Shamrock Cove has always been one of my favorite bodies of water to fly fish. The first time I laid eyes on it I knew it was a special place. Shamrock Cove is located between Port Aransas and Padre Island on the East Side of Corpus Christi Bay. It holds some of the prettiest shallow water flats in South Texas. Here are a couple of reasons why I think Shamrock Cove is a great place to fly fish.
One is that it is close by and we do not have to travel a great distance to get there. This lets me spend more time fly fishing instead of boat riding. The main reason, however, is because of the beautiful shallow water flats that I find all over the cove.
These flats are famous for holding good numbers of big red fish. The water depth ranges from 1 to 4 feet in the flats and about 6 feet in the channels that run through it. Because the flats are shallow and have a hard sand bottom, they are great for wading. The water depth of Shamrock Cove lets the fly fishermen wade as well as being poled around from a boat.
Wading on the flats is great for the fly fishermen who have not yet accomplished their long distance casting techniques and skills. When you wade on the flats, you are able to get very close to tailing red fish. This makes for an easy solution for the fly fishermen who have not yet to master casting 60 or 70 feet.
Another advantage to wade fishing is that one is able to position himself at the correct angle to the target. This is very important because of the wind and light. The wind plays a very important role when you are fly fishing. When possible, it’s always advisable to try and get the wind to come from the left side for a right-handed caster; from the opposite for someone who is left-handed.
Adjusting to the direction of the light is just as important of a contributing factor. The light is critical in helping you to see the fish, especially the ones that are not tailing. A good pair of Polaroid sunglasses is essential for any fishing situation, especially if there are ripples on the water catching the sun’s reflections. In flats fishing particularly, they’re critical. When the fish are not tailing, you have to know which way the fish are moving so that you’ll be able to cast in front of them.
Poling the boat around on the flats is very productive. It lets you cover a lot of water fast and effectively. A huge advantage of fly fishing from a boat is the distance above the water that it places you. Since you’re casting from a platform atop the boat’s deck, the higher you are the easier it is to spot the fish. In turn, this gives you more time to cast to each fish that you will see.
