Islamorada Fishing Report
Joshua Checkeroski
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Joshua Checkeroski
A beginners Guide to fly fishing for Tarpon

A beginners guide to fly fishing for tarpon in the Florida Keys

A beginners Guide to fly fishing for Tarpon
Islamorada Fishing Report
Joshua Checkeroski
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Joshua Checkeroski
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report
Joshua Checkeroski
Islamorada Fishing Report
Islamorada Fishing Report

islamorada fishing guide

Islamorada Fishing Report

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

2024 Season has Kicked Off!

Now that the holidays are over we at Moon Cast Anglers are getting back into the swing of things. We have two new boats that we added to the fleet! A Hell’s Bay Marquesa that has already proven to be a fishy rig, and a 15ft Gheenoe for ultra sneaky backcountry trips. At 18ft long the Marquesa is a super comfortable ride into that back country as well as being stable for anglers to fish. The 15ft Gheenoe is a great option for single anglers looking to explore the Everglades “No Motor Zones” in search of hungry baby tarpon, snook, and redfish.

Now lets get into the Islamorada Fishing Report!

Snook and Redfish are all over in the backcountry. We’re catching them on flies and live bait pretty regularly. The cold fronts that move in really push the fish into the deeper channels and can make for epic days tossing shrimp on jigs and picking up good fish along the bottom. If you want to sight cast there are good opportunities on these low winter tides, both on fly and spin.

With the Gheenoe added to our fleet, we are doing some really cool sneaky fishing in the No Motor Zones. These areas are packed with fish that get little to no pressure and are super willing to eat. These trips are a one angler program. Fly and artificial baits are best. Trips start from Islamorada on the 25 Contender as we load up the canoe and head into the backcountry. Once there we dock the big boat, lift out the canoe and set out on a Lewis and Clark type of adventure, catching fish and seeing some awesome wildlife!

If you’re looking for a trip closer to town in Islamorada we have plenty to offer here as well. Snapper fishing is on fire right now, so if you want a cooler full of fish, book the 25 Contender and get 3 fishing buddies and load up! We’ll do the cleaning you just have to put fish in the boat.

There have been some bonefish around the flats in town and for the angler looking to challenge themselves this is the fish. Sunny days and a little bit of wind allows us to see and sneak up on the ghost of the flats and a good cast can get you tight with one of the fastest fish in the ocean!

The big question that I get on every phone call is '“TARPON?!?!” Yes. They are around. Warm weather gets them crazy and they can be found this time of year. They can be tough and not everyday is fire. If you want to fish for tarpon, book a full day and let's go find them. This time of year they can be anywhere from downtown Islamorada, all the way into the gulf. Patience and hard work can pay off this time of year when looking for the silver king!

2024 season has started! Expect Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Snook, Redfish, and plenty of table fare on the reefs in town. Let us know if you want to book.

We still have availability for tarpon season on the flats boat, the bay boat is ready to fish and get booked! Let us know what experience you want and we will accommodate!

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Fly Fishing for jacks in islamorada Florida

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

The Start of the 2023 Spring Season is Here

I am really excited to introduce and bring to the Moon Cast fleet the Contender 25 Bay! This boat can fish 4 anglers comfortably, with plenty of seating and room to cast. The new bay boat can fish everywhere in the Everglades backcountry and the reefs off of Islamorada and Key Largo. The new bay is ready to fish and we are now taking bookings for the 2023 season. Moon Cast Bay is located at Post Card Inn Marina in Islamorada just a few steps from my flats boat. Load up the entire family or group of friends and enjoy an amazing ride and the great fishing the Keys has to offer.

Now lets get into the Islamorada Fishing Report!

The backcountry has been hit and miss the past few weeks. The Everglades has either been fishing really well or it’s been tough. The flats out back have been producing snook and redfish. The channels and edges of the channels have been the most consistent. We have a new moon and low water with big tides right now. I have been focusing on the end of the outgoing and the start of the incoming and getting good results on both. There have been some tarpon in the Everglades with these very warm February temps we’ve had.

Closer to Islamorada there has been fantastic rod bending action. The Jack fishing has been fantastic. If you want to catch your first saltwater species on fly or if you want to hook lots of fish on live bait, Jack Crevalle are an awesome species to target. Jacks eat pretty much anything that get infant of them, They’re highly aggressive and put up and amazing fight. They can also be fed top water poppers and plugs if you like to watch epic blowups!

Around Islamorada we have been hooking tarpon, as they are starting to come in with the warm weather. I think this season might start a bit early with tarpon already cruising around in channels, bridges, and edges of flats. If you want a chance at the Silver King let us know and we’ll put you on em!

Permit and Bonefish have been around the flats too. We have been getting shots almost daily on flies and live bait. If you want a challenge and are quick with a cast we can go look for some flats ghosts and tailing permit.

With the new boat comes new fishing opportunities. We have been fishing the patch reefs and bridges and having a great time filling the cooler and pulling on some giant goliath grouper!

The 2023 Spring season is here! Expect Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Snook, Redfish, and plenty of table fare on the reefs in town. Let us know if you want to book. The Maverick Flats boat fishes 2 anglers and the Contender Bay will fish four. Let us show you an amazing experience in the Florida Keys

We still have availability for tarpon season on the flats boat, the bay boat is ready to fish and get booked! Let us know what experience you want and we will accommodate!

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Islamorada, FL

Dropping the boat in the water, getting ready for the days guests.

Islamorada, Florida

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

Happy New Year! Welcome 2023 Season!

The past month has been an exciting time to fish in Islamorada.

Fishing has been great! We had a cold front blast through over Christmas but its warm and the fish are back to biting per usual. The back country has seen an influx of redfish both on the flats and in the deeper channels. Snook are chilling on the flats and in channels and against islands in their usual haunts.

Bait has been tough to come by, I have been using flies and shrimp and getting great results. In the next few days the bait should get cooking again and Ill be out tossing the cast net and loading up in Pilchards. Pilchards are great way to catch tarpon, snook, redfish, mega jacks, and tons of other species on spin tackle. they fish great year round!

We’re now in our full swing for the 2023 season. I am getting booked daily for tarpon season so if there are dates that you are looking at please don’t wait! There are tarpon around town now as well as plenty of permit, bones and jacks. 2023 is shaping up to be a great season.

The 2023 season is here! I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.

I still have availability for Tarpon season, both fly and spin

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

2022 Fall Season is here!

Fall fishing season is in full swing here in the Islamorada and Key Largo! I’ve been guiding a lot! We’ve had awesome fishing on the fly rod and the spin rod. This time of year can be awesome in the back country catching snook, redfish, and baby tarpon on the fly, artificials, and live bait.

I have been getting a few call asking about what effect the hurricanes had on our fishery, well, if anything it brought fresh water down from the Everglades and cleaned out the bay making the fishing fantastic. We had a ton of rain and some wind, Florida bay and the Florida Keys are in great shape for fishing right now and we’re taking advantage of it.

November fishing had been a blast. The backcountry had been producing nice reds, snook, and every now and then a few tarpon. I have been switching back and forth from fly fishing and spin fishing. On the fly days we have had to work a little to find fish, but once we’re on em we have been getting great results. My best flies have been anything black with a sharp hook!

The bait game has been really good as well. This time of year I am throwing the cast net for pilchards and doing really well. Pilchards are a great way to fish Islamorada and the Everglades. Everything besides permit and bonefish eat pilchards. We have been getting great numbers on snook and tarpon bites in town on live bait. The Jacks love em as well. If you want to catch a fish that pulls harder than most in the backcountry lets catch some Jacks!

The 2022 season is almost over! I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.

I still have availability for December

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

2022 Fall Season is here!

Well its been a while since I last posted a report. The summer season was great with good bone fishing, a permit here and there and baby tarpon. We managed to get a few nice tarpon on some long days in Everglades National Park. I just did an amazing hosted trip to King Salmon Alaska, which I will be doing a separate report on. I have also been doing some Florida white tail bowhunting as well. Theres a lot going at Moon Cast Anglers!

Now let’s get back to the fishing. As most of you know Hurricane Ian came through Florida last week. Ian wreaked havoc on South West Florida. We were lucky here in the Keys and avoided the hurricane. We just had strong winds and rain. Our fishing and water conditions are good and getting better everyday. Tons of rain and wind push things around in Florida Bay and give the bay a reset, cleaning things up. Thats a good thing. Fall fishing is going to be amazing here in the Keys. Since Ian the air and water temps have cooled down, which the fish love!

Before and after Ian I have been fishing everywhere. Here in Islamorada the bone fishing has been great on live bait and we’re getting multiple shots on the fly rod every day. Permit fishing around town has been amazing. We’re seen multiple fish a day and even getting some to bite! Permit fishing is hard where ever you fish, and the Keys are no exception. They require pinpoint accuracy and a lot of patience.

Fishing through October is going to be a blast. The backcountry has been producing good numbers of snook and reds. The water is a bit off-color from the storm, but coming into shape nicely. There are still plenty of fish to be caught since the storm. The off-color water offers the angler and guide a little cover when sneaking up on weary snook and reds on the flats. Yesterday we hammered on big snook on banks with the fly and spin rod.

The 2022 season is almost over! I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.

I still have availability for Oct-December

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Tarpon Fly Fishing Florida Keys

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

2022 Season has been BUSy

Well its been a while since I last posted a report. Things here in the Florida Keys have been poppin! Right now we’re in the tarpon season swing of things. Fishing around town and the ocean has been great. We are finally starting to see good numbers of fish cruising in and out of Florida Bay. There has been good baby tarpon fishing in the backs well. I have been targeting baby tarpon in the am and then heading to the ocean for the bigger fish later in the day once the sun gets up. This is an exciting time of year!

Bonefishing around town and in Everglades National Park has been stellar. I’ve had multiple bonefish days in the double digits these past few weeks, both on fly and live bait. I have been really surprised at the amount of bones this time of year. My guests have also been catching permit in town as well. Bridges and flats have been offering amazing opportunities at these spooky fish!

While the fishing in town is what I have been focusing on lately, I have been out to the Flamingo area after the wind has died down and the mud settles. Fishing out back has been good with baby tarpon, redfish, and snook. We have been spending full days back there targeting all three and getting a few backcountry slams on fly!

Fishing through October is going to be a blast. With the warm weather settling in the fish are getting really happy. As the weather settle expect to be looking for fish on the flats. Tarpon season is going to be jamming through Fall. Let me know if you want to book a trip and lets get tight on the fish of a lifetime!

The 2022 season is in full swing. I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.

I still have some availability this May due to cancellations

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Tarpon Fishing Florida Keys

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

2022 Season is Here!!!!

We kicked off the the 2022 season with the silver king this year! We had warm water temps early in the month and we were able to put a few tarpon in the air and even get a few to the boat for some sweet leader action. The warm temps also kept the bones up on the flats and gave my anglers a couple chances to get some shots and land a few of the ghosts before the first real cold front rolled through last week. Now that winter is officially here in the keys we are seeing cooler water temps, better backcountry fishing, and a solid bite in the gulf!

This time of year presents a lot of opportunities for fish due to the changing weather patterns. With the colder water I have been taking my guests to the gulf on nice days and fishing for mackerel on flies and light tackle. If you haven’t had a chance to hook one of these fish, they’re a blast! They’re super aggressive and they rip line off the reel. Pound for pound they can be some of the fastest fish we hook and once we get into them they usually stick around for a while, allowing the angler to hook multiple, sometimes 20 or 30 mackerel!

Fishing in town has been a blast. We were hooking good numbers of giant tarpon before the cold front and I expect that to continue when the water warms back up. We have also been getting some big Red grouper and BIG jacks around town as well. Those big jacks pull super hard and a 20lb jack can wear out even a seasoned angler. We have been catching them on artificial baits as well as flies on sinking lines.

The backcountry snook action has been technical. There are big snook to be found and sight casted to for the fly angler and spin fisherman. Patience is the key here. Poling banks and keeping an eye out for their black backs is the trick and with the colder water a slow retrieve is the move. These fish are holding really tight to the bank on windy days, and if you can stuff it you might get paid with a nice Goliath Grouper as well!

The 2022 season is in full swing. I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.

I still have some availability end of January and throughout February and March

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Bonefishing Florida Keys

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

Beautiful Weather for December!

Well we couldn’t be asking for better weather this time of year. Calm, warm, and sunny days in December? Sounds good to me. The fish haven’t been hating it either. We have had cooler mornings that are typical for this time of year but the days have been warming up into the upper 70s’ and 80’s keeping water temps up and keeping some fish like tarpon happy. The wind has been down so far too making sight fishing on the backcountry flats an absolute blast! Snook and Redfishing has been killer and it looks as though its going to stay that way for the next few weeks.

Fly Fishing in town we have had shots at bonefish, tarpon and weary permit. We have caught a few bones and hooked some tarpon! For this late in the season hooking a big silver king on fly is a real treat! The solid action has been in the Everglades. Snook and Reds are on the flats and banks and we have had an awesome time sneaking up and getting sight casting opportunities to these fish weekly. Being able to stalk and cast at fish on backcountry flats is a blast especially on a fly rod. When these fish are on flats they’re almost always eating, and watching them devour your fly is pretty intense!

Fishing light tackle for the past few weeks has been a blast as well. Bonefishing in town with live shrimp is always a blast, those fish can rip some line off a spin rod! A few tarpon have been hooked in some of the channels around town as well! I have also been taking my spin fisherman out back to fish for snook and reds and we’ve been crushing them on shrimp and artificial baits on flats, channels, and banks. Good fishing to be had by all in awesome conditions these past few weeks!

The Holidays are right around the corner and we are starting to get booked up! If you are looking to get dates for your holiday vacation make sure you check with us. Winter fishing is picking up as fish start to settle into their winter holding zones and its looking like its going to be another awesome winter season in the Florida Keys. If you’re looking to try and catch your first snook or bonefish on the fly give me a call and we’ll make it happen!

I still have some availability throughout December, though dates are getting booked daily.

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Guided Snook Fishing Everglades and Islamorada

Islamorada Fishing Report

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades

Cold fronts, wind, rain, and tight lines!

The weather has been throwing a lot at us! Winter is finally here and water temps have dropped. A big cold front blew in last week making for wet rides to the backcountry, but once we were there we were able to find fish eating shrimp and flies on banks and in channels. There were also fish on flats if we were able to find some clear water.

Fly fishing this time of year presents a lot of opportunities for snook and redfish. Fishing banks can be a lot of fun, especially if you come from a trout and river background. Fishing for snook on banks offers a target and structure to cast to as well as the chance to sight cast to laid up fish. Fishing the backcountry flats offers plenty of sight fishing for snook and reds this time of year and can be a blast for fly anglers, just bring a good pair of sunglasses and practice your casting! There are still some baby tarpon around eating flies and they seem to eat better on the warmer and calmer days, I love to target them early in the morning.

For the spin fisherman, channels, banks, flats, what more could you ask for?! This time of year can be epic for snook and reds in channels. With big tides these fish get stacked up in channels and chow on bait and makes for some awesome rod bending action on live bait. If you’re looking for a challenge, sight fishing for tailing reds on the flats is a blast too.

The Holidays are right around the corner and we are starting to get booked up! If you are looking to get dates for your holiday vacation make sure you check with us. Winter fishing is picking up as fish start to settle into their winter holding zones and its looking like its going to be another awesome winter season in the Florida Keys. If you’re looking to try and catch your first snook or bonefish on the fly give me a call and we’ll make it happen!

I still have some availability for the last two weeks of November and throughout December, though dates are getting booked daily.

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

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

Islamorada Fishing Report

Islamorada Fishing Report

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

Florida Keys and Everglades

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys

Full moons and glassed out conditions for the past two weeks have made for some difficult bone fishing on the fly. We have had some shots here and there but who cares when the back country has been so good? More on that in a few. The flats in and around town have had a good amount of fish on them but due to the full moon they tend to munch at night making day time fishing a bit of a challenge. With the new moon right around the corner things should start to pick up in the anglers favor. We have been gettin bones on live bait, but the sight fishing action requires patience and accurate casting. There have been tarpon in town that are willing to eat and I have been focusing my time and energy on the Silver King!

Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Everglades

I feel like every time I write a report, at least for the past few weeks on the Everglades and Backcountry, it’s the same old story, great fishing all the time. Well its not going to be much different this time around either, with the exception of a few giant tarpon mixed in!

I have had mostly fly anglers for the past few weeks in the backcountry which has put me up on flats. The fishing in the shallows has been gone from great to ok, with fish being able to chow at night with the full moon . There have been tarpon rolling around in the Everglades making for fun afternoons if the wind stays down. The water out back has been clean and casting to rolling fishing is a sight for sore eyes after casting to weary fish on flats. The tarpon are willing to eat and have been in the fun size 20-60lb range. Perfect on a fly rod.

If you’re looking for a quiet time of year to come enjoy the Florida Keys and Everglades and hook up with some of the amazing species we have to offer down here October is a great month to fish. Typically this is the last month before the first cold front comes in making water temps drop and pushing fish into their winter holding zones, tarpon head way up into the the Everglades and offshore, not to ben seen in great numbers until the spring.

I still have some availability for the last two weeks of October, and weather permitting there should be tarpon around through the first few weeks of November. There are always snook and redfish around too!

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

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