Everglades Fishing – Captain Ned Small

We found more. Another school, fresh in from the Gulf and settling easily into the still waters of Lake Esperanza. Dan Newman had the foredeck, casting to at least twenty fish, sleepers. He jumped two, the first one, about 100 pounds,  broke us off after a blistering, mud boiling run. The second, a behemoth of about 140 pounds spit the fly on the fifth jump of a magnificent, foam flying, tail-walking dash across the bay. It’s still tough fishing, you have to hang in there while being denied repeatedly, these fish are not dumb, but if you have the grit, there is no greater reward in fishing than hooking a giant sleeper on a fly rod. What’s the antidote for an overdose of adrenaline?

They’re here. Green Giants. The weather was perfect, the water temperature 66 degrees at daylight and rising, Bob and I set out with one thing in mind, tarpon, and we found them. Two different lagoons, each with a newly arrived school of giants. This was Bob’s first attempt at tarpon and I think we have a convert! The opportunities came fast, all morning, knee knocking, adrenaline pumping, technique shattering excitement. Sleepers! After at least a dozen attempts, Bob finally put the fly right on the lips of a giant and she took the fly without hesitation. The battle was brief but glorious. Welcome home ladies.

Water temperatures are finally rising. Local surface temps hit 69 degrees this afternoon. We are packing the tarpon rigs every day now but still haven’t had the first shot. It could be tomorrow! Bob Muder on the foredeck trying for his first ever snook on fly, here it is, a decent wintertime fish.