A Day on the Water

Flamingo, Gateway to the Everglades National Park saltwater back country is where you go to load up a boat with as much fresh water and food to spend as long as you want and to go as far as you can and still make it back, or to the other side.  You can find Giant Tarpon laid up or even feeding.  The first leg of any such adventure is the three miles up the Buttonwood Canal, arguably the best fishing you're likely to find anywhere.  Today, the Saturday after Christmas, before New Years there were so many Kayak tourist that the...

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...