How to Fly Fish in Florida's Saltwater

All these methods are valid and there is plenty room for all types of fishing ( and fishermen) on the water. That being said, I must also say, "Thank God for the middle of the week, when the areas cool down so the 'arm-wavers with the funny long rods' can have their crack at these 'bull dogs'" of the flats. After all, everyone knows Fly- Fishermen are more intelligent, why else would we wipe fish blood on fifty dollar shirts!

All kidding aside, I believe the Fly-Rod and the Redfish were created with each other in mind on two of Gods most special days. There is no greater thrill, as far as I am concerned, than sneaking up on one of Florida's Monster Redfish and dropping a Hair-bug popper on his head in two feet of water and having a wake the size of a truck tire explode on my fly. AND MISS! Only to come back, time and time again to the same fly until he finally gets it in his mouth. This is not usually possible with conventional tackle, because in the time it takes a good angler to wind in a spinning reel, the Redfish will have forgotten that offering and is onto something else, or the splash of the spoon or whatever will scare them, on the second cast, once they have been alerted. Not so with the 'Long rod!' In seconds a fly- fisherman can lift the fly from the water, and without so much as one false-cast, cast the fly right back in the fish's face. And usually, without the splash! I have done this as many as six times to the willing fish, and when this frustrated fish finally does get his lips around that fly, the strike is STAGGERING! Probably because of the adrenaline rush in my own body!

How then would you go about catching one of these 'pulling machines' on the flats with a fly-rod, if you had never done it before? I'm glad you asked, and no, you won't have to wear a fifty dollar shirt.

First of all, make sure you can cast at least fifty feet, and hit what you are aiming at. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A GUIDE.......I repeat. Don't waste your money on a guide......If you can't hit what you are aiming at! Flats fishing is a lot like hunting, and you wouldn't go hunting if you couldn't hit your target. Practice. Use a Frisbee, or a two liter soft drink bottle as your target, and place it on your lawn. If the fish is swimming right to left, you will be required to place your cast in front of, and just past the swimming fish, causing the fly to intersect with the fish. Arrange the Soft drink bottle different ways to simulate different scenarios, and designate which end of the target is the head, and cast to it (and just behind.) On the flats, there will be little time to think, and this casting action must come automatically.

Hire a guide you trust. Be careful. Some spin-fishing guides are taking out fly-fishermen now without knowing what they are doing, as far as boat positioning and fly selection and such. Come right out and ask, "Have you ever put a big fish on a fly-rod?"(or any fish, for that matter!) If they are truthful, the answer might surprise you!

If you have time, explore the flats on your own. Try to enjoy the fishing and not just the catching.

Remember, if you are on your own, that most flats guides have been hunters in their life, and are used to sneaking up on unsuspecting wildlife. You must be stealthy also.... no hatches or cooler lids slammed on the flats. Many guides, myself included, prefer to talk almost in a whisper to the client, not so much because voices scare fish, but the low talking sets the stealthy mood. The bottom line is, these fish cannot suspect you are any where close, or they will leave... so be quiet.

Keep the sun somewhere in front of you and your rod tip down, Redfish hate shadows! Why? Redfish eat and hunt in the shallows.

Swimming in these shallows since they have been very small, they have been subject all their lives to "Death from above". The American Eagle and the Osprey are two of the reasons these fish have been encoded with a fear of shadows coming over their backs. One minute, swimming, happy fish... the next minute.... baby food! If you ever want to test this theory, cast a fly-line over a cruising redfishs back. He will be gone! The bigger fish will be in two feet of water or more, with shallow water surrounding these deeper pockets, so you will need to Pole or wade skinny water to get to these areas.

Smaller fish (ten pounds or less) will be in water as shallow as seven inches and you will be able to see them very clearly. Watch for wakes with bulges at the head and cast in front of them. Bigger fish in this shallow water are easy to spot, with their backs and their tails coming way out of the water, and grubbing in one place...... What we call, "happy" Redfish....Very catchable indeed!

When you see one of these groups of fish, (or an individual), stay back, and make long, accurate casts to them. They are eating, and want to get caught.

Some thoughts on boating. Of course you will need a skiff with a shallow draft, but do not run up on these flats. You will kill sea grass that takes a long time to grow back, and, you will never see these fish I'm telling you about because they will be long gone. Instead, You will wind up 'blind casting' for puppies and will never see these twenty-five to thirty-five pound fish. Shut off your motor in about three feet of water. Now, pole towards the flat (the edge.) When you get there( Of course, it will take a little longer) you will be rewarded with unsuspecting redfish that will be much easier to approach and catch (and release.)

Big Trout live in this water also, and are much more skittish than Redfish. They eat the same patterns and just when you think you have made the perfect presentation to your Redfish, Mr.( or Mrs.) Trout will steal it away from him. Really not a bad proposition at all. The Trout living in this skinny water can be quite large, but are not real tasty. Take a nice photo or two and release these Trout. By the way, if the Trout you catch grunts, it's a male, and you could keep it with the repercussions not being so great, but the females (not grunting) are responsible for many eggs, and our future fishery. Think about it and do the right thing.

Also, watch for schools of cruising Jacks, and get the fly to them in a hurry.... they will be gone before you know it. Jacks also stop and crash bait fish on the flats. If you ever see this, you will not forget it soon. Water will jump as high as two feet in the air, birds will dive into the school, and any fly cast into this Malay will be eaten instantly, and you will be hooked to the master of pulling, The Jack Cravelle! Hold on, and don't give up, because this fish seldom gets away. This is one you will touch.

Personally, I will never keep another redfish. I look at them differently, now that I catch (or have my charter catch) them every day. I am a dog lover, and somehow, they remind me of dogs. I don't know why.

F.Y.I.-Captain "Z" Zeigler is a licensed fly-casting and fly-tying instructor. A U.S.Coast Guard licensed charter captain and guide for light tackle spinning and fly fishing in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon area, He is also a member of the "American Professional Captains Association", F.O.W.A., F.C.A., and represents: Hewes Flats Boats, Yamaha outboards, Shimano, Billy Pate and Tibor fly reels, Stren fishing lines, Scientific Anglers fly lines, J.W.A. and Assoc., G.Loomis fishing rods and many plug and plastic bait manufacturers.

He can be contacted by email at: Captain_Z@msn.com, or by telephone at :407-898-7424.

Also, visit his website from Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River flats, Florida.