Fly fishing rods, reels, fly lines, and flies for Mosquito Lagoon redfish

Central Florida, including Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, Indian River, and the Tomoka Basin, is a worldwide fly fishing destination for redfish. The redfish is an inshore species that can be found in extremely shallow water; thus, making it a perfect target for sight fishing. Add this "hunting style" fishing with a fish that is a true brute in a fight, and you can understand why people want to fish for them. Redfish will readily accept flies, making them a perfect target for the long rod. When hooked, they will make long, strong runs, shake their heads, and put every knot that you have tied to the test. The redfish is the staple for many of the local guides. These fish average 4-5 pounds, but Mosquito Lagoon and the Banana River have one of the few "residential" populations, meaning that they do not go offshore to spawn. This entitles us to have shots at fish up to 50 pounds, in less than two feet of water. This is sight fishing at its best.

Fly Selection: Redfish feed on a variety of prey, including shrimp, crabs and baitfish. This wide variety of prey means that there is also a huge selection of flies that work on them. Here are 12 flies that our staff and professional guides recommend:

Rod and Reel Selection: The standard rods that are used for redfish are 8-weight and 9-weight. Match that with a reel that balances the rod and will hold 150 yards of 20 pound to 30 pound dacron backing. A weight forward, floating line works best for most fishing conditions. Here are the rod/reel combinations that our staff and recommended fishing guides use:

Captain Doug Blanton: G-Loomis Crosscurrent Pro 8 or 9 weight, Ross Momentum Fly Reel, Scientific Angler Redfish Taper Fly Line
Captain Terry Lamielle: G-Loomis Crosscurrent GLX 8 or 9 weight, Nautilus NV Fly Reel, Scientific Angler Redfish Taper Fly Line
Captain John Tarr: Sage Z-Axis 9 weight or Thomas and Thomas Horizon II 8-weight, Abel Super 8 or Tibor Back Country Wide CL Fly Reel, Cortland Precision Redfish Taper Fly Line
Captain Nick Sassic: Sage Xi2 8 or 9 weight, Tibor Everglades or Back Country Wide CL Fly Reel, Rio Saltwater Taper Fly Line
David Olson (Fly Fisherman Orlando Manager): Thomas and Thomas Horizon II 8 weight or Sage TCR 9 weight, Abel Super 7 or Tibor Back Country Wide CL Fly Reel, Rio or Scientific Angler Bonefish Taper Fly Line
Captain Scott MacCalla: G-Loomis Crosscurrent Pro 1 9 weight or Native Run 8 weight, Tibor Back Country Wide CL or Riptide Fly Reel, Rio Saltwater Taper Fly Line
Rich LeBlond (Titusville Fly Fisherman): Thomas and Thomas Horizon 8 weight and Sage Xi2 9 weight. Abel Super 7 or Tibor Everglades QC Fly Reel. Scientific Angler GPX or Cortland Precision Redfish Taper Fly Line.
Greg Dini (The Fly Fisherman Orlando): G-Loomis Crosscurrent Pro 1 8 weight fly rod, Tibor Back Country Wide CL fly reel, Scientific Angler Redfish Taper fly line

Check out our Fishing Report for the latest fishing conditions and flies that are being used to catch Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River redfish.

Fly of the Month will have several fly patterns, with step-by-step instructions, that will catch redfish in any conditions.

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