Al Angiocchi moved to Florida recently and is getting to fly fish in the salt. Here is a trip report he sent after a very cool trip in the everglades. I think it might be time for a road trip to Florida!!
This past Thursday, February 20th, I made my first trip to the Everglades with guide Joe Mahler. Along with guiding Joe is a casting instructor, fly fishing author and illustrator. We hit the freshwater canal off highway 41 about an hour and have out of Fort Myers.
Fishing started slow but Joe said the fish around here don’t wake up till around 10:30. And he was right! By noon we had caught 7 different species of fish: largemouth bass, peacock bass, blue gill, stump knocker (Florida fish), alligator gar, Oscar cichlid, and Mayan cichlid.
The Oscars and Mayans are apparently Florida’s version of pan fish. Both are invasive species for the area. They ran about 10 to 12 inches in length, very thick and filled with lots of fight. Once hooked they head for cover, so a hard pull is needed to keep them clear of Lilly pads and weeds. They put a heck of a bend in a 5 weight rod. These fish were so plentiful in the canal we were fishing that mid-afternoon that’s all we were catching. And they wore me out so we called it a day.
For rods I used my 5 weight Sage and Joe’s signature 5/6 Reilly. Joe’s rod had a 6 weight saltwater bonefish line on it which I found to be a bit heavier than my trout line and very easy to cast. Flies were simple, a couple small poppers and size 4 Clouser minnow in white and pink and white and green.
Also got a couple of helpful casting tips that I desperately needed.
All in all a really great way to start my Florida fly fishing. Snook and Tarpon still on the bucket list.
