Greetings from Captain Buddy!
With higher winds and unseasonably lower temps, January and February yielded a challenging two months of fishing. Record-setting rainfall, nearly 12 inches in January, at times, added to the challenge. Growing up as a kid, when it would rain, I’d run off to the farm ponds because the fishing was always good during the rain. Down here, it’s a very different story. The shallow water of the rivers and creeks of The Everglades, when stirred up by the weather, can often impact the fishing immediately. As a fly fisherman, we are always on the search for clear water; however, when the rains are that heavy, clear water can, quite suddenly, become illusive. During inclement weather, we still managed to locate and make our catches, and some very nice ones, but certainly worked a little harder for our prize. Despite the bouts with rain and cold in January and February, there were many days where the sight casting for redfish was phenomenal. And then there were days with marginal visibility that would really put us to the test. Anglers fishing during the rainier, windier days, I’ve observed, are a hearty bunch. After conquering the water, bringing in a few catches, enduring the adventure, I can see the exhilaration in their eyes at the end of the day. I find I enjoy every single winter charter just as much, and sometimes more, than milder weather charters. With mostly 65-75 degree days in the spectacular Everglades National Park, we always win. We, as anglers, always want that great blue sky day to be out catching fish, but what we see, time and time again, when conditions aren’t ‘picture perfect’, most anglers are just happy to be away from the harsh winter up north and to be out in the fresh air in one of the most spectacular scenic National Parks in the world. It’s an amazing sport that we have chosen to pursue, and as fly-fishing or spin-fishing brethren, friendships are created on the water that last a lifetime!
Signing off,
Captain Buddy