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note: going to naples florida area for vacation, business or to fish? check out Everglades Angler

Jeremy and I showed up to the Florida Everglades and before we knew it we were bombing through the winding channels of the backcountry with Capt. Kevin Merritt of Everglades Angler. After motoring through this tropical wilderness of tangled trees we made a fast hard turn then Kevin killed the engine and we drifted into an amazing looking cove. Jeremy had the bow shot, and was working the mangrove edges hard and trying to put each cast tight under cover. He was using one of Kevin's go-to flies, the mangrove mouse pattern. The fly touched down in tight cover. Before he even made a strip the fish whacked the mouse and took a nice run, then doubled back trying to get back to his home in the mangrove roots. Jeremy cranked down him and was able to turn his head in the right direction. We thought it was a nice Snook, but when the fish showed himself it was infact a Redfish. I have come to realize that fly fishing in the Everglades is a round the clock mission. As the sun was setting and we were looking for a place to eat we got a call from Mark Ward, the owner of Everglades Angler. He said, “Hey, do you guys want to take my flats boat out tonight to fish the light for Snook?” Jeremy and I looked at each other and said, “Dinner can wait.” So once again we were on a flats boat and I was on the bow. It was a perfect night with now wind and the tide was god. We searched Naples Bay and found the perfect Snook light. As we drifted into I was amazed by the amount of Snook and Jacks darting in and out of the light. I stripped off the line onto the deck of the boat. Made one good cast at the bullseye and the micro EP fly dropped right where in needed to be. A

strip and look another strip and a follow and one more strip and I was hooked up to my first ever Snook. I was surprised by the power of the Snook as the fish pulled a fair amount of line off my reel. Having a killer time in Florida and still plenty more fly fishing to be done. Can’t wait to see what the next fish might be.