking up with sporting fish such as speckled trout or redfish.. Anything heavier than 6lb test wouldn’t be classified as ultra-lite.

Rig 1/8th oz jig-heads with twister tails or mini-grubs. You can find these soft plastic lures in the fresh water crappie fishing section of your tackle shops. Small 1/8th oz spoons in gold or silver will also work. Smoke colored twister tails were my key speck producers, but chartreuse or white tails should work just as well. Tie on an 8inch 10lb test mono shock leader to your fishing line before tying on your lures. This will give your lite line some protection against those “gnashing” teeth of a speckled trout.

Nine foot fly rods work well as shock absorbers when hooked fish fight, not so the 5ft ultra-lite rigs as you’ll have to master the art of playing the fish on your reels drag system. The reels drag system is very important for fighting and landing your fish, but you can also back reel when fish make those power runs, threatening to break your line, your rod, or both. Another way would be to manually strip off line when the fish runs to avoid having them break your line. Ultra-Lite is a very exciting way for fighting those toe-to-toe battles that speckled trout or redfish are famous for. My habit is to tighten my drag for a good solid hookup then immediately lighten the drag while playing the fish.

My best fly rod speck was about 6lbs with my largest ultra-lite red stretching 28inches.

Premium tackle or sport shops such as Academy, Gander Mountain, or Bass Pro Shops should have the type of fly tackle and lure assortments needed. Gander Mountain in Beaumont, TX, has a very good assortment of hand-tied saltwater flies that resemble shad, croaker, and shrimp. If you choose the shad streamer be sure it has Mylar for flash.

The fly-reel has no drag system, so you’ll have to press your thumb to the side of the reel housing to slow the fish down. Too much pressure and you’ll break the tippet and too little pressure the fish might spool the reel. When spooling is about to occur lay your rod to the side and began pumping the rod from the waist to hopefully turn the fish. You’ll have to apply pressure to the fly reel when doing this. If the fish turns and you retrieve line you’ve just about won the battle but you may have to do this several times to regain control of the fish. Pitched “toe to toe” battles with large fish will hone your skills.

Managing to boat and release eight nice keeper specks to 3 lbs before the tide turned, I then grabbed my ultra-lite to catch and release five more before the action ebbed, really made my day. Even the ones that got away were a joy to hook and lose.

It’s all in what you wish to do, whether you choose to keep a few for eating, and they are excellent table fare, or if you just want to have fun catching and releasing. It’s your option. But what a joy it is when choosing fly or ultra-lite gear that will provide those memories for a lifetime.

My favorite areas to fly cast are any sea grass areas. Long Point of East Galveston Bay near Bolivar Peninsula’s Rollover Pass is a great fly fishing area. But so is Christmas Tree Bay on the Brazoria County side of San Luis Pass. These two fishing spots are my all time favorite places to work the magic of the fly. Besides, spot-tailed reds often feed in these same areas and you just might hookup with some EXTRA excitement. But you’ll need to be prepared as there are big differences between a 3lb speck and an 8lb red.