2023-01-04 FLY FISHING REPORT
Surface Temp is about 68
Weedless Poppers, Dragon Fly Patterns, and Baby Batifish patterns
Reaction Strikes and bottom scrubbing are catching bass, And a second cast in the same place may be the key. We suggest Clouser Deep Minnows-White, Sexy Shad, Baby Bluegill and Chartreuse are good colors. On warm days, weedless poppers will be productive in grass and lilies. Use a heavy leader and a fly w/weedguard to prevent getting hung. Bluegill will be found, hanging around lily pads. Small foam spider with rubber legs, trailing a beaded pheasant tail or rainbow warrior-only a slow twitch. Five minutes of extra slow retrieve is normal for this technique. It is easy fishing that will drive Bluegill nuts.
Mayfly in December
When the wind settles down, we will find the fish cooperative. Crappie (Specs,) Bass, and Bluegill will be in water that is easily fished with a fly rod. Pheasant tail nymphs, squirmy worms, and dragonfly nymphs are perfect for bluegill fishing, subsurface. A small mayfly hatch is currently attracting bluegill attention. They are gey to clear size 14-I would try an Adams if There was any sign of them. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries will tempt the bluegill and bass on the surface. Search for woody structure and canal seawalls to attract fish. Popper fishing can be very effective on warm afternoons.
Jonathan Cerra with a nice smallmouth
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Fish Clousers deep, cast and count them down (5 to 10 seconds) then use a steady retrieve to generate a reaction strike. Try counting down 5 sec, then 6 sec, then 7 sec... Add a Sink Tip or a new Sink polyleaders to your line, and you can fish deeper and faster. These tools can double the depth of a clouser. A Fluorocarbon (Mirage) leaders, this will get the fly down faster than a mono leader. Sink tip lines and full sinking lines take this to a new level, (and are a perfect use for that old rod you never use anymore.) Technique 2) Poppers and divers (with rubber legs,) should be fished on warmer afternoons and sunset. Low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3) Reaction style fishing-Cast long, bomber casts in deeper water. Cas to the area that you would normally place the boat to fish the weedlines. Deeper is better. Sinking lines and Game Changer flies fished deep, with movement. 4)Rubber legged spiders above or Wilson's bully spider below the surface for Bluegill. Move slow. They will be next to solid structure like metal sea walls, dock pilings, or knock down cypress.
2020-12-07 FLY FISHING REPORT
Surface Temp is about 71
Weedless Poppers, Dragon Fly Patterns, and Baby Batifish patterns
2020-11-16 FLY FISHING REPORT
by T. Allen Wyatt
Report is: Excellent
Surface Temp is about 76
Weedless Poppers, Dragon Fly Patterns, and Baby Batifish patterns
Fly Tying Club returns, first and third Tuesdays at 6pm. Because of social distancing, seating is limited.
Dawn and Sean Sass with some incredible Michigan Salmon.
Tips of the Week: Buck bass and Crappie are cruising weedlines. A fast retrieve on baitfish/streamer patterns may create reaction strikes. A second cast in the same place may be the key. We suggest Clouser Deep Minnows-White, Sexy Shad, Baby Bluegill and Chartreuse are good colors. Weedless poppers will be productive in grass and lilies. Use a heavy leader and a fly w/weedguard to prevent getting hung. Bluegill will be found, hanging around lily pads. Small foam spider with rubber legs, trailing a beaded pheasant tail or rainbow warrior-only a slow twitch. Five minutes of extra slow retrieve is normal for this technique. It is easy fishing that will drive Bluegill nuts.
Jim Bishop sent pics from an incredible trip. Love the Brookie.
Incredible rainbow trout for Karl and Angie Duce.
7 Day Outlook: When the wind settles down, we will find the fish cooperative. It may be some of the most productive fishing of the season, with Crappie (Specs,) Bass, and Bluegill in water that is easily fished with a fly rod. Pheasant tail nymphs, squirmy worms, and dragonfly nymphs are perfect for bluegill fishing subsurface. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries will tempt the bluegill and bass on the surface. Search for woody structure and canal seawalls to attract fish. Popper fishing can be very effective at first light.
Jason Bergwall sent these pics from a recent South Florida Bike Ride[?]
Techniques: Poppers (with rubber legs,) fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over-hang and around docks. Rubber legged spiders above or Wilson's bully spider below the surface for Bluegill. Move slow. They will be next to solid structure like metal sea walls, dock pilings, or knock down cypress. Fish the moving water as lakes drain the recent tropical rains. Reaction strikes can be enticed with deep running lousers and EP Baitfish patterns.
AJ Trevino tied an amazing Mini Game Changer, and the Bass like it!
While on the road, Steve Barringer, tied this gurgler with Glow-in-the-dark flash.
We love your fly fishing and tying pics. Please share at allen@andythornal.com
2020-10-12 Fly Fishing Report
by T. Allen Wyatt
Report is: Good
Surface Temp is about 76
Weedless Poppers, Dragon Fly Patterns, and Baby Batifish patterns
Fly Tying Club returns, first and third Tuesdays at 6pm in October. Because of Social Distancing, Seating is very limited.
Jim Bishop has tied some beautiful October flies for North Georgia trout.
Watch for schooling shad, this time of year. Bass will find them and crash through in a frenzy. Small white baitfish patterns are your best bet. Glass minnows, Puglissi minnows, and white clousers are perfect for this. The action is fast and furious---when you can find it. Reaction style retrieve are important during the fall transition. A fast retrieve on baitfish and streamers will create reaction strikes. A second cast in the same sport may be the key. We suggest Clouser Deep Minnows-White, Sexy Shad, Baby Bluegill and Chartreuse are good colors. Buck Bass are focused on grass lines and shoreline. Weedless poppers will be productive in grass and lilies. Use a heavy leader with a fly w/weedguard to prevent getting hung. The panfish will be found in shallow water, hanging around lily pads and cattails. Small foam spider with rubber legs, trailing a beaded pheasant tail or rainbow warrior-only a slow twitch. Five minutes of extra slow retrieve is normal for this technique. It is easy fishing that will drive Bluegill nuts.
With continued heat and afternoon storms, we expect deep clouser methods to produce. Pheasant tail nymphs, squirmy worms, and dragonfly nymphs are perfect for bluegill fishing subsurface. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries will tempt the bluegill and bass on the surface. Search for woody structure and canal seawalls to attract fish.
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Poppers (with rubber legs,) fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 2)Heavy rain creates flowing water, Largemouth bass will flip into Ambush mode. Struggling Baby Bass, Baby Bluegill, and Baby Tilapia, and Golden Shiners are targets. Swing Puglisi style baitfish and wooly buggers in the current. These places include: canals, culverts, and/or drain pipes. 3)Rubber legged spiders above or Wilson's bully spider below the surface for Bluegill. Move slow. They will be next to solid structure like metal sea walls, dock pilings, or knock down cypress.
2020-05-15 FLY FISHING REPORT
Surface Temp: 80f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 28-inches
Tips
The topwater bite is excellent. Fish small poppers and sliders for bluegill and buck bass with white or olive being the top color picks. Larger bass have moved into deeper water, mostly. Except a couple of people are finding afternoon schools of shad on the surface. While very late for schooling shad, the weather has kept water temps a little cooler than normal. Small white streamers and EP style minnow flies will be the right size. Crayfish flies, olive or black/blue should be fished pretty low to the bottom with a slow crawl retrieve. Bigger fish are moving deeper. The panfish will be found in shallow water, hanging around lily pads, cattails, and Kissimmee grass. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries are dependable. Small weighted black Wooly Buggers are still a good choice when the bluegill quit hitting topwater flies and move to slightly deeper water. A slow crawl works best giving the fly a chance to sit still. Mayfly Hexagenia are hatching on some of the lakes. This large, 1.5" bug drives the fish nuts. Big Stimulators and or foam tail dry flies are the ticket. A deep indicator rig with your fly several feet under has helped with keeping specs and big bluegill on the line. Tilapia have been chewing these deep rigs too.
Steve Gibson is catching beautiful Snook from the beach. Contact him (941) 284-3406 for trip info.
Forecast
What, a tropical storm? The topwater bite will continue to excel with the warmer weather. Stick with white or olive poppers They are working, especially in the shade. The streamer fishing has been very good, white is the top choice. AND Gulf Coast Snook fishing is great along the beaches! Same white baitfish patterns as the bass, add shrimp and sand flea patterns to the mix. Back to lakes-big mayfly patterns on top and dragonfly nymphs subsurface, for bluegill. Windy days can bring all types of terrestrials onto the surface. Bluegill will key on them. Small foam spiders, beetles and ants are important for bluegill on the surface. Bigger bass will be in 5-9 foot. Buck bass will be cruising the grass lines. At the time of this report: the Peace River is below average and falling (67 CFS). Econ River is below average and falling (19 CFS). Myakka River is above average and falling (10CFS). Hillsborough is below average and slowly falling (58 CFS). Withlacoochee is at a trickle (normal) and not measurable (- CFS). Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average and falling (7 CFS). Tropical Storms can change these levels to flood stage, very quickly.
Trevor Brown was giving the 3wt a workout.
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1)Time for some dry fly fishing. Dap a big stimulator or let a big foam dry fly settle on the surface. Technique 2) White or olive poppers fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3) Black or olive crayfish flies fished low and slow on weedline down to deeper water. Sink tips will help. Crawl the fly over prospective areas, frequent pauses can coax a bite. Add a small split shot 18 in. above the fly if the winds pick up. This will help maintain proper depth. Technique 4) Small baitfish patterns fished on the edge of grass, lillies, and cat tails in the morning or evening.
Chris O'Byrne,is catching bass in the neighborhood pond. Check out his new book here.
Plans to offer this very popular program are being made following Phase 2 Guidelines of Florida Govenor DeSanits. Social Distancing is easy, and we will reduce class sizes. Want info on the next class? Call us (863) 299-9999 Mon-Sat 10-6 eastern or info@andythornal.com
2020-04-13 Fly Fishing Report
Big Bug Sale See the Selection
Fly Tying Club and Fly Fishing 101 are postponed. These activies will resume as soon as possible!
Conditions: Good
Surface Temp: 79f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 28-inches
Rylan Jameson with a beautiful bass caught on the 3wt!
Tips
Disappointing news, most public boat ramps are closed, but there are exceptions. Sheriff’s office is enforcing social distancing at the open ramps. Tenoroc WMA is not open as of this report. If you can get on the water, the topwater bite is good with white, black, and frog being the top color picks. Larger bass are schooling shad in open water. Keep your eyes out for nervous water or exploding fish. Anglers are catching some nice bass on crayfish flies, olive or black patterns have worked best. These flies should be fished pretty low to the bottom with a slow crawl retrieve. Bass that are locked and focused on the beds will be more interested in defending than feeding. The panfish will be found in shallow water, hanging around lily pads and cattails. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries have worked well as a surface presentation. Try to make these flies smack on the surface, then slowly retrieve the fly. Small weighted black Wooly Buggers are still a good choice when the bluegill quit hitting topwater flies and move to slightly deeper water. A slow crawl works best giving the fly a chance to sit still. Bluegill are still munching on grass shrimp near the cattails. Their loud slurps can be heard and are a good indicator that fish are close by. Small olive scud patterns mimic the grass shrimp with orange patterns represent dying scuds. Some anglers prefer using a strike indicator several feet above the fly to keep them above the submerged grass. A deep rig, with your fly several feet under your indicator, has helped keep specs and big bluegill on the line.
Jason Bergwall has been 'Quarantying' some beautiful streamers.
Forecast
The topwater bite will continue to excel with the calmer days and warmer weather. White, Black or Frog poppers are working, especially in the shade. The streamer fishing is straightforward with small "electric chicken" streamers being the top choice. Stick with scuds and dragonfly nymphs for bluegill fishing subsurface, fished near the bottom. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries work well to tempt the bluegill on the surface. Searching for areas close to deeper water will allow you to locate the fish easier. Rivers provide an excellent shelter on those windy or crowded days. At the time of this report: The Peace River extremely low and falling (60CFS). Econ River is extremely low and falling (30 CFS). Myakka River is extremely low and falling (9 CFS). Hillsborough is below average and slowly falling (50 CFS). Withlacoochee is about normal trickle (1CFS). Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average and slowly falling (14 CFS). This time of year, water levels should be lowest. Lake levels are falling rapidly.
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Small bluegill or chartreuse clousers fished tight to shore and slowly retrieved. Pink and white has also worked well as of late. Technique 2) White, black, or frog poppers fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3) Black or olive crayfish flies fished low and slow close to the shoreline. Crawl the fly over prospective areas, frequent pauses can coax a bite. Add a small split shot 18 in. above the fly if the winds pick up. This will help maintain proper depth. Keep an eye open for the upcoming Giant Mayfly hatch.
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2020-03-31 Fishing Report
Report by Hunter Towery
Fly Tying Club and Fly Fishing 101 are postponed. These activies will resume as soon as possible!
Order Fly Tying Material with Free Shipping for a limited time->Click Here
Josh Genrich shows off a beautiful Bluegill caught on 5 wt with a black floating beetle.
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 78f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 27-inches
Tips
The warmer days have helped keep the local fishing pretty good. The lakes have been noticeably busier even on weekdays. Tenoroc WMA is one of two open (as of this report) fishing management areas still open in the state. Modified admission rules are in place but the lakes are still open during normal hours. Public ramps are still open with some park closures throughout the state. So far a good number of anglers and boaters have been on the water on the more popular lakes. The topwater bite is still good with white or olive being the top color picks. Larger bass have been schooling on shad in open water. Keep your eyes out for nervous water or exploding fish. Anglers are catching some nice bass on crayfish flies, olive or black patterns have worked best. These flies should be fished pretty low to the bottom with a slow crawl retrieve. Bass that are locked and focused on the beds will be more interested in defending than feeding. Some fry guarders have been spotted by the shoreline. The panfish will be found in shallow water, hanging around lily pads and cattails. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries have worked well as a surface presentation. Try to make these flies smack on the surface, then slowly retrieve the fly. Small weighted black Wooly Buggers are still a good choice when the bluegill quit hitting topwater flies and move to slightly deeper water. A slow crawl works best giving the fly a chance to sit still. Bluegill are still munching on grass shrimp near the cattails. Their loud slurps can be heard and are a good indicator that fish are close by. Small scud patterns mimic these shrimp the best. Some anglers prefer using a strike indicator several feet above the fly to keep them above the submerged grass. A deep indicator rig with your fly several feet under your indicator has helped with keeping specs and big bluegill on the line.
Craig Jameson has a beautiful Bluegill. He is teaching his 7 yr old daughter the fine art of the 3wt.
Forecast
The topwater bite will continue to excel with the calmer days and warmer weather. Stick with white or olive poppers as these have worked well lately, especially in the shade. The streamer fishing has been pretty straightforward with small "electric chicken" streamers being the top choices. Stick with scuds and dragonfly nymphs for bluegill fishing subsurface. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries work well to tempt the bluegill on the surface. Searching for areas close to deeper water will allow you to locate the fish easier. Rivers provide an excellent shelter on those windy or crowded days. At the time of this report: the Peace River is below average and slowly falling (80.0 CFS). Econ River is below average and slowly falling (37.7 CFS). Myakka River is below average and falling (5.99 CFS). Hillsborough is below average and slowly falling (57.3 CFS). Withlacoochee is above average and slowly falling (5.78 CFS). Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average and stable (19.4 CFS).
Casting School Director, Chris O'Byrne had a stellar day at Teneroc Management Area.
Boating a nice Tilapia, Several Bass and Bluegill
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Small pink and chartreuse clousers fished tight to shore and slowly retrieved. Pink and white has also worked well as of late. Technique 2) White or olive poppers fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3) Black or olive crayfish flies fished low and slow close to the shoreline. Crawl the fly over prospective areas, frequent pauses can coax a bite. Add a small split shot 18 in. above the fly if the winds pick up. This will help maintain proper depth.
Hunter Towery and his new Swamp Chicken-Available at Andy Thornal Company->Click Here. While targeting large mouth bass on 8wt, this fly will be equally effective on Peacock Bass, and Big Tarpon, due to the heavy 2/0 stainless steel hook. There are a couple of cool tricks to this monster. Join us at the tying table in the middle of the fly shop. There is always some tying on the vise.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-10-15 FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA
Report by Allen WyattWeek of 10/15/19
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 79f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 27-inches
Register for Fly Fishing and Casting School on Sat. October 19th
Bring a friend for halfprice
This is an all day event to learn the basics of fly fishing. For the last 25 years, we have taught over 100 students the art of fly casting and how to catch fish on a fly rod. Head Instructor, Chris O'Byrne will lead casting instruction for Mountain stream, Saltwater Flat, and pond/ lake. Inside, we hav instruction on flies, knots, and equipment. We supply the gear and cater lunch. Register now, seats (and rods) are limited.-> https://www.andythornal.com/products/fly-fishing-school
New book by our friend, Chris O'Byrne
Available at Andy Thornal Learn to fly fish anywhere in America, by casting to bass and bluegill near your home. In this humorous small book you will learn; how to find these exciting game fish, a fly cast that will serve you for a lifetime...
Tips
The shad will begin to school in the mid areas of the lake. It will be obvious as there will be action on the surface. Bass will find these schools. Fish the edges of the schools with patterns from 1 to 3 inches. You will need to motor up to the schools as they appear for only a minute or two before diving for submerged hydrilla. You will find this action in the mornings and early evenings. Frog patterns are still good in the shallow weeds and lilies. Push as close to shore from a boat, or fish from shore. Get out a stiff rod, stout leader and make sure you use frog flies with a weed guard. This is the time of year when some of the old-timer-live-bait anglers start net dipping grass shrimp. Blue gill can key into grass shrimp and become selective. Try grass shrimp (scuds) in a dropper rig, a tandem rig, or a tripler. This will be a go-to around Kissimmee grass for Bluegill.
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include 1) Popper/dropper tandem rig for panfish. Using foam body poppers or hoppers, attach a dropper underneath- Grass Shrimp/Scud pattern or beadhead pheasant tail-these should hang 3 to 5 feet off the floater. Technique 2) The smaller bass are cruising with the moderate weather. Anglers should work the edges early and late in the day. Clousers in white, baby bluegill, baby bass, olive, or black, should be worked as far into the weed lines as you dare. Cruising crappie (Specs for the locals) are taking small baitfish patterns next to weedlines. Technique 3) Sinking lines with deep baitfish (EP Everglades Special, EP Shad, or Choklett's Game Changer) should be fished 20-30 ft off the weedlines during the day as Bass are staging for shallower water in 5ft - 8ft of water. This is an opportunity to air out your longest cast as it is all blind casting.
Jason Bergwell with Buttery trout from his annual Michigan trek.
Forecast
Cruising bass and specs will be shallow and near the weedlines. Small black and small white minnow patterns will be good. In addition, watch for schooling shad in the mornings and late afternoon. Buck size bass fishing should be excellent. Try grass shrimp in the Kissimmee grass and cattails. Bluegill should continue to be excellent. Winds will be moderate, increasing in the afternoon. Chance of rain is low for several days, then scattered showers on the weekend. Pressure will fall until the weekend. Waning from a full moon (Oct 13th.) Spec fishing is going to be good as they are cruising grass lines. They will push to mid lake for spawning when the weather cools. Lake levels are still high. We expect lake levels and river levels to fall through the week. At the time of this report: the Peace River is below average. Econ River is near seasonal average. Myakka River is at a trickle, far below seasonal average. Hillsborough is average but the Withlacoochee is flowing above average. Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average. This week should be excellent for paddle craft on the lakes and rivers.
Learn to tie your own flies at our club meetings!
Next meeting is Oct 29th, Fly tying is regularly at Andy Thornal Company on the first and third Tuesdays at 6pm-7:30pm. We usually tie two patterns including bass, saltwater, and small flies, too! This club atmosphere is friendly for beginners and experts, ages 10-80. Bring your own tools or borrow some of ours. The class is free, but we ask everyone to make a $10 to offset costs. Next club meetig is Oct. 22nd.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-05-29
Your Fresh Water Fly Fishing Report for Central Florida
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 82f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 18-24 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
Lonnie Bachman has been catching some nice fish this week!
Tips:
Topwater for Bluegill in the morning. The fish are shallow early in the day. As the day progresses they head to deeper and, cooler water. Clousers can cover a lot of water in this situation. White, Chartreuse, & Blue are best bets. Game Changer flies fished on a sinking line will put you in the same deep part of the water column as a conventional crank bait, but you can work the fly much slower, even suspended. Take advantage of this unique opportunity. Hexagenia Mayflies are hatching. If you are blessed with Mayflies on your lake, you will know it. Yellow-Belly Hippy-Stompers, Yellow Stimulators, are examples several Hexagenia flies work when this bite is on.
Neil Warnock with a 'gator' speckled trout on his paddle board.
Techniques:
Bluegill are taking topwater flies, at daybreak (and we have heard at sunset in some of the pits.) Yellow or Chartreuse poppers are hanging from bluegill lips in many of the pics that I've seen. We also like yellow Sprogs and white rubber spiders. Have you seen all of the dragonflies? It is a good indicator to throw blue poppers and/or green wooly buggers (dragonfly nymph.) Hexagenia mayflies are hatching in our lakes. This is a great time of year to throw some big bushy dry flies like a stimulator pattern to match the hatch. Consistently through the warmer season, fish with a floater/dropper. Stimulators are the ticket to fish a weighted nymph, underneath. Try using grass shrimp and scuds for the dropper. Keep your dropper flies a little deeper than usual and focus on submerged grass lines when throwing streamers. Bluegill coloration flies have still been the ticket for the bass. Try using a faster retrieve rate with Clousers as this allows you to cover more water.
Josh Johnson caught another nice snook with his 8wt!
Forecast
We anticipate bluegills to be shallow or near shallow water. The topwater bite will continue in the morning. Small buck bass will continue to be good along weedlines and lilies. New Moon is on June 3rd. The high pressure that is parked over the Florida peninsula lowers our chances of afternoon rain to near zero, and heat to near 100 degrees. Bluebird skies this week and winds will generally be light. Expect lake levels and river levels to fall rapidly through the week. At the time of this report: the Peace River is at below average level, Econ is half of average approaching a trickle, Myakka River is above seasonal average, Hillsborough and Withlacoochee Rivers are slightly above average levels. Kissimmee River gauge below the Hwy 60 dam is currently not reporting.
Billy Williams tied this killer little shrimp.
Learn to tie your own flies at our club meetings! Next meeting is June 4th.
Crabs and Shrimp Month! Fly Tying is regularly at Andy Thornal Company on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, 6pm-7:30pm. We usually tie two patterns including Bass, Saltwater, and small flies, too! This club atmosphere is friendly for beginners and experts, ages 10-70. Bring your tying tools or borrow some of ours. The class is free, but we ask that everyone make a $10 purchase to offset costs. Next club meeting is May 7th.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-01-22
Week 01/22/19 - This report was written by Hunter Towery.
Conditions: Good
Surface Temp: 60f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 18-24-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
Special Fly Tying Event on Tuesday, 1/29/19 at Beer Revolution
Our friends at Beer Revolution have kindly offered to host a 5th Tuesday Fly Tying Night! The tying starts at 6pm. BeerRev offers beers from around the globe and has 23 craft beers on tap. Every Tuesday is TACO TUESDAY, so grab a brew of some Tacos and join us for fly tying. If this is your first time at the vice, give us a call and we will bring a set of tools for you. BeerRev Website
BeerRev address is 3234 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803
Jacob Beasley was expertly working a Sneaky Pete around the bass this week.
Tip:
With the windier conditions we've had it's a great time to break out the sinking line and bluegill patterned streamers. Start probing the shallows as some fish have started to push up . Reports on this have been varied, that's to be expected as some anglers don't say much about where they find the beds. Continue to fish near submerged timber if the fish are being shy. These areas will hold fish, and a slow retrieve with a heavier streamer will trigger bites from less active bass.
Trevor Brown with a beautiful Peacock Bass from a weekend trip to the
Tamiami Trail! Nice fish on a 3wt.
Techniques:
A chartreuse popper has been a great searching fly to find active fish. Then switch to a streamer and dissect the water around that area. That one two punch is your best bet at success as you can quickly pattern the fish. Try using a shorter leader with your topwater as it will help turn over wind resistant flies in the higher winds. Keep your flies a little deeper than usual and focus on submerged grasslines. The fish are still best responding to shad and bluegill patterns with a slow retrieve rate. The smaller size flies are working, with number 6 brush flies matching the "hatch" the best. Have a few larger streamers tied with either rabbit fur or marabou in case the bass are feeling more aggressive. The added movement in these materials can create some violent strikes. When throwing baitfish patterns the best place to cast is parallel to the shoreline. This allows you to cover more water. Try varying the depth during the retrieve if they aren't responding to a steady retrieve. They are typically schooling on the windblown side of the lake. Bluegill still are hanging around docks and are pushed up near timber close to shore. The best way to catch them has been a heavier tungsten nymph drug on the bottom or a worm fly with a squirmito tail on a jig head. When presenting these flies try crawling them by pulling the fly line to your wrist for a slow gradual retrieve rate. Sometimes bass sized flies get gobbled up by a monster bream when working docks or brush piles. This has been key as they prefer to eat them deeper when they are right above the bottom. When fishing near heavy cover for panfish bumping up to 4x tippet will allow you to still be stealthy but have some extra strength around the wood. Specs(Crappie) are still being caught along deeper grasslines. Use baitfish patterns in white, and purple in sizes 6, or 8. Start with white as this mimics a struggling baitfish then start trying brighter colors such as yellow or orange. Casting these at the base of trees have yielded some spectacular blowups. Popper dropper rigs are a very good way to fish. Use classic trout flies such as a Pheasant Tail or a Hare's Ear Nymph is sizes 10-14.
Weegie Bentley caught this amazing Tilapia on a size 16 Lion fly
(local pattern by David Brooks.)
Forecast
We have heard that the Shad are beginning their annual mating run on the St. Johns river near Sanford. This is Florida's only 'trout' style fishing and will last for about another month. Contacts us for acces points to the St. John's. The wind will start calming down after that thunderstorm on Thursday. Cooler temps are coming but the fishing should only be getting better from here. The lake levels are continuing to drop slowly and clearing in clarity. The Peace, Econ, Hillsborough, Myakka, and Withlacoochee Rivers are all at above average levels but are falling closer to average yearly levels. And levels on the Kissimmee River are at below average level for the time of year.
Register Now for our Full Day Fly Fishing School. Our Next Date is February 23rd. Click here for more info/registration Where Great Traditions Begin!