Greetings from the Captain!
Finally after months of warm, and sometimes downright hot, weather, we saw the first of the cold fronts move through in December. With shorter days and evening temperatures cool enough to bring water temps down in the lower 70 degree mark, we are definitely into the migration season full swing.
I don’t recall seeing as many Tarpon this time of year, compared to previous years. Many of them have begun a late migration south, while others are moving from the coast into the back country. It’s certainly been a treat to have so many stay around for such a long time, in what I would call a banner year.
I’m seeing more Snook in the back bays, creeks, and estuaries, and have been enjoying tracking them down. Sometimes it takes lots of miles, but it’s truly an enjoyable experience navigating the remote waters of the Park. During the warmer days, they can often be seen in very shallow water. However, placing the fly down gently and enticing them to eat, without spooking them, is another story. Patience and stealth is the name of the game. It’s times like these that remind anglers that perhaps practicing their fly-casting a time or two more might come in handy next time. I’ve found a little bit of practice casting goes a long way to becoming more accurate in fly placement at the critical moment. There’s nothing like it, making a good cast, and watching them eat!
The early winter months here in the Everglades are the beginning of the bird migrations to south Florida. White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Ibis, Herons, Long Billed Curlews, Osprey, Bald Eagles, Kingfishers, Plovers, Terns, etc. are either here year-round or just arriving. It’s certainly a treat to see hundreds of them stalking their prey, sunbathing on the sand, or just congregating together in the shallow waters, undisturbed, in the calm of the Park’s backcountry estuaries and marshes.
Here are a couple of tips for a more productive winter day on the water:
- Use smaller flies during the winter months. I’ve been using white tantrums, white deceivers, and any white all around bait fish patterns. Sizes 2-6 have been the ticket in the clearer water. It’s not easy, but the deeper cuts, channels, creeks, and points are the spots to fish on colder days.
- With windy weather on the way, practice casting in a cross wind which is coming to your dominant side. There are lots of ways to do this-with the off-shoulder cast, opposite hand cast, or back cast. Whatever suits you is the way to go. The vast majority of fly fisherman are not prepared for the wind. They can still fish; however, they are often very limited as to where they can place their fly. This can result in a day of lee sides or preferred wind direction only. Without developing some skill in this area, lots of good potential spots are eliminated. Signing off…. Captain Buddy