Southwest Florida

Tarpon, Snook, and the Amazonian Slam

June 17-22, 2007

Flamingo Tarpon

I decided to  tempt fate and take my annual Florida trip  in mid June figuring either the fishing would be good or I'd kick off the 2007 hurricane season. Instead of staying close to the Cape this year, Jeff and I decided to four south Florida starting with tarpon out of Ft-Meyers, then hilting the Everglades and ending with fishing  for peacock bass in the south Miami canals.  I arrived in Orlando late afternoon on Saturday and we headed to Ft-Meyers with boat in tow for the start of the trip.

Clam Bayou, Sanibel Island

The first day of fishing started by driving to Sanibel Island and launching the boat in Clam Bayou. I rigged up a white popper and we took off in search of snook. Casting into the Stick-ups I suddenly had a fish clear the water and comedown on the fly but it  wasn't a snook, instead it was a 5-6 lbs. tarpon. Tarpon on top, you have to love it. I landed the fish then we switched and I tried to pole while Jeff got shots at other tarpon. He had a few hits but didn't connect, too common in tarpon fishing.  The flies for the day for me were the Prince of Tides and a brown/white Clousers.

Clam Bayou launch	Clam Bayou
Fish On!

 The rest of the morning we switched off getting some snook along the shores. We hit a channel where current was flowing and a school of ladyfish were working. we most have landed two dozen ladies there and I got one very nice snook there too.

After fishing we went to visit Norm Ziegler to cool off a bit and to check out his beach for snook. We had iced tea and talked fishing then walked to the beach to find it pretty much blown out by the wind so we headed back to the hotel to cool off more in the pool before  the afternoon thunderstorms hit.

Pine Island Sound/Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge/Beaches

The next three days we split our time fishing Pine island Sound and Captiva Pass for tarpon in the morning with Capt. Steve Bailey and then hilting other water in the afternoon.  On Monday morning we found a few big tarpon early off Buck key but they were not settled into any pattern and we only got off a cast or two. We searched other spots around Captiva Pass, Cabbage Key and finally  we found some smaller fish. I managed one take  that I blew the hook-set on.

Presenting the fly	Missed him

 In the afternoon we fished the inside beaches on Sanibel where it was clear but only saw two snook that were cruising fast. We headed to the Bait Box so ( could get Norm to sign my book, had a beer at The lazy Flamingo, then headed to the Ding Darling Refuge to hit the  early evening fishing. Unfortunately the fides were not favorable so fishing was difficult. we ended the day with one very small mangrove snapper at the powerlines point, the only fish landed for the day.

On Tuesday we headed out even earlier and ran directly to Buck key to see if the big fish were working better but they were not showing at all. After exploring a bit and finding nothing we went back to the smaller fish which were at least being somewhat cooperative.   The fish were in small groups on sand pockets scattered in the grass flats. After getting some refusals I put on one of my Baja Sardinia flies and managed to jump two fish, one was about 10-15 lbs. and the other a bit larger. We had a few more hits but no other hook-ups. In the afternoon we hit Bunchie Beach in Ft. Meyers which was clear but we saw no fish there. We went back to Sanibel and checked out the ocean beaches which were still milky. We ended UP driving up to the end of South Captiva just to do it before heading back for dinner.

On Wednesday morning we were back early at Buck they along with a few tarpon. Jeff got off one very good presentation to a pair offish hot no takers. The weather had finally settled so we headed out Captiva Pass to fish the big ocean fats there and along Cayo Costa. We saw a few big fish and Jeff got some good casts but again no interest. (never even really cast that morning and no one of there had hooked  up.

Tamiami Canal

After checking out at noon we hit the road south going to Big Cyprus and the Everglades to try and fish the Tamiami canal some en route to Florida City. The canal is an odd fishery, you park by the side of the road, backcast over traffic, look out for gators, and catch fish. Our target  was Mayan Cyclids but we had a chance at bass, Snook, and tarpon too. I finally got a eyelid to hit a small shad fly and was shocked at the strength of these turbo-charged panfish. After landing a second by the shone and having a gator appear while I was releasing  him, we decided to launch the boat and fish from it to hit more water. Hilting rocky spots with the chartruese shad fey we each got another 2-3 cyclids  before heading back to the launch and continuing to the hotel.

Tamiami canal bank fishing	First Mayan Cyclid
Jeff's first Mayan Cyclid from the boat

Snake Bight, Flamingo

On Thursday morning we hitched Up the boat and headed for Flamingo to fish snake Right for tarpon, Snook, and redfish. the weather couldn't have been better when we arrived and soon we were motoring out. Once we hit the point that starts Snake Bight we quickly found tarpon working in small groups in the current. Tying on a Prince of Tides ( had a fish on in just a few casts and to the boat moments later. All morning this was the fly as we landed 5 tarpon, jumped one  and had 3-4 we missed. Mixed in with the tarpon were about 4-5 snook each and I landed a small jack and lady fish too. My best fish was a 20-25 lbs. fish, not bad for an 8- weight. By the end of the good tide my fey was totally destroyed. As the tarpon slowed down we hit the edge of the fat for redfish but the wind had  picked UP and made it very difficult. We saw fish but only singles and we spooked most before Seeing them. (got off one good presentation to a cruiser but he showed no interest. Denied the back county slam; but l did finally learn how to pole  a boat.

	Flamingo launch		Jeff guiding in full tarpon guide outfit
Jeff with Flamingo tarpon		The high pass in the glades
Everglades view from overlook

Miami Canals

On our last day we were back canal fishing but this time it was for Peacock Bass in the canals in South Miami. This was an amazing urban fishery. we launched at a city park then sight fished for peacocks basically in the  back yards of a residential neighborhood. We fished with Capt. Mark Hall out of his  flats skiff, targeting bass on the shore or small flats in the canal's "lakes." The fly of the day for me was a brown and white Clousers with copper flash, I landed 12-15 bass and one Midas cyclid on the one fly and it was pretty well destroyed by day's end.  Jeff got quite a few too on a variety of files. these fish are very strong and put up a good fight on 6-weight rod. they reminded me of the bay bass in San Diego, about the same size and amount of spunk.  While I was denied my backcountry slam I figure I got a trip Amazonian Exotics Slam - peacock bass, Mayan cyclid, and Midas cyclid.

My first peacock bass	Jeff's first peacock
Giant iguana in someone's backyard	Big peacock for Miami canals
The golden Midas Cyclid

Gear

Tarpon

For the big fish we were carrying 10-12 weight rods that, unfortunately, never got a bend in them. The recommended fries in Pine Island Sound were a 2/0 Orange Cockroaches and Prince of Tides tied to a standard tarpon leader with 16 lbs. class tippet and an 80 1bs. flouro bite tippet..  For smaller tarpon we were throwing 8 -wants water a simple 30 lbs. flouro bite tippet tied to a 12 or 16 lbs. tapered leader.  The best small tarpon pattern was a #1 Prince of tides.

Snook

An 8 -weight was the rod of choice for Snook and the other fish we were gelting. Leader setup was the same as small tarpon and, again, the Prince of Tides was the fly of choice.

 Cyclids & Peacock Bass

A 6-weight was perfect here using an 8 lbs. bonefish leader to either a floating or sink. tip line. I used a 200 grain line and Jeff used a floater.. For the cyclids a #6 or #8 chartreuse fey was best, just a small marabou tail. tiny lead eyes, and a chartreuse thread body.  For bass a dousers was best. I used brown/white with copper flash and Jeff had luck with olive/white. Mark recommended orange or olive/orange combos which make sense given the bait there-small bass and cyclids and Jeff did have luck with some small orange tarpon flies but they needed heavier eyes on them.