As most people know, I manage The Fly Fisherman in Titusville, Florida.  We are a specialty store, and a true pro line fly fishing store.  We carry equipment that ranges from inexpensive to the highest end gear on the market.  Notice that I didn't say that we carry cheap gear.  However, the inexpensive gear that we carry is definitely within the price range of people that are serious about getting into fly fishing.  In addition, it is gear that will make the learning experience easier, more enjoyable, and shorter.  Our motto is that cheap gear is just that "Cheap"; difficult to cast no matter how much experience you have, and definitely doesn't last as long as what we carry.  Still, no matter how inexpensive the gear is that we carry, I always hear about how much cheaper someone can get something at a big box store.  Without naming exact spots, let's just say that the most famous one around me is known as a freshwater fish professional.  Well, a anyone in retail knows, it always pays to know the competition.  So, I headed off to the big box store this past weekend.  I figured that with Christmas around the corner I would find the best deals going, without having to wake up at some unworldly time for Black Friday.

My wife and I headed over and sure enough, the place was packed.  In fact, it was so busy, that we thought they must be having a huge sale.  We walked inside and past through the turnstyle, entering without a single greeting from anyone.  I grabbed a sale sheet, which was prominently available and then tried to go through it.  Well, I found out that you don't try to stand still in this place, or you will get run over by the crowds of people wandering aimlessly, looking like they are lost in the forest.  Finally, we managed to find a spot and thumbed through the sales ad.  After going through it, my wife and I were still trying to figure out why so many people were there; they weren't giving anything away.  So, we went ahead with our test: Find a decent Christmas gift for a relative for under $20; that was the limit we had put each other at a family meeting.  After an hour of searching, we couldn't do it.  Sure, there were odd and end things for $15-$20, but nothing that was really useful.  So, we started going to the items that we knew this person could use.

Surprise, surprise, surprise, the items were the same price at the big box store as they were at my local, family owned and operated store.  Yes, the big box store had more of each item in, but the selection was the same and the prices were too.  So, what was the difference?  Well, how about the fact that I couldn't locate a single employee to help give me some advice on two similar items.  In fact, unless you took a number and waited for more than an hour, you couldn't get any help at all.  Some other differences: crowds of people that were in such a hurry, they would run you over and get upset over the fact you were actually stopping to look at something, items so spread out that you needed to be able to search for hours to find a specific item (again, you couldn't find help to point you in the right direction), and there were a host of other things too.  Well, since I was in a section that didn't quite coincide with my specialty, I figured I would look at things I was more familiar with.

Once again, I was shocked (not really).  Their prices for the same gear was identical to the price at my shop.  In fact, some of the items were even more expensive.  Their selection definitely wasn't better, I could fit their "fly shop" in just the area I have rods.  Again, trying to find help was pretty much useless.  Funnier yet was when I did hear someone trying to help a customer.  Sure, I guess you could use a 10-weight fly rod for bream and bass, but it sure won't be much fun.  Let's not even discuss the rigging.

So, I guess my point is this.  Before you truly believe that the big box stores have it cheaper, do your research.  What you will find is that the prices at most pro shops are right in line with them.  More important is what you won't get at the super store: SERVICE!  Pro shops, whether they are for sewing, hunting, farming, or fly fishing, are staffed my people that actually know their industry.  This knowledge is invaluable when it comes to getting the right product for your needs.  Also, just think that by supporting a local pro shop, usually owned by a local family, you are supporting hard working Americans; maybe that means something to you, maybe it doesn't - to me it means a lot.  That's why, even if I do have to pay a little more, which is rare, I support my local shops.

Tight lines and screaming drags to all!

All of the cold weather last week had those of us at the fly shop hoping for a great weekend.  Weather predictions showed that Sunday was suppose to be incredible, with highs in the 70s and light winds.  Since it was starting out cool, I decided that I didn't need to wake up early and would head out in the late morning.  I was just hoping that the weather predictions would be right.

I awoke Sunday got my coffee and boat ready and was smiling as I drove to the ramp.  The winds might have been blowing at 2 mph.  The sky had some high clouds, but they were broken up and it was allowing plenty of sunlight through.  My favorite part of the day, pushing away from the dock, was even better.  Everything was going off.  Pelicans were diving on bait, dolphins were crashing bait, ospreys were looking for their chance to snag an unsuspecting fish and three eagles (two mature and one immature) were soaring and waiting.  This type of activity usually means that everything is active, including the redfish and trout.  Although the ramp was packed, I didn't see many boats as I ran towards my first spot.  It was a gorgeous run.  There wasn't a ripple on the water and my skiff glided across the surface on one of those magical runs.  The water was much clearer, due to the cooler temperatures, and the puffy white clouds were reflecting off the surface; at times, I felt like I was running through them.  I shut down at my first spot, got the stripping basket and fly rod ready, jumped on the poling platform, and began my search routine.

It didn't take long, as I spotted a nice over-slot redfish cruising about 10 feet off the shoreline.  I was using a new fly and dropped it a few feet in front and waited for his approach.  Instead of continuing in the same direction, he changed and I made another cast.  This cast was right on target, as it poked him in the eye.  Needless to say, he didn't stay around to see what was trying to blind him.  I continued on and found another single fish cruising right on the shoreline.  I dropped the fly in front and he maintained his course.  I began a slow strip and the fish turned and charged the fly.  I stripped a couple of more times and each strip resulted in the fish charging.  He wouldn't eat, he just kept nosing the fly.  Finally, he turned off and continued his searching.  I wasn't ready to give up on the fly yet, as I was sure they would eat it.  I poled about 20 more yards and found two fish coming at me.  They were slowly moving towards me, heads down and tails elevated.  The translucent blue tails were lit up neon signs.  I made a presentation in front of both of them.  One elevated to the fly and sniffed it.  I tried to tease him a bit, but he just turned off the offering and both of them left.  I figured that was enough refusals and quickly grabbed the other rod that was equipped with a crab pattern.  I hadn't seen anything running from these fish, but figured that they rarely turn down a properly presented crab.  It didn't take long to find another fish.  This one was in the mid 30 inches and was cruising and searching with his head down.  I dropped the crab fly in front of the fish and he swam over the top, completely ignoring the fly.  I tried again and this time he changed directions to avoid the fly.  Another rejection.  I poled the boat a little further and found two more redfish that were cruising.  before I could make a cast, a bird flew over and spooked both of them.  I eased my boat into a small cove and found a redfish tailing in grass.  He lifted and began easing along.  I dropped the crab fly past him and dragged it in front, letting it sink towards the bottom.  This one wanted nothing to do with the fly either.  Instead of eating, he bolted from the area.  I stopped and started watching the entire flat, trying to figure out what the fish were eating on.  Then, I spotted one chasing a small shrimp.  I switched back to my original fly and decided to chage the retrieve a little.  The next fish I spotted was in a small cove, pushing along the shoreline.  I placed the fly in front of him and slowly began stripping.  The fish spotted it and charged.  As he got within striking distance, I quickly twitched the fly away, like a shrimp popping.  The fish didn't hesitate with this type of strip and inhaled the fly.  Although he wasn't as large as some of the others, he was still a mid-slot fish and put up a nice fight.  I landed him and got a couple of photos.  I poled into the next cove and found two more fish cruising together.  They were in the middle of the cove, heads down and tails up.  I put the fly in front of both of them and did the same retrieve.  Once again, one of the fish smashed the fly.  I got some more photos and landed the fish for a quick release.  Note: fighting a fish and trying to take pictures at the same time is a new sport.  I continued through the area and found two more fish pushing the shoreline.  Another cast, same retrieve and one of the fish ate again.  This one was a little better and fought hard.  I landed him, took a few more photos and then released him.  I continued through the area and had the same results six more times, except that I didn't land them all.  In one spot, it was a matter of deciding which fish to cast to, as there were reds laid up everywhere. 

This entire process took about two hours.  The fishing was too good to let my wife miss it, so I called her and she said she would meet me back at the ramp.  I poled out, cranked up and ran back to the ramp.  The weather was still perfect, with just a very light breeze and more sun.  I picked her up and headed right back to the same spot.

Kim got ready and within a couple of minutes, had her first shot at a fish.  Then she had her second, third, fourth and so on.  At one point, we lost count at the shots.  On at least four different fish, they charged the fly and turned off at the last second.  I tried to explain the strip to her, but she was having difficulty seeing the fish as they charged and was having to react to my telling her.  Finally, as we were coming out of a bay, we found a fish cruising towards us.  Kim made a great cast and brought the fly by him.  I didn't think he was going to eat, as he swam by the fly.  Then, he turned and began to chase it down.  Kim was able to see the chase and twitched the fly at just the right moment.  The fish accelerated and sucked the fly in deep.  He then turned his head and began to run.  I was ready to put the pole down and start coaching her on her first redfish battle, on fly, when I noticed that her rod wasn't bent.  The fish had spit the fly as he turned to run.  Kim was heartbroken and so was I.  I was really wanting to end the curse of her not getting a redfish on fly.  This was another eat without a hook-up, which she has had a few of.  We decided that her next lesson would be on hook sets and fighting fish.  She got a few more shots, but the light was getting a little low and the fish were getting much harder to see.  Since we were pressed for time, we called it a day.  She had seen more fish in two hours than she had the last five trips.

The day was great, with double digits eating and almost that many landed.  It was one of those days that makes up for the difficult ones and keeps you coming back.  Although a few of the fish were difficult, once I found the strip they were looking for, they were more than happy to eat.  I will post pictures of the fly and the fish after I get them edited for the web.

Tight lines and screaming drags to all.

Four of us met up yesterday and headed out to test some new fly rods and to catch a few fish.  The weather reports couldn't have been more off.  They had called for 5-10, with sunny skies.  It started at 5-10, but the clouds were completely covering the sky.  They were suppose to burn off my 0900, but that must have been western time.  But, we were still on the water.

We split up in two boats and headed off into our own areas.  I started by test casting a shorter fly rod, designed for casting to mangroves and docks.  We had to blind cast, as there just wasn't any light for sight fishing.  I managed to get a nice trout of about 20".  The fish was a little feisty, but was no match for the rod.  The rod, a Ross fly rod, is 7' 11" and would work great for fishing the mangroves, docks, and out of kayaks.  Although it will not pick up a ton of line, it shoots line like a demon.  The craft fur minnow wasn't a problem, even when the winds cranked up to 10-15.

All of us met up and headed to JBs Fish Camp for a little lunch.  Their blackened gator sandwich is great, along with most of their menu.  Afterwards, we headed back out, hoping to find some redfish.

Jim started the second half, as we waited to see the shuttle launch.  It was a spectacular launch and something that you really should see from the water.  Nothing like fishing pristine waters, watching shorebirds, eagles and ospreys and then seeing a spaceship blast off across the sky.

Jim and I tested a new Winston Fly Rod for the next couple of hours.  Despite the fact that the sun had finally come out, we didn't see a single redfish.  We were trying some areas that I hadn't been to in a while and they just weren't holding fish.  The conditions were right, but the fish didn't agree.

Tight lines and screaming drags.

Today was one of near perfect days.  I headed to the ramp at 0630, meeting up with a few friends so we could take a couple of boats fishing.  I took my buddy Troy, while our other friends went in their boat.  The weather was little cool and a light breeze was blowing, but it was predicted to warm up nicely.  We headed north, into the backwaters of New Smyrna Beach.

Troy started out on the bow.  The water levels were still high, despite a straight week of north winds.  I was hoping the fish might be on shorelines, backing or tailing.  Instead, they were just laid up.  Troy got a few shots, but the fish were being extremely skittish.  The few he got good shots at just ignored him.

After a while, we switched spots and Troy let me have a couple of shots.  Since he had been using a shrimp pattern, I went to a crab pattern.  The first few fish refused my presentations.  Most of the fish were still laid up and they were not interested in a passing crab.  Finally, we found one cruising out of a small oxbow and got the crab in front of him.  This one didn't hesitate, crushing the crab.  We were in a tight area and the fight was a little intense as he ran for the mangroves.  I finally managed to land him and he was perfect size for a dinner.

We continued our hunt and I got another shot within a few minutes.  This one tracked the fly and then lost it in the grass.  The next few didn't even act interested.  It was one of those days, one would eat a crab, three others wouldn't.

I took over poling duties and Troy got back on the bow.  We had moved spots and managed to find a few other fish.  Still, Troy just didn't have luck on his side.  We decided to head in, so I could pick up my wife and head to lunch.  Troy said goodbye, having to head to work, and my wife said howdy.

After lunch, we decided to stay out for a while.  I went to some ditches, hoping that the incoming tide would make the fish in them active.  I switched from a crab pattern to a Polar Fiber mullet fly.  I spotted a few fish here and there, but it was always too late to make a cast.  Then, I spotted one far enough away that i had time to prepare a cast.  The fly landed and after a couple of strips, he pounced on it.  This fish was a little better and much feistier than the first.  In fact, the line burn on my finger is still a little sore. (Note to self, remember stripping guards when fishing a sharkskin fly line - I should remember this after having a few cuts).  The fish put up a great fight but was finally landed.  This was the first really nice fish I had taken on my Sage 6080 fly reel.  I will say that it worked to perfection - smooth drag, no start-up inertia and quick line recovery.

The day ended with that fish and me and my wife watching two adult eagles trying to take a fish away from a juvenile eagle.  They are truly an awesome sight to see in aerial combat.

Heading out tomorrow to try out some new prototype fly rods.  Tight lines and screaming drags to all.

I've been asked, on almost every single fishing trip, what my favorite part of the day is.  I don't know that I ever had an answer until I sat down and figured out what makes me smile every single trip.  The amazing thing was, it had nothing to do with fish: seeing fish, casting to fish, hooking fish, fighting fish, or even landing fish.  Sure, those are all wonderful things, but what about the times that doesn't happen?  I still enjoyed the day.  What about the times when everything goes wrong during the day?  Wind, break-offs, missed strikes, unable to locate fish, no clean water, or maybe even the boat breaksdown during the day.  Then, it hit me, there is one time that I am always smiling and thinking about how wonderful being a captain is.

That time is right as I'm pushing the boat away from the dock, to start my day.  The day is full of promise and everything is a possibility.  Maybe we can slam out or even get a grand slam.  Maybe a new record fish.  For new anglers, maybe they will get their first fish.  The sun is usually just starting to rise, showing those first golden rays of light over the eastern shoreline.  I'll have my steaming cup of coffee in hand, sipping as we cruise towards the flats.  Sometimes a dolphin will appear and cruise by the boat; even better is when they are in full feeding activity, blasting mullet as they hunt.  There are always plenty of birds around: pelicans, ospreys, terns, herons, hawks, and if we are lucky enough, an eagle or two.  Summertime will have plenty of manatees lazily surfacing to breath and the sun will glisten of the green and silver backs of rolling tarpon.  When we hit the backwaters, I get to open the throttle up and enjoy the rising sun across a mirror-like surface on a pristine flat.  The boat glides across the surface, no worries or problems in the world.  We turn through a few cuts, getting away from the rest of the world: no traffic, no people screaming, just us and nature.

This is the way the majority of my fishing days start.  This is why it is my favorite part of every trip.  Anything else positive that happens only adds to the experience.  If we are truly fortunate enough to see the fish, make a proper presentation, get the eat and hook-up and then land the fish, it is like putting icing on the cake.  If we happen to have a series of unfortunate events, I can still look back at the start of the day, picture it in my mind, and smile.

Tight lines and screaming drags to all!

Windy conditions have been ruling the weather here, for about the last week.  Winds have been blowing 20-30 MPH, making for some rough sight fishing and poling conditions.  Still, we got out and tried for a bit.

My trip for the weekend was with two regular fly fishing clients.  Due to the heavy winds, I decided to keep in the sheltered waters of New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater.  I di my best to stay out of the direct wind, looking for fish on lee shorelines.  We had an incoming tide, so I was hoping the fish would be active.

I started poling in some ditches, and we found fish within the first few minutes.  The water was muddy, so seeing them was a little bit of a challenge.  The fish were hunting and we made some fly offerings that they just were not interested in.  We changed out flies, going to some that were much more shrimp-like.  A nice mid-slot redfish showed up next and clobbered the fly without hesitation.  It got interesting at that point, with the boat taking up most of the ditch room and the fish deciding that he wanted to be behind the boat.  A little manuevering and a quick drop to release fly line from a trim tab and we finally landed a 6 pound redfish.  We fished out the rest of the ditch, missing a couple of shots at fish, and then headed to another spot.

The next spot was a total bust.  The conditions for it were perfect, but there wasn't a fish to be found.  We exited and I ran to some new ditches.

The ditches were holding more fish.  The only problem was that the wind and current were working against us.  Nothing quite like poling forward ten feet, lifting the pole to reset and going backwards 5 feet.  It made for some slow going.  However, it did afford us the time to see the fish.  A nice cast resulted in an over-slot redfish engulfing a shrimp fly.  The fish made a mad dash and the fight was on.  My client worked hard, but the fish was feisty and the cool water added to his strength.  The fight lasted for some time, but we finally bested him and we measured, weighed and photographed a nice 8 pound redfish.

We continued on, finding a bay that had a large ladyfish.  It ate the fly and put up quite a fight.  We landed it and did a quick picture of our Tarponous Fictionalous.  We continued on and ended the day by getting a fly into another redfish.  I didn't think it was too big, until it ran by the boat.  I got to see its length and mass, which was impressive for a bay fish.  This fish did its best to get around a corner, to break off, but I poled the boat fast enough to keep this from happening.  Another long fight and we finally landed a 31-32" redfish that weighed in a little over 10 pounds.

Our total for the day was 3 redfish and 1 ladyfish.  Not bad for 20-30 MPH winds and fly fishing.  just goes to show that you cannot always worry about the conditions.  Sometimes it pays to just go out and fish.

Tight lines and screaming drags.

On December  5-6, 2009, Flip Pallot and Chico Fernandez will be hosting a light tackle fishing symposium.  The event will be held at Hell's Bay Boatworks,located in Titusville, Florida and is being hosted with The Fly Fisherman.  This two-day, all inclusive class is designed to teach the individual everything they want to know about light tackle flats fishing.  Topics will include, but not be limited to: locating fish, types of tackle, casting, boat set-up, boat construction, travel, tides/winds, knots, and a lot of other topics.  Your registration fees include breakfast and lunch for both days, classroom materials, and tackle to practice with.  This is your chance to learn from two of the true flats fishing masters.  Registration is $600/person.  To register, or if you have questions, feel free to contact me.

E-Mail: john@flyfishermaninc.com