Key West Fly Fishing

BRRRR!  

We have just been hit by a major cold front, with 30kt winds, highs in the 50’s and night temps in the 40’s.  It does not get much colder than this.  Needless to say the fishing has shut down.  Hell it’s so cold, it almost makes the fishing of just a few days ago seem like a mirage.

Before this front, our weather had been spectacular.  Blue skies, E or SE winds, and warm humid air; perfect conditions for winter time permit fishing.  I would love to say I had been out there wearing them out, but that would be an untruth.  I, like most everyone else, spent the last half of December entertaining out of town family members and enjoying the holiday season.  Sometimes it is nice to have a little time off the water.

Still, I was very excited to get back on the water, and Rob Clark from CA gave me the perfect excuse.  We fished two days, on the 30 and 31st, and enjoyed spectacular weather, and good fishing.   We spent the 30th targeting permit.  A falling tide on the Gulf gave us some early shots at backing permit, but a long run to the west of Key West gave us fish.  Here we fished the last of the flood thru the fall.  With the exception of a slow couple of hours around mid-day (hey I hadn’t fished in awhile) we were into fish all day.  The highlight of the day, a 10lb fish that chased down an aggressively stripped merkin knock-off, was Rob’s first permit on fly.  We finished the day with a 6lb bonefish and numerous shots at hard-tailing permit. 

Not to be outdone that day, Drew and his client, Court Ramsay of Lafayette, Louisiana, caught a pig of a bone in the backcountry. The broad shouldered fish made the 12lb mark easily.

The last day of 2007 greated Rob and I with 77 degree air temps and slick calm conditions.  I couldn’t help myself, I had to go tarpon fishing.  At our first two stops , we were greated with numerous rolling tarpon.  Even better, these were big fish (60-100+).  While many single were rolling around, we only targeted the schools, some of which held 50 or more fish.  Unfortunately, luck was not on our side.  We came tight to three fish, but none managed to stay on for more than a moment. 

By 10:30 the wind kicked up a touch, the sun came out, and the conditions were perfect.  Again, I couldn’t help myself.  We fished six areas for laid up fish, and found them in three.  With the blue skies and laid-up fatties, it felt like April.

We finished off our day targeting tailers.  While not as crazy as the night before, there were enough to get excited about.  By the end of the day, we still hadn’t managed to get a fish in the boat. (Sorry Rob, a Lane Snapper doesn’t count).  Still, there aren’t many better ways to go fishless than this.

Happy New Year All.  I hope we can share a boat sometime.

John

The weather that John began his last post with, changed and brought about change to the lower Keys. After the warmest October on record in Key West, a cold front pushed through ushering in cooler temperatures and winds out of the north. This front has definitely brought a shift in the fishing and our approach.

After the arrival of the cool weather, I was again on the water with Graham Anderson and Dave Blair, owner of Fish Tales Fly Shop in Calgary. Despite the cool weather and high winds the permit fishing was suprisingly good. The mornings definitely seemed to provide the most consistent action with a strong falling tide until midday. The fish, although not as active as the past several months, were tipping and tailing as they searched the flats for crabs. The last two days that we fished we had about 15 or 16 shots each day, not numbers that will knock off anyone’s socks but not bad for the days after the first cool down of the year. The last morning Dave connected on a nice fish in the Marquesas, his first permit in the Keys.

The middle of this past week, the fishing definitely followed the weather’s lead and cooled off. Flats where we had been finding decent permit and bonefishing, had very little activity. The few fish that we saw were generally cruising about and not looking too interested in feeding. This is typical behavior as the fish try to adjust to water temps in the low 70’s (the coolest since March).

I spent the past couple of days fishing with Steve Morris from Knoxville, TN. He had fished earlier in the week with Alex, who had to head to the Bahamas on Thursday. The first day was brutal, almost no permit and only one group of very chilly bonefish. Yesterday was a little bit better. Although the permit were not thick, most of the fish that we had shots at were consistently tailing and mudding. We did catch a nice 8 lb bonefish out of a school of 12-15 fish. Additionally, the barracuda are beginning to show up on the flats and jacks are beginning to shadow mudding rays. Winter is definitely on its way.

I hope to get up to the Everglades sometime in the coming week to chase some redfish and snook. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I need to get back to the fly tying bench and work on some new crab flies and watch some college football.

Drew

For anyone out there who has been longing to be in the Florida Keys this past week, don’t worry.  The winds have been cranking and the fishing has been slow (guide talk for terrible).  And before the wind started we had 4 1/2 days of clouds.  Still a few fish were caught, but a definite let down from the previous weeks.

I last fished on Sunday the 28th with Richard Berlin from Boston (a happy Sox fan).  We had mediocre fishing during the morning low in the backcountry.  Some schools of bonefish pushing around.  Richard managed to catch a solid 5lb fish.  The incoming gave us only a smattering of shots at a few bones and permit.  Richard came tight to a 15lb permit that chased down a rapidly stripped shrimp fly, but the hook didn’t stick.  It woud have been a great way to end the day.  That same day, Drew and permit addict Graham Anderson from Calgary managed to land a 8lb bonefish and 13lb permit in quick succession to end the day.

My previous two days of fishing with Richard produced only one other bonefish (7lbs).  On our second day a cast into a school of tipping/waking bones yielded a 10lb Jack and a cast into a school of hard-tailing permit found a 3lb cuda.  We didn’t manage to catch a bonnethead to complete our trash can slam.  Oh well.

Before the clouds arrived I managed to sneak out on a canceled day with Drew and long time friend Chris Guarino.  The fishing was fairly slow until the falling tide in the afternoon.  Drew lost a large bonefish (10+) next to the boat and I managed to land a 12 lb permit. 

This permit, like all of those that have been caught recently by Drew and I, aggresively chased down a stripped shrimp fly.  Quick 12-18 inch strip to get the fish to see the fly and chase.  A brief pause after the chase began to let the fish eat the fly, then re-start the strip cadence.  Continue till the fish spooks off the boat or the fish comes tight.  This sure beats the drop and wait crab fly technique. 

I will be out tomorrow.

John

The lower Florida Keys have been under a windy sometimes cloudy pattern for the past week and a half. Despite this the fishing has not been as bad as the conditions would typically warrant. The cooling water and air temperatures have the fish frisky and active on both the incoming and falling tides.

John and I had the opportunity to fish together today and despite winds of 20-25 knots, we headed out with the plan of ambushing some bonefish. While the fishing and shots were not as fast and furious as we’ve been spoiled with the past several months, the fish were around and greedily ate our flies. John had the particularly hot rod today as he caught four bonefish on five shots. Not a bad average, although that kind of success can make John a little hard to deal with on a small boat. He even managed to buck his trend for the summer of only catching small fish, by fooling a 12 1/2 pound tailer around midday. The other four that we landed averaged seven pounds. We were even treated to a shot at a nice redfish sitting in just inches of water at the bottom of the tide. The fish greedily pounced on the bonefish fly that I pulled just in front of its face.

We also had the opportunity to fish last Monday. We were unexpectedly greeted by 25-30 knot winds, but had a great sky with nice visiblity. The tides were abnormally high and we worked the crowns of flats to the north of Big Pine. We caught one nice tailing bonefish in the first hour of the day. As the water poured onto the flats the bonefish became a little tough to find but we did manage to find a few permit. We ended the day with about 15 shots, both catching a permit, the largest of which was about 15 lbs.

These two days, while not ideal, show two important truths. The fish generally don’t mind the wind, often getting more aggressive when it is up. And secondly, persistance pays off. It is easy to give up when the conditions are tough, but by working with the elements presented, the fishing can provide you with the rewards to keep you focused and action to make the weather more bearable.

Drew

There are times that I can’t help but ask, “Why am I a fishing guide?”  I have many complicated and convoluted answers to this question, but I also have this very simple one: when I get a chance to go fishing, I generally have a good idea where I can find some quality fish to throw a fly at (excuse the dangling participle).  This was definitely the case on Friday morning.

I was able to recruit two fellow guides and friends, Sandy “Thunder Pole” Horn and Shane Wood, aka Woody, to join me for a morning of bonefishing on the Gulf edges to the Northwest of Big Pine.  We had the last of the falling tide for the first hour of the morning.  The fish were there, but they seemed very relucatnt to stick their tails up.  With no pressure to perform for a client, we relaxed and waited out the tide. 

The young flood arrived shortly thereafter and so did our fish.   I figured with three fishing guides on the boat that this should be easy.  I was wrong.  My first shot at a pod of large tailing fish yielded nothing but questions.  Why didn’t they eat?  Do I need a different fly?  Why didn’t we bring any beer? 

Woody and Sandy faired no better.  The armies of bonefish kept marching, we kept casting, and sooner or later things would have to turn around.  A switch to a small merkin yielded a quick hook-up, but 10 schools later, we still hadn’t hooked another.

Again, patience paid off.  About the time we lost our tailing tide, the fishing turned on.  Suddenly we couldn’t keep the fish off our flies.  In 30 minutes we caught three fish (4,8 and 10lbs) in as many shots.  Along with the normal thrills asscociated with a hooked bonefish, this morning we had to fend off the countless sharks of every make and model as they tried to get to the fish before we did.  Fortunately for the bones we won each race, but just barely. 

I caught the last of the three (the little one) and figured we should quit while we were ahead. 

In four hours of fishing we threw to at least 1000 bones, managed only four hook-ups, catching three, and re-learned one important lesson.  Just keep casting.

Later,

John

Well as John accurately predicted the wonderful fishing that we have experienced this summer took a few days off that just happened to coincide with the annual RedBone SLAM tournament. Although we both managed to get permit, a few bonefish and a handful of tarpon all on fly, the fishing wasn’t close to what we experienced in the weeks leading up to the event. Luckily, the fishing was equally lackluster for most teams and former NFL lineman, Mark Cooper, and I took Celebrity Grand Champion honors. Being out of town the following week, I didn’t realize the “controversy” that the win would create.

After the SLAM, John spent several days fishing with Rodger Nye from Swan Valley, Idaho. They had incredible bonefishing all three days and on the last day finished the trip off with a beautiful grand slam.

While they fished, I headed to Colorado to fish and attend the Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver. I was fortunate enough to fish with Bernard Ramanauskas, Scott Fly Rods cane builder and the maker of the beautiful Eden Cane rods. We fished the Arkansas, Chalk Creek, some high mountain lakes, the Eagle and the Big Thompson in a whirlwind tour of parts of the state. I caught some great trout on a variety of techniques and had a blast the entire time. A temporary change of scenery is never a bad thing. I met up with John in Denver and we saw the latest and greatest that some of the fly fishing companies have to offer. It is always a good chance to meet other fly fisherman from around the country and catch up with some old friends. The highlights of the show for me were the reintroduction of Scott’s STS series of saltwater rods and the 7 and 8 weight Scott S4 rods.

As always, on the flight home the sight of the lower keys backcountry from the air reminds me of where my heart truly lies and yesterday John and I got back onto the water. Despite less than stellar conditions, the bonefish are still around and there are some tarpon hanging around as well. We caught a tarpon and several bonefish the biggest of which was an eleven to twelve pound slob that pounced on a lightly weighted merkin in less than eight inches of water. The fish were actively tailing and backing through the end of the outgoing tide which occured around three in the afternoon. Hopefully this fishing will continue right through the end of October and possible a little longer. This is definitely a year in which John and I have both rediscovered our love affair with bonefish.

Capt Drew

Well it looks like Drew beat me to the punch and published a report before I had a chance.  Sorry Drew.  Anyway, I still feel compelled to add a little to his words.  At the risk of hyperbole, I must say that the bonefishing that I witnessed the last two days has been off the charts.  Two days ago, after a morning of excellent baby tarpon fishing (slick calm shrimp hatch) I took my clients (Andrew and Jennifer Watson of Memphis TN) to meet the young flood on a bank Northeast of Big Pine.  We were greeted by armies of tailing bonefish.  Several of the schools numbered well in to the hundreds, while the smaller schools held at least twenty to thirty fish.  For at least an hour and a half we were surrounded by these schools of tailers.  With the rushing tide, tailing depth didn’t last too long and a thunderstorm to the west blocked our light and our fishing came to a screeching halt.

Yesterday after our shrimp hatch died we returned to the same bank for the young flood.  The bonefish were there, but they were very reluctant to tail for extended periods.  The reason for this was quickly revealed as every school of fish was shadowed by three to five lemon sharks.  Needless to say, these schools were reluctant to feed.  However, unlike the previous day, out light was great and once the bank flooded, the bonefish escaped the sharks and started to feed voraciously.  Huge schools of fish (50-100 fish) blowing mud, racing down tide and mudding again.  Such fishing continued for hours, but the intensity caught up to us and we left the fish for more peaceful and tarpon rich waters.  The past two days of bonefishing might best be summed up by the comment made by Andros regular Andrew Watson.  “John, you don’t have to go to Andros, you have it here.” 

With the annual Redbone SLAM tournament (bait chunkers delight) coming up next weekend, I am sure my fishing will tank, but at least it was fun while it lasted. 

Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to my birdwatching.  The fall migration has begun.  In the time it took to write this I have seen a Kentucky Warbler, Grey Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and several other yet unidentified warblers.  Time to go get out the binoculars and my Peterson guide.

Later,

Capt John

Summer has definitely settled on the Lower Florida Keys this month. With the so called “summer doldrums” the fishing can be a bit of a roller coaster ride. One day fish will be everywhere the next they can be difficult to find and feed. Tides are critical this time of the year, the strong flows associated with the new and full moon bring cooler, more oxygenated water to the flats making the fish happier and often more agressive. August, being one of the slower months (business wise), typically provides us with a lot of opportunities to enjoy some time on the bow of the skiff.

The bonefishing this month has been, for the most part, nothing short of outstanding. Good numbers of strong, fat fish have frequented backcountry banks on both incoming and falling tides greedily feeding across the flats. We have had several mornings of catching at least four fish and loosing several others. Most of the fish have been in the 5-8 lb range, with some larger fish including a personal best 14 lb midday tailer that I caught earlier this month. The fly pattern has not been particularly important as long as it is appropriately weighted to stay in the fish’s feeding zone.

The permit fishing has been a little disappointing. Some days there are good numbers and a few days later on a “better” tide they are scattered and spooky. John and I experienced just that last Monday despite near perfect tides and wind. The permit seemed to be concentrated in small areas, certainly not widespread, and the fish were very unsettled. The fish that we found were quickly cruising and when they did feed and mud they would quickly pick up and start moving again showing very little interest in our offerings. Hopefully the fish will return to their normal late summer pattern as we get into September and October.

The tarpon fishing, epecially in the backcountry, has been a very consistent fishery. Lots of juvenile fish in the 10-30lb range have been swimming the edges of basins and banks and holding under the shade of overhanging mangroves. John, depsite windy conditions, found a good shrimp hatch yesterday getting numerous bites and putting some fish in the air. Additionally, at the end of the day he found several toads laid up in a secluded cove and his angler managed to coax a hundred pounder into biting and giving a brief showing of its magnificent power.

While the fishing has been inconsistent at times this month, for the most part it has held its own and provided us with some great fish and memories. The past several days have given us clues that fall is not too far away. The sun is getting a little lower in the sky, the humidity is down and the wind has been out of the east to northeast. As fall begins to take a grip, the permit and bonefish will become main targets.

Capt Drew

We have seen a change in the fishing since last reporting at the end of last month. The numbers of big tarpon have begun to dwindle, but the permit fishing has been getting steadily better. While there are still some large tarpon both swimming and laid up, the numbers that we were seeing even as recently as two weeks ago have declined. However, the baby tarpon fishing has helped fill in the slack created by the departure of their bigger brethern. Many of the edges that hold them in the summer are filling up and they can be found rolling and holding in the shadows of their mangrove lairs. Additionally, the permit fishing has been very good. The fish have been tailing, mudding and cruising and suprisingly relaxed given the calm weather we have experienced the past couple of weeks.

This past week I fished with Tomonori Higashi, Tomohide Kashiwagi both of Japan and Bernard Ramanauskas, cane fly rod builder extradonaire. They rotated and shared bow time throughout the week primarily chasing tarpon. Although the main target of some late season giants proved difficult, we managed to jump or catch fish from 120lbs down to 15lbs (most in the 20-50 range). I definitely enjoyed the week, but certainly had hoped for better numbers of big fish. Hopefully next year.

I did get the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to fish an afternoon with my Dad, Jim, and borther-in-law, Alex Neubauer. Despite getting on the water after five o’clock we managed to catch one tarpon about 130lbs, have two more eat (three shots total) and catch 3 bonefish. It was the first time I had looked for evening tailers and they were moving in waves across some of my favorite gulf side flats. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come this summer. The two photos are from that evening.

Capt Drew