Fly Fishing Central Florida

Weed Guards catch Big Florida Bass when Fly Fishing

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Article and photos: T. Allen Wyatt

This is an observation from fly fishing trips this early spring.  Popper and Frog flies have been producing big surface strikes when fly fishing for bass.  I expect the fish to bite the fly at the moment that it lands, and is usually the case.  But this week, a new pattern has emerged.  The biggest bass are in the brush and weeds, close to the shoreline, usually difficult to catch.  They can be tempted into clear water by a fly with a weed guard.

We have been catching the Florida Bass, late afternoon and early evening.  Weather has been a little cool, but the surface is about 70 in the late afternoon.  The basic idea:  get the attention of the Bass.  He is way back in the brush, so a good cast that is two feet away from the brush is actually five feet or more from the bass.  The bass might not realize the fly is near.   Put a carefully placed cast right next to the weeds and brush, and your chances have greatly increased.  This cast will pull some fish out of the weeds, and sometimes draw an immediate strike.  But most flies don’t have a weed guard, and it may take two or three casts to get the perfect range.  Or worse, the cast is just a little long, and you get hung in the weeds, and spook the bass trying to retrieve the fly.

A weed guard is the solution.  If properly designed, a weedless fly will rarely get hung.  This will spook fewer fish.  You will also become more confident in your casting, and attempt trickier casts.  Confidence can make me an incredible caster.  Getting hung in the weeds just once makes me think about weeds instead of casting to the bass.

As I get more confident, I cast deeper into the weeds and brush.  Intentionally I cast the fly two feet, three feet, even 5 feet into brush, knowing that if a bass took the fly, it would be impossible to land.  So the moment the fly plops on the water, I begin to retrieve the fly out, and this pulls(attracts) the bass out of the weeds.  He easily sees the fly, he wants it, he follows it.

Strikes usually occur two to ten feet out of the brush, sometimes following the fly to the boat.  When they hit, it is splashy and aggressive and absolutely great Fly Fishing.  Weed guards make this technique possible.

 

 Related Articles;

Weed Guards, Bravery, and Fly Fishing

Bass Fly Fishing in the Transition Times

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Handy Fly Fishing tips to add 30 to 50 feet to your fly cast

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By: Chris O’Byrne FFF Certified Casting Instructor,  Photos by Taylor O'Byrne

This article is a follow up to Ten Fly Fishing Tips For a  New Fly Caster, posted April 20, 2012. It was prompted by a question from one of our customers who is new to fly fishing.  We appreciate your patronage and feedback. I encourage my students to attempt to cast with right and left hands, hence I will use the terms ‘Rod Hand’ and ‘Line Hand.’

 

YOUR OTHER HAND

In order to make learning the fly cast easier and more enjoyable, I like to incorporate, one by one, the different techniques which make up the whole cast.  With that principle in mind, these are the roles of the line hand in fly casting;

• First, your line hand should stay out of the way. 
• Next, you will use your line hand only to anchor the fly line. 
• Later, as you develop, your line hand will help in “shooting line.” 

        

DO NOT USE YOUR LINE HAND

As a developing fly caster, your rod hand should be your main focus.  When you integrate your line hand, difficulties will emerge. 

I suggest you do not use your line hand before being able to cast about 30 feet of line; simply put your line hand in your pocket, pinch the line against the cork with your rod hand.  This way all your concentration can be on manipulating the rod tip.

This goes for fly casters of all skill levels; still today, when I practice my casting, I begin with a few basic activities using my rod hand only and my line hand in my pocket.  See Ten Fly Fishing Tips For a  New Fly Caster.

 

INTRODUCE LINE HAND; ANCHOR THAT LINE      

Your line hand is needed, now, to anchor the end of the fly line in the same way that your rod hand did before.  Simply pinch the fly line in you line hand, hold your line hand between your rod hand and your body. While your rod hand makes that nice ‘flicking’ motion (concentrate on the tip of the rod,) your line hand should be quite immobile. Anchoring the line is non-negotiable in the fly cast.  Throughout your progression as a fly fisher, you should spend a good deal of time practicing with the line hand not moving at all. 

SHOOTING LINE

Shooting line is the way fly casters cast longer distances.  Standing in a ready position, pull three of four strips of line off the reel and drop this at your feet.  Make the normal cast you’ve been practicing and when you stop the rod on your forward cast, let go of the fly line in your line hand, swwwwshsh!  Out the line will go! 

I am sure that before long you will be able to shoot enough line to cast 40 feet and more allowing you to fish comfortably in most locations. 

 

 

WE WISH YOU TIGHT LOOPS!

When I teach fly casting, I generally see new fly fishers struggle when adding their line hand.  Coordination challenges timing and tangles in the fly line are just growing pains in your sport and the abilities you develop along the way are rewarding in themselves.  Describing his success in shooting line, one of my young students told me with evident enthusiasm, he was “jetting line!” 

I hope these comments give you a general outline of the role the line hand plays in the fly cast.  For more information, check out our Fly Fishing Schools.  Enjoy your practice, and we’ll see you on the water!

 

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Trout Fly Fishing - 7 Tips for Success on the River

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by Captain Craig Crumbliss, Orvis Endorsed Guide, FFF Instructor, Author

As a fly shop located in Central Florida we're a good 8 hour drive from the closest coldwater trout streams, of course a 4 hour plane ride could take you to some great western rivers as well.  Almost daily we equip fly anglers headed to fly fish for trout.  In the last three summers of guiding in Colorado I've decided to put together some helpful tips and advice for the first time trout angler.  Even if you're well versed in coldwater trout fly fishing you might find something helpful in the tips I've listed below:

1.  Fish tandem (two fly) rigs.  With just a few exceptions, if I'm trout fishing I'm fishing two flies.  Most commonly it's a dry-dropper rig with a bushy dry fly and smaller beadhead nymph hanging below.  I'll also use a tandem nymph rig under an indicator, and double dry fly rig if conditions allow.  Two flies gives you more chances at fish and will also help you figure out what the fish are eating much more quickly than just fishing a single fly.

    Tandem Rigs Article Click Here

2.  Fish the swing.  Towards the end of your drift you'll notice your flies are starting to drag and if you have a nymph dropper it will start to swing towards the surface.  Just relax and let the nymph drift all the way up...it actually looks natural to the fish to see these bugs rising up in the water column.  The best part about fishing the swing is if you have a take on the swing the fish will usually hook themselves.

3.  Mend...please mend.  My favorite phrase I heard in Colorado was among several of the guides that would tell their clients, "no mend, no bend".  Mending takes time to get the correct touch to move just your flyline and not the flies.  But it really is the difference between catching fish and not catching fish.  Another tip when mending, specifically a tandem nymph rig is to make your cast a little further upstream and across, allow your rig to sink for a second, which will help anchor the flies when you make your first aggressive mend.

Illustration from Fly Fishing for Bass Handbook by Dave Whitlock

4.  Minimize your casting.  Excessive false casting never leads to anything good.  You'll spook fish, big flies will twist your leader, and your chance of tangles is increased.  Learn to use water tension to make your cast.  At the end of your drift your flies will swing so they are directly downstream from you.  If you point your rod directly downstream, you can in one stroke cast your flies back upstream to get another drift.

5.  Watch your backcast.  It's common for saltwater anglers to be so focused on the fish they are casting to that they don't watch their backcast.  While you can get away with that when you are fishing from a boat or kayak it won't work on the trout stream.  Watch your backcast and pick your casting lanes carefully so your flies spend more time on the water instead of in the trees.

6.  Understand how your floatant works.  A gel floatant should only be applied to flies when they are dry.  After a few fish you'll need to dry your fly out before you apply more floatant.  The dry powder floatant will help get all the water out.  Also never apply gel floatant to flies with CDC fibers in them, only sure the dry powder for CDC flies.

For Information on Floatant, Click Here

7.  Use plenty of weight.  The most common mistake for fly anglers fishing deep holes and runs is their flies never make it far enough down to the fish.  If you aren't ticking the bottom occasionally you need to add weight.

I always recommend first time fly anglers make their first fishing trip with a guide.  You'll learn more in a couple hours with a good fly fishing guide than you would for months on your own.  Even for an experienced saltwater angler, the first time on a trout stream can be intimidating and frustrating so having a guide is money well spent.

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Line Management for Fly Fishing on Lakes, Ponds, and Salt water.

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by Chris O'Byrme, FFF certified Fly Casting Instructor

FLY FISHING FROM THE SHORELINE is a wonderful way to experience the outdoors.  When we seek out opportunities to fish without a boat, we improve our casting and catching skills, we meet new species of fish, and last but not least, we escape the flickering box. 

FLY CASTING REQUIRES that some extra line be temporarily stored at our feet.  When this line lies on a clean boat deck this is not a problem, but when this line is on the ground we face a variety of challenges.  Here are a few ways to care for your fly line, in the hopes that your fishing experience is improved.

THE FILTH THAT ACCUMULATES ON FLY LINE hurts the line’s ability to move through the guides and float.  Fly fishing in central Florida,  means fly line fouled with tannins.  This thick, brown film and the grime peculiar to your waters can be easily cleaned away with Orvis Fly Line Cleaning Pads.  Once the line is cleaned, Orvis Super Slick Line Dressing provides an environmentally friendly, lubricating film that helps the fly line scream through the guides.  There is another problem that develops in fly line that is particularly troublesome when fishing from the bank of a pond or lake, “memory.” 

FLY LINE “MEMORY” is the name for the coils which develop on a fly line when it has spent too much time on the reel.  (This is a symptom of a terribly unfortunate state of affairs.)  Memory; makes it harder for the line to shoot through the guides, makes line more likely to tangle in vegetation, and makes line become knotted.  We can stretch the memory out our fly line by simply pulling on the line (gently) between outstretched hands, while we have the line stripped off the reel to clean it.  If I am with a fishing partner and have enough space, we stretch the line in one piece, between ourselves.  Preparing fly line in these ways is a simple chore, and each time I cast a freshly cleaned, lubricated and stretched fly line, I am glad I went to the trouble. 

 FLY FISHING FROM A BOAT, the excess fly line is with us when we move.  But, walking a bank, this line is always a challenge.  I like to use the “Cutting the Pizza” tactic, taught at Andy Thornal Fly Fishing Schools.  When I have thoroughly covered one area I move on to the next.  By looping the excess line and holding it in my little finger against the rod’s grip, and holding the fly pinched between thumb and index finger, I can casually walk as far as necessary.  (Hold the hook so that it will not catch you if it is unexpectedly jerked from your fingers.)  I even have my other hand free.  But there is an even better solution.

STRIPPING BASKETS are the fly fisher’s tool that manages this excess line for us.  I love myOrvis Durable Stripping Basket.  It fits comfortably, while the rigid cones keep the line from tangling better than any other basket I’ve tested.  I use mine while wading a beach and even in some boats with a jumbled deck.

FLY LINE is at the heart of our sport.  Take care of yours and it will reward you with many great hours a-field.

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Fast Casting a Fly Rod from a Flats Skiff by Captain Craig Crumbliss

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by Captain Craig Crumbliss of NoMotorGuide Service

For many anglers a saltwater flats fishing trip is one of the most anticipated events you’ll ever experience while fly fishing.  Whether your target is bonefish in the Bahamas, Tarpon in the Florida Keys, or Stripers on the flats in the North East there are a couple keys to preparing to cast off the front of a flats skiff.  We’ll go through a couple steps to make sure you can make the most of your time on the bow.

1.  Strip your fly line off the reel.  You want to have as much line off the reel as you might need for a cast but don’t strip off 100 feet if you know you can only cast 65 feet.

2.  Starting with the line coming directly off the reel stretch your line and stack it in a pile next to you.  You want the end of the flyline that attaches to the leader on the top of the pile to minimize tangles.

3.  Line management tools such as a stripping basket, bucket, or mat can help control loose line on the deck while minimizing tangles, especially in windy conditions.

4.  While preparing to cast hold the fly by the bend of the hook.

5.  To be prepared for quick opportunities you’ll want to have enough fly line past the rod tip to make a quick cast with minimal false cast.  For most anglers it’s easy to manage 12-15 feet of fly line plus the leader with a little practice.  One helpful tip is to use the same length of line past the rod tip every time.  You could mark your fly line but a simpler method is to stretch your arms out, while holding the rod in your casting hand and the end of the fly line in your line hand.  This will give you a consistent length of line from 13-16 feet depending on your arm length.

6.  When you make your initial backcast release the fly from your line hand near your rod hand.  That way you can quickly grab the line from under a finger on your rod hand.  Avoid tossing the fly in front of you as this will lead to tangles or even worse a hook in your body.

Following these simple tips will ensure you have the opportunity to make a cast to that fish of a lifetime while you’re on your trip of a lifetime.

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Why Tie Fly Fishing Flies?

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I remember stating rather arrogantly "The day I tie flies will be the day that I have more time than money."  And in consideration of this economy, it may be more prophetic than expected.  But I was missing the point.

The Artistry:   Have you ever watched an artist paint?  Watching a talented fly tyer is a similar experience.  Starting with a blank hook, first the thread, then layer after layer of materials, some wrapped, some  laid just so, some casually spun and clipped.  And in the end, a beautiful hand crafted fishing machine.

Customization:  About 20 years ago, I was fishing a hard body bass bug, and the fly hung on the semi-submerged hydrilla, again and again.  Frustrated, I realized that my fishing conditions were unique.  And that the commercially tied flies were made for someone else's pond.  That is when I began tying horse shoe weed guards on my hard body poppers, like I'd seen in C. Boyd Pfeiffer's book Bug Making.  I was tying the flies to match my fishing.

Versatility and Control:  The first time you tie an EP minnow; there will be too much material.  Usually 3 times too much and that is after the trimming!  Discouraged by the results, most do not realize the beautiful thing that they have done.  A wise angler (and tyer) will tie a fly several different ways in their fly box.  I'm not talking about changing colors, or hook size.  It is about the amount of the material, the density or wispiness of the particular fly.  The smoothness of a particular feather or the roughness of a spun deer hair trim.  The control is like a major league pitcher.  A curve ball is a curve ball, except when it clips the back outside corner of the plate-low and away for a strike.  Tying your own flies is a matter of control---

Economy:  One can easily tie flies for 25% to 50% of the cost of commercially tied flies.  This savings can be considerable you look in my dozen fly boxes.  Make sure to use discipline, if economy is your main reason to tie.  One has to tie several dozen flies in the same size and color to observe true savings.  How much is the value of your time?  Personally, I tie when otherwise would be watching TV like when my wife is watching American Idol (See previous blog on this topic.)  And I use fly tying as an excuse not to exercise (May be the best reason to tie your own flies!)

Productive Hobby:  If you like to fish, what could be a better use of time and creative energy?  I know quite a few people who don't fly fish, but make flies for spouses and family.  They just like to stay busy.  And in the scheme of hobbies, this one is dirt cheap.  When one thinks about the price of green fees for gold, fuel for a boat (or airplane), and have you bought a nice bicycle lately?  In the end, you can fish with you artistry, and it did not cost an arm and a leg.   

Keeps your pet well groomed:  You have become a real fly tyer when you get that look in your eye as a pet collie walks into the room.  ---A blob of dust lint becomes attractive (dubbing for a shrimp fly body.)  And you develop a fascination for soda bottles (wing material, spoon fly body, shrimp back....)

Supports small business:  The fly tying industry is by all measures very small.  Most of the tools, materials, and cool new flies came out of the ingenuity of an individual.  And I would bet that a high percentage of the tools that we use are made in someone’s garage. I like to imagine a granddad and Boy Scout packaging the latest knot tying tool and sending a box to Andy Thornal Co Fly Fishing Shop.  Although, a number of the items seem to be made in Pakistan these days.

It is Incurable.  Like a terminal disease, it is incurable.  The good news; you will always be smiling.

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Fly Fishing for Bass Video by Catch Magazine

Fresh water | Salt water | Flies | Tying | Casting | Gear | Fishing Reports | Places You'll be tying on a popper after this video! Topwater Bass fly fishing at its best. Obviously not Florida because of the float boat.  Videography is superb. Fly Fishing Bass - by Todd Moen was made by Catch Magazine.  This is a beautifully crafted online magazine and video collection.  Enjoy!

Browse Bass Flies

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Best Fly Fishing Tip - Speak the language of your Fly Line

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The most important directive to come from the Andy Thornal Company  Fly Fishing School is this: "The fly line only moves in the direction that the tip moves it." Of course, this is a fundamental remark, for some, an obvious remark.  We could apply this to any other sport.  The baseball only goes in the direction that the bat hits it, the golf ball only goes in the direction the club swings..... So a little explanation is appropriate.  

Fly line speaks only one language-it speaks "rod tip", and it only listens to the rod tip.  It only takes direction from the rod tip.  So no matter how tightly you keep your wrist, how smoothly you accelerate to a stop, how timely you double haul, the fly line only listens to the tip, and moves where the rod tip moves it.  This is a statement that would make Sir Isaac Newton proud, and in terms of fly casting it is as profound. 

 

The Arc of an Inefficient Cast

The Andy Thornal Company Fly Fishing School has three to four casting sessions during the day.  The first session is the "Arc" session.  We watch the beginning casters, move the rod tip in a arc, and appropriately the line flies in an arc.  It does not cast truely forward or backward but more of a figure eight, similar to Chinese ribbon acrobat performers.  This is typically a symptom of casting with the wrist, but regardless of the body part involved the fly line is moving in an inefficient figure eight pattern.

Efficient Fly Casting

If the rod tip is moved in a straight line, it will produce the most efficient cast.  It will produce the most distance since all of the energy of the fly line is focused in one direction.  Another benefit is laser accuracy.  Watch the ESPN TV shows, even though you may imitate the arm motions of Flip Pallot, you are likely not imitating the motion of his tip.  He moves the tip in an almost straight line, regardless of his wrist, elbow position, shoulder, or left big toe.  The slow motion video shows his art, and he weilds the rod tip like a painter moves the brush-realizing the art comes from the very tip.

Fly Casting Practice

There is a great excercise one can do at home.   Cast next to a roof line.  Watch the tip of the rod as you cast and see if it is paralleling the roof line.  The first time you do this, it is difficult because we naturally want to watch the line.  But just watch the tip, moving back and forth. Trace the roof line with the tip (it is OK to cast side arm or semiside arm.)  You will see the path of your line begin to straighten.  Another benefit of watching the tip is you will see the actual flex of the tip. On the water, when my cast falls apart, I use this same excercise to evalute my own cast.

When looking at fly rods of the same line weight, the rod with the lowest physical weight will be the easiest to control. The physical weight of the rod is typically ignored, but pay attention.  And pay attention to the weight of the reel.

See the world's lightest Fly Rods - Orvis Helios
See the world's lightest Fly Rod and Reel Outfits

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Costa 580 Polarized Sunglass Lenses are Easy on the Eyes

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The Costa 580 lens reduces eye fatigue better than any other polarized sunglass.  The relaxing and cooling sensation of putting on a pair for the first time in bright sunlight is immediately noticed.  But the real difference is at the end of a long day, when you forget that you have them on, and your eyes are not tired.  This is the true difference.

The polarized 580 lens filters out the yellow colored light at 580 nm on the light spectrum (see tech chart.)  The human eye fatigues easily at this frequency, and it really adds up at the end of the day!

How Polarized Sunglass Filters Work

This filter is in addition to the regular glare blocking features. Costa Del Mar sunglasses have always blocked the UVA an UVB rays that are very harmful to the eye.  In addition,the polarized filters also block the intense glare off the surface of the water (and on dry land too - horizontal surfaces that produce glare include the road, car hood, snow, ice, beach sand...) Matched polarized lenses are perfectly aligned to reduce this type of glare to nearly 90 percent. This is also the reason, that anglers can see through the surface of the water-spotting fish below.

In the past, this technology was only available in a glass lens.  It is now available in the Costa 580P series. This is a lighter, and less expensive version.  But keep in mind that the glass lens is more scratch resistant and ever-so-slightly clearer.  So which is better.  Long term durability and clarity-go with the glass.  The 580P is a polycarbonate version version of the lens.  The lighter weight will be most desirable in larger lens glasses and wrap-around frames where the weight of the lense is a large factor.

The Costa 580 lenses are available in most of the Costa Del Mar frames, and a variety of lens colors, some with mirror, some without.

See the newest Award Winning Costa frames:

Costa Del Mar Sunglasses with 580 Lenses

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