FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-03
Week 10/03/18- 10/104/18
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 86f
Clarity: Tannic 18-inches
Let us know what you are catching-or not catching-Send your pics of fish, beautiful places, or some of the flies that you have tied. We love to post them on our fishing report! Send to Allen@andythornal.com
Shallowfly Walt laying the graphite to a big one near a nice mangrove in the area. Great fish fighting technique with the rod tip low.
Tip of the Week:
Hot days have pushed the fish deeper. Bass fishermen are going to find fish in 4 to 6 feet of water. There are multiple reports of decent bass at this depth. The trick is to use weighted flies like a clouser or a conehead bugger, and count the fly down 10 seconds before you retrieve. The faster you retrieve, the more the fly comes to the surface. This is a problem since the fish want the fly moving fast, and down deep. Tip for this: 1)sinking line, or 2) sinking-tip or 3) Loop-to-Loop sink tip. These lines will keep your fly deep, and use a fast retrieve. Small White shad patterns (yea, been saying this all summer.) More Bluegill this week. "Early Bird" will catch the most fish. The popper bite it still on, fish mornings as the sun rises with poppers. Colors-Chartreuse, White and Black. Sizes-Small and Medium.
Trevor Brown showing his small white shad technique.
Techniques:
We have a new/old recommendation with the hot weather. I used to think it was lazy, still-fishing under an indicator. Recently, we have had success with flies with soft materials like marabou, or rubber legs. They undulate with subtlety. Recommended examples are damsel nymphs or wooly buggers which use marabou tails. Wilson's bully spider and the foam spider use rubber legs. Make a cast. let it sit, sip your beverage, and catch fish. Lazy, but effective.
John Johnson showing his small white shad technique.
Water temps continue to heat up, with occasional bucket dumps of rain. This is a formula for cloudy water. This is a formula for cloudy water. Some lakes, not all, are very cloudy-even chunky. This can occur when you put cold rain water on top of hot lake water. The hot water rises and brings up all the bottom muck with it. Old timers would say 'the lake has turned.' This is usually a winter phenomenon in Central Florida, but when there are huge downpours of cool rain, this can happen anytime of the year. Our suggestion-change to a different lake for a week. Come back and the fish will be very hungry! The heat of the surface can shut down the bite. Structure like overhanging trees is important. Shade is important. Work the docks, and shorelines that are in the shade, (these places have cooler water, and provide a great ambush point.) Follow the afternoon shade to find the most aggressive fish. Bluegill success on Dropper rigs with soft hackle nymphs and bushier style nymphs. Nymphs should be bushy, with rubber legs, and weighted, as there is plenty of bluegill action on the bottom.
Jason Bergwell is hunting the first trout of the day on the Au Sable River. Fish live in beautiful places!
Forecast
Clear skies are forecast for most of the week. Wind will become an issue toward the end of the week. Best fishing should be bookend (Early or Late.) Lake levels are still high. Some of the lakes are complex to fly fish because the water floods into the grass and timber areas. Army Corps of Engineers have reduced the water coming out of the Kissimmee dam (below Hwy 60.) It is below normal level for this time of year. Econ, near Oviedo, is also low. Myakka, Peace, Hillsborough, and Withlacootchee are above normal for this time of year.---extra care should be taken. As we eade out of the rainy season, we will watch river leels fall. Lake levels should slowly recede. Lakes with large marsh areas will become friendly to fish. We expect bass fishing to be excellent this week.
Max Grimard with his first fly rod fish. Congrats Max!!!
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Josh Johnson tied this sweet Clouser minnow.
Allen Wyatt
Author