Key West Fly Fishing

Since our last report, the first legitimate cold front of the year came ripping through the Florida Keys. Low temperatures dipped into the low 60’s and highs struggled to reach the low 70’s for a couple of days. The front also generated a day of strong winds out of the north.

Prior to the front, the permit fishing had been perfectly mediocre. While most of the day was spent poling flat after flat looking for a handful of fish, there were brief spells that showed how good the permit fishing can be in Key West. Most of the fish were large and the majority of fish that I targeted were aggressively mudding in 3-4 feet of water. Although we didn’t connect on any fish, the good spells of fishing helped maintain everyone’s focus throughout the day.

After the front, John and I headed to the Everglades. We figured that the weather for fishing the park couldn’t be better - cool temperatures, moderate north winds and blue bird skies. We couldn’t have been more wrong. While the conditions were great, the fishing was dreadful. We managed to only catch one small redfish (blind casting across a depression on a flat), get only one other shot at a redfish trailing a stingray and luck into a nice shot at a big tarpon (100 plus pounds) cruising through some muddy water. The tarpon must have been partly frozen as it refused several casts with different flies that brought the offerings right across its nose (the best presentation when the water is the color of whole milk). Despite what we had hoped, the fish in the park must have been as put off by the weather change as our fish in the Lower Keys. It should improve as the rhythms of winter take a firmer hold.

The weather this weekend looks good. Highs in the lower 80’s, a little bit of southeast wind, and good tides should be the recipe for some decent permit fishing. We’ll let you know if something truly exciting happens.

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully, you are able to spend the holiday with your friends and families.

Drew