Tag Archives: Florida

The Legend of Tarpon Bay

Saltwater Fly Fishing is a rapidly growing sector of the Fly Fishing “industry.” I am unable to put my finger on the specific reasons for this trend, however I assume it has to do with the allure of large fish, warm weather, soothing waves and recovering game fish populations in the southern United States. Fly Fishing the salt water is beyond doubt a unique challenge, certainly more difficult than bait fishing the ocean.

Sanibel Island is a special place for Fly Fishing, a fine vacation spot and a frequent haunt of the Moose Knuckle Fly Fishing team. The island is home to Norm Ziegler who authored the book, “Snook on the Fly.” My last time on the island was in 2014; it had been too long since fishing the beaches last. Owing to my international travel for work I had accumulated miles and was able to snag a free flight and first class upgrade from Delta.

The perks of a first class upgrade

The occasion for this momentous escapade was Mark’s 35th birthday, coincidently, the first time I came to Sanibel was for Mark’s 30th. Time flies when you are Fly Fishing the world and all. Typically the best time to target Snook in Sanibel is June and July, however a good trip for the birthday is always in order.

The gulf was basically un fishable here.

Arriving at Sanibel Island was a bit worrying with some brisk weather changes occurring which had an adverse impact on fishing. When we got there it was cloudy and a massive storm system had settled in that Mark refers to as an “eastern wave,” as the storm moves across Florida from east to west. Standing on the beach in the rain and fishing yielded one Sea Trout for Mark. The water was far too choppy for effective Fly Fishing.

When we awoke the next morning, the weather front was circling, with thunder boomers all night. It is easy to fish in the rain but not advisable in a thunder storm. The good news was that the rain cleared around 11AM allowing us calm water to fish. As soon as I cast a line in the water, I saw the bait out on the second bar. There appeared to be some mackerel and ladyfish out there. Since it was already past the golden hour for Snook I figured to tie on a glass minnow and give it a shot. Sure enough landed a nice mackerel and had a few bumps until they bit my fly off. The skunk was now off of the trip.

The next day was to be the highlight of my time on this expedition. Mark’s mom had given him a “Benny” for us to rent a canoe and head out on Tarpon Bay to hunt for Gator Trout, Redfish and Snook in the Mangroves. Well she probably just figured to go on a leisurely canoe ride. This boat ride was to be anything but a leisurely three hour cruise…

Attempting to cast under the mangroves.

We were trapped in a weather rut this week with the rain, thunderstorms, wind and rough gulf water. This was forcing a re-thought of the strategy landing us squarely at Tarpon Bay Marina a facility where Randy Wayne White worked until 1987. The marina rents out long canoes with a motor and paddles right on Tarpon Bay. This offers the opportunity to land a Redfish, Sea Trout and a Snook also known as an inshore slam.

Pursuing the Snook with a fly rod requires the correct fly pattern for the environment, which you are seeking a fish in. Typically a saltwater fly pattern’s effectiveness is color driven. This is why Norm’s Crystal Schminnow is the best fly for seeking Snook in the Sanibel Island environs. It mimics common baitfish and shrimp at the same time, exciting the predatory instinct of the Snook.

Heading out at 8AM after a run to Bailey’s for breakfast we were equipped with a Canoe, two paddles and a fully charged battery. The day was forecast to be a little windy though not unfishable. Mark used his shrimp bait and a popping cork to land a nice gator trout (large Sea Trout). I was using a tan shrimp pattern and sort of drifting it with small actions. I had a few little nibbles but no solid connections. The wind kicked up hard forcing us to move to the leeward side of some mangroves.

Mark’s Gator Trout caught using a popping cork and a live shrimp.

To pull Snook out of the mangroves with a fly rod you need to do a few things. First rig up on an 8WT rod and at least 30 lb shock tippet, this gives the angler the ability to tractor the fish out before wrapping up in the mangroves. Second, your cast needs to slide in under the mangrove branch or right near it, this takes some practice however it pays off when the Snook are in the nooks and crannies under the mangroves. Third, once you get the hook up, you need to lower your rod tip to the water and retrieve to prevent that Snook from tangling in the mangrove roots.

The Snook that I wrestled from under the mangroves with my 8WT fly rod.

As we pulled around the leeward side of the mangroves the boat aligned with my typical casting distance and I fired out about 60 feet of line. The schminnow unfurled on the water, sliding right into the mangrove, at a point I worried it would become stuck. I performed two small strip retrieves and the fly just stopped hard, Snook on! Next I moved the pole for the set and lowered the line tip into the water, keeping the tension on at all times. My finger began to burn from the fast stripping and tension, however I did not give up. The Snook had some nice runs in it putting up quite the fight and punishing my hand. Finally the Snook was in the boat and we had success!

We turned deeper into the mangroves and I had a few quick battles with smaller Snook but the wind started to get worse and our electric motor was acting up. Taking the safe decision we set off towards the marina to have the boat fixed before continuing, it was lunchtime after all. As we pushed across Tarpon Bay in the direction from which we came the motor continued to lose thrust. Each section of the journey we backtracked over became increasingly difficult to head against the wind. Not helping the matter is that the wind speed itself was increasing while clouds gathered in the distance.

As the entire situation began to seem hopeless, the marina gave us a ring on Mark’s mobile advising us to return and seek cover. Upon hearing of our predicament the marina sent out a rescue boat, which was very welcome. Thanks to the rescue, we made it back to the marina and did not get blown out to sea!

Calm Water for Fishing on the day I departed.

SANIBEL, SNOOK & SAND FLEAS

Dave caught this nice Snook just before we departed.
Dave caught this nice Snook just before we departed.

NE winds under 5 knots.   It doesn’t seem like an important weather condition, but when visiting Sanibel Island it can make or break the surf Snook fishing.   Sanibel is shaped like a boomerang but unlike most barrier islands, it goes from East to West, instead of from North to South.   A few days with a NE wind and the surf will lay down & clear up so that you can spot the grey ghosts as they meander through the trough between the first two sandbars.

Zach and Kuhn cross swords for America.
Zach and Kuhn cross swords for America.

The MKFF crew was lucky on our latest adventure to Sanibel Island in June.   We had a few days of light NE winds which gave us opportune conditions to fish the beaches for Snook.   We also arrived during the summer Solstice king tides, which are some of the largest tides of the year.   The heavy current created by these tides causes bait, shrimp & crabs to flush through the passes with the larger game fish lying in wait for an easy meal.

Needle Fish released from the cast net.
Needle Fish released from the cast net.

It is hot in Sanibel during the summer with average temps well into the 90’s with heat indexes pushing 105-110 degrees.   For fish and fisherman alike, the conditions are nearly unbearable during the midday which means our days start early.   Most of the successful fishing is done by 10 AM and then restarts around 5-6 PM depending on when evening thunderstorms move in.

A clear evening sky is not always the weather pattern.
A clear evening sky is not always the weather pattern.

During the early summer, hoards of glass minnows invade the beach and schools of these fish can be as large as a football field.   These fish are too small to be caught with a cast net. Within these glass minnow schools are usually some larger Pilchards or Spanish Sardines (whitebait) which can be caught in the net to use as bait.   We also used a seine net to weed out the smaller glass minnows and found some smaller whitebait that way as well.   Snook and seatrout are the most common game fish on the beach at this time of year and arrive each summer to gorge on the massive bait schools. But you will also encounter Jack Crevalle, ladyfish & Spanish Mackeral with an appearance from an occasional Redfish on the beaches.   The trick to this style of baitfishing is to differentiate the bait on your hook vs the rest of the school. Like all predator fish, Snook & Seatrout will go after weakened or injured fish first.   My rule is to fish the edges of the bait schools as they pass, since the injured bait fish on your hook will be easier to for the game fish to see (and eat) on the outside of the bait school.     We found out quickly that most of the snook we saw were slowly following & snacking on the bait schools as they swam down the beach.   Not every school of bait had snook on them, but your best chance to catch was by fishing and following the schools of bait.

Mark's first Sea Trout of the Day.
Mark’s first Sea Trout of the Day.

Fly Fishing has become increasingly popular on Sanibel’s beaches as well.   The small size of the bait these large Snook are eating is perfect for a fly fisherman to imitate with a Clouser or Schminnow fly. The trick is to work the edges of the 1st and 2nd trough.   The Snook are cruising right against the shoreline in as little as 1 foot of water.   You have to be very stealthy as these Snook have good eyesight and are extremely weary in the clear shallow water.   I have been instructed by the locals to not even get your feet wet.   Another option is to stand on the 2nd sandbar and cast back towards shore.   Once it gets a little hotter out & the beach becomes more crowded this is my preferred method of fishing these Snook.

Nick's first Snook on the fly.
Nick’s first Snook on the fly.

The MKFF crew caught about 15 Snook off of the beach through 5 days of fishing. Amongst the 15, we caught 3 beauties, each about 15 lbs and 35-36 inches long.   Snook on the gulf coast max out at about 40 inches and 20 lbs but do get bigger on the East Coast of Florida as well as down in Central America and the Caribbean.   The Florida record is 47 lbs.

That fly was tasty.
That fly was tasty.

We also had some luck drifting Gulp Shrimp tipped jigs through the passes in the evening. The Snook are in full spawning mode during the king tides and full moon, both conditions which we had during our trip.   They were stacked up in the passes and we caught 4 or 5 drifting lures until we could no longer take the sand flea bites.

Mark caught this beauty mid day.
Mark caught this beauty mid day.

Sand Fleas…. These little devils are the one big negative when it comes to fishing calm mornings and evenings during the summer time in Florida.   They are everywhere, they bite and it hurts!   Even with bug spray, they will still bite you in force.   The only real way to defend yourselves against the fleas is to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants, or go into the ocean and fish from the water.

The next day Mark caught this one early in the morning.
The next day Mark caught this one early in the morning.

Overall it was a very successful trip and we are looking forward to next year’s Sanibel Adventure.

If you are real lucky, you can even spot a Sea Turtle nest early in the morning.
If you are real lucky, you can even spot a Sea Turtle nest early in the morning.

Tight Lines,

Mark Beardmore

Zach caught this beauty on the day we left.
Zach caught this beauty on the day we left.

P.S. If you are ever down in Sanibel, make sure to go to Bailey’s General Store for biscuits and gravy and the Lazy Flamingo in Santiva for conch fritters & grouper sandwiches.

Cast netting is a major skill set for Sanibel locals.
Cast netting is a major skill set for Sanibel locals.

Spring Travels

Down by da beach boiiiiiii
Down by da beach boiiiiiii

This spring I’ve been incredibly fortunate to do quite a bit of traveling in a short time.  It all started towards the end of April when my girlfriend I met up with my brother and some of his friends for a double birthday and fishing extravaganza in Florida.  See my brothers blog for his tales of the trip to Sanibel Island.  I had never done any Saltwater fly fishing prior to this journey so I didn’t really know what to expect…it was unbelievable.  Every fish we pulled out, I had no idea what it was, but they put up a hell of a fight.

Dave feeding a bird some bait fish
Dave feeding a bird some bait fish

The flies we used were way less intricate then some of the trout flies that I normally tie, but all you really needed down there was the schwminnow and a glass fish.  Our first day Jourdan ripped the most fish out of the Gulf and I struggled a bit to read the water.  What I learned was there is a lot of waiting for the birds and tides during the day time or just hire a guide and they will take you to where the fishing is on fire.

Celebrating Jourdan's BDAY
Celebrating Jourdan’s BDAY
Jourdan with a Sea Trout
Jourdan with a Sea Trout
Sunset on a boat
Sunset on a boat
Ripping snook up after dark
Ripping snook up after dark

 

Flying back to SLC
Flying back to SLC

Once Jourdan and I arrived back in Salt Lake I had the opportunity to drive the delivery van for the ski shop back to Colorado for the summer.  I brought my fishing and snowboard gear along for the ride.  The snowboarding did not work out, but the fishing did.

Sometimes when you have to drive 500 miles in a day you have to set out at 4 AM to get a half a day of fishing in
Sometimes when you have to drive 500 miles in a day you have to set out at 4 AM to get a half a day of fishing in
Traffic jam in route to the fishing
Traffic jam in route to the fishing

 

The "Gold Ribbon" stretch of the Frying Pan
The “Gold Ribbon” stretch of the Frying Pan

Fishing in Colorado is way different than fishing in Utah.  Stream access is not nearly as good.  There are some assholes in Utah trying to ruin our stream access, but that’s a whole different story.  I stopped by Taylor Creek Flies for some advice before hitting the stream.

There knowledge worked.  There are a ton of fish in that river, but also a ton of people.
Their knowledge worked. There are a ton of fish in that river, but also a ton of people.

After some nymphing and some midge dry fly action I had to pack up and continue on Frisco.

The road to A Basin
The road to A Basin

The next morning I woke up and dressed to go snowboarding up at Arapahoe Basin.  However, my pass that was lined up for me fell through so I had to fall back on my back up play to do some more fishing before catching my ride to Denver International to get back to Salt Lake.

Another small stream with a shit ton of people
Another small Colorado stream with some snow still lingering
However, there were some nice fish to be caught.
However, there were some nice fish to be caught.

Once home, Ted and I went to some more familiar territory for me.

A moose spying on me
A moose spy
Ted with a fat Rainbow
Ted with a healthy Rainbow
Tala and Jefe
Tala and Jefe enjoying the beautiful weather
Healthy Trout
Healthy Trout
This adventure comes to a close, but there will be more.  Fishing and the sites you see is awesome
This adventure comes to a close, but there will be more. Fishing and the sites you see is awesome