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PlacesFly Fishing in Central Florida is Excellent for Bluegill and Good for Bass for 6/12/13

Sunset at Lake Mirror in Winter Haven was incredible last night.

Cole Wilson with a nice schoolie size fly fishing bass.
Bluegill fly fishing is still exceptional.
They can be finicky, preferring subsurface flies with rubber legs. The classic foam or rubber spider in lighter colors (particularly white) has been catching fish on the large chains and smaller ponds. It is most effective fished next to buggywhips and cat tails, although lily pads are producing well too. Don’t be surprised by the occasional crappie or shellcracker. This is fun fly fishing with your 3 weight creek rods. One angler reported catching bluegill on midge nymphs, fished in a tandem rig under an indicator. Tilapia may be the unusual catch this week as two have been reported. Anglers were fishing for bluegill! Bass have generally moved deep, with the exception of 12”-14” schoolie fish. They are taking classic poppers in bright chartreuse and yellow, big and small size. Also have a great photo of a gar caught on a Clouser. Last report showed one of Cole Wilson’s great Clousers. This report we show some of his results!

David Brooks made the 2 wt. Bamboo rod that caught this 17 inch Tilapia

Cole Wilson's Fly Rod Gar, those Clousers are working great Cole!

Not just Fly Fishing this week.
I have to show off a pic from our friend ShallowflyWalt. He is a contributor to our blog and an avid kayak angler. He caught this Bass at Teneroc using some prototype (ie finished) baits made locally by 42 Tackle Company (Josh Slager.)

Sam Peterson and one of many nice Redfish in LA
Sam Peterson-Louisiana
Sam Peterson had a great fly fishing trip to Louisiana and caught this brilliant red fish. We had worked on casting before the trip and it made the difference. For more info on the basic saltwater-quickcast technique, see this recent blog article. Fast Casting a Fly Rod from a Flats Skiff

Sam Peterson and another nice Red. Brilliant color in the fish!
7 Day outlook is great.
Weather will continue to warm. Try to fish deep with sinking lines for Bass. Bluegill should continue to cooperate through the summer along the edges. Be careful about our afternoon storms are they can brew very quickly this time of year.
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Brevard County faces the Atlantic Ocean and has about 80 linear miles of beaches. Some, like those along Cape Canaveral, do not have public access. Those beaches south of Melbourne have yet to be explored by this writer. There certainly is beach access between Melbourne and Sebastian Inlet, though. The section along Patrick Air Force Base and Satellite Beach will be covered in part 2 of this piece.
We're talking here about that section of the beach known as Playalinda, inside of Canaveral National Seashore at the north end of the county. You'll find the beach here undeveloped and spectacular.
If you don't have a pass it will cost you five dollars to enter the park. The gates open at 6:00 AM. Unless you have a hot tip about where the fish are, you'll have to arbitrarily choose one of thirteen parking lots with boardwalk beach access where you can tie up your chariot and get to the beach. I usually choose one with no other cars.
An eight-weight outfit is appropriate. A line that sinks will keep you under the waves. Some like a full sink, others an intermediate sink. A multi-tip is most versatile, with a floating running line and four interchangeable heads so you can adjust to conditions. A stripping basket comes in real handy, keeping your retrieved line out of the waves. It's hard to cast when the wave action ties your feet together.

It's the ocean, and the list of fish species you might encounter is fairly long. Whiting and pompano, red and black drum, jack crevalle, ladyfish, bluefish, flounder, Spanish mackerel, and did I mention bluefish? Depending on season, any of these could take your fly. A fifteen pound tippet is pretty sporting considering the teeth some of these critters have. And you have to get any decent sized fish you hook out of the surf, no place for a sissy leader.

Flies that imitate sand fleas or bait fish are appropriate. And flies used here seldom need weedguards. Keeping in mind the #8 rod, weighted and unweighted flies between #4 and 1/0 would be appropriate. Dark ones, light ones, and neutral colored ones should be carried. Optimists might carry poppers, too. You have to carry everything so try to keep it light.
Walk and cast, looking for fish, or for potholes and runouts inside the bar that parallels the beach. It's clearly visible at low tide. I try to keep my fly down near the bottom most of the time. You should hook a shell now and again.
I have no brilliant advice on the best tide phase. I have never figured that out. I note what the tide is when I go, but have never pieced a pattern together. Perhaps I should fish this way more often.
That's hard to do, though, given the nature of the ocean. A lot of the time it's just not fishable. A wind from anywhere east is tough. Seas of no more than two to three feet with a west wind are best.

You have to fish early. Playalinda is popular with swimmers, surfers, and sun-worshippers. Once they start showing up casting a fly rod becomes an irresponsible act. No one wants to hook Charles or Mrs. Atlas!
Playalinda is a fishy beach that is arguably one of Florida's most beautiful places. Watching the sun rise out of the Atlantic will help you touch God, whether or not you touch a fish.
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Capt. John Kumiski is an award winning outdoor writer of several books on fly fishing in Florida, and is a prolific contributor to many of fly fishing's best magazines in print and online. View his informative and entertaining website: Spottedtail.com
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PlacesFly fishing reports from around Central Florida are all good to excellent.

Cole Wilson has mastered tying Clouser Minnows in the last month. See his catch below!
Again, this week’s highlight is bluegill and shellcracker. There are multiple reports of 25 fish days. All are using dropper rigs. And different from previous reports, nymphs of all sizes and shapes are working. One angler ties his own bead head caddis nymphs, green with a white thorax on size 16, fishes them under a custom gurgler with rubber legs. Another fly fisherman is using a bushy standard hare’s ear nymph under a popper. A third angler is using a deep diving conehead wooly bugger for the dropper and a size 16 pheasant tail above with no popper. They are mostly hitting the upper pheasant tail, but he has had a few doubles too.
David Brooks catches a double on a dropper rig. Look at the size the this Shad and tiny Bass!
Small bass are being caught on topwater along cattail lines and over submerged logs in area lakes in the afternoon and evening. And this week, I am proud to say they are catching them on my favorite, black poppers.has been reported by two anglers. This usually occurs at twilight.

Tommy Mikic and one of several dozen Shellcracker caught in Dundee. Great fun on his 2 wt!
It is not often that I hear about mudfish (grindle) being caught on the fly rod. This week I had a report from Frostproof of large mudfish taking poppers. They are with the small bass which were also taking the poppers (black of course.)

Tommy Mikic kept a few of his Panfish for dinner after fly fishing in his kayak.
Bass Schooling: Shad are rising from submerged vegetation and the bass take notice. EP minnow patterns or Gummi Minnows are very effective immitations of the shad. The action is fast and furious as the lake will have multiple surace strikes for about a minute in an area about 30 feet across, then calm. Keep your eyes open as the surface will churn again at a nearby spot. If you can be in the right place at the right time, you will catch bass on every cast. But it is hard to be at the right place. A long cast really comes in handy.
Tip for the week: Since the popper/dropper rigs are working so well right now, consider ‘pre-tying’ dropper rigs. Using tippet that is lighter than your standard leader tippet, tie a nymph on one end and put a slip loop (uni knot loop) on the other end. Make them in 18” to 36” lengths. They can be stored, rolled like a leader, in zip lock bags or small envelopes. Attach to to the bend of the hook of your popper and catch some bluegill.
Fly Fishing 101 returns in June and July. This is a free introduction to fly fishing. -Quick Start Course lasts about two hours. This is a great opportunity for young people to learn the sport of fly fishing! We supply all the gear and it is FREE! Click here to find a date and for registration for Fly fishing 101

Cole Wilson caught this shark at Anna Maria Island using one of his new clousers that he tied!
Fly tying is the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6pm.
We love photos! Please submit any recent catches by email to allen@andythornal.com
FYI-I write the Orvis Fly Fishing report for Orlando and Winter Haven. These are abreviated, but updated weekly, sometime Bi-Weekly. TAW Click here for Orvis Fly fishing Report
Salt water fishing Mosquito Lagoon or the IRL? this link is for John Kumiski's weekly fly fishing report
TAW
Comments are encouraged and appreciated!
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PlacesReports and Tips for Mid May

This photo is from one of our Frostproof fly fishermen. Congrats Evan
There is a smorgasbord of species to report this week. Again, the bluegill fishing is excellent. Small chartreuse poppers were reported as the best with several anglers this week. Also, specs (crappie) were equally aggressive on topwater. Looks like they are bedding together (or nearby.) More reports of tilapia have come in, with the spring bedding season being the common factor. Small and mid sized alligator gar have been taking clouser minows. They can be caught on a regular tippet if you are lucky enough to hook in the corner of the mouth. Small bass are being caught on small topwater poppers. The big ones must have gone deep after the spring spawn. And note that one angler outfished his boat partner 2-1 when using a light blue popper. This lake may have a dragonfly hatch.

This Photo is from another Frostproof angler, Nice catch Cole!
Techniques & Tips
Weedless topwater flies are catching fish and drawing nice strikes from smaller bass. In an attempt to find some larger fish in the hydrilla, I cast wooly buggers, and some bushy clousers. But the weeds tangled on every cast. Stick with weedless topwater for small bass unless you can fish some holes in the weed lines. Large bass are deep, use a sinking line and weighted flies down deep.
Photo is courtesy of David Brooks, from Bartow. David made the Bamboo fly rod, and he ties his own flies.
Popper-Dropper rigs are catching bluegill on lakes in Winter Haven, Lake Wales, and Dundee. One common theme is to get the dropper nymph near the bottom. The fly needs to be small, dark, and thin bodied, like a 16 bead head pheasant tail. Bushy flies like a hares ear don't seem to be as important. For more info on popper-dropper rigs, see this article.
7-Day Forecast
Watch for the large fly-may fly hatch. When these hatches occur, the action is tremendous on bluegill and bass. Attractor dry flies of size 10 to size 6 will be perfect.
Saltwater photos from Anna Maria Island

This photo of an Anna Maria Island redfish was caught a on shrimp fly that our own Corbin Hart designed and tied. Way to go Corbin!

Cole Wilson (yes from Frostproof) submitted this photo from Anna Maria Island. He caught this awesome Barracuda (Houndfish-thanks John) on his fly rod with new Orvis Clearwater Reel. Way to go Cole!
We love photos! Please submit any recent catches by email to allen@andythornal.com
FYI-I write the Orvis Fly Fishing report for Orlando and Winter Haven. These are abreviated, but updated weekly, sometime Bi-Weekly. TAW
Click to see the Orvis Fishing Report for Winter Haven.
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Seminole County maintains two dozen public parks. One of particular interest to wading fly fishers is C.S. Lee Park, east of Geneva on S.R. 46. The highway crosses the St. Johns River here. A large parking lot supplies space for the chariot. If you're thirsty after fishing, the Jolly Gator is next door. Don't know what it's like, never been in there.
The fishing- Most fly fishers visit between the months of January and March, during the American shad run. While fishing for shad other species will take your flies- various types of sunfish, crappie, and largemouth bass are likely. Bowfin, catfish, and striped bass are possibilities. Of course you can fish here anytime the water is low enough to allow access to waders. Alligators are most active and water levels highest during the warmer months.
If you fish during the shad run you will need chest waders unless you are the hardy, macho type. The bottom all through here is mostly hard packed sand, really nice for wading. If you go traipsing through sloughs there's likely to be sediment buildup. Stay on the main channel.
When I fish here I do one of two things. The first is shown in the aerial photo, copied from Google maps. Walk under the bridge, go up the river a short distance, then wade across (at low water it's almost up to my waist here) and fish in the hole along the far bank. The bar marked with the white hatch marks is no more than knee deep.
Option two is to just keep going up the river bank. There's a rough cow path you can follow. It will take you all the way to the mouth of the Econlockhatchee, a mile or so up the river. Then you simply fish your way back to the bridge.
When wade fishing here I generally use a four-weight fly rod with a floating line. When the shad are chasing minnows it works quite well. When they're sitting on the bottom I watch the folks with sinking lines catch fish, but often I can't buy a strike.

Flies range from "typical" shad flies to small streamers to nymphs to things like wooly buggers. Purists may be scandalized but a small (1/32nd ounce) crappie jig with a mini twisty tail often works better than anything else. The jig is hard to throw with a four-weight though. The point is to bring a selection. The fish are funny and you never know what the ticket might be on any given day.
Another nearby fishing spot is on private property at the Morgan Alderman Ranch. Go across the bridge heading east and take the first left onto Morgan Alderman Road. The ranch waits at the end. Drive through the gate and up to the ranch house, where you pay your fee. I haven't fished there in a few years and don't know what that fee is, but believe it's less than five dollars. This gives you access to the river where it flows into Lake Harney.
The floodplain is lovely, although there often a lot of boat traffic. Still, it's a wonderful area to fish. Give it a try!
All Rights reserved.
Capt. John Kumiski is an award winning outdoor writer of several books on fly fishing in Florida, and is a prolific contributor to many of fly fishing's best magazines in print and online. View his informative and entertaining website: Spottedtail.com
Comments are encouraged and appreciated!
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PlacesArticle and photos by Walt Palen
Moonscape – Springtime Tilapia in Florida on Fly
So when you walk by the edge of your local lake in the Spring did you notice something unusual? Did you wonder why the bottom looked like it came from the moon?
Did you see huge swirls as you walked close and cast thinking you were going to catch the largest bass ever caught? Well more than likely those large perfect moonscape circles were caused by something you see on your local menu or frozen fish section at the grocery store called Tilapia.

Now Tilapia is the common name and in Central and South Florida the Blue Tilapia is the most common. Tilapia are a large thick looking pan fish and 4 lbs is common so great for a 3 to 6 wt fly rod depending on the terrain. They remind me of a Triple Tail from the salt hanging out by the crab trap buoy. They are pretty in color, adults generally blue-gray to white on the belly; borders fins with red to pink edges.
Tilapia have been used as biological controls for certain aquatic plant problems as they are vegetarian and a fish gone wild; an invasive species. Please check local laws before targeting as live release may not be allowed in your area. Of course wild caught Tilapia make great table fare and are much higher in Omega 3 than farm raised store bought so if you’re a fish eater release won’t be an issue.
One of the best times to catch them on fly is during the fry hatch. Eggs hatch in the females mouth. Fry are released to feed, but when threatened return to the mother’s mouth. Try small flies like those below from Allen Wyatt at the Andy Thornal Company. Cast them quietly past the bed then strip and drop softly right into the middle of the bed. Angle your cast so your fly line is straight and not snaking through the weeds, then watch for line movement, hook set and the fight is on.
Later in the season you can also try something a little larger like dart type flies used during the shad run, or Wooly Boogers and Myakka minnows. Try a gold head and orange marabou tail sometimes dropped in the bed, sometimes stripped reasonably fast over the bed.
As with any type of fish there is always a trick that will help increase your odds. The trick with Tilapia flies especially later in the season if using larger flies is a short tail no more than ¼ past the hook. For those of you that have had a successful experience fly fishing the shad run you know what I mean. Keep in mind Tilapia usually don’t want your fly for food. Depending on the time of the spawn they are either protecting their young or keeping that nice saucer shaped bed clean. They just pick up the tail to move it off their bed and spit it out. So both timing and having a tail short enough so the hook is in their
mouth on pick-up will give you the edge needed for a successful fishing trip.
This is a seasonal adventure as once the spawn cycle is complete they move to deep water and the game is over. Tilapia are all over from ponds to lakes, so watercraft is not essential and fishing from the bank as shown by fly fisherman Josh Slager can be very productive.
Tilapia on fly can be your quick little mid week fishing fix on the way home from work. So tie some flies or buy some flies, cut the tails short and give it a try.
All Rights reserved on article and photos.
This is the second contribution to our blog by Shallowfly Walt
Comments are encouraged and appreciated!
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"Where can I go wading near Titusville? What do I bring in way of tackle, flies, and accessories? And where are the fish?"
The north end of the Indian River Lagoon system lies inside of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Roads along the lagoon's shorelines give access to shallow flats that hold redfish and seatrout all year long. Baby tarpon and jack crevalle are summer residents. Wade fishing is usually best during the cooler parts of the year. You may need waders!
You will have to search for the fish. Rarely, you can see them from your vehicle. If not look for concentrations of bait, birds, or other signs of life.
There are alligators, stingrays, and in the summer, lightning. Do the stingray shuffle!
The alligators won't usually bother you. But if you see one paying attention to you, leave immediately.
During summer months lightning is a real threat. When you see the clouds building, leave. If you hear your rod buzzing you stayed out too long!
Use a rod between six- and eight-weight with a matching reel, a floating weight forward line and 100 yards of backing. A 10 to 12 foot leader tapered to a fifteen pound tippet works well. If you see tarpon add a section of 30 pound test as a shock tippet.
A variety of flies work. Be able to cover the water column. Crab patterns, Clouser minnows, poppers and sliders, and unweighted flies like Deceivers, Seaducers, or Puglisi styles are all good.
Fly sizes range from size 4 at the small end to 1/0 at the top. Smaller flies are easier to cast. Flies must have weedguards.
During the summer and autumn wet wading is delightful. Wear flats booties or other appropriate footwear. A good hat and polarized sunglasses complete the outfit. If you cannot see the fish good presentations are impossible.
First, find some fish. Casting blind will usually be a waste of time.
Once you find some, anticipate where they are going, then get your fly there before the fish arrive. You want them to encounter the fly, rather than having it drop in unannounced.
When God smiles on you a bite will happen. Set the hook firmly with a strip strike. Then play the fish hard.
Water in the 80 degree range does not hold a lot of dissolved oxygen. That fish will need to be revived in order to survive its encounter with you.
The amount of water in the IRL intimidates people. The quick guide:
Peacock Pocket Road. Head away Titusville across the Indian River Lagoon, on the Max Brewer Causeway. Pass the Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, then take the second right onto Peacock Pocket Road. Once you reach the lagoon, continue to follow the road around the pocket until you start to head north. There's a pull-off where you can park. Get in the water and wade out to the first manatee zone sign, clearly visible to the south. The bottom close to shore is soft. It gets harder as you go out. The fish could be anywhere, out to the drop-off.
Biolab Road. Off of SR 3, about three miles south of Haulover Canal. This road runs along the Mosquito Lagoon for about six miles. Wading is work here, as the bottom is soft.
Remember not to try to cross any ditches along any of these roads, even if you see tailing mermaids out there!
For more information contact the MINWR at 321.861.0667, or http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland.
Be persistent, and the best of luck to you!
Capt. John Kumiski is an award winning outdoor writer of several books on fly fishing in Florida, and is a prolific contributor to many of fly fishing's best magazines in print and online. View his informative and entertaining website: Spottedtail.com
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Wade fishing the Econlockhatchee River with a small fly rod (I like a three-weight, but use what you've got) is an outstanding way to spend an afternoon. We assume here that the water is at the right level (it should be low). Weekdays are better than weekends. The river runs through the Little Big Econ State Forest. The undeveloped banks are popular with youngsters in need of party space, and with paddlers who enjoy floating with the river's mild current. If there's one down side of fishing here it's the amount of litter you'll see along the river and in the nearby woods.

My favorite flies for fishing the Econ are rubber spiders. I'm fishing for the three sunfish species the river holds- bluegills, redbellies, and stumpknockers. They will usually attack a sponge spider like they haven't eaten in months. I prefer a yellow spider because I can see it well. I doubt if the fish care much- I've caught them on pretty much everything I've tried. A number six or eight hook is about right.
For those rare times when the spiders won't work, small (#8) wooly buggers or other small buggy-looking sinking flies work well.

You find very little aquatic vegetation growing in the Econ. Most of the fish-holding cover consists of fallen timber. You will often hook it, especially if you use sinking flies. Tie your flies on Aberdeen hooks. When you get snagged you can usually straighten the hook and pull it off, thus saving the fly.
When the river is at the right level it's a wader's dream. In many places you can wade across. The bottom is all firm white sand. There are lots of targets at which to cast. The fish are usually cooperative.

The fish are lovely little things. If you're looking for trophies though, you should look somewhere else. Most fish you catch here will be the size of your hand or smaller.
That having been said, there are bass, catfish, and crappie in the river. You'll see mullet. Don't get excited, they won't bite your fly. You'll see Plecostamus. They won't bite either.
Directions- my favorite access is off of Snow Hill Road in Chuluota. A path along the south side of the river goes upstream as far as most fishermen will care to go.
Capt. John Kumiski is an award winning outdoor writer of several books on fly fishing in Florida, and is a regular contributor to many of fly fishing's best magazines in print and online. View his informative and entertaining website: Spottedtail.com
All rights reserved .
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View Central Florida Fresh Water Fly Fishing in a larger mapComments are encouraged and appreciated!
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PlacesAfter a couple of fantastic weeks of fresh water fly fishing, a ‘good’ afternoon on the water isn’t as robust. Lake Rosalie and Lake Jessie were my locations this week. And while I continued to use weedless Boogle Bugs, the agreeable bass appear to have moved out. And while there were still some bass to be caught, it was a couple of average outings. Unfortunately, I have heard similar from several others. As I update the Orvis Winter Haven fishing report, I will change the grade from Red Hot to Good.
Fortunately, I have a report that bluegill cooperating. It has been tough fly fishing for bluegill in the cool weather, so their return is welcome. They were biting small ants and beetles (tied at fly tying class.) I have another report of white rubber spiders being productive on the edges in southern Polk county for small bass.
Time of day may be important. Most anglers had been fishing afternoon and sunset with the cool April, but now that summer has arrived, the bite may be better in the morning.


I love seeing customer pictures of fish! And I would like to thank the Joe Flood for this pictures of his first fish on fly rod. Some nice trout were caught at Anna Maria Island! And check out the Spanish mackerel that Joe caught. Russ Flood (father) chummed the fish up and then Joe cast clousers that they had tied himself. He wore the mackerel out! Way to go!
Joe had a fly rod that needed a reel and fly line, and we put the new Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor and Clearwater 8wt line. The rod cast pretty good, as you can tell!

Best friends catching a double, under some green lights at Anna Maria Island.
Salt water Reports from Sarasota and South Tampa Bay have great fly fishing for redfish and trout. Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon reports are equally good. Sounds like a great time to run to either coast.
![Native Slayer 14 large[1]](/Portals/12996/images/Native_Slayer_14_large[1].jpg)
Native Slaver 14.5 I paddled a new kayak this week-review to follow soon. As expected, the comfort of the seat is incredible. Fishing from the high position was better than expected. Maneuverability for a 14.5 foot kayak was also better than expected. And she handled well in a 20 mph wind. Thumbs up to the Native Slayer 14.5.
Deals:
- We have Wapsi craft fur at half price for $1.50
- Helios Ion rods at 20% off.
- Orvis Wonderline (Gen 3) Trout in sizes 2wt to 5wt. at half original price for $29.75
These items are availabe in store, or by phone call at (863) 299-9999 Monday-Saturday 10-6.
Go fish. It has been a great spring on fresh water with the fly rod! Allen
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PlacesText: Chris O’Byrne Photos: Chris O’Byrne & Craig Crumbliss

Spring time in south west Florida, Baseball teams, Spring Breakers and cold fronts! Yes, the same front that dumped a surprise late season snow on the north east came to us in the form of winds up to 49 mph air temperatures 20 degrees below normal and water temperatures just plain cold. Normally the Snook of Sanibel are coming out of Pine Island Sound and onto the beaches, and the Redfish are on the flats looking for warm spots. The cold water drove these and the other fishes of this area into cover. In this tough situation, Captain Craig Crumbliss and I made the drive down for a few days fly fishing from kayaks. The fish were there in the end.
Our first stop was the causeways between Sanibel and Fort Meyers. The powerful wind dictated our casts and moved the chilly water at a pace that cleared the usually fertile fishery of fish, birds and anglers.

Wednesday morning was leisurely; we did not put our kayaks into the water at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge until 10:00. A short paddle brought us out of the protection of the mangrove island facing winds still blowing hard. In fact the wind brought the incoming tide with enough force that sinking lines and weighted flies could not get to the bottom of a normally productive pass. We next tried casting to holes in the bay flooded by this pass, no luck, drifting along the inside of the first layer of mangrove islands; no joy, casting to holes behind the second and third layer of mangroves, no bueno.
Craig finally landed a Ladyfish and this fat Sea Trout which were both camped out on the inside of a mangrove island which is one layer back and not facing a twin island. It seems these two fish, and others, found a place where the flow of water was tempered by a barrier island then moved past a protective mangrove without being accelerated by coming between two islands. Craig fooled both his fish with chartreuse and white Clouser minnow on a weighted line. Not a bad payoff at all.

Have you ever seen sunbathers under fleece blankets? This was the situation on our third outing walking the gulf beach down to the lighthouse and fishing pier the next morning. The wind was now pleasant but the air was cool and the water was too chilly for bathers much less temperamental Snook. The fishing pier was busy with people if not fish. All in all, a better day for shelling.

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