Islamorada Fishing Report
Fly Fishing and Light Tackle
Florida Keys and Everglades
A hunting report as it relates to fishing
Being a fly fishing guide in the Florida Keys has its benefits, the biggest one is meeting all the awesome people that make my job fun. I was lucky enough to spend a week in Utah hunting Elk with fellow guide and Gold Cup Champion Captain Jeremy Fisher. Jeremy guides in Islamorada out of Postcard Inn January thru July and Spends the rest of the year chasing trophy Elk, Mule deer, and Whitetail in Utah and the Midwest. When he invited me to Utah I jumped at the opportunity, got an elk tag and hopped on a plane.
Jeremy and I spent six days chasing elk in the Unitas and Wasatch ranges and we got close to elk a few times. I put several miles on my boots, and I’m sure my blisters will stick around for a while to prove it. On the last day we stalked a nice 6x6 elk for a few hours and just as we were getting close he decided to get up and get walk over a ridge to private property, so it goes. The prey can’t win every time. So I come back to the Keys without an Elk, but with a better appreciation for an animal that I have spent a few years hunting.
Every year I go elk hunting, be it in Idaho or Utah, I learn something new, I get a little bit closer to sealing the deal. I spend a lot of time reading, doing research on my unit and area, conditioning physically, anything I can do to to advance my game from one year to the next. I look at where I succeeded and where I failed and fix what I can control. The same attitude can be had in fishing for big game saltwater species. There are some awesome pieces of literature that a beginner and advanced angler can dig into, “A Passion For Tarpon” and Bonefishing!” to name a few. These books teach basic techniques and understanding of the environment and give the angler better idea of what to expect. If you are having trouble with your double haul last season work on it at home, dial it in. If you need to get casting lessons, do it. You’ll be one step closer to making that shot count when that fish of a lifetime comes swimming through that rolling wave or that tail pops out of that slicked out flat.
the fly fishing and light tackle report
I’ll keep the report short and sweet this week. I am finally sitting on my patio peaking through the houses seeing a calm ocean after a week of windy conditions making for tough fishing on the fly. We were fished mostly artificials and shrimp and were able to catch good numbers of decent snook and a red here and there. Finding calm clean water was the ticket. Sight fishing was tough but not impossible.
Prior to the front tarpon fishing was fire and the flats were producing epic snook fishing if you were patient and knew where to look. Next week looks nice and calm and the water should clear up getting the fish back up on the flats and out of their winter holding zones. The wind pushed a lot of water off the flats leaving them bone dry, hopefully with the next moon phase we’ll be able to spend some more time on the flats.
As long as the water temps don’t drop too much the tarpon fishing in the Flamingo area should stay consistent for the next few weeks. I have been getting my clients shots at them, we just need some calm mornings to see them rolling, and they seem to be biting really well!
October is almost over, the weather is starting to cool down. It won’t be long now until we are in full swing of epic snook, redfish, baby tarpon, and lights out Everglades backcountry action. Fall and winter is an awesome time of year in the backcountry. It is the reason that I chose to call Islamorada my home. This area is so diverse and offers so many different fishing opportunities, from bone fishing in town to chasing redfish in the backcountry, this is going to be and awesome fall.
I have available dates in November and December. Holiday dates fill up quickly. Let me know
Tarpon Season is also filling up quickly if you want dates, please reach out as soon as you can. March through June is best.
Thanks for reading the report, if you have questions, comments, or just want to gimme a shoutout, check me out on Instagram, @mooncastanglers or shoot me an email josh@mooncastanglers.com
I love hearing from you guys!
As always check the calendar on the Book Your Trip link for my Availability!
Capt Josh