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
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!