It also makes fly-fishing -- a subject dear to my heart -- much easier.

Capt. Bobby Warren, a long-time fishing companion who works the lower Delta out of the Venice Marina, and I were scouting the area immediately north of the mouth of Octave Pass for an upcoming redfish tournament. We were fishless until mid-afternoon, but as the tide began falling, we eased into a pond of some two acres within the canes -- much of which was slick-calm in the 15-knot breeze, where the reds glowed in the crystalline water like freshly minted pennies.

Like all good tournament fishermen should, after catching a couple of them, we saved the rest for the tournament.

Several techniques for fishing roseau are effective, but they all point in the same direction -- the base of the canes. In shallow water, that is usually unavoidable. Even a surface lure passes close to the root system. On the other hand, it's a different matter when the water approaches maximum depth.

Because of coastal erosion, a lot of productive "structure" can be overlooked, even in the clearest water. That is the result of wave action along the perimeter of a brake -- or a smaller stand -- that has broken off the canes near the waterline. The bases of the plants and their root systems may be dead, but they are often still present and can still hold redfish prey.

It's a good idea to continue working your lures a short distance across what may appear to be open water just outside the canes. Coverage of a zone some 10 to 15 feet wide should be sufficient with sub-surface lures and a bit less than that with topwater presentations.

Generally, a fairly solid wall of canes is the least productive form of this structure. However, that's likely to be what you encounter upon entering a small pass, canal or a large coulee through them. Here, the tactic of flipping that is so effective for bass can provide some rambunctious action for reds.

I discovered as much on a trip to the Delta Duck Club oil-field canals -- again within the Delta National Wildlife Refuge -- with my old oil-field buddy, Carroll Melancon of Houma. We were targeting bass that day, but the reds really appreciated our efforts, too. There's a serious difference in what ensues after you stick an 8-pound red rather than a 1 1/2-pound bass at a range of around 8 feet.

Along the "regular" edges of cane-lined canals and such, any little abnormality may hold a fish -- on the falling tide, of course. That can be as seemingly insignificant as a clump of two canes growing a foot or so out from the edge of the "wall" or a bushel-basket-sized pocket in the wall's edge.

More obvious abnormalities in these waterways are small drains emptying into them or the back of a sharp turn in the waterway. Another is the point where the canes end as the canal traverses a small pond.

There's no doubt that you can catch a lot of reds -- and bass -- flipping Texas-rigged, 4-inch Tequila Sunrise curly-tail grubs along the edges of such waterways, but that's far from being the only productive pattern for these reeds.

When dealing with broader open areas within thick brakes, there are two very effective options. The bottoms of these "ponds" are occasionally carpeted with submerged vegetation like widgeon grass, and reds prowl the edges of the thicker mats in search of prey. Therefore, you have the double-barrel opportunity of working structure in the open water of the pond as well as the canes along its perimeter.