For US bonefisherman there is a certain mystic that surrounds Islamorada in the Florida Keys.  I haven’t fished it.  I haven’t fished Florida at all, actually. Part of me doesn’t feel ready and part of me is drawn to places where the catching is more likely.  I want to get there though.  I need to, really.  I just haven’t made it happen yet.

The Florida Sportsman ran an interesting article about the changing nature of Islamorada.  Worth a read.

The notion of “educated” fish has crept into the vernacular, as some species, most notably bonefish and tarpon, have grown over the years more difficult to fool with flies and lures. And yet Islamorada remains one of the world’s top destinations to catch 10-pound-plus bonefish. And the spring tarpon run offers unique access to oceanside as well as backcountry fish.

Nice shot.

Well… this is interesting.  Looks like bones have been on the decline in FL for a while now and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust is going to try and get to the bottom of it.

UPPER KEYS — Bonefish are among the most iconic of Florida Keys sportfish. But with the local population of the legendary “gray ghosts” believed to have declined over the past several decades, a prominent conservation organization is seeking to find out why.

Read the whole story here.

The prey study comes on the heels of a dissertation completed over the summer which concluded that the South Florida bonefish stock has declined 70 percent since anglers descended in large numbers upon the region and began targeting the species as a premier sportfish.

Wow… 70%.  That’s shocking and sobering and maybe a little depressing.

Knowledge is the key here so I’m glad BTT is on the case.

The stars have to align (like the stars that will fund our Series B… if you know anyone interested in investing in a cool Enterprise software product, you let me know, k?), but I’d really like to fish Florida around December/January.  We’ll see if I can pull it off.  I wouldn’t put a bet on it, really.  When you have a big mountain to climb, you don’t fix your eyes on the peak, you look right down at your feet.  A Florida trip is a little bit like looking at the peak right now, but it is also good to have a dream.

The dream looks something like this…

That first shot… the glass flat water and the fish coming on… man… nearly stroked out there.

Totally ripped this picture off from the Saltwater Experience.

Florida… maybe I’ll head to FL for a little fly-meets-fish action if and when I can scrape enough loose change together.  That doesn’t sound like the worst plan of action. The above is from the folks at Saltwater Experience.

Who has been and how was your experience?

Derek Rust is a guy I’ve actually fished with, which isn’t a common theme in terms of interviews I’ve done.  Derek and I fished for surf perch and were largely unsuccessful in doing so.  Derek is pretty big in social media, which is how I got to know him in the first place.  He picked up and moved from the mountains of Northern CA to the flats of Southern Florida.  It is a move I think many of us have at least toyed with in some fantasy world.  Derek actually did it.  That got me thinking that he might make a pretty interesting interview.

The pull….Permit,Tarpon and Bonefish!  It was an easy decision.  I was lucky enough to get an opportunity of a lifetime to work in the Keys as a guide, and since I was spending all of my free time and $ to go to the Keys to fish, it was a no brainer.  I love Tahoe, but guiding there was part time at best.  Florida offered a year round job on the water, and the opportunity to fish all I want on my days off

Nice bonefish there Derek

I think a lot of folks have part of them with a bit of a dream to go be a flats guide. What is one of the highlights and lowlights from your journey?

I guess some of the highlights so far would be catching my first Permit and first double digit Bone on fly, guiding people into the fish of a lifetime, meeting new people, exploring new water all over Southern Florida, and getting to fish just about every day!  I am lucky to say that the highlights are still coming.  The lowlights…..hmm.  I guess the biggest one was leaving Tahoe itself and all of the incredible people I spent so much time with.  I miss the guys I use to guide with out there, and I also miss the beautiful Northern Sierras, the pristine water, the evening Caddis hatches and Steelhead, and summer time sight fishing for Carp.

I’ve heard a lot about how rough the guide culture in Florida can be. What’s your experience with that?

The guide culture in FL….wow.  That is a tough one.  It can be extremely rough down here fitting in.  I am the new guy in a place that is full of guides.  Newcomers are not always welcome.  I have taken a few licks from some of the older salty Captains down here,but, it is all part of being accepted.  I never knew that fishing had so much politics! Tarpon season is the worst.  Learning what is acceptable, and what is not takes a bit of time.  But, it seems like courtesy will get you a long way down here.

Poonage... nice.

Favorite rod and reel?

My favorite rod and reel down here would have to go to my Scott S4S 9 wt with a Galvan Torque T-10 on it.  It is a versatile rod and can get the job done.

Have you hopped over to the Bahamas? Some cheap flights that way.

I can sadly say that I have not made it to the Bahamas yet.  Hopefully I can get over there really soon.  BUt, you know how it is, too many fish to chase, too little time and $ to do it.

What advice would you give to an angler heading to Florida for the first time?

My best advice I can give to someone heading down here for the first time is practice your casting.  Accuracy is key on the flats. A guy who can cast 100 feet of line and is wild as hell will not do as good as a guy who can only cast 50 feet and can put it on a dinner plate almost all of the time.  It is almost always windy down here, so you MUST learn to cast into the wind.  It can make or break a day on the water.  Learn to cast straight into the wind, with the wind over each of your shoulders, with it at your back and from left to right. If you can do this it will greatly improve your odds of hooking up.   Another thing to practice is shooting line.  Minimalizing false casts is crucial.  The water is clear down here, and waving a fly line around 25 times to deliver is cast of 40 feet is no good and will scare the hell out of these fish.    Learn to shoot line on your backcast as well as your forward cast will give you better shots and getting a spooky fish to eat a fly.  And lastly, I would highly recommend learning how to backcast, and, learning how to do it with accuracy.  Not every shot down here is head on, and these fish can appear out of nowhere sometimes making turning the boat impossible.  You will get more shots if you can backcast because frequently you just don’t have time to adjust the skiff for a perfect shot every time.

It wasn’t that long ago that Derek was chasing browns in the E. Walker.  Derek and I started to get to know each other through facebook and twitter and I followed him online after one trip to Florida when it became that Derek was not going to stay in Tahoe… he was going to head to Florida and make it all happen.  Sometime between Florida and Tahoe Derek and I actually went fishing for Surf Perch.  We didn’t do awesome, but it was a first for us.  Derek sent me some flies, I’ve sent him some flies.  He is a good guy and if I make it to FL next year, I’ll fish with Derek for sure.

Glad to say that he’s done that.  He now works at Saltwater Exerience in the Keys and just a couple days ago he ran into a big, big bone.  Good on ya Derek.

Nice!

More tarponish postings, this time from Flatswalker, who is always good for a read.

Day I: Late start, low tide, breezy. Oceanside: small groups, singles, and doubles. Second cast: hooked up! Jump, jump. Sweeeet. Drag singing. Fish off. “Uhhhh… popped ‘im off.” Nope: reel in to find the backing broke! Motored around searching for a #10 yellow line zipping through the water but was forced to admit both the fish, line, leader and fly were gone forever.

via Flatswalker: SaltWater Fly Fishing Guide Blog – Flatswalker.

Billy was an innovator, unsurpassed as a fly fisherman, knowledgeable, a true sportsman.

via IGFA | The IGFA Remembers Fly Fishing Legend Billy Pate.

Billy Pate was a founding member of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.  Never met him.  Never even talked to him, but he sounds like a pretty fascinating guy.

– paid ad below –

Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com

Then he guns the engine. As the boat planes quickly and easily, Huff lifts up his bandanna, revealing a wide smile. “Do you feel that?” he yells to me over the engine’s whine. “We’re free.”

via The Best Fishing Guide Alive.

A little piece in Garden & Gun about uber guide, Steve Huff.

– paid ad below –

Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com

At their April 6 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to put in place new regulations that will make bonefish a catch and release species in Florida. The new regulations take effect July 1, 2011.

via Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

Yeah, I didn’t miss this, but I didn’t really post about it either.  This is good news and the folks at the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust are the folks who you should thank.

Awesome.

Support BTT

– paid ad below –

Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com