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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
January 15, 2007
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
The small tarpon are on at night now! Last Saturday night we got after them in poor weather conditions just after dark. Poor weather is shorthand for wind howling out of the east along with the occasional rain shower just to keep you guessing... Fortunately the urban areas of Biscayne Bay are fairly sheltered when the wind's out of the east and we would be hiding around bridges most of the night.
My angler for the evening was just making the transition from freshwater fly fishing up in Virginia to fishing the salt and did he get a welcome... We were in tarpon in the 20 to 40lb range for almost four hours that were right at the surface parading by us. We managed to jump four fish, the biggest about 35lbs, all on the Night Fly. We weren't using rubber hooks either, every fish broke us off after the usual violent acrobatics that tarpon of every size are known for. Since tarpon have very hard mouths and are difficult for a beginner to hook with a fly rod I'd much rather see them broken off than than to see the usual missed strikes that most freshwater anglers are plagued with. For anyone who hasn't done the "tarpon tango", it's a bit like playing tug of war with an angry pit bull... My next step will be tying up another supply of flies.
The good news is that the night time tarpon fishing will be going strong for the next four months, only slowing down some at the end of April. The bad news is that most guides will be so busy with day-time bookings that working in a night trip will be a challenge. Everyone should have this problem....
The usual fly rods range from a 7 up to a 10wt, with an 8 or 9wt the choice of most. Fly lines are inexpensive floating types since concrete pilings are hard on lines. The only adjustment needed is a line one size larger than what your rod is rated for. We're making close quarters presentations where a heavier line helps load the rod properly.
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
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