January 5, 2009

Happy New Year everyone! The days have been nearly perfect this week in the Keys. Perfect weather for permit fishing in the backcountry. The tides have been right in the afternoon this past week giving us multiple shots at big permit on the flats near the Gulf edge.

The months of January and February bring a lot of opportunities to the flats for serious fly anglers as well as folks looking for some light
tackle fun fishing.

If the weather is right and we get a few warm days in a row, the tarpon will make a show in the deep basins and that can be a real treat in the
middle of January!

There may even be some bonefish around but a few cooler days and they are gone for a while. Instead there are large jack crevalle, seatrout, ladyfish, snapper and grouper to fish for all over the Lower Keys.

Whatever you passion is, come down and visit us and go fishing!

I still have some great dates available in February for permit (and tarpon).

Contact us at 305-744-0903 for availability.

October 17, 2008 - The Lower Keys have had a bout with windy conditions this week. It has not deterred the fish from getting up on the flats to feed. Large permit are a great target in late October and in November. These fish particularly like flats that are near deeper channels or along the edge of a large basin like Key West Harbor. That way they can pop up onto the flat, feed and then return to safety in deeper water.

Bonefish are also a great target species in the fall months. The bonefish in the lower Keys range from 6 to 8 pounds on average with some larger bones mixed in that can be upwards of ten pounds!

There are still some baby tarpon available in the Lower Keys. They don't always cooperate but we can certain try and find a few to cast at. The bigger tarpon will not be around until early 2009 unless you happen to run into a resident tarpon along the edges of Key West Harbor or near Bahia Honda Bridge.

The winter fishing in the Keys brings on a whole new roster of species. Barracuda, jacks, sharks, seatrout, redfish and sometimes even snook are up on the flats and ready to feed. We also have the opportunity to fish for snapper and grouper when the water gets cooler. They may not all be of size to keep but they are fun to catch and a great fight on light tackle for adults and kids.

September 5th, 2008

Hurricane Ike is looking pretty healthy and we're going to just keep our fingers crossed that he misses the Keys altogether.

Fishing has been spectacular this week. Pre-storm fishing is always epic in my eyes. The fish are hungry and they can sense what is coming well before we can.

The Redbone Superfly was today and with a plan in mind and a great guy, Cal Collier, on the bow, we were victorious in capturing the grand champion title.

Read about it on ESPN Outdoors...

August 25, 2008

Tropical Storm Fay was nothing but a rain event for most of Florida. The Keys were lucky to be spared once again from any major damage from a tropical system.

A few of my anglers who were visiting from California and Nevada had the opportunity to reap the benefits of pre-storm fishing.

The tarpon run this year has been off by a long shot. Even in August on any given year we've found plenty of tarpon, even some of the larger 80- pound fish. This year they seemed to come through early and move through fast. There are still a few schools here and there but it is not stellar fishing for them right now.

On the other hand, permit and bonefish are becoming more plentiful. Before Fay passed over the Lower Keys my anglers had a chance to feed several permit and bonefish and successfully landed a few.

Now that we are nearing the end of August the tides are strong in the backcountry making for great conditions for permit and bonefish to feed. Later this week will be great for wade fishing in the evening for bonefish and maybe some permit.

September, October and November all hold great possibilities on the flats to catch permit and bonefish. If we're luckly there may be a few baby tarpon around to be had to complete the Grand Slam.

May 12, 2008

Finally the weather has cooperated for us and the tarpon are moving through the Lower Keys in larger schools. We've had a couple of great days where my anglers have hooked multiple tarpon and landed a few nice fish.

Most of my fishing in May is fly fishing for tarpon. Right now they are eating a variety of flies including toad patterns and other shrimp-like fly patterns. Early morning rolling fish are a great target with a black and purple fly and then switch up to a lighter fly after the sun gets up a bit.

Bonefishing has been spotty but when it has been good the fish are plentiful and range from 5- to 8- pounds. More and more permit are being spotted along the Gulf side flats now which means they are maybe making the move back from the spawn offshore.

Tarpon fishing will remain very active through July and into August for some of the big boys, the fall months will be more permit and bonefish opportunties with some smaller tarpon mixed in.

We still have availability in August and through the fall months for flats fishing. It is a great time to be here, calm conditions and tailing fish.

April 1st, 2008

With March behind us we have one major thing to focus on now... tarpon.

The water and air has been pretty warm, in the 80s nearly every day. The tarpon have moved into the area and they are eating flies really well. Permit fishing has been tough this year, we've had some good days where we've had a lot of shots at tailing fish while other days they are just difficult to get near.

The tarpon fishing should turn on now for a while. We'll experience less cool fronts and more prevailing southerly winds which keeps the water warm. The population of bonefish should increase on the flats too with the warmer water. I've heard several good reports as far as bonefishing goes but I have not been pursuing them lately myself. The bonefish census will take place this Thursday in the Keys. This is when flats fishing guides are asked to help with bonefish research and actually count the number of bonefish they see in a particular area during the course of one day. The study has produced some remarkable results. There are several guides who also tag bonefish in the Keys. One of my anglers landed a bonefish a few months back with a tag in it. Come to find out a good friend and fellow guide, Capt. Steve Friedman, had tagged the fish weeks before.

The spring fishing should take a turn toward heating up here now that we are in the month of April. For anglers considering a trip down for tarpon, bonefish or permit please email us or call for availability. If we cannot accommodate you we can give you a referral to a professional full-time guide in the Keys.

March 3, 2008

This year has already shown us some great fishing so far. Last week there were some very calm warm days and tarpon rolling everywhere. We had some great fishing with some of the U.B.T. gang and landed 4 out of 8 tarpon we hooked on fly. The permit fishing was also good but with the calmer days it is very hard to get close to these fish.

The past few days it has been a whole different story. The winds are howling from the northeast and it's made fishing a little challenging. The barracudas are snapping like crazy now though. We had so many eat the fly and destroy it over the last two days that I had to sit down and tie more. The permit fishing has also been excellent. There are plenty of big permit on the flats and they are eating!

The tarpon will have to wait a few days until the water warms up again. It won't be long before the tarpon will be pushing through on a regular basis.

Consider the fall months of Septemer through early November for great bonefish and permit fishing. The crowds are minimal and the shots at fish are plentiful. There are even some baby tarpon in the mix too.

You can reach Captain Justin Rea at 305-744-0903 or email justin@flyfishingthekeys.com

January 28, 2008

Sorry for the delay in writing a fishing report. We were in the midst of welcoming a new addition to our family - Ryan William Rea born January 3, 2008.

The flats and backcountry have been fishing pretty good even with our bouts of cooler weather. Permit were even tailing the other morning as I spent a foggy morning west of Key West with a fly angler. We had one fish eat the fly but no dice when the line came tight. Plenty of shots at other tailing fish. Boca Grande Channel served up plenty of action with jacks and mackerel busting on the surface. The day was very calm which made every bust easy to find.

The water temps are nearly perfect to see a few tarpon rolling here and there. They may come and go with each passing cold front, only to return once the days warm up again. We are on the edge of winter and spring now and in another month the permit and tarpon fishing should get quite good.

February is still not a definate for tarpon but can hold a lot of promise if the weather cooperates.

Key West Flats & Fly Fishing - November 23, 2007

Our flats fishing is in a transition right now from the cold fronts that have dipped down through the area. The change in water temperature often makes fishing difficult for a few days while the transition takes place.

Winter time fishing in December can be explosive for so many species. Although what you read may be about tarpon, bonefish and permit - keeping an open mind about other flats species will ensure you have a great time while fishing in Key West.

Some of the more prominant species that roam the flats during the colder months include the toothy barracuda. These fish can tip the scale at more than 20- pounds at times. They fight hard, thrash and even jump when they are hooked. One of the best fighting fish in shallow water on light tackle or on a fly rod.

These barracudas stack up in the shallows looking for bait and possibly even to warm up a little. There can be plenty of them around and they are very exciting to fish for as far as I am concerned.

Jacks, sharks, ladyfish, look downs, pompano, seatrout, snook, redfish and snapper are amoung some of the other species you might see on any given day on the flats. The larger jack crevalle move through the shallows in the winter months giving us a great target with a plug rod or fly. These fish can also get into the 20- pound range and they fight hard. Some of the other species may not get as big but they are a fun target for novice and expert anglers as well as kids.

Finally, yes there are bonefish and permit still roaming the flats. Live shrimp or a live crab is the best bait for these species. They can be found popping up out of deeper channels to check out a backcountry flat. The bonefish may disappear after the water gets too cold, but the permit seem to be able to withstand more of a water temperature fluctuation.

If you are a lover of tarpon, I would suggest waiting until we get some warmer weather that moves through and sticks around for a while. Yes, there are still tarpon here but not schools and schoools of them like we get in the Spring and Summer.

Key West Flats & Fly Fishing - October 28, 2007
Cloudy weather has made sight fishing more difficult this week in the Lower Keys. A front that is lingering over us has not decided which way to go yet so the weather has dictated what kind of fishing we do.

The tides have been the best they have been all month. Early morning spots in the backcountry are yielding some tailing bonefish and even a few permit. If we find calm water it makes it easy to spot these tailing fish in super shallow water but it also makes for a really, really long cast in order to lead them enough so they don't spook.

Permit and bonefish will prevail through the month of November along with the welcome addition of more barracuda and jacks on the flats. These fish love cooler water and as our temperatures start to fall they will show up in good numbers.

Barracuda are one of the finest winter gamefish to target on fly or with light tackle in the winter months. Fly fishing for them requires at least a 10wt. rod and a pretty heafty fly. The beauty of fishing for them is they are very curious creatures and will give the angler a few extra shots to entice the bite before wandering off. Most often we can lead the fish and leave the fly sitting in the water, only to strip it as the fish gets near to get his attention. Barracuda will follow a fly all the way to the boat and strike at the last possible moment. That is what makes it exciting.

For the tarpon lovers, we still have some baby tarpon tucked up around the mangrove islands. There here today but can be gone tomorrow if the weather changes too drastically. It's better to just wait until we get our early push of tarpon in January or February.

June 21, 2007

The first day of summer brings big tarpon to the area. Although our tarpon season has been slightly off, there have been some nice schools of big fish along the oceanside and in some of the backcountry basins. Many of my anglers have been fly fishing and several patterns have been working well including black/purple Enrico Puglisi flies, brown/natural patterns and a Palolo worm pattern on occasion. Although the worm hatch has already happened once, maybe twice since May, tarpon will still key in on the worm if it is retrieved correctly.

Remember leading tarpon by a long way is the key to success. Putting the fly close to a cruising fish will ultimately turn him away or scare him off completely. Give them a big lead, sometimes 20-30 ft and watch the reacton of the fish to help make him eat.

Permit have bee a little scace this week. The water temps are getting higher and permit just may be sticking to deeper channels instead of feeding on the flats. Summer is the perfect time for a crab hatch. This is amazing if you can find it happening. Permit eating crabs on the surface as they cling to grass and weeds flowing with the tide. Simon Becker's hover crab is made for this, a definate for a crab hatch pattern.

Bonefish are around but not in droves like expected. We've been fishing a fair amount both out of Sugarloaf Marina and Key West. We've landed a few bonefish this week in the 6- pound range.

Fall fishing can be a great time for tailing permit and bonefish in the Lower Keys. The tides are right for wading too, although a lot of our fishing is done from the boat.

April 14, 2007

The tarpon have made their initial move into the shallow waters but cool fronts that have been passing through the area have left us waiting for their return with water temperatures fluctuating a little too much for the tarpon's liking. The days are certainly warm now and with ample sunshine we should get some great fishing in this coming week. The forecast is for sun and increasing temperatures which is just what tarpon need.

Permit fishing has dwindled for the time being but there are still some fish on the flats, they are just in the ten pound range instead of 20 or 30. Most permit head offshore to spawn and we expect their return to be in late May to early June.

Bonefish are being spotted throughout the Lower Keys and when the water temps finally stay put above 75 degrees there will be plenty of them around.

Offshore fishing has been on and off with big dolphin and wahoo offshore while the reef fishing has its good days and bad days. Mutton snapper fishing will begin to pick up during April and through June it will be good.

If you are itchin' to go fishing but can't make it during April, May or June, think July. It's a little warmer here but the fishing is good for tarpon, bonefish and permit and it presents the best scenario for catching a grand slam.

February 27th, 2007

If you are a permit junkie you better get down here for the month of March. March is one of the peak seasons for permit on the flats of the Lower Keys. They have already been showing up in good numbers with some very large fish on the flats. A few days ago I had an angler, David Thompson, from Bozeman, MT, who landed his first permit on fly. Congrats David! David had many opportunities to fish for different species during his stay in Sugarloaf Key. The water was not quite warm enough the first day but we had plenty of luck fishing for barracuda with the fly rod. The second day the water temps were getting better, almost 70 degrees in many spots. We continued to fish for barracuda plus had a few shots at permit. The final day was golden. A beautiful day with great visability. The wind was calm and gave us some great tailing conditions in shallow areas to fish for permit. David hooked his fish on a popular flat west of Key West later that morning.

Just two days later I took Jon Ain, a permit junkie with literally 250 caught permit under his belt, out fishing. Ain had several shots at some very large permit. He didn't get the big one but did land one that was 15- pounds. Number 251! Congrats Jon. Ain is co-founder of the March Merkin Invitational Permit Tournament. The tournament is March 14-16 in Key West. There is one slot left if anyone is interested, the entry fee is $500.00 and proceeds go to the Don Hawley Foundation.

Our warmer weather has also brought some TARPON back onto the deeper flats and into the channels. As long as it stays warm we should start seeing a lot of layed up fish.

February 9th, 2007

Key West has had some cooler weather but things have made a turn today for sunny skies and temperatures back in the upper 70s to low 80s. This means that there may be a lull in the permit and tarpon fishing but they will return quickly to the flats after a few days of warm sunny weather.

Barracuda fishing has been fun and productive in the Lower Keys backcountry and west of Key West. We have good luck sight casting to them on sunny days and blind casting during cloudy days along channel edges. Large jack crevalle will swoop up on a flat in large schools or follow sting rays along the flats looking for any food that is stirred up. This is a great target for all abilities of fly fishing anglers because the fish do not spook as easily and offer a great fight. Winds have been strong but today the wind has tapered to 5-10 knots which is nearly perfect for permit fishing.

We still have a few days in late February and March available for permit and early tarpon fishing. These are some of the best months for big permit in the Lower Keys. We have seen a few even during the colder days but as the water warms and we move off the full moon tide the fishing should get better and better.

You can reach Captain Justin Rea at 305-744-0903 or email justin@flyfishingthekeys.com

January 5, 2007

Happy New Year from the Florida Keys!

Winter time fishing in the lower Keys and Key West can be very exciting. Plenty of species inhabit the flats including permit, tarpon, bonefish, sharks, barracuda, large jacks, ladyfish and sea trout.

Many of these species will stay on the flats throughout the winter months through any temperature change. Tarpon, bonefish and permit may vacate the flats at times because of an incoming cold front. Not to worry, they usually
pop back up on the flats just as soon as the day warms up.

Duncan Connolly, a junior angler from the Atlanta area, had a tremendous catch for his 13th birthday. Duncan landed 2 permit on live crabs, one 12- pounds and the other 20- pounds. In addition he landed a nice barracuda, a grouper
and several ladyfish which he hooked on a fly rod. Congrats to Duncan, it was a pleasure to fish with you and your Dad.

Yesterday I got out for a few hours of the tide change and had several good shots at permit. The wind was howling and it was tough to get the fly out to the fish. The one good point about permit fishing in the wind is we can get much closer to the fish without spooking him. There were several large bonefish and large jacks cruising the flat
as well. My angler landed a nice 15- pound jack on a crab pattern fly.

The weather during our winter is semi-unpredictable. Today is light wind and sunny but any front can bring in windy weather. Fortunatly there seems to always be a place to fish here in the backcountry flats around Sugarloaf Key.

We are booking for tarpon season and have available days in March, April, and July. Select days in May and June may be available - please inquire. Do not rule out the remainder of summer for the Grand Slam either, it's a great time to fish here with minimal pressure from other guides and light winds!

December 13, 2006

Key West weather has not be spectacular the last few days. High winds have plagued the area and our temperatures have dropped a bit making some of the flats species head for deeper water with more stable temperatures.

Winter fishing does have its advantages. It is a fun time of year to fish in shallow water. Some of the target species are giant barracuda, many species of sharks (some that even jump out of the water when hooked), large jacks up to 20 pounds, cobia, ladyfish, snook, redfish and sea trout. The possibilities are still endless for sight casting with light tackle or a fly.

If you are wanting to try light tackle fishing on the reef or offshore, please contact us for an honest recommendation of some of the best light tackle and sport fishing guides Key West has to offer.

If you have never fished on the flats consider our winter time to be a fun time for fishing. A flats skiff can take up to 2 anglers in comfort and everything is provided for fishing. Anglers who wish to fly fish, a barracuda is a great target species for your first fish on fly, so is the Crevalle jack. These species will give an angler several shots before spooking which helps with the hook up ratio. As always if you are coming to saltwater fly fish on the flats, practice your cast if possible. It only helps make your experience here in the Keys so much better.

We are now booking for 2007 Tarpon Season so if you are considering a trip for tarpon there are still dates available in March, April, June and July.

November 5, 2006

Key West fishing has had some trials this week with gusty winds from the North east making it difficult to get out on the water.

Fall and early winter fishing anglers should expect to still see larger permit on the flats through the month of November. Permit are not as touchy when it comes to fluctuation in the water temps, giving them more time up on the flats.

We've still been finding plenty of bonefish, and some nice large ones up to 10-pounds in the lower Keys. Bonefish will thin out on the flats as the water temps drop.

The greatest comeback is from the toothy barracuda. This fish spends plenty of time on the flats in the winter months. They can be found in many depths of water and along channel edges awaiting the next sign of a struggling fish to pounce on.

A green, pink or yellow tube lure works best when fishing with light tackle. It's an old reliable lure that can be retrieved slow or fast and is easy to cast long distances. Fly fisherman should not discount the barracuda, they are a tremendous fighting fish and even provide aerobatic jumps when hooked. A fly that looks like a long needlefish works good on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Some guides will also use flashy material only in chartreuse, yellow, blue or red. The head is made with epoxy and softex is used to bond the flash material near the hook shank to help avoid foul hooking.

Several other species join the flats community in the Lower Keys during the winter. They include the ever strong Crevalle jack, redfish and snook. Jacks often travel behind sting rays or larger sharks hoping for a morsel of food that gets stirred up from the bottom. Some jacks can be in the 12- to 15- pound range and provide a tremendous fight on a fly rod.

So if you need to get away this winter, think about coming to the Key West area and try your cast at some of our winter time fish.

October 20, 2006

Key West has been so fortunate to have great weather and increasingly good fishing both inshore and offshore.
Our flats fishing has been very good. There are plenty of nice schools of bonefish in both the backcountry of the Lower Keys and west of Key West in the Marquesas. My wife landed a nice 6- pound bonefish on fly this week. We also had the opportunity to wade for bonefish. Both of us had a few shots at cruising bonefish and I landed one about 5- pounds that was following behind a sting ray.

Permit fishing has been exceptional. The population of these fish comes and goes with each day but we always have some good shots at them, particularly if the visability is good and skies are clear. I personally like to fish for them with a fly rod but they will tend to charge a live crab any time it is put within sight range of the fish.

A fellow guide and his angler landed a 32- pound permit on fly just this week, so that goes to show there are some nice sized permit in the area.

Permit and bonefish will remain on the flats as long as the weather does not turn too nasty or get too cold. The permit certainly has a better threshhold for cooler water but the bonefish will soon head for deeper water where the temperatures do not fluctuate as much.

Winter fishing in the Keys is something to look forward to. The explosive take of a giant barracuda on a tube lure or on a fly is memorable. They are an easy target for anglers of all abilities. Jack Crevalle and sharks are also good targets in the winter months. They always offer a good target on fly for beginning anglers.

Looking to get away this winter - come to the Florida Keys!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Redbone S.L.A.M. Fishing - September 2006

Cooler weather in the Key West area was short lived. Things heated right back up to steamy mid-September and made fishing more difficult in the afternoon hours.

I had a few good days of pre-fishing with my angler Nicolas Pierce from North Carolina. He's a fun guy to fish with and we had some great fishing throughout the entire week.

Fishing tournaments certainly has its highs and lows and I have experienced all of this, sometimes in the same day. We had some fabulous early morning tarpon fishing. Baby tarpon are the best target this time of year early, early in the morning. They tend to hang in their 'regular' spots during the lower tides. High tide is like recess for baby tarpon - it allows them to roam and possibly find a new place to call home for the next tide change.

Gurglers work well in these baby tarpon holes. If you can find them layed up or rolling the chances of them pouncing on a gurgler fly is good. They will also eat the classic black and purple combo during the early morning or evening hours (if you can find them feeding).

Bonefish have been in the spotlight for this week and will remain a strong contender for flats fishing throughout the rest of September and into October and November. Tailing fish are prominant on a calm morning. Their fins break the glassy water and create an amazing disturbance on the surface of the water. With the skiff we can get so close to them, it's amazing.

Permit fishing has been tough but there were plenty of nice permit caught in this weekends tournament. Pierce and I hooked a permit on a crab fly during one of our days of fishing before the tournament, unfortunately he got away from us and broke off.

Pierce and I fished the Super Fly, a one day fly fishing event that is part of the Redbone series. We placed second with a nice catch of 3 tarpon and 3 bonefish. We did land one other tarpon but he was not regulation size for the tournament, he was just fine for fun fishing.

The SLAM was a little more difficult. Some of the best guides in the Keys fish this tournament and do very well. We were mainly fishing with a fly, leaving ourselves in contention for the Fly Division with only two other boats. When it comes to numbers in this tournament it is about getting the fish, and most anglers choose to use artificials or bait to achieve the goal of catching a slam, tarpon - bonefish and permit.

We tied for the Fly Division prize but lost to a tie-breaker of time, the other team had caught their fish much earlier in the day. Congrats to them!

Saturday, August 19, 2006
Late summer fishing - August 2006

I'm not going to mention the "H" word, we've been so lucky to have mild weather. By this time last year we'd cleaned up our yard twice and were prepping for another named storm.

It just started getting really hot this week and it's made fishing a bit tough after about 9AM. The fishing in August is hot too, but tolorating the heat can be a challenge.

Permit have been on again and off again around the Lower Keys. One day they are easy to find, the next day very difficult. We look for them tailing during the morning light and in deeper water or floating in channels throughout the day.

Bonefish have been plentiful on the backcountry flats from Key West to Big Pine. Still an early morning ordeal for tailing fish, and not much action after 2PM when it really gets hot. They readily take a fly, foxy clouser or something like it works well. In skinny water it's important to have a cast that lands soft.

Fall fly fishing in the Florida Keys can be some of the best tailing bonefish and permit conditions all year. It's a fun time of year because I get the chance to fish myself during the off hours of the day.

There have been plenty of tarpon of all sizes still available in the waters around Key West. I'm sure with this hotter weather they won't stick around for long.

Looking to get away this fall? Come down for some fall bonefish and permit fishing.

The outlook for fishing this summer is so much better than last year. By this time last year we had boarded up, evacuated, batten down the hatches, bought supplies, and tested our generator numerous times. There is something to be thankful for, and part of it has to do with the fishing.

I'm grateful for a very good season. It's winding down a bit and although the fishing has been really great, the schedule allows me to get out fishing on my own and explore some new territory.

This week has been especially great for permit fishing. Fly fishing for permit is already difficult and with our southeast winds clipping along at a cool 15 knots, it's not easy for the average fly angler to make precise casts all the time to tailing permit.

Although wind is somewhat of an enemy to a fly fishing angler, especially when it's blowing hard on his right shoulder (for a right handed angler), with permit fishing we almost welcome the wind. It gives the opportunity to sneak up on tailing permit and even is more forgiving when making a strong cast that leaves the fly landing hard in the water.

I tie a fly these days that is deadly for permit but is definately not a flat calm water fly. One the wind is clipping along at 10 knots or so, we're golden.

I had the pleasure of fishing with an angler from New York, George Polsky. I have to give congrats to both him and his brother for their first permit on fly. It's a great accomplishment and no doubt has got them hooked on permit fishing altogether.

As for August, the tropical outlook has a few more players in the field we call the Atlantic Basin, but as for fishing... the slam is still a definate possibility.

Key West has been fortunate this spring and had some of the best weather and fishing in a long time. Sure the fishing here is pretty consistant, but the weather is another story. This week the winds have been fairly calm and after what was Alberto rolled through (nothing much for us but some rain) we had some decent clearing weather and some good fishing.

I had one of the most memorable days of bonefishing this week with a regular client of mine. We managed to hook 17 bonefish and landed 13 of them at the boat. Not to mention a couple tarpon on the line that day as well and we had a pretty banner day. Unfortunatly it was a little to calm to get very close to a permit to try for the grand slam.

Now that is is mid-June, the pressure of so many guides diminishes as more than half of them head out West or up North for the summer months. I never thought fishing here year-round could be so much fun. The fish are less spooky and its easier to get into your "spot" without anyone else within eyes distance.

I can only hope that this tarpon season lasts well into August as it did last year. The first few weeks of August lended us a few nice tarpon in the 70- pound range. As the summer progresses tarpon will start to move out of the area while baby tarpon remain in their hiding places around the backcountry. Bonefishing is a must this time of year. It's so much fun to see schools of them glide across a sand flat.

Keep in mind that September and October are great for bonefish and permit here in the Lower Keys. It's a great time of year to be here (set aside the fact that it's hurricane season) and the fishing is very good.

My first experience with the Palolo Worm Hatch happened almost by accident a couple of years ago. I had some friends in town for a few days of fishing. We had fished the early morning rollers out in the Marquesas but mid-day it was time to go in and rest up for a night trip.

I had heard a prediction of this fabled worm hatch from Jeffrey Cardenas, who owned the Saltwater Angler in Key West at the time. He was one of the pioneers of saltwater fly fishing here in the Keys so his advice was certainly welcome in my book.

I knew what to look for, rolling fish feeding on the surface. But what we saw as we rounded the corner of Ft. Zachary Taylor was nothing short of amazing. Tarpon rolling as far as the eye could see. They were feeding on these Palolo worms.

The sun glistened on the backs of these fish for about two hours and as the sun went down the fish disappeared. Their show was over until the next night.

Palolo worms "hatch" from the hard coral rock bottom of the ocean side of the Keys. I don't know too much more about it except they travel at lightening speed on the surface and mainly all in one direction - towards the reef to spawn.

Tarpon eat these worms and appear almost lazy and drunk on the surface of the water. They become unafraid of motor activity or being lined by a flyline. They are fixated on the worms.

Last night we had another shot at the worm hatch at Bahia Honda bridge. It was also a spectacle of tarpon feeding and most memorable.

One we start getting into the fuller moon phases the worms will quit and tarpon fishing will get back to normal again.

Permit are coming back to the flats now too, there are more and more around while some are small fish - others tip the scales at 20- pounds.

No doubt that this tarpon season has already been a blast. The weather has been perfect for a ether part of April and this first part of May. Of course as I sit here writing there is a terrific downpour of much needed rain outside. Something we don't like to see as fisherman but this area has only has one half inch of rain up until last night for the year 2006.

We've spent many pleasurable days chasing large schools of tarpon this past week. We've jumped many, broke a few off and landed a couple of nice sized fish. For many of my anglers this time of year, they've done this all before. May tends to be booked nearly a year in advance because it's prime time for tarpon here in the Lower Keys. These guys all fish with a fly and handle my careful instructions about where the fish are and what their reaction is to the fly.

among the fly patterns in our arsenal this time of year, the Toad has always worked well and since the article in a recent issue of Fly Fishing in Saltwater I think the fish are going to be 'schooled' about the tasty Toad in that fabulous chartreuse and we'll have to move on to another pattern of fly to get these fish to bite.

Night fishing becomes a popular event off Key West and around the Bahia Honda Bridge too. Black flies, black death and purple and black are winners in this situation. A black fly against a dark sky to a fish looking up shows up so much better than you may think. Tarpon do feed more freely at night slurping shrimp off the surface of the water.

Another popular event in the Lower Keys is the Palolo worm hatch. These worms hatch out of hard coral rock each year and head to the reef, about 7 miles offshore, to spawn. The phenomenon happens often during the full or new moon of May and June, and often when there is a falling tide towards the evening. Conditions need to be pretty calm for the hatch to come off as expected.

A few days before a worm hatch is about to happen the tarpon will seem to disappear. They know what's about to go on and they don't want to miss it. The Palolo worm is a tasty treat for a tarpon and serves as an aphrodisiac and makes the tarpon appear to be almost 'drunk'.

Tarpon will feed on the surface for these Palolo Worms generally on the ocean side of the Keys. It's not uncommon to see a thousand tarpon rolling, almost as far as the eye can see.

Fishing during the worm hatch certainly can increase your chances of hooking up but it's not as easy as you may think to stick one of these fish. Palolo Worms travel quickly, on the surface, and in a straight line. One technique that does work well is to use the "striper strip" method. This entails casting as far as you can and then putting the reel under your arm and trip with both hands, pulling the fly line consistantly. Another method may be to use long consistant strips and as the fly nears the boat, sweep the fly as far as you can.

The Palolo Worm can be identified by it's similarities to an earth worm. It has a white tip and a red body. A fly that replicates this worm should have a greenish head tied from olive green dubbing with a thin rabbit strip of red.

April 30,2006

Fishing in Key West has been heating up this week. With the exception of a front that moved through the area over the last two days, shallow water fishing has remained consistant.

Tarpon can be found cruising the flats of the Lower Keys from the Marquesas all the way up the Florida Keys island chain. Clear water is the key when fly fishing to these fish so we've been traveling around the lower Keys for the most part this week, launching out of Sugarloaf Marina at MM 17.

We've hooked some big slobs this week that have given us a run for the money. In the end each angler has walked away with some fine memories of their fight with the 'Silver King' along with some sore arms.

Bonefishing has been really good this week too. With weather well into the 80s during the day it has made the weather just right for bonefish. We've been getting them on fly and on live shrimp in the shallows. Some of the fish I've landed this week for my anglers have been nearly 6 pounds.

Permit are pretty scarce on the flats this time of year since they move offshore to spawn but the few that we have come across on the flats have been eager to eat.

The wind is dying down today and hopefully the tarpon fishing will pick up again. Tarpon just tend not to like the north wind direction and it is not uncommon for them to retreat to deeper water.

I still have availble dates in July for some excellent flats fishing and a great chance for a Grand Slam! Consider September and October too for fabulous permit and bonefishing opportunties.

April 5, 2006

While the rest of the country is getting hammered by wicked weather, we've caught a nice break here in the Florida Keys. Sunny days and a slight breeze have made the flats come alive this week. Our weather gets warmer with each passing day, bringing it past the 80 degree mark today. To a tarpon, that's a sign to move onto the flats and look for food. Tarpon feed on crabs, shrimp, pinfish and mullet and will strike at anything that immitates that. Another tarpon behavior this time of year is eating shrimp off the surface especially in the evening hours. It's a sight to see and for fly fisherman, a gurgler shrimp pattern works pretty good. We've had just as much luck during the daylight hours with tarpon, jumping some nice fish in the 80- pound range. Permit fishing has been pretty good but should be thinning out on the flats this month. Permit spawn on the shallow wrecks and reefs around the lower Keys from April through May. Although the majority of larger permit head offshore, there are still a few spotted on the flats along with many smaller fish in the 5- to 10- pound range. My angler, Bryan Byerly of Littleton, CO, had a fabulous day of permit fishing last week just before the last cold front. He landed two permit on fly, one 21- pounds and the other 19- pounds. Congrats to Brian! Bryan fishes with me in the Del Brown Invitational Tournament and he'll be back in July to give those permit another go. Bonefishing has continued to be good in the lower Keys. Bonefish enjoy live shrimp and for fly fishing - they love the foxy clouser. There are certainly many other bonefish patterns that work during different times of the year, but a foxy clouser is universal. I expect our weather to stay consistantly warmer for a while now giving us a tremendous opportunity to enjoy some great Key West fishing. 

March 6, 2006

This week in Key West has been a productive one for me. I've had the pleasure of meeting many new anglers, some of which have never experienced the flats before. Since each trip is custom tailored to the client, we've had a lot of fun doing all types of fishing.

Fishing in the backcountry has been pretty productive for all types of fish. In fact, this past Friday I caught more sea trout, ladyfish and look downs than I'd ever even seen since I've been fishing here. It was a lot of fun for my anglers and for me too. We had some great luck just blind casting into mullet muds. There were a few large ones in the backcountry. The sea trout were on the larger size, ranging from 1- to 3- pounds. It provided lots of action to say the least.

Next day we got a little more serious with more traditional flats fishing. March is historically great for permit and there have been some large ones around lately. We ended up casting to quite a few permit with a live crab, and we landed one 17- pound fish on light tackle. Permit are probably my favorite fish. They fight hard and they are pretty sneaky on the flats. Always aware of any preditors in the shallows.

Tarpon have been rolling in the channels and deeper flats. I've mainly had permit anglers the past couple of days and I'm just holding out for some better tarpon fishing to come. The weather has been so cooperative that it is to be expected the tarpon will bite better than they have been. Today the winds are light and variable and the temperature should break 75. Tarpon really get active after the water temps break 71 but any degree above that makes them even more active.

The annual tarpon migration is usually in April, May and June. For those of you who are reading this, don't rule out July or early August if you are a serious fly rodder. July is a perfect time for a grand slam and the fish are certainly here. The mid-day might get a little steamy but it's all worth it when you return to the dock with a story to tell.

February 28th, 2006

Recent warming weather has left us with nothing but beautiful sunny days and clear skies. This is why I live and work in the Florida Keys and I really do love it. Following our previous cold front the waters have warmed over 10 degrees on the flats making the fishing come alive.

In the past week I have fished solid each day with many opportunities at permit fishing, some that we think even tipped the fly but the angler stripped to fast and the fish spooked. All in all, it's still a wonderful sight to see. Permit are probably my favorite fish. I've got quite a few in the past 5 years fishing here and I constantly tie new crab pattern flies to try and mimic the food of the day for these elusive permit. They are spooky creatures but if you can get a cast to one and put it right in front of his nose, most days he will eat the fly or live crab and your on!

Barracuda were a great catch this week on fly. There were so many of them out sunning themselves on the shallow flats. We landed quite a few barracuda each day of my last 3-day charter.

The buzz around town is certainly how many and where the tarpon are at. I've heard reports of a couple sightings out west of Key West, and a few caught at night while night tarpon fishing. I think they are going to push in today or tomorrow and hopefully our next cool front will not scare them away.

February 9, 2006

Watching the temperature drop in Key West is nothing we ever really want to see. I moved here for the year round fishing ability and lately the temperatures are dipping so low that I am getting flash backs to winter in New England. The good news is that skies are clear and it's perfect visability for flats fishing.

The past couple days we've gone through a dramatic change in our fishing and weather. Last Friday I was fighting the largest tarpon I've ever hooked and it was the first one of the season! It presented a great fight and barely jumped from the water because he was so large. I hooked him in pretty shallow water and notoriously the area we were fishing was very difficult to get close to tarpon because they get so skiddish in shallow water.

Saturday afternoon we got slammed with an impressive line of storms and then the cool weather settled in. The first couple days were calm and beautiful and yesterday the wind picked up quite a bit. Despite everything the barracuda fishing has been excellent. Folks that don't know this toothy creature intimately... they are a great gamefish and on the flats they put on almost as good a show as tarpon do when they jump.

Barracuda are ravenous and during the winter months they are just itching to eat just about anything you put in front of them. My anglers the past 3 days have had some great luck with barracuda on fly. It's one of the largest fish on the flats this time of year and they were on every flat we poled. In the mix this time of year are plenty of jacks, sharks and even cobia. Cobia come onto the flats in January and February.

February and March also mark some great days for permit fishing. If you are a permit fool like I am, I've got a few days open in February and early March. The winds can be a little tough so if you need to practice your double haul, do so. March is one of the best times for permit because they are 'stocking up' by eating a lot before their yearly spawn on the deeper wrecks and reefs around the Lower Keys.

305-744-0903
Email Capt. Justin

February 1, 2006

We spent last weekend at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ. Not doing a trade show ever in my life left me kind of wondering what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see many familiar faces from our small close-knit fly fishing community. The last show I attended was in 2003 so we were due to show our faces and tell some great fish stories. I met a lot of very nice people from the tri-state area and some of the best guides on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. If you happen to be an avid fly fishing enthusiast, I suggest a visit to this show someplace in the country. You can learn more about the industry, places to go fly fishing and try out some of the newest in fly rod and reel technology.

I came back to Key West late on a Monday night and the next two days would be very challenging. I was priveledged to be part of a television production this week that will air in April as far as I've been told. It was a different kind of television show that put the "best of the best" fishing celebrities from Florida up against each other. One of them fished with me on the flats for two days. Day one we missed a couple nice fish, but that is to be expected. The second day we had a banner day and even landed a bonefish which put us in the money spot for advancing to the next day. Besides a bonefish we also had some very large sharks to the boat, great barracuda, jacks and some shots at permit. It was a new experience for me, TV land is much different than real life. We fished hard and if you tune in to the Outdoor Live Network sometime in April you can view the "Ultimate Playground" and maybe see some footage of me fishing.

Yesterday was a landmark day for me. My first tarpon of the season and he was a whopper! 140lbs. and fighting hard. I think I know why they have the term "Tarpon Belly," because my entire stomach is red from the butt of the rod lodged in it for the fight. For a guide who doesn't get to fish much, this put me in a very good mood for the entire season. The tarpon are around and I just hope after this next front blows through that they will still be making the rounds on the flats. It would be great to have an early run of them.

January 2, 2006

Probably my favorite time of the year to be offshore fly fishing is December and January here in the Keys. We've had some great weather this Christmas week. It's been a bit brisk outside (68 degrees) but the fish are biting and the winds are calm. I got wind of some good news from a few local captains that the tuna were biting real good and I headed offshore yesterday with a good friend of mine, Captain Edward Michaels.

It didn't take long to find live pilchards and we headed offshore to join the rest of the fleet already chasing a large ball of bait. This sight was difficult to miss with a flock of birds overhead and the sea exploding just below them. We hit it on a day where it was a mix of tunas and false albacore. We both had many strikes and a lot of great hook ups on a fly rod. One of the false albacore that Captain Edward landed tipped the scale at 17lbs.

It was a great fighting fish to say the least. We ended the day with two nice blackfin tuna, one weighing in at 24 pounds! I hope this trend of fishing continues offshore for at least a few more days until the next front blows through. It's been fabulous weather and great fishing. 

For fly rodders this area of the Keys gives so many opportunities to fish for so many different species. I feel fortunate to have these fishing grounds as my home. For those looking to get away in the coming months here's an outlook for what to expect:

January: Tuna, bonito (false albacore), wahoo, sailfish, amberjack and cobia are the best targets for someone wishing to hook something offshore on a fly. Other bottom dwelling fish include snapper and grouper and are best taken on light tackle spin gear. The flats offer great chances for barracuda, sharks, jack crevalle and permit. There have been some snook around to but the lower Keys don't hold them in large numbers like the Everglades and Upper Keys do.

February: Kingfish, tuna, bonito, sailfish cobia offshore. Inshore and flats will be hot for barracuda, sharks, jacks, cobia, permit and possibly some tarpon. Fishing deeper flats and the edges of channels for Tarpon is a favorite of mine this time of year. The weather has to be right for the Tarpon to show up but when they do it's a welcome addition to the flats fishing menu.

March: Excellent permit fishing on the flats. This month is historically when permit feed the heaviest in preparation for their hiatus offshore to spawn in April and May. The Del Brown Invitational Tournament used to be held in March but it moved to July and a new tournament will have its debut this March in the Lower Keys: The March Merkin. Offshore fishing will continue to produce kingfish, cobia, sailfish, mahi mahi for fly rod interests. Some Tarpon may move into the harbor as well but this type of fishing is more likely to be a light tackle spin fishing experience. Happy Holidays to All and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!

December 17, 2005

The holidays are in full swing here in the Keys. The recovery from Hurricane Wilma has been phenominal. Many businesses scurried after the storm to clean up and get back to business for the busy season to come. We've had some cooler temperatures here lately. And for all you folks shivering in the north someplace, cooler to us means below 80 degrees. The temperatures have touched low 70s in the evening and kept the days mild with mostly clear skies. I don't mean to rub it in but the weather has been perfect for whatever activity. Fishing started out slow a couple weeks into December but since then it's really heated up. A tough decision for me is whether to go offshore and try for tuna on a fly or fish the flats for the toothy barracuda and the elusive permit. For fly rodders this area of the Keys gives so many opportunities to fish for so many different species. I feel fortunate to have these fishing grounds as my home. For those looking to get away in the coming months here's an outlook for what to expect: January: Tuna, bonito (false albacore), wahoo, sailfish, amberjack and cobia are the best targets for someone wishing to hook something offshore on a fly. Other bottom dwelling fish include snapper and grouper and are best taken on light tackle spin gear. The flats offer great chances for barracuda, sharks, jack crevalle and permit. There have been some snook around to but the lower Keys don't hold them in large numbers like the Everglades and Upper Keys do. February: Kingfish, tuna, bonito, sailfish cobia offshore. Inshore and flats will be hot for barracuda, sharks, jacks, cobia, permit and possibly some tarpon. Fishing deeper flats and the edges of channels for Tarpon is a favorite of mine this time of year. The weather has to be right for the Tarpon to show up but when they do it's a welcome addition to the flats fishing menu. March: Excellent permit fishing on the flats. This month is historically when permit feed the heaviest in preparation for their hiatus offshore to spawn in April and May. The Del Brown Invitational Tournament used to be held in March but it moved to July and a new tournament will have its debut this March in the Lower Keys: The March Merkin. Offshore fishing will continue to produce kingfish, cobia, sailfish, mahi mahi for fly rod interests. Some Tarpon may move into the harbor as well but this type of fishing is more likely to be a light tackle spin fishing experience. Happy Holidays to All and best wishes for a prosperous New Year! 

November 27

Flying into Key West on Friday evening was spectacular. The wind was calm and skies were clear and the view of the Marquesas from the air was as picture perfect as it gets. No doubt about it, I love where I live. Hurricanes and all. That sunset and the view of the islands nestled in the glass calm of the Gulf of Mexico makes you get goosebumps and you can only hope when you get on the ground and head out fishing that your expectations are met. My trip to South Dakota was rewarding. I have not been hunting in years and it was not only some fabulous pheasant hunting but a great time with some close friends. The thrill of the hunt is still there and somehow you can walk away with a whole new experience under your belt. It includes sharing the simple pleasure of meeting some great folks from another part of the country and mulling over a few cocktails and a friendly game of cards. It was a welcome break from cleaning up the yard after Wilma roared through just a month ago. Back to the fishing... While we were away I guess bait was a little easier to find and the offshore fishing for tuna had turned on a bit. I decided to get out there and see what the deep sea had to offer. The bad news was the wind has shifted and bait was scarce. Fishing was not the problem, it was the high seas and the no live bait factor. After all, we had our eyes set on tuna on a fly rod. This time of year it's just heating up for tuna fishing but there is always a hope for a few early on to feed that sashimi hunger we get here in the Keys. There is nothing in the world like fresh seared tuna! For those of you coming to the Keys for the holidays, you are still in luck as the cold front will pass and tuna fishing will more than likely be on fire here in a few weeks and through the new year. On the flats it's been a little tough with the cooler temperature waters. This time of year is really great for action on barracuda, sharks, jacks, grouper and snapper. There are permit around too and when we do find them they have been large in size and pretty hungry. The larger jacks are the best bet for beginner and intermediate fly fishing enthusiasts who want to feel the challenge of saltwater fishing. The temps are supposed to drop the end of the week, just in time for Fantasy Fest. The week long celebration has been condensed to a few days with the parade happening on December 10th. For those of you thinking of the promise of Spring and tarpon season... get your plans in order and book your trip early. Tarpon push in as early as late February and they are around and active until August and into September.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Giving thanks for good fishing

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I don't even have to look at the calendar to tell that the fishing is heating up here in the Keys. I know that may sound like a "one liner" to some but fall is so productive here in the Keys both in the shallows and offshore.

This past week I've had the opportunity to do both types of fishing with great success. Inshore and flats have been active with permit being the main stay, followed closely by barracudas, jack crevalle and even the elusive bonefish still makes his way onto the flats in November. We've had the shots with the flyrod for permit but they eventually ate the live crab with no problem at all. Since the winds have made casting a bit more difficult, I always offer even my fly anglers the chance to hook a fish on bait if they want to. A few bonefish got our fly stuck in their mouth too. I was glad to see so many fish out on the flats after Wilma ripped through here. The fishing seems to bounce back quicker than anything.

Yesterday I took a good client of mine offshore. He's fished the flats many times and we've had some great experiences tangling with tarpon in recent years. We had a tough time finding bait. It cut our tuna fishing short of what could have been but we managed to muster up one tuna on a life bait and he caught a rainbow runner on a fly. This fish was pretty big for the species and fought real hard. I wish we could have stayed out there longer but it was pretty rough and bait was certainly an issue.

Oct 26

My last entry makes things look very promising as if Hurricane Wilma was going to breeze by without really giving us a run for our money. For those of you who have seen previews for "The Weather Man" starring Nicolas Cage, I now understand why people were throwing shakes and softdrinks at him. I rely on the Weather Channel everyday and the storm report was far worse than what was predicted. What they did tell you on the national news was the wind speed recording at Summerland Key at 122 mph, but they didn't tell you that Key West was 60% under a few feet of water on October 24, 2005.I had battled trying to fix a hole in my roof at 4am so just having a little bit of sleep before sunrise was a welcomed thing. The winds were starting to die down and the intervals between gusts were getting further and further apart. I stepped outside to get some fresh air and take a look around off the deck and I was shocked at the scenery. Flood waters covered everything, at least 2 ft and rising so fast that any bug, frog, and critter was scurrying for any piece of refuge from the flood. We were flooding fast and I had finally witnessed a storm surge. At the peak of the flooding the waters reached the top of our chain linked fence. I estimate it to be close to 4ft. I can only be thankful I live in a stilt home and my boats and belongings were mostly up high on shelves.My brother who lives in Upper Sugarloaf Key was not as fortunate. His ground level duplex home was flooded entirely with 2 ft. of contaminated saltwater.The upside to all of this is we live in a wonderful place. The kindness of even the most distant stranger to lend a helping hand with things is unbelieveable. Many of our close friends have come to the rescue of many that were unfortunate in the flood. They should be blessed with sainthood for their actions. The water is starting to clear up quite nicely here. Wilma rearranged the backcountry flats a bit in her passing. Channels are narrower, beaches have moved or been eliminated on some remote islands of the lower Keys backcountry. Bottom line is that the fish are hungry and we will survive and keep fishing and feeling glad we were spared the total devestation of a hurricane. 

October 1, 2005

The skies are clear today and no tropical storm formation is expected through Tuesday so I'm glad to report that it may be a good day to go try some permit and bonefishing. Things are slow for us this time of year since kids go back to school between August and September, there are not a lot of people in town until Fantasy Fest in late October.

We had our few fishing tournaments in early September but now it starts to settle in... do I go fishing and find some new spots or clean up from the last hurricane that roared by us.

A few days ago I got out for some evening fishing on the flats just in back of Sugarloaf. It was a beautiful afternoon with a stiff breeze out of the south east. We headed out to a small flat that exited into a deeper channel and immediately saw a few nice bonefish cruising up onto the flat. The water was not deep enough yet to give them space to roam so they were pushing water with their tails and backs completely out of the water. It was amazing to see. We managed to scare that group away with our approach in the skiff. I pulled the skiff up onto the flat and got out to wade. I managed to make a cast at one cruising bonefish and he ate the fly immediatly. The race was on! With not much water to work with and a deeper channel on both sides of me, I followed him on foot reeling and tightening the drag as I walked. He turned towards me as he got to the deeper water and ran again over the flat. I imagine his fear of being bit by a shark because I was probably thinking the same thing about my toes. I finally got a hold of the leader and landed the bonefish. Although I didn't have my boga grip I can estimate him to be a modest 7-8lb fish.

We are now well into our Fall season here in the Keys and big tides give us great wading possibilities in the backcountry off Sugarloaf Key. I particularly love this time of year for evening fishing for tailing permit and bonefish and will head out there when I can after a days charter to get some fishing in for myself. Bonefish patterns that work great here in the Lower Florida Keys include the clouser minnow, Foxy Clouser and any smaller shrimp pattern. I can tell you to tie a few different sizes of each fly with different weight barbell eyes. Many of these fish are in very skinny water so the lighter fly and presentation is essential. For permit, and also for bonefish, a merkin pattern is the best for presentation and realistic movement in the water of a crab fleeing.

If you hit it right, a crab hatch can be an amazing site and a tremendous opportunity to hook a permit on a fly. As Fall turns to winter the winds will tend to increase here in the Florida Keys. Permit will hang around throughout the winter months and the barracudas, jack crevalle and sharks will move in to replace tarpon and bonefish on the flats. Both tarpon and bonefish are temperature sensative and will vacate the flats if the water temperature drops too much.

I fish a lot offshore for tuna, bonito (false albacore) and wahoo in the winter months on our larger boat. It's a great opportunity to hook a 20 - 30lb tuna on a fly rod as well as bonito and possibly wahoo. We carry both fly tackle and conventional tackle for those who just want to feel the burn of a screaming reel on a blackfin tuna.

September 22, 2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Rita in the Florida Keys we will have a waiting period for the flats fishing to get back underway. We were spared some of the damage to our homes but the waters around the Florida Keys certainly took a beating getting churned up by high seas, strong tides and high winds from this hurricane. Fish react with great instinct before and after a tropical cyclone effects their area. They have a tremendous sense of weather conditions and tend to gorge on whatever is in front of them. I have fished before and after hurricanes before and had great luck on the flats prior to a hurricane. The waters are still clear and the sky tends to be perfect giving us perfect light on our quarry. Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. We don't usually get effected until August or September but this year was an exception with Hurricane Dennis skirting by in July. Despite these systems effecting our fishing, the waters do clear up pretty quickly and fishing gets back to normal in a week or so. During the summer months we find tarpon, bonefish and permit to be excellent species to fish for on the flats with a fly rod. Reason? Winds are generally light and for the beginner and intermediate fly angler this gives them a greater chance to hook and land fish on a fly rod. We are now well into our Fall season here in the Keys and big tides give us great wading possibilities in the backcountry off Sugarloaf Key. I particularly love this time of year for evening fishing for tailing permit and bonefish and will head out there when I can after a days charter to get some fishing in for myself. Bonefish patterns that work great here in the Lower Florida Keys include the clouser minnow, Foxy Clouser and any smaller shrimp pattern. I can tell you to tie a few different sizes of each fly with different weight barbell eyes. Many of these fish are in very skinny water so the lighter fly and presentation is essential. For permit, and also for bonefish, a merkin pattern is the best for presentation and realistic movement in the water of a crab fleeing. The summer months provide us with a unique opportunity to fish a 'crab hatch' that happens. These tiny blue crabs cling to floating sea grass and other debris and follow the tides inflow and outflow. Permit see this opportunity to feed on a bunch of crabs by waiting in the side channels and outflow areas similar to trout, and just pick the crabs from the surface. For these conditions we need a fly that floats or just suspends below the surface film of the water. If you hit it right, a crab hatch can be an amazing site and a tremendous opportunity to hook a permit on a fly. As Fall turns to winter the winds will tend to increase here in the Florida Keys. Permit will hang around throughout the winter months and the barracudas, jack crevalle and sharks will move in to replace tarpon and bonefish on the flats. Both tarpon and bonefish are temperature sensative and will vacate the flats if the water temperature drops too much. I fish a lot offshore for tuna, bonito (false albacore) and wahoo in the winter months on our larger boat. It's a great opportunity to hook a 20 - 30lb tuna on a fly rod as well as bonito and possibly wahoo. We carry both fly tackle and conventional tackle for those who just want to feel the burn of a screaming reel on a blackfin tuna.

Mercury Redbone S.L.A.M.

This weekend was the Mercury Redbone S.L.A.M tournament in Key West. Last year the tournament was moved because of some ominous hurricane headed our way... I forget his or her name but I think we left town once again. Anyway, I didn't get the chance to fish the tournament because my angler couldn't make it on the rescheduled days. I made up for it this year and had some great guys in my boat who were great fishing partners and just plain fun to be around.

The first day I traveled far for a few shots at bonefish and after prefishing a few days before I knew it would be a tougher tournament due to some dirty water almost everywhere I traveled. We ended up with one bonefish the first day on fly and saw several other large bones. The second day was perfectly calm and clear and the water had cleared up a bit too. We hit the tarpon holes early and jumped quite a few and landed one on fly. The tarpon fishing was so good that it was almost difficult to leave the spot and move on to the other species and try to complete the slam.

We ended up landing a permit on a live crab and hooking another permit that got away. It was certainly a day for the record for me. We walked away as the Fly Division Champs!

The Redbone is a great organization that puts on these tournaments in hope to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. You can find out more about the organization and their tournament series at http://www.redbone.org.

Friday, September 02, 2005
Fall Fishing in the Lower Keys

For those who can find the time to get away this fall, the fishing for bonefish and permit in September and October is excellent. Each year we get some perfect tides in early morning and early evening for tailing fish and often we can get out and wade fish for them.I have just returned from a trek to the Riverkeep Lodge in Labrador. It was certainly an experience of a lifetime and it was wonderful to spend time with my Dad on this trip. My fathers generosity not only extends to me but to the clergyman of his local church. Needless to say it was a very enjoyable week out in the wilderness. Riverkeep is set on and island in Labrador and offers untouched fishing for large brook trout, northern pike and landlock salmon. Throughout the week our guides not only make the camp comfortable for us but also cooked meals, told great stories and showed us some of the best fresh water fishing available.Now I'm back in the Florida Keys in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This powerful storm spared us for the most part just leaving us with trees down and without power for a couple of days. For those in New Orleans, my heart and prayers go out to you.

August 14, 2005

Fishy Creatures

I've had the pleasure of fishing with a long time friend of mine for the past two weeks. He is one of the fishiest people I know and he is a great fly fisherman. He's spent the better part of his fishing career in the west fishing for trout on mountain springs and some of the best known rivers in Montana. He started coming down here to fish with me a few years ago and has made it a tradition ever since.

We had the luck of getting another friend from south Lake Tahoe to come out donning his high tech filming gear complete with microphones and underwater camera. Mikey Weir is a guide and works in South Lake Tahoe. He also produces videos from all over the world for trout fishing. Most of the filmed experiences are his own and this will be his first saltwater fly fishing video when it gets produced. You can visit his website at http://www.fisheyevideos.com.

He has a knack for the video and an eye for making each angle and each strike count. I think over a weeks time we got some sick eats on tarpon, a great take from a tailing permit and some wading bonefish shots on some of the prettiest flats in the lower Florida Keys.

Yesterday we headed out for a morning run for some tarpon. Seeing fellow guide Simon Becker at the boat ramp and knowing he was up early to do the same thing we were. He mentioned as we were driving away, "Catch a big one.... or I guess I mean catch a little one...". This time of year the tarpon range from 60lbs. right down to 10lb. baby tarpon that hide in very coveted holes around the mangrove islands of the Florida Keys.

We headed to one of my favorite spots that I had not been to all season. It's really just a place you take friends to fish and I always explain to them how fragile the baby tarpon holes are and that we only come disrupt them once in a while so they don't leave.

We ended up jumping a few tarpon and just getting a good look at a great little tarpon hole. Mikey got some good footage and he even got in there and jumped a nice size tarpon a few times.

I'm headed to Labrador to fish with my Dad this next week. I'm looking forward to some mellow trout fishing and getting some time in with my Dad.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Tarpon and the Worm Hatch

The Palolo worm hatch here in the Keys is a semi-predictable event. If you are out there on the water every day like I am you will know when it is getting ready to happen. It takes a full or new moon, a late outgoing tide, and some daytime tarpon action that just doesn't make sense. The tarpon must have an alarm clock that goes off that sends them like zombies to the oceanside flats to wait for these worms. Most often they don't want anything else to do with your bait or your fly unless it possibly resembles a worm.

Classic worm patterns used to be easily accessible at many of the local fly shops around the area. Borski's Worm was the best pattern that was manufactured and unfortunately I have not been able to get any for a few years now. I've got a few different patterns with a sparse marabou tail and a greyish dubbed body and blue thread for the head of the fly. Tie a lot of them, they are quick and easy. Most worm hatches only last a short time so we have more fun jumping these fish, breaking them off and then tying on a new fly and leader.

We are coming off the new moon now by a few days and possibly tonight may be the last night of worm hatch fishing for this season. Many of the spots to find these worm hatches are on the South side of the Florida Keys. From Man Key to Fort Zachary all the way up to the 7 Mile Bridge in Marathon, it happens at one point or another. If you plan to try and fish a worm hatch check your tide and moon charts carefully and book your guide way in advance for next year.

posted by stingreacharters @ 9:48 AM

Friday, June 03, 2005

Smitty & Al's Tarpon Bonanza

For many years a certain group of good friends visit Key West during the first weekend in June to participate in their own private tournament, the Smitty & Al's Tarpon Bonanza. I have had the pleasure of fishing this tournament for two years now and it's probably the most fun you can have while fishing a tournament anywhere.

These guys come down here to get together and enjoy Key West and all it has to offer and fortunately they've come down during a great tarpon season.

The past two days have been overcast and yesterday it rained for the better part of the day. At some points the rain was dumping down and does not make for a very good fishing day. We gave it a good shot, heading off to a spot I wanted to check out and pre fish before the tournament anyway. Tomorrow is the start of the competition and I have a feeling the sight fishing will be minimal due to the clouds so we need to come up with another tactic to get a tarpon to the boat.

That is the only rule that is a must for this tournament, a tarpon must be landed or no other fish you have caught counts.

In the end there are awards and great cheers to these guys for coming up with a fun way to get all your buddies together in one spot for a few days.

posted by stingreacharters @ 9:31 AM

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Fly Fishing for Tarpon

I have to say this is one of my favorite times of the year. Tarpon season is grueling and we are not only on the cusp of summer, it just dawned on a new day and whala! it was summer! Hot, hot, hot and sweaty. But with the summer heat comes the glory of flat calm days, rolling tarpon and the best action for fly fishing you can ever imagine.

This week I had the pleasure of fishing with a gentleman from New York. He and I had a lot of fun and I saw some very large fish gulp his fly. We had a couple super great days of fishing with one day racked up at 14 tarpon hookups and 5 fish landed. We had some other great days under our belt too but that was the best.

If you have ever heard anyone talk of a "guppy hatch" in the Keys, I believe that is what we witnessed. It seems as though thousands of small baitfish come off the flat and seem to have a lack of oxygen from the water that they are dying and foundering everywhere. The tarpon stay in deeper water just off the edge of the shallow flat and gulp these baitfish by the mouthfuls. We had the right color fly on to replicate a small baitfish and the tarpon just loved it.

posted by stingreacharters @ 9:26 AM

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Trying to reason with Tarpon Season

Well I finally got a day off in the midst of all this tarpon hoorah. It's a good season to be here... winds are fairly light, and the clouds are not getting in the way too much of seening giant pods of tarpon.

These tarpon can be found anywhere from the Marquesas through the Florida Keys and all the way up the coast of Florida. They are migrating and they are eating. The name of the game now is tie the right fly to tantelize them and make them turn and eat it. I have personally ended up at the vise almost every night tying something new and slightly different to entice these prehistoric creatures to eat.

So many anglers visit the Keys during tarpon season with the quest to land one of these giant fish. Some are small, maybe 20 lbs. and they can get as large at 200lbs. Many anglers forget that we can't just catch these creatures, we have to hunt and get the fish to eat. Particularly in fly fishing, the best advice to any one coming to the Keys to fly fish for tarpon is to practice. When you think you have the double haul down and you can punch it out there fifty feet in front of a fish, practice some more. It all changes when you are casting at a moving target and the wind is not in your favor and the boat is moving and... well you get the idea. Believe it or not, your guide really, really wants to catch fish too! I am a fisherman because I love it and I love to see my anglers year after year come back striving to do better at fly fishing.

So my day off is filled with tying flies, fixing anything on the boat that needs fixing, and holding down the couch.

posted by stingreacharters @ 11:00 AM

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

May Tarpon / Palolo Worm Hatch

Key West Updated Fishing Report:
May 18, 2005
Tarpon Season 2005 Fishing this spring has been pretty great and compared to last season. Although tarpon have been not as strong as recent years for May, it's been good and fly fishing for them is a great way to get them to eat when they are not feeding like crazy.
Tarpon can be found migrating from the Marquesas Keys all the way up the Florida Keys island chain. Typically the migrating fish travel along the oceanside flats but there will be layed up tarpon just about everywhere in the backcountry. Tarpon will hang around and move through the Keys for another month or so and then the rest will hang around in the shallower flats and channels throughout the summer.
Bonefishing and Permit fishing are still great. Lately my anglers have wanted to concintrate on tarpon fishing while they are here. I've seen permit on deeper flats while tarpon fishing this season but the majority of them are still offshore spawning for a few more weeks. The population on the flats has been stronger than I've seen in recent years.
The Palolo Worm Hatch is something tarpon anglers and guides look forward to during the Full or New Moon phases in May and June. This Atlantic Palolo Worm Hatch is one of the unexplained rituals in saltwater fishing and until you see it with your own eyes, you will not understand.
The Palolo Worm hatches from hard coral rock that mainly covers the bottom of the Atlantic side of the Keys. These tiny worms look like a red and white earth worm. They hatch and head for the surface of the water. The neatest thing is that they all travel in the same direction, towards the reef located offshore. Meanwhile the tarpon gather together and eat these worms. It seems to have an intoxicating effect on the tarpon and the only time I really hit a hard worm hatch, I could see tarpon rolling as far as I could see.
I'm sure there are more scientific articles about this worm hatch. I kept one in a glass of saltwater for two days. It just kept swimming in circles and eventually it's red color faded. I have done some research on this ritual and the tarpon fishing that follows, but not many articles are written on it.
If you are fishing the flats this year in May or June and happen to stay out for the sunset, take a look off the beach and maybe you will see some tarpon shining in the water munching on worms.
September & October are spectacular for bonefish and permit. If you can't make it down here in the summer, try our fall fishing. The winds are light and despite our hurricane season the weather is pretty nice.
Warm Regards from the Florida Keys Capt Justin

posted by stingreacharters @ 9:16 AM

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Fly fishing for Tarpon - May 2005

Tarpon fishing is the name of the game from now through June as the migration continues. It's a touchy time of year as there are so many guides competing for space on a flat with migrating tarpon. They mostly come across the ocean flats this time of year and the days of poling deeper flats in search of the silver king are far from over.

I got my anglers up early yesterday and headed out to the Marquesas. The wind and tide were with us on our 8 mile crossing of Boca Grande channel. It was still dark when we got there and it seemed as though I was the first boat out there at long last. We casted to rolling tarpon as the sun was coming up. Third cast and my angler was hooked up. Hooray! We fed a lot of fish early and then the wind was starting to howl. Tarpon fishing has been spotty this year. Great days and then okay days, the fish are here they are just being ultra picky. It brings be back to the vise every day to tie something new for them to look at.

We worked our way back from the Marquesas through the ocean side flats and into the backcountry before finding some giant tarpon that would eat. My angler casted out and had one giant fish follow the fly, eat it and spit it out all in one continuous motion. He just stood there in awe, not setting the hook. Ah well, tomorrow is another day...

posted by stingreacharters @ 10:00 AM

Monday, May 02, 2005

Tarpon fishing in the Marquesas Keys

Tarpon season is getting to be in full swing. The weather yesterday around Key West was a little bleak with a front bearing down on us and overcast skies. Still I decided our best shot at tarpon on fly was in the Marquesas. The Marquesas atoll is 22 miles from Key West harbor and can be the best place to fish for migrating and layed up tarpon during the season. It's a long ride and the 8 mile stretch of Boca Grande Channel is no party when the wind and the tide are not agreeing. Most guides have at least one horror story from the crossing but when you get there you will see it is all worth it.

Don't get me wrong though, the Marquesas is a great place to fish but so are the lakes, backcountry and oceanside flats of the Lower Keys. The Marquesas is very fragile and for it to be there to fish for years to come we need to be careful with the fishery now.

Lately there have been many articles written about the Keys and the Marquesas. Many can provide a mothership to spend a few days out there fishing in comfort. There is also great reef and wreck fishing a short trip away. It is no doubt a magical place and if you fish and if you fly fish, be sure to visit.

My angler ended up jumping 12 fish on fly yesterday and landed 3. It was a pretty good day of fly fishing if you ask me.

April 17, 2005

For those of you who are just dying to get down here and hook a tarpon, this is definately been a great season so far for doing so. We've had some great shots on layed up tarpon on the deeper flats and I imagine that the migration along the ocean side flats will get underway this week.

April has to be the best month of the spring to fish for all the regular flats species. Last week my anglers from Pennsylvania and California landed two nice permit, one that was 27lbs. We jumped several nice tarpon each day and spents some early mornings fishing top water lures for them as they rolled in a nearby basin off Sugarloaf Key.

The winds are a bit higher as we have a front moving through but it's been a spectaular spring fishing season. Bonefish are making their way onto the flats again. They can be found mostly in the backcountry flats from Key West all the way to Biscayne Bay. Occasionally we see them further West of Key West but they are smaller and fewer of them.

The next best thing to fishing in spring is to get down here in the summer. If you are willing to stand a little heat, the fishing is great and the pressure of so many guides is gone as a lot of them only fish the season and then head out west. Tarpon, bonefish, permit, sharks and barracuda are here and they eat. It's also a great time for fly fishing which is why I love it so much. I get the chance to go fishing myself and learn some new water and discover some new fishing areas I only go to once in a while.

March 16, 2005

Continued from page 1 The Del Brown Permit Tournament was tough this year. Sixteen boats and some of the best permit anglers in the world and the coldest weather possible doesn't make for a very productive tournament. It seems we were playing the same song as last year with blustery winds, rain and this year a record cold morning of 55 degrees. If there is anything that will turn a fish off its the temperature. The best outcome of the tournament this year was a 2 fish victory by Andy Mill and Dustin Huff, congrats to them! There was a motion made at the awards ceremony to try moving the tournament to July for better weather and a more competative tournament. Although many of our guides go to the western rivers during the summer, I think moving the tournament may be a good thing for us and for the permit fishing. Something a lot of you don't know but is a proven fact is that the flats are alive and teeming with fish in July, August, and September. It's hot here but fishing the morning early and fishing late into the sunset hours is some of the best fishing, particularly fly fishing I've ever experienced.

Back to what is going on now...
Fishing after Del Brown, in fact the day my angler left, was beautiful. It was warm and the fish were feeding hard after that cold snap. Barracuda on a fly is still some of the best fun I've had in a while and a long needlefish pattern and a long smooth strip will certainly entice them to eat a fly. I've hooked several that have come at the fly so hot that they've run all the way up my wire leader and chomped me off at the tippett. Right now though, the fishing is getting good all over. I spend a great day on the flats west of Key West fishing the edges of channels and got some great eats from barracuda and a few shots at permit. One even tailed on my fly but I came up empty. Shallow water wrecks around the Marquesas and Lakes have some nice pompano on them and a variety of other great fighting fish including the Crevalle Jack. Those of you who are visiting and are not too used to flyrodding, the Jack is a perfect species to practice on and they will eat and not spook as easily if they are following a sting ray or a larger shark. It's a lot of fun and will get you casting and getting your accuracy down too. These jacks are no small fish either, we landed a few the other day close to 20lbs.

Tarpon fishing is probably what you all want to know about since the season is here for them. They are here and each warm day the fishing gets better and better. Early morning rolling fish are the best target this time of year and they will chow a fly if you present it right in front of their nose. Night fishing for tarpon has been very productive too with some guys getting them on live bait, plug and on fly too. I imagine this tarpon season to be a pretty good one seeing fish in February and March is always promising.

Key West flats fishing report - February 18, 2005

Permit fishing has been a bit tough the past few days. The permit seem to have lock jaw and won't eat much of anything. I have seen more permit this week than I've seen in a long time, they are literally everywhere and they are large. We tried throwing flies at some baby permit yesterday in the Marquesas and they would just watch the fly sink. It was actually quite funny. Juvenile permit are more apt to eat since they are in schools and the competition to eat the food is greater.

Barracuda on a fly? This is the time of year to do it. We have some great video that I hope to post on my site soon of a cuda eating a fly and then peeling fly line and jumping like crazy. I've personally hooked and landed three this week and they were so much fun. The fly is done after one crash of a cuda though, so I'll be tying some more again here soon.

I expect that a few more warm days and the permit will cooperate a bit more and let us get a few hook ups in. This is my favorite time of the year for permit and it will last through March. The Del Brown Permit Tournament is in a few weeks and I'm really excited to fish it again. Last year the weather was downright horrible and we were casting a fly in 20 knot winds.

February 6, 2005

Fishing in the Lower Keys has been a bit of a challenge due to the cool temperatures we have been experiencing. The fish on the flats are very temp sensative and when it drops below 70 on the flats, most of the fish head for deeper water. There are exceptions though. Barracudas, sharks and jacks are around and since their food is scarce due to the cooler temps, they will crash a lure or bait pretty easily.

The beginning of the week I was out fishing the flats just off Sugarloaf Key and had seen some really nice size permit. They easily tipped the scales at 20 plus pounds. The permit will be around in full force until the end of March when they take their yearly spawn offshore on wrecks and reefs.

If you are looking for bonefish, the middle and upper Keys are where it's at this time of year. The guides down here will make the journey if they feel the fishing is going to be good, but it's quite a trip and a longer day.

Wrecks and Reefs
Wreck and reef fishing has been pretty active, mostly on patch reefs where they have not been pounded by dozens of boats. Mangrove snapper, groupers and some cobia are the best targets this time of year. Cobia will even get up and moving on to the flats if the water temperature gets just a bit higher.

Offshore
Offshore fishing in the Lower Keys has been all in all pretty good. Large kingfish action makes for a good day. They will hit a blue runner off a kite, on the surface or down deep if you are trolling. The sailfishing has slowed down but they are still being caught. Look for sailfish action to heat up again in the coming weeks. The deeper wrecks are holding some nice mutton snapper, groupers and occasional tunas and wahoo.

January, 2005

Fishing here in the Key West area has continued to be very active. The weather has been a bit windy but when we can't fish the flats, we go out and fish wrecks, reefs and deep sea for other species like sailfish, mahi dolphin, grouper, snapper, cobia and tuna just to name a few. The best thing about fishing in Key West is the variety of fishing you can experience. I mainly fish the flats during tarpon season since most requests come from clients wishing to hook the silver king on a fly. Don't be discouraged though, I do guide equally as many light tackle anglers and they do just as well fishing the flats with artificial plugs, jigs and with live bait. If you would like to try fly fishing I have all the equipment on board for both light tackle and fly fishing.

The past week has been pretty good fishing. The wind switched and was coming out of the south east which brought in some nice size mahi mahi. I had a few good trips to fish for snapper and grouper. We landed several nice size grouper and mutton snapper. We even got into a few redfish the other day. The largest being 22lbs. It was a great fight, much like a cobia and needless to say my anglers were pretty happy to say this was the largest fish they had ever caught.

The Key West flats have been getting more active with plenty of Crevalle Jacks and barracudas. These are great action fish that peel off line and put up a good fight. There are more permit on the flats the past few days as the water gets a chance to warm up again. I expect to see more of them on the flats and the occasional tarpon.

If you are planning a vacation in Key West and you would like to try fishing on the flats or deep sea fishing, please contact us.

Key West Fishing Report - December 2004

Fishing in the Keys this December exceeded my expectations to say the least. This is more and more becoming my favorite time of the year for the variety of fishing that can be done both inshore and offshore with a fly rod.

October and November were super months for permit and bonefishing here in the Lower Keys. I've had a lot of great trips with my anglers from Sugarloaf to the Marquesas and landed quite a few nice permit. Look for the bonefishing to stay good up the Keys but to fade in the Lower Keys for the winter months. Permit, large sharks, barracudas and Crevalle Jacks will be around on the flats for a couple months providing great action for anglers of all abilities. Before long we may even see some cobia out there on the flats. These fish are pretty big and fight hard on live bait or with a fly.

The offshore bite has continued to be real good. I've been spending more time offshore these days taking fly fisherman out for tuna and bonito. The blackfin tunas have been plentiful this year and are giving us all sore arms. My wife got her first cobia and tuna on fly last week. It was a great day and even this week the weather is cooler but the fishing is really good.

Last week I got out one day for part of a spectacular wahoo bite offshore. I rigged wire all day long and got bit off a bunch of times, but in the end we did come home with a 30lb wahoo, just what my angler wanted!

Sailfishing is getting better and I hope to get out this week