A Day on the Water

Years ago I came to this very enjoyable Gem of a Freshwater Pond. I remember some short nose gar hitting my popper and almost staying on the hook.  I caught an 18 inch largemouth and an 18 inch snook.  One of them, first struck right below my rod tip at the fly line as it ripped the surface on each strip of my popper retrieve.  A quick short cast back got him.    I remember a medium big gator just hanging out by the central island, just looking at me from 120 yards away with that evil side eye they always do.  I turned the...

I'm back in the shop now, tying flies, getting ready for winter fly shows, and filling orders.  These reports will be a work in progress for a few days.  More photos and information will get posted as I can get to it.  On Maps.Google, I scouted out places with kayak access to likely prime fly fishing waters that had difficult or no access for motorboats. Sanibel Island Back Water Bays and Channels.  It wasn't hard to find lots hungry but not so big Sea Trout and Lady Fish in the back bays and connecting channels. A pleasant small freshwater pond...

I launched from the unofficial Kayak Launch in Gator Cove of Lake Egan.  It turns out that 4 foot gators fleeing behind the cat tails make the same thrashing noises as spawning carp.  The Ramp to Stick Marsh is right here but the motor boats have to go miles around the dikes to get to this corner of Lake Egan.  Out along the down wind, sheltered side of Big Gator Point,  I wasted a good amount of the afternoon trying top water. This is the tail of a big Gator that tried for a minute to bet back out of...

 I found this Snake Head carcass at one of the many great kayak access points along the Hwy 441 canal.  Florida DNR no longer supports killing Snake Heads. This photo is looking back along the Hwy 441 canal to the bridge where I first got some hits from peacock bass.  It was there that an unknown creature poked its smooth brownish black snout at me through the water's surface.  In the later live snake head photo you can see the dark eyes and streamlined jaw blend with the smooth shape of its head.  That fish poked his head and eyes...