ISSUE # 1 The Blind Cast Issue
Where We Try Our Luck to See If We’ll Get Any Bites
Wintertime Skinnies – Fly-Fishing from a Paddle Craft
By Capt. Jon Bull, Apollo Beach
Believe it or not, here in Tampa Bay, Florida, we have a winter season. I am sure that many reading this from other parts of the country will scoff at that notion, but it is true. When the highs are in the 60’s, us thin-blooded “Buccaneers” bundle up, start drinking hot liquids, and have fire pit nights. Floridians are not the only organisms that have to adjust to the “dipping” mercury. The fish that live in our saltwater flats and estuaries must adjust as well. As anglers, we also must adjust right along with the fish to give ourselves the best chance at catching those “Winter-Time Skinnies.”
During mid-November through mid-April, the flats of Tampa Bay go through some changes. Gone are the daily deluges produced by the afternoon thunderstorms of the summer which causes tannin runoff giving our waters a “sweet tea” coloration. In the winter, the waters of Tampa Bay become as clear as your favorite brand of vodka. The other big change that occurs is our tides. During the winter, tides are usually just barely over the +1.0’ mark, which equates to the height of your knee to thigh.
Fly Reel School
By Paul Conover, Delray Beach
Lesson #1: Capacity Truths
Fly fishing is a very unique sport. It is mostly mental with coordination of mind and body. It’s been described to me as “Zen” like. If you are a beginner, it can be terribly intimidating and very frustrating. Everybody you talk to has a different idea as to how to do it. Saltwater fly fisherman are the worst when it comes to imparting information to new fliers. All of fly fishing comes down to common sense.
If you fish freshwater (trout, mostly Ed) all your reel has to do is hold line. How much capacity do you need if the fish never gets into your backing? 25yds, 50yds., zero yds.? Saltwater is an entirely different animal. Most of the fish you encounter will get into your backing, therefore, the amount of backing becomes very important. Now it comes down to where you intend to fish and what is really sensible as yards of backing. Do you really know how much backing is on your reel? Don’t believe reel manufacturer’s capacity claims. All backings are different in weight, diameter, etc. The price of braid, or gel spun, is ridiculous and in most cases, you will never come close to using all the backing on your fly reel.
Finding a Fly-Fishing Guide
By Captain John Tarr, Edgewater
A basic search engine result for a fishing guide in Florida will result in thousands of hits. Even trying to narrow it down to a specific location will still result in hundreds of hits. When an angler tries to narrow that down to fly fishing, it doesn’t help much. So, the quandary becomes knowing how to select a fishing guide that actually knows fly fishing.
There was a time that it was easy to distinguish between fly fishing guides and guides that didn’t specialize in fly fishing. All you had to do was ask the guide. When I started guiding, over 25 years ago, if a guide didn’t specialize in fly fishing, they told the angler and gave them a suggestion of some guides that did. As time moved forward and more people became interested in fly fishing, guides realized they were missing out on money. They decided they would no longer tell anglers they didn’t fly fish and would take them. The results were not good. Why do you need a guide that specializes in fly fishing?
Yet More Blather From Ed
First off, let me thank you for visiting Florida Fly Fishing Magazine (F3M), which we like to think represents all aspects of fly fishing in Florida.
F3M covers both fresh and salt waters in the state. While we ourselves enjoy fishing out of the state we know there are plenty of other publications that spread that wide net.
Now, this is a revival of the old F3M that was published through 2012. And that version was supported by writers and contributing editors like Joe Mahler, who created the former banner you may be familiar with, Ken Morrow with his insightful contributions, Dr. Aaron Adams, currently the Director of Science and Conservation for the Bonefish and Tarpon trust, Stuart Patterson, the gifted fly tyer who provided the content for our Fly Tying Library, and many others whose names I have sadly forgotten, though each in their own way helped make the original F3M worthwhile.
I want to encourage everyone to participate with your photos, stories, trip logs and videos. Please visit the Submission Guidelines before you do.
I hope you find F3M worth your time.
Tight loops!
FLORIDA FLY FISHING EVENTS
Water Notes - Reports from Our Readers
Allen Sperry on Lake Wales
Living in Lake Wales I have plenty of lakes to choose from and have fished all within 20 miles of the house usually wading or from a boat chasing my favorite fish, the mighty bluegill.
(Submit Water Notes Reports to editor@flaflyfish.net)
Sam Bean - Central Florida
Fortunately the line of work I’m in affords me plenty of chances for freshwater species on my lunch breaks. Typically in my free time I get on Google maps and pin-point good looking spots and if my work puts me close to one I'll go check it out. The good spots get a heart the ones I want to try again get a green check and bad spots get deleted.
Product Review
Mangum’s Variegated Mini Dragon Tail
Mangum’s Variegated Mini Dragon Tail has some remarkable qualities and one that makes it a bear to cast.
First, the good: tied as I have it here its swimming action is remarkable (there’s that word again). Its life-like action may be one of the best I’ve seen fly fishing. Moving it slowly through the water alongside the boat you’d swear it was this big-ass worm, an eel, even. Stop and let it fall it swims away like a released fish. Just beautiful.
FLY TYING
Clouser’s Bunny Crustacean
By Bob and Jackie Clouser
We developed this pattern in 2021 to target Redfish & Seatrout along with Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. To our knowledge, it has caught over 20 species of fish so far.
