Fly Fishing In and Around The Tampa & St.
Petersburg areas of Florida |
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Charter Captains / Guides |
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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. |
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