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Warmer Waters

Warm waters are ahead! Working through our last cold front in Naples hopefully. The Everglades have been great fishing for snook, redfish and baby tarpon but I am ready for some fired up warm water fish! Everglades fly fishing will remain stable throughout but the months ahead spell big snook and bigger tarpon on fly and plug gear. As the water temperature rise the bait comes back and the fish get fired up! If you are planning a fly fishing trip to Naples there are endless opportunities down the coast of ten-thousand islands and the Everglades. Spring and summer are my favorite times as the tourist head north and west we have the fishery to ourselves! With higher water temperatures these fish will get in some deeper pockets and I am able to run the larger tarpon skiff. Drop me a line if you have any questions about the areas fishing season or weather patterns. There is no place like the Everglades-

 

 

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Tarpon fishing guide

When looking for an Boca Grande  fly fishing guide  passion is everything! I am lucky enough to have found one of the greatest sports on planet earth; fly fishing in saltwater. It is one of the most explosive, rewarding and passionate things I have ever done in my life and I love to share these experiences with our clients. Tarpon on the fly get all the glory and rightfully so; I grew up crazy about white tail deer hunting and can only compare it to such an experience. Much like a deer, you wait for long periods of time for tarpon to appear but there is no trigger to be pulled to end this game of cat and mouse– its big game hunting and I’m totally consumed! Its time to coax this 30-50 year old swimming dinosaur that weighs upwards of 150 pounds to eat a little tiny fly usually smaller than a trout streamer. That is were the magic is for me: we can communicate with that animal through the materials we have tied onto a bare hook and watch how he reacts to it. With a perfect cast and with a little twitch, wiggle, and luck, he swims over to it and nonchalantly opens and closes his mouth and moves on. Then all hell breaks loose and he usually has the standing line from the deck of the skiff onto the reel and halfway to Mexico before you ever knew what happened. It’s simply amazing and I’m lucky enough to get to guide clients in some of the greatest Tarpon fisheries on the planet.
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Everglades Winter Fly Fishing

 

Its been on fire fly fishing the Everglades the past week, I fished everyday and was very dependable with the warmer temps. Snook were very good and some big ones too on twitch baits and fly! Small Tarpon were fired up and when the water temperatures rose we got some big resident tarpon as well on the fly. I have been in the Everglades most days but fly fishing in Naples area has been great as well from what I hear. I am running an East Cape Caimen for my winter time backcountry trips which is able to access some very shallow water and sight cast for laid up snook of all sizes as well as baby tarpon in some deeper pockets while still be a comfortable ride for my clients. My tarpon season is filling up so please let me know if you are looking to book an Everglades fly fishing guide and we can discuss some possibilities. Thanks! -There is no place like the Everglades

 

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Boca Grande Fishing Guide

Everglades Fishing Guide.
Late summer and fall is a special time and place for Everglades fly fishing guides. Most of the big fish are on the outside of the ten-thousand islands and everglades river mouths. This is a great time to fish early mornings and late afternoons for rolling and tailing fish. I love this time of year as the water is a bit stained and fish readily take poppers and top-water plugs. Top water plug fishing is usually doe with a casting ‘bait-casting’ rod and reel. This type of equipment not only allows you to throw longer distances with larger plugs with more accuracy but helps you keep your plug walking on the water for much more time throughout the day as you are not reeling up and opening and closing the bail as on a spinning reel. I enjoy showing my fly-fishing clients the art and skill of effectively throwing and working a bait-casting rod and reel. Top-water action in the stained water of the Everglades is second to none. Large snook, tarpon and redfish readily take top-water plugs with aggressive explosions on the surface. I love the fall fishing as most recreational anglers have not came down to Southwest Florida from their summers homes yet so most of these fish haven’t seen much if any pressure for 4-6 months. I look forward to hearing from you and please don’t hesitate to call with any questions regarding injuries for a Everglades Fly Fishing Guide.
Evergladesguideservices.com
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Upcoming Fishing Season!

 

Here is look at the upcoming fishing season!

September-February (Everglades National Park- Chokoloskee)
Will be great time to target big snook, all tarpon sizes, redfish, jack crevelle on the outside of ten-thousand islands and in the rivers of the Everglades, a true wilderness experience. The bait will be pushed nearshore which causes the game fish to school up on the bait balls including large tarpon smashing through bait on the right tides. We will also be hunting laid up large snook and small tarpon in the deepest part of the everglades.  Will target snook and tarpon on fly and plug gear
March-April (Everglades National Park- Chokoloskee)
The annual tarpon migration and resident tarpon time of year in the Everglades. This is as good as tarpon fishing gets in my opinion. You can find tarpon in all different situations and target them with fly and plug gear. One the right weather you can look in one bay and think there is more tarpon there than anyplace in the world, free jumping, slashing mullet and eating flies ands plugs. This is the best place in the world to catch your first tarpon as they are more forgiving. My favorite time of the year!
May-June (Florida Keys- Islamorada)
Private boat and pick-up location in Islamorada, Fl fishing the legendary Florida Keys. This is sight casting with fly only and in gin clear water you can see some of the best tarpon fishing in the world those 2 months. Large tarpon will be eating smaller flies and some of the most visual takes ever, the fishery here demands accurate quick cast. Fishing is right out our back door here and will make a bit of longer runs when the worm hatch starts around the full and new moons. A beautiful time of year!
I hope you can plan a couple day trip in advance and look forward to fishing with you!
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Fresh water

 

Post storm fish have been on fire! Everglades and Naples fly fishing has been productive for mid-sized tarpon, big snook and redfish. With the tannic water these fish will be on the top and ready to eat. Its a great time to fish The Everglades when everyone is dealing with wind, rain and other boats! None of those bother us in the protection of the tall mangrove trees there is always somewhere to hide. Adult Tarpon fishing was good prior to the front and should stabilize after the water settles and clears. I just love the time after the rains as it seems like the place is flushing out and as good as it gets. Come inquire about a fly fishing guide in the everglades and ten-thousand islands.

I teach about the estuary and encourage first time fly fisherman and plug fisherman alike. I am passionate about both kinds of angling here in the everglades and ten-thousand islands. I am located south of naples so can always meet up for some fly-casting lessons or refer you to one of my master casting instructors in the area. I look forward to your next fishing adventure in the beautiful Everglades!

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Everglades Tarpon Season

These next two months I migrate toward these giants, I am in full on Tarpon mode at this point with still fishing for snook when the opportunities arise. I pick up at Chokoloskee Island and have lodging options available for traveling guest. The Everglades in March and April are worth planning a trip around, I still have a day or two available each month along with good May and June dates to chase these magical fish. Tarpon deserve all the credit, best fish that swims in any water know to man and readily eats flies and plugs with some serious acrobatic maneuvers. I love them when they so peacefully roll and gulp air then once hooked they turn into the most aggressive animal Ive ver seen. We have been getting them good on multiple trips, the fish of a lifetime! Give me a call for Boca Grande fly fishing for tarpon or Everglades fly fishing for tarpon.

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December in Southwest Florida

December has been unseasonably warm which has these monster snook confused and just seem to be everywhere we look and big boys too! Have had some great moon tides that have turned our water gin clear, with small cold front approaching the water will be highly visible for low water wade fishing or higher tide sight casting from my new Beavertail ‘Mosquito’ skiff.  These skiffs get us anywhere shallow we want to go and such a comfortable ride!

Snook have been eating a lot of high riding sub-surface flies in skinny water, I like brown when the water clears up like this in the backcountry. For me there it dosen’t get much better than feeding a giant snook after you have seen and stalked him on foot and feeding him within 20 feet, it just as good as it gets fly fishing in Boca Grande.

Fly fishing in the Everglades around Chokoloskee has been great and with some longer runs some of these fish haven’t even heard a boat since Irma and are willing to eat anything they see, the big tarpon can be fantastic on a warm winter day along with smaller tarpon daily but the edges have laid up giant snook in The Everglades currently and I love every minute of it!

Hope to see you out soon to share this great sport of ours.

https://www.evergladesguideservices/

https://www.facebook.com/bocaguideservices/

 

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Winter time Southwest Florida Fishing

Fishing has been on fire in Boca Grande and the Everglades! If you are looking for a great overnight trip to a destination fishery, the Glades is the place! Chokoloskee and Everglades City are back and operational after hurricane Irma; both have affordable accommodations available, and The Island Cafe is open for business once again- which means its time to fish!

Snook fishing has been great the past week out of Chokoloskee. Blind casting edges and sight casting laid up snook in brackish water has been highly productive. It is a true adventure each day and a monster snook on the fly should be on every angler’s bucket list. Last trip we held onto one of the biggest snook that I’ve ever seen eat a fly, until he broke us off into the trees to fade away into the Everglades maze of mangroves. The large snook are moving from the outside into the back bays and now is the time to get after it. December is the best month for monster snook and we are also catching smaller tarpon. I still have December dates available for stalking snook (like the one shown in the video) around Boca Grande area as well as single and multi-day trips in Chokoloskee (2 hour commute from Boca Grande). I am running state of the art Beavertail ‘Mosquito’ skiffs that can make longs runs in shallow water for a comfortable ride.

Late February into June I will be chasing larger resident and migratory tarpon that can be caught on fly as well as plug gear. It is the season I think about all year, with some of the best fishing in the world taking place, when it’s on. I have a few April dates still available as well March. 

Let me know if you plan to be in southwest Florida or if you want to plan an Everglades trip and we can talk about some tides and accommodations. I also have a larger bay boat available for getting the family in on the action.

Please take the time to fill out my google reviews if we have fished together in the past. See you soon!

https://goo.gl/rg56JB

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Chokoloskee Fishing

I have been guiding Chokoloskee area in the Everglades with Fly and Plug for the winter and spring months, fishing has been on fire. Lots of big snook on the outside and inside flowing bays. The smaller tarpon bite has been consistent and have been hooking up with the adults on warmer days really well. Everglades City and Chokoloskee saw some major effects from the hurricane but the fishery as good as it gets right now. With bigger tides in the backcountry these fish are moving around pretty well and the bait is everywhere.  The Everglades is a 2 hour drive from Boca Grande and well worth it, some of the most unbelievable plug and fly fishing with the right conditions. I am able to set up 2 boat trips with 2 anglers per boat as well as accommodations in Everglades City. If you have never fished snook, redfish or tarpon in this area it is an amazing adventure every time with a vast wilderness and stable fishery.

Contact me with any questions about the park or times to go!