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News, Events
July 2010: The Snook are Here! -- There are huge numbers of snook -- some of them trophy size -- along the Sanibel beaches right now. A light east wind has allowed the water to clear and we are seeing school after school of males and good numbers of very large females cruising along the shorelines. We are thankful that last week's blowout, with an onshore wind churning up the water, is now gone.
On June 9 I landed a 32-incher at the beach near my house and on June 10 I caught (after a long, hard battle) a thick-bodied beauty of a 40-incher! Fortunately, my buddy Rick Kustich -- an author and superb fly angler from Buffalo -- was there to shoot some photos. The 32-incher was caught on a standard No. 2 Schminnow and the 40-incher was caught on a Chernobyl Schminnow (but also tied on a No. 2 hook), with long-fiber palmer chenille and extra-large black mono eyes. Rick also caught two fish, one in the high 20-inch range, on a silver Soluble Minnow. We fished only two hours before we had to leave because he had made plans with his girlfriend. There were still many fish cruising when we left.
Photo by Rick Kustich
The point is not that I have had wonderful fishing, but that we have many, many snook and the catch-and-release fishing for them is ideal for fly fishers. We are happy to get you up to speed about the right flies, leaders and bite tippets to use, and also tell you or teach you the techniques to use to catch the snook. And it goes without saying that we will send you to the right places.
Repeating the Good News -- Hysterical accounts in late winter and early spring on the internet about the winter cold snap have little relation to the reality of the fishing quality. Here are the facts:
Researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute report that the snook population in west Florida is still approximately 1.2 million. Yes, it was distressing to see snook floating belly up in January, but one researcher emphasized that there are still "many, many" snook. He also explained that the population has a compensatory mechanism -- going on right now -- to make up for the loss of about 10 to15 percent of its numbers. With fewer fish competing for the same amount of food the snook will grow faster this year. Also, spawning fecundity will increase dramatically.
In short, we are already experiencing another excellent snook fishing season along the Gulf shoreline of Sanibel, with even more large fish (longer than 30 inches) than last year. Peak season is May 15-October 15.
Come on down and experience this unforgettable sight-fishing opportunity for one of the world's great game fish.
Update: Pristine Beaches and Water -- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is 400 miles away from us. Our beaches and waters are pure and clean. Because the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current is more than 100 miles offshore, it is highly unlikely that the oil will come our way.
On June 9 I landed a 32-incher at the beach near my house and on June 10 I caught (after a long, hard battle) a thick-bodied beauty of a 40-incher! Fortunately, my buddy Rick Kustich -- an author and superb fly angler from Buffalo -- was there to shoot some photos. The 32-incher was caught on a standard No. 2 Schminnow and the 40-incher was caught on a Chernobyl Schminnow (but also tied on a No. 2 hook), with long-fiber palmer chenille and extra-large black mono eyes. Rick also caught two fish, one in the high 20-inch range, on a silver Soluble Minnow. We fished only two hours before we had to leave because he had made plans with his girlfriend. There were still many fish cruising when we left.
Photo by Rick Kustich
The point is not that I have had wonderful fishing, but that we have many, many snook and the catch-and-release fishing for them is ideal for fly fishers. We are happy to get you up to speed about the right flies, leaders and bite tippets to use, and also tell you or teach you the techniques to use to catch the snook. And it goes without saying that we will send you to the right places.
Repeating the Good News -- Hysterical accounts in late winter and early spring on the internet about the winter cold snap have little relation to the reality of the fishing quality. Here are the facts:
Researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute report that the snook population in west Florida is still approximately 1.2 million. Yes, it was distressing to see snook floating belly up in January, but one researcher emphasized that there are still "many, many" snook. He also explained that the population has a compensatory mechanism -- going on right now -- to make up for the loss of about 10 to15 percent of its numbers. With fewer fish competing for the same amount of food the snook will grow faster this year. Also, spawning fecundity will increase dramatically.
In short, we are already experiencing another excellent snook fishing season along the Gulf shoreline of Sanibel, with even more large fish (longer than 30 inches) than last year. Peak season is May 15-October 15.
Come on down and experience this unforgettable sight-fishing opportunity for one of the world's great game fish.
Update: Pristine Beaches and Water -- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is 400 miles away from us. Our beaches and waters are pure and clean. Because the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current is more than 100 miles offshore, it is highly unlikely that the oil will come our way.
Recent projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirm the sentiments of a leading local expert that there is a minimal likelihood of oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill impacting The Beaches of Sanibel and Captiva.
In a technical report released July 2, NOAA reports that the probability of oil impacting the area is less than 1 percent.
The report echoes statements from Kristie Anders, education director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who earlier stated that the chances of oil impacting The Beaches of Sanibel and Captiva are slim. She said the loop current in the Gulf follows the edge of the West Florida Continental Shelf, which runs parallel to the state's coast and extends to about 150 miles off the destination's shores. When the strong current hits the shelf, it curves southward along its edge.
"The continental shelf serves as our guardian angel," explains Anders. "Barring a major storm, it's the greatest reason to be optimistic that we will experience minimal impact from the spill, since it will steer the loop current away from our area and well offshore of Southwest Florida."
Tarpon -- This has also been an excellent tarpon season, with large numbers of silver kings showing up from off of Knapp's Point on Sanibel up to Gasparilla Island. One Colorado resident reported boating nine tarpon -- up to 105 lbs. -- in three dayscasting Eric Leiser's Black Angus fly. This fly is tied with spun marabou and looks very lifelike in the water. Leiser is the author of the best selling fly tying book of all time: The Complete Book of Fly Tying.
We book top-notch tarpon guides for anglers who want to pursue these gleaming giants. Our guides fish with flies, bait and plugs, depending on the wishes of their clients.
Other Species -- Redfish have been scarce along the beaches but some anglers report catching them from the Sanibel Causeway islands and in Blind Pass. They are also showing up in good numbers in upper Pine Island Sound and lower Charlotte Harbor. Seatrout, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish are plentiful along the shoreline. Seatrout are best fished early or late (dusk), since they are somewhat light shy. The causeway islands are good for seatrout virtually throughout the year. Again, the best time is from about an hour before sunset to dark.
Casting Clinics -- We conduct free casting clinics once a month. Most of the clinics are conducted by Norm and his colleague, Federation of Fly Fishers certified casting instructor Joe Mahler from Fort Myers, FL. The next free clinic will be Sunday, July 17. Please check with us for other free clinic dates.
Joe is also available for private lessons at $50 per hour. He is a tournament quality caster and a terrific instructor.
Fly Tying Courses -- Summer is for fishing late, but beginning in November 2011 we will again conduct fly tying classes one evening a week. Classes will be held on Thursdays, except on the first Thursday of the month, when the Sanibel Fly Fishers meeting is held. The classes will start with the basic techniques and flies for beginners and progress over six weeks to more esoteric and complicated patterns as the course continues. Participants may attend as many or as few classes as they would like.
The cost of the course will be $10 per class plus materials. We will offer small reasonably priced packets of supplies necessary (hair, feathers, hooks, synthetics, etc.) to tie the flies featured at each class. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own vises and tools but we will have a limited number of these items available for those who do not have their own. We also offer excellent buys on vises (starting at $19.95) and complete tool sets ($21.95). Anyone may also bring his or her fly tying materials.
Special Events -- Throughout the year we will host free special events, including book signings, appearances by noted fly fishers, and discount/sale periods on certain products.
In late 2010 we will feature Jerry Kustich, noted fly fishing author and co-president of the Sweetgrass Bamboo Rod Company, which produces some of the top bamboo rods in the world. Jerry will conduct a fly fishing presentation and introduce Sweetgrass' new line of saltwater bamboo rods, which hark back to the golden era of Ted Williams, Joe Brooks and other pioneers of saltwater fly fishing with bamboo.
We will also host Jay Nichols, former editor of Fly Fisherman magazine and now the president of Headwater Books and Editor in Chief of Stackpole, the country's No. 1 publisher of fly fishing books. Jay has written and edited a number of fly fishing books and will be signing them during his visit. Joe Mahler and Jay have collaborated on a book of fishing knots -- Essential Knots and Rigging for Trout -- that will be published in the fall of 2010. Joe, a graphic artist, did the illustrations and Jay wrote the text. We will hold a signing event to introduce the new book -- probably in November -- at the shop.
In a technical report released July 2, NOAA reports that the probability of oil impacting the area is less than 1 percent.
The report echoes statements from Kristie Anders, education director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who earlier stated that the chances of oil impacting The Beaches of Sanibel and Captiva are slim. She said the loop current in the Gulf follows the edge of the West Florida Continental Shelf, which runs parallel to the state's coast and extends to about 150 miles off the destination's shores. When the strong current hits the shelf, it curves southward along its edge.
"The continental shelf serves as our guardian angel," explains Anders. "Barring a major storm, it's the greatest reason to be optimistic that we will experience minimal impact from the spill, since it will steer the loop current away from our area and well offshore of Southwest Florida."
Tarpon -- This has also been an excellent tarpon season, with large numbers of silver kings showing up from off of Knapp's Point on Sanibel up to Gasparilla Island. One Colorado resident reported boating nine tarpon -- up to 105 lbs. -- in three dayscasting Eric Leiser's Black Angus fly. This fly is tied with spun marabou and looks very lifelike in the water. Leiser is the author of the best selling fly tying book of all time: The Complete Book of Fly Tying.
We book top-notch tarpon guides for anglers who want to pursue these gleaming giants. Our guides fish with flies, bait and plugs, depending on the wishes of their clients.
Other Species -- Redfish have been scarce along the beaches but some anglers report catching them from the Sanibel Causeway islands and in Blind Pass. They are also showing up in good numbers in upper Pine Island Sound and lower Charlotte Harbor. Seatrout, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish are plentiful along the shoreline. Seatrout are best fished early or late (dusk), since they are somewhat light shy. The causeway islands are good for seatrout virtually throughout the year. Again, the best time is from about an hour before sunset to dark.
Casting Clinics -- We conduct free casting clinics once a month. Most of the clinics are conducted by Norm and his colleague, Federation of Fly Fishers certified casting instructor Joe Mahler from Fort Myers, FL. The next free clinic will be Sunday, July 17. Please check with us for other free clinic dates.
Joe is also available for private lessons at $50 per hour. He is a tournament quality caster and a terrific instructor.
Fly Tying Courses -- Summer is for fishing late, but beginning in November 2011 we will again conduct fly tying classes one evening a week. Classes will be held on Thursdays, except on the first Thursday of the month, when the Sanibel Fly Fishers meeting is held. The classes will start with the basic techniques and flies for beginners and progress over six weeks to more esoteric and complicated patterns as the course continues. Participants may attend as many or as few classes as they would like.
The cost of the course will be $10 per class plus materials. We will offer small reasonably priced packets of supplies necessary (hair, feathers, hooks, synthetics, etc.) to tie the flies featured at each class. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own vises and tools but we will have a limited number of these items available for those who do not have their own. We also offer excellent buys on vises (starting at $19.95) and complete tool sets ($21.95). Anyone may also bring his or her fly tying materials.
Special Events -- Throughout the year we will host free special events, including book signings, appearances by noted fly fishers, and discount/sale periods on certain products.
In late 2010 we will feature Jerry Kustich, noted fly fishing author and co-president of the Sweetgrass Bamboo Rod Company, which produces some of the top bamboo rods in the world. Jerry will conduct a fly fishing presentation and introduce Sweetgrass' new line of saltwater bamboo rods, which hark back to the golden era of Ted Williams, Joe Brooks and other pioneers of saltwater fly fishing with bamboo.
We will also host Jay Nichols, former editor of Fly Fisherman magazine and now the president of Headwater Books and Editor in Chief of Stackpole, the country's No. 1 publisher of fly fishing books. Jay has written and edited a number of fly fishing books and will be signing them during his visit. Joe Mahler and Jay have collaborated on a book of fishing knots -- Essential Knots and Rigging for Trout -- that will be published in the fall of 2010. Joe, a graphic artist, did the illustrations and Jay wrote the text. We will hold a signing event to introduce the new book -- probably in November -- at the shop.
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Large tarpon sometimes move in close enough to fish from shore, usually near the west end of Sanibel. iJnto early fall, large tarpon often cruise in close to the Gulf shoreline.in summer and late fall, large tarpon cruise in close to the Gulf line.n late summer and into early fall, large tarpon often cruise in close to the Gulf shoreli.TEsar
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