Yes, throughout the summer months, the rest of the country wonders how we folks along the Gulf of Mexico survive our miserable heat and humidity. When I was in Montana in July, for example, a buddy kept pointing out that he considered temperatures in the low 80s unbearable, and that was with dry air.
Well, the Gulf Coast has finally gotten those first good cold fronts of the season, leaving beautiful, dry conditions behind. I don't care where you live, this is as good as it gets. Better still, those north winds are pushing the high water out of our coastal marshes, forcing the redfish out of the grass and into the open. For the light-tackle flats angler, prime time has begun.
The cool weather, of course, requires some adjustments for the fly-caster. Specifically, it's time to change lines. In the heat of summer, I normally recommend tropic-style fly lines from Jim Teeny's Professional Series, in particular the tapers designed by Bruce Chard (MSRP $68.00) and Flip Pallot (MSRP $68.00). But the stiff cores that make those lines so good in summer become a liability in the fall. They kink up like slinkies in the cold, so I switch over to Teeny's Lefty Kreh floating line (MSRP $60.00).I doubt Lefty was thinking of my specific needs when he designed his line for Teeny, but the result was the perfect cool-weather taper for the coast. The low-memory core means the coils pull straight even in the coldest conditions, and the taper is well-suited to throwing the large, heavy flies favored for redfish, even when the wind kicks up. This line is so good, I also like it when throwing poppers for bass and streamers for trout.
Maybe you don't want the aggressive taper that I find so appealing in Lefty's line? Teeny's standard weight-forward line will also perform well in these cooler conditions, and the MSRP is only $45.00.
By the way, the cooler weather means you're going to need a jacket, especially when running your skiff to your favorite flats in the early morning, and the Shell-Age Jacket (MSRP $119.00) from FishAge is ideal. Put a sweater under it and the Shell-Age Jacket will get you through some serious chill with its windproof and waterproof fabric (resists hydrostatic pressure up to 5,000 mm). And despite that level of protection, the stretchable fabric still breaths (breathability of 3,000 g/m2).
I used mine all last winter, even on my trips to Arkansas; and I wore it to Ketchum, Idaho, last spring (where temperatures dropped low enough to turn to ice the freshly washed shirt I'd put on the porch to dry). It's the coolest jacket I've ever owned.
