I'll admit heading to the everglades and fly fishing the back country with 20-25mph winds didn't exactly excite me like it should have going into this trip. But, with wonderful advice: "you can sleep when you are dead," I set off for Flamingo at 6am. Surprisingly enough it seemed calm, excitement growing.
When we arrived in at the boat launch it was like a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Birds." There were vultures and seagulls everywhere and they were seemingly hovering right above our heads waiting for the right moment to peck out our eyes... (Apparently they are a problem there?) That thought quickly left my mind as we raced across whitewater bay and into some intricate interconnected mangrove channels. This place is a maze of epic proportions. When I was in Alaska I though the lakes and rivers were complicated but at least we could use elevation as a place marker or a guide that you are in the right place. Out here if you don't have a GPS you are screwed. Oh hey, that clump of mangroves looks like that patch we passed an our ago but it also looks exactly the same as... yes... every other patch of mangroves in this area!
When we finally popped out somewhere in Hells Bay we were immediately on fish but it was sporadic. We would get a flurry of 5 or 6 snook and then nothing. For just about long enough to lull you to sleep and then another one would try to rip the rod out of your hand. This went on for most of the day until we hit this stretch where there must have been hundreds of snook just lining this cut, because it was all I could do to release one and get my fly back in the water. It was literally two straight hours of catching 14-24 inch snook, all on the same fly, all in the same 300 yards of water. It was insane, it was BY FAR the most action I've seen on a fly rod since I've moved down here. To top that off in the midst of the chaos I landed my biggest red fish to date on a fly rod. As well as two mangrove snapper, and a lady fish. All in all I'm sure I landed 25 snook and that is a modest estimate...
On our way back to the ramp to end our day my luck found a way to have another positive twist! Tarpon started boiling everywhere on glass minnows. Holy shit! Several casts later I had the silver king doing a tail walk across the water right in front of me. Granted it was only a 4 pounder instead of a 104 pounder, but I'll take it! A couple more tarpon in the boat made me one happy fella. After all it's not every day I get to go out and land the backcountry grand slam... Tarpon, Snook, and a Red Fish.
First Tarpon on the Fly!
The smallest tarpon I landed... haha awesome.
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| The only fly I used ALL day. It caught everyone of my fish. It's a little worse off then it started but boy was it productive. |
Big snook of the day!
The Red Fish that completed my Grand Slam!
When we arrived in at the boat launch it was like a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Birds." There were vultures and seagulls everywhere and they were seemingly hovering right above our heads waiting for the right moment to peck out our eyes... (Apparently they are a problem there?) That thought quickly left my mind as we raced across whitewater bay and into some intricate interconnected mangrove channels. This place is a maze of epic proportions. When I was in Alaska I though the lakes and rivers were complicated but at least we could use elevation as a place marker or a guide that you are in the right place. Out here if you don't have a GPS you are screwed. Oh hey, that clump of mangroves looks like that patch we passed an our ago but it also looks exactly the same as... yes... every other patch of mangroves in this area! 
When we finally popped out somewhere in Hells Bay we were immediately on fish but it was sporadic. We would get a flurry of 5 or 6 snook and then nothing. For just about long enough to lull you to sleep and then another one would try to rip the rod out of your hand. This went on for most of the day until we hit this stretch where there must have been hundreds of snook just lining this cut, because it was all I could do to release one and get my fly back in the water. It was literally two straight hours of catching 14-24 inch snook, all on the same fly, all in the same 300 yards of water. It was insane, it was BY FAR the most action I've seen on a fly rod since I've moved down here. To top that off in the midst of the chaos I landed my biggest red fish to date on a fly rod. As well as two mangrove snapper, and a lady fish. All in all I'm sure I landed 25 snook and that is a modest estimate... 
When fishing during the early fall season there are two tricks that will help make the day not good, but great. The fall brings the needs for some unique approaches to trout fishing and one of those tactics is to throw streamers. While the number of fish that strike the fishing line might not be as high, the quality of the fish will higher. They always say “Quality, not quantity” and nothing is truer when early fall fishing. It is advisable for anglers to strip heavily weighted flies such as Sculpins, Muddler Minnows, and Zonkers rigged with a sink tip through deep holes, but be aware that when a trout strikes the line, the fly rod will nearly be ripped from your hands. The deep water fishing technique and aggressive trout means that a lightweight fishing rod and light tippet are going to do no good. Throw on some waders and wander to the middle of the stream. Cast into the bank and as soon as the streamer hits water, strip hard. This quick action from the fly will attract the trout and before long there will be a tug on the fly line.
Choosing the right pattern for fly fishing for trout is much easier during the fall and winter fishing seasons since there are fewer hatches occurring. An angler’s best bet during these months is the snow fly and trout tend to feed aggressively on this particular species. Across the board, hatches do not last as long and the size of them will be smaller, 18 to 24. The limited hatches mean that the trout will not have as much to choose from and the amount of time they have to feed will also be shortened. The trout are hungry and there are limited options for food, so anything that crosses the trout’s path is fair game. The western rivers call for Zug Bugs, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, or others that work well when activity is subsurface. For topwater trout fly fishing look to Hoppers, Elk Hair Caddis, and Parachute Adams for great bites.
Tactics for fly fishing for trout during fall are nearly the same as fly fishing for trout during the summer. The only major difference is the water levels affect on fly fishing gear. Fall means that water levels and flows will be low so make sure to rig your fishing line appropriately. Lighter tippets should be used when fishing closer to the surface, drag free presentations and careful wading are all characteristics of fly fishing in fall. Trout will typically be found feeding in the shallower water in the riffles and scum lines lining the edges of faster waters, as well as at the bottoms of runs. Stealthy wading and finesse casting is key to being successful when fall fly fishing. In addition, keep low and concealed as much as possible. Kneel down upstream and on sandbars or behind walls of vegetation. Remember that most trout lie facing upstream to watch for foods that wash by, and they'll be watching you if you move too close. Trout that have been pursued all summer do not want to encounter more anglers -- they just want to eat.
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