Fly Fishing

NHSalt

Hi Everyone!

I'm trying to plan a fairly low budget fishing trip to Florida next month and would love some imput. My choices are down to Naples area or in the Keys. This is going to be a pretty low budget trip tacked onto the end of a convention in Orlando, so I'll be on my own, self-guided, fishing out of my rental car. I had pretty much given up on the Keys for cost reasons and I've been there once before and didn't have much luck finding good fishing on a similar styled trip, but I read a reply from Jeremy in Portland, ME which mentioned the Rainbow Bend Resort on Marathon that has small skiffs for use. Given that in mind, how would it compare to the Naples area for shore fishing? Also, anyone have any other suggestions for staying in the Marathon area (on Naples area for that matter) I'd love to hear.

So, given all that, fly fishing from shore~ Naples or Marathon? Pros/Cons, better fishing in Feb., Baby Tarpon??

Thanks for the input! Love the site!
Evan

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

Hello Evan. I have lots of very good friends who are guides and make their living in both areas, and they rely on guys like you and me to hire them for a 1/2 day or full day guided trip. Florida, in particular, has been hit very hard by the economic recession and the guides are having a tough time earning a decent buck these days. So, I will help you DIY and do it super cheap - In return, I only ask that you CONSIDER taking the money that I may save you with any of these tips and hire a guide for a 1 day or even a 1/2 day trip. I just think its good practice to do our part as traveling and VISITING fly fisherman to any fishery, to help keep guiding a viable way to make a living in that region on the world. Of course, you can do whatever you want and you may feel differently - which is just fine too. I just know others will read this too - and if it helps them think "Hmmm, maybe I will consider hiring a guide for a day" - than that's a good thing.

-----------------

So, Sounds like you have done your research and narrowed it down to some pretty good options. Everyone has different styles and interests and goals in terms of what they want to see and what they want to target in terms of species. In relation to your specific question - here are a couple considerations:

NAPLES AREA: Think of the "naples area" more like "the everglades" and, for the most part, more like "jungle fishing" .. Also, don't forget that the waters in the "Naples Area" are very different from Marathon. Infact, its a completely different OCEAN! That's pretty amazing really, when you think about it. And, one of the reasons I love Florida as a fly fishery is because how many other places in the world are like the Florida? Where I can literally be on one side of route 1 casting flies into the atlantic ocean .. and then walk a couple feet to the other side of the road and be casting into the Gulf Of Mexico. So, with that said - Naples area is very different because its a different ocean. You are NOT going to catch or even see permit or bonefish in the Naples area. The primary species of fish that you can realistically catch from or near shore are SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, JACK CREVALLE, LADYFISH, SEA TROUT and a couple others. But, those are the primary species that fisherman target. Now, if you are LITERALLY "in the naples area" you can fish all of the beaches and inlets, although many of the inlets (not all) and the bays that they feed are all locked up and private and virtually impossible to access from foot. Now, that doesn't mean you can't find "creative" ways of night fishing from docks etc.. I will leave that up to your own discretion and creativity Very Happy

- So, what you do have access to are the beaches. Look for rock piles or find "the passes" in the area and you can have a lot of fun. Stop into Mangrove Outfitters fly shop and tell Marshall and Tom I sent you in. They will help you out big time with where to go, flies, tides to fish etc.. Also, one of the things that I love about "naples area" is the night fishing in the bays. Again, private property is a bit of an issue, but there are creative wor-arounds (http://www.fliesandfins.com/article710.html). The waters you fish will be clear and beautiful but more "tea" colored as opposed to the aqua blue waters of the florida keys (marathon) ... Flies tend to be more baitfish patterns (clouses and deceivers) as opposed to crab and shrimp patterns. For CHEAP digs, get OUTSIDE of "naples proper" just get on the tamiami trail (rte. 41) which runs east/west and connects naples to miami. Head OUT of town towards miami and everything starts to get much cheaper. You'll know when you're in the "cheaper" part of town when you start to see walmart and other types of stores like that ... You will then find all sorts of mid-range lodging like red roof inn, comfort inn, etc....

MARATHON/KEYS: I'm definately no expert down there by any stretch of the imaginiation - but, I started going down to Florida Keys many years ago and when I first started, I would fly into Miami and just drive down rte 1 towards key west and fish the entire way. I wouldn't even have a motel booked because I knew there were so many that I could just get one anytime by pulling over to the cheapest one (this does not apply during spring break week though). Anyway, perhaps its just me but I don't consider 3 hours to be a long drive (thats how long it takes to get to Miami from key west) So, from a fishing perspective - I start fishing as soon as I hit Key largo and fish all the way to key west. I simply drive, get a tide chart, track the weather radar on my cell phone and fish any flats that look fishy. And, there are definately no lack of flats on either side of you when driving north or south between key largo and key west. When it comes to flies, everything on those flats eats crabs, so use crab patterns. You might run across some baby tarpon, in which case get some smaller muddler minnow looking flies in black, white and brown. I typically like to fish a flat the entire first part of the incoming tide. So, you can "move with the tides" and "chase the tides" (as you should) so as to maximize your time on the water and always be fishing the "best tide." Also, during winter months there are a lot of little small fronts that can ruin what was or otherwise would be a great day of fishing. But, its often the case, that if you monitor the radar, these little storm systems are isolated to certain sections of the keys. I have seen a nasty system hang over key west and the lower keys for an entire day, so i would head up to islmorada and fish up that way all day in the sun and have a great day. So, not always, but often you can outwit the little systems or fronts that can be so troublesome during that time of year. To answer your question about the rainbow bend lodge. Its not cheap, you can definately find cheaper somewhere on islamorada or on almost any of the upper keys north of islamorada. Come to think of it, it seems that i am always staying in islamorada or just north of it - because its a little "busier" up that way and it seems as though there are more cheap motels to choose from. So, consider posting up in islamorada or just north of that and fishing in either direction from whatever motel you pick. Also, during the winter months, the better bonefishing is in the upper keys and biscayne bay. So, don't be in such a rush to get to key west - there is great fishing in biscayne and from biscayne to islamorada. Oh ya, during the winter months (especially during this economy) you can find GREAT deals on almost everything (including lodging) that you won't find online. Because in todays world, what people tend to forget with all of the "online specials and all of that stuff" is that you get GREAT deals being a "walk in customer" and can often negotiate the prices if you stay for 2 or 3 nights instead of just one. Same applies for food. There are so many great places to eat and they all want your business - so find decent food for cheap is easy.

So, hope this helps. And, if you hit a serious blow of wind - you can always find fish and refuge on the tamiami trail (rte 41) which connects miami and naples .. you are basically in the everglades while traveling that road and there is water on both sides. Plenty of fish in those water, but watchout for the gators as it is literally INFESTED with alligators. If you are safe about it and use common sense you will be fine. Oh, but remember when driving from naples to miami you can only fish the RIGHT side of the road with a saltwater license. If you want to fish the LEFT side of the road, you need to get a freshwater license too. You can call a phone number to get a license and a # .. I don't know what that phone number is - but i am sure you can google it.

Good Luck, Have fun. Let us know how you do!

PS. Good question about the skiffs at Rainbow Bend Lodge. For you, I don't think a skiff is going to really do all that much for you, especailly one of those. It would be better if you had two people and then the rainbow bend lodge with the skiff might make sense because 1 guy could fish and the other guy could pole with the oar and look for fish and "stick" the boat .. but those boats have no anchors and fishing from it on the flat is NOT a good idea. So, the boat becomes merely a mode of transporation to get you out to the outer flats .. that is really what we used it for. But, the policy at the lodge is that you can only use the skiff for 4 hour durations and, I don't know about you but I'm only getting started after 4 hours. Now, a kayak WOULD enable you to get to the outer flats and you could use a rock as an anchor or GET OUT of the kayak and wade with the kayak rope around your waste. That's how I would do it, because if you encounter any trouble (sharks, storms, god only knows what else) the kayak is ALWAYS by your side. So, a kayak might be a help .. but there is something to be said for the simplicity of just the car and the fly rod. Here's a hint (focus on the state parks in the keys .. almost all of them have some decent fishing opportunities at the right time of day and during the right part of the tide) .. Good luck.

NHSalt · Posted: Sun 01/10/10 9:29 am Post subject:

Hey Jeremy,

Thanks! A wealth of information and much more than I had hoped for. Greatly appreciated though, answered a lot of quesions. My best friend is a NH Guide, and I do understand your point and would endorse it completely. I've had a few guided trips in the Keys, but have never been to the west coast. I generally hire guides when I'm new to an area, but unfortunately this will be a really skinny trip... if I can even make it happen. I've pretty much ruled out the Keys for cost reasons, and your comments about the skiffs make sense and will help me feel a little better about giving up that beer watching the sun set in Key West! So if I can swing it, I'll try my luck around Naples and Marcos Island. I'll stop in at the fly shop to supply up and say hi for you. I'll let you know how I did!
Thanks again!