West Central Florida offers a world-class fishery that is unknown to many fly anglers in the world. With the skylines of Tampa and St. Petersburg visible on the horizon, the fishing is wild and wonderful. Fish the flats and mangrove shorelines of Terra Ceia, Miguel and Joe Bays. Further to the North are Bishop Harbor and Cockroach Bay. While Tampa Bay might feel like a modern day angling paradise when you go to the world famous Charlotte Harbor--it is like "stepping back in time". Its miles of mangrove shoreline, shallow grass flats, sand and oyster bars are home to snook, trout, redfish, tarpon and more. You will also marvel in the wildlife that is abundant here. White pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys, dolphins and manatees call the area home. Since the area is mostly very shallow, it is only accessible to wading fly anglers.

The fishing between these areas are great year round, but peak in the Fall and Spring. During the Fall and Spring you will encounter trout, redfish, snook, and even the occasional baby tarpon. The places that you should be looking for these species should be along the endless shore lines that have a good amount of forage around for the fish, sea grass that harbors many baitfish as well, and drop offs that are perfect places for predatory fish to ambush their prey. If you plan on wading do not forget to bring your wading boots because the stingrays can be thick during these times of year and being stung by one can ruin your fishing trip. The ideal outfit for this type of angling is an 8-weight combo with a floating line. Also, do not forget to bring many patterns, which should include many clouser minnows, deceivers, seaducers and many other saltwater patterns. If you would prefer to fish with an expert you can book a trip with a plethora of captains in the area.

If you ever find yourself in the Sarasota area, a great place to throw a fly would be a grass flat along the east side of the bay. You can ask any tackle shop in the area and they will be able to give you exact directions to the location. You can wade onto it and find yourself thick in redfish, snook, and of course trout.

During the summer most flats anglers will be on the beaches chasing after the elusive Silverking on "fur and feather". Tarpon fishing in the clear, aqua waters of the Gulf of Mexico beaches is a sight fishermen's delight from May through mid-July. Tarpon that will average 80 to 90 pounds and frequently go up to 150 pounds or more are "jumped" or landed daily during the season on fly angling gear. This is true big game fishing. It requires patience and stamina to stalk and land these big fish and few types of fishing can rival the experience or the reward of first spotting your fish, then delivering a fly that fools him. Many times you can actually watch the giant silver king roll up and take the fly. The adrenaline runs high as angler and fish prepare to lock up in a dynamic battle of wills. The flies needed for such a large task are not very large at all. Almost any dark keys' style tarpon pattern or dark bunny will suffice. Large tarpon require specialized fly rods and reels holding a minimum of 250 yards of backing to manage the fierce, long runs. Also, make sure to spool your reel up with either an intermediate or sinking line so you can get the fly to the fish quickly. An accurate cast is a must, and inexperienced fly casters will find it a difficult task indeed. Tarpon are extremely large and powerful and have no real food value. While this type of tarpon fishing is known as beach fishing, you will need a captain or a boat to go on to reach these fish, because they are just out of the reach of a cast. But if you can get on a boat and position your boat 100-200 yards off of the beach you can easily hook up with several fish in one outing.

Another unique summer fishery is for one of Florida's most commonly targeted species, the snook. You can either target this saltwater treat in the numerous lighted docks at night or along the countless beaches that line the coast. An 8-weight outfit with a nice floating line would be perfect for the snook along the beaches and in the lighted docks at night. Many throw baitfish imitations that resemble common baits called a "pilchard" when targeting these "linesiders" along the beaches. Such patterns include white clouser minnows, white deceivers, or any other white or gray pattern that resembles a small bait commonly known as a "pilchard". For these snook along in the surf you can get away with even using 2 pound monofilament as a leader, but you will lose a good number of fish. I would recommend at least using 12 pound for these superior game fish in the surf. While you can use a light leader in the surf you will need at least a 25 pound leader for the fish in the lighted docks at night because there is plenty of structure for them to hang you up on. Lastly, snook season is closed from May through September; unfortunately you will have to release all of these tasty denizens of the sea during this time of year. A great beach to fish for snook is called Turtle Beach. This beach lies on Siesta Key and can be reached by a road called Siesta Key Drive. Drive south on this road until you reach a sign that says Turtle Beach Park. Park your vehicle and start walking down the beach in search of the powerful snook.

While Turtle Beach is accessible by anglers without a vessel, the best stretch of night fishing along lighted docks is not. If you have a boat you can fish an area called Snook Alley. This famous stretch of lighted docks harbors thousands of snook on any given night. To find this great stretch of angling paradise, simply hop on the Intracoastal Waterway and head toward Venice. If you drive by any lighted docks on your way there stop by and throw a fly in because you just might find your next great snook hole. You will know when you are there because the amount of lighted docks is unparallel to anything you will see.

Florida's Tampa and Sarasota area offer an abudant amount of angling opportunites for anglers of all levels. The closest commercial airport is Tampa / St. Petersburg. If you are heading to this area on business or vacation with the family, do not leave your fly rod at home.

Note: Text suppied by Dan Peshkin. Dan is an avid fly angler, tyer and Managing Director of the international angling service-Extreme Angling