Captian Nick's Charter Fishing Blog

Tarpon fly fishing Tampa and Sarasota is in full swing! Lots of fish around and we are getting consistent hook-ups on fly. Thanks to all who have fished with me so far this tarpon season. Expect the fly fishing to be good into August. So there’s still 2 months left to get out and get your tarpon fly fishing fix. There is no Oil in sight and the beaches are crystal clear! Hope everyone can get out there and wet a line.

Capt Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Spring is finally here! I have retired my Jacket for a while and its about time. The fishing for redfish was great in the Upper part of the Bay, but it has tapered off. The water clarity isn’t great and the fish have move on. The low tides that offer great sight fishing reds are getting fewer and fewer with each moon phase. The Fort Desoto area has a good amount of quality reds but have proven tough on a fly.

Trout and Spanish Mackerel have been providing great action for fly rod anglers. Fishing the deeper drop offs and grass edges with chart. clousers has been effective. Getting out early for Black Drum let a few anglers get some 40 + pound fish on fly. But it has seemed to turn into Boca Grande.

Had a good time fishing the #3 Redfly tournament last Saturday. Capt. Bryon Chamberlin and I tried to defend last years win but it was tough fishing. Joe Welbourn and John Wilson took home 1st place honors and big fish with a 19.25 inch red. Sam Root and Tom Tylisz took second with a 16 inch red. Great time and great friends……RedFly #4 will happen in October.

Really the only thing on my mind right now is Tarpon! I am looking forward to another great season fly fishing for tarpon. The water temps are on the rise and fish are starting to show on the local bridges. The fishing will be in full swing before you know it! We’ve already caught a few on fly in some skinny water!

Capt Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Fishing Tampa Bay is getting better and better since the extreme cold weather and fish kill in January. The redfish and trout bite is improving each week as we get closer to spring. If you can get out on the water between the hectic weather we’ve been having, there are plenty of fish around.

There is a good amount of redfish in the Bay right now. We’ve been staying on fish and getting plenty of shots on each trip. There are a few big schools and plenty of singles and small groups of reds spread out over the clear sandy flats inside the bay. A well placed fly will often get a follow or a bite. Sometimes the reds seem to follow the fly for 3-5 feet before eating it or spooking. There is a lot of small baitfish around the reds and a small bait fish fly will work well. I’m having good success with a small crab pattern as well.

Spring is just around the corner. Hopefully the cold weather fronts will give us a break!
I have seen a few snook around the other day as well as couple black drum. A good sign for warmer fishing days to come. The fish that’s always on my mind is tarpon. Tarpon fishing is on the horizon and I’ve been getting my gear ready and tying flies for the upcoming season during the nasty weather days.
Hope everyone can get out there and wet a line!

Capt Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Hope everyone is off to a great start to the New Year! The fishing in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas has been good. If you can brave the cold and get out on the water! Its been cold. As I type this, it is actually snowing in parts of North Florida! I am grateful I dont live anywhere North of the state of Florida. At least we can still get out on the skiff and catch fish despite the cold conditions.

Even in the cold the fly fishing for redfish continues to be awesome. For us fly anglers the cold has helped the redfishing. The fish get super shallow to soak up the sun. Most fish have been caught in a foot or less of water. Sometimes the redfish get so shallow their backs and tails are exposed. We’ve been having some great days on the water sight fishing with a fly. The large schools of fish continue to hang around the shallow sand flats of Tampa Bay.

Seatrout are now in season, not that I plan on keeping any. We’ve been finding good numbers of trout over shallow rock and sand bottom. They also seek the shallows during sunny late mornings and afternoons. Most of the fish have been fat and healthy looking.

I haven’t seen too many dead fish as a result of the cold. Mostly dead catfish on the surface. We’ve scene some large snook in shallow water the last few weeks, but they don’t seem interested in eating. Luckily I haven’t seen any snook kills in the areas I’ve been fishing.

Thanks to everyone who fished with me during the fall season! When the sun was out we had some killer days fishing for redfish. The calm and cloudy days brought tailing conditions. A few cloudy day trips I thought were going to be tough days on the water. But we ended up getting onto large schools of reds tailing in a foot of water. Seeing all those tails defiantly took out minds off the chilly conditions. Anywhere from 1-10 reds were caught on fly each trip, we averaged about 3 fish. Most trips anglers had plenty of “shots” on fish.

We had a few good trips of snook fishing, both day and night during the milder weather. My good friend and fellow angler Greg hooked a particularly large and oversized snook one afternoon. The fish was laid up in shallow water and inhaled his little black fly. The fish never stopped as it took all but a few wraps of backing off his reel. Rather than loose his fly line, he palmed the spool and the fish broke off.

What to expect in the next few months??? The main attraction will continue to be redfish. Big schools and large single fish in skinny water will hang around for fly anglers to enjoy. The fishing a little North of Tampa will continue to produce quality redfish to sight cast to as well. Those monster snook will show themselves during any period of warm conditions. March is a good month to target large snook with a fly. The fishing around the powerplants will be good for snook and a wide range of other species. Tossing clousers on sink lines can produce a smorgasbord of fish. Big Black Drum are a possibility as well.

Tarpon season is just around the corner! Even this time of year tarpon are always on my mind. March can produce early season fish for fly anglers. I’m currently booking days for the 2010 season beginning the last week in April through July. August had good numbers of fish last year as well. May and June are prime months to fly fish for poons. Please feel free to call or email me for the best available dates.

Thanks and I hope everyone can get out and wet a line!

Capt. Nick Angelo
813-230-8473
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Fly fishing the Bay area is continuing to get better and better. The cooler water temps are starting to settle in and the tides are getting lower and lower. What does this mean for the fly fishing enthusiast? It means sight fishing for schools or single large redfish in shallow water! We’ve been finding fish “tailing” or “backing” on grassy bottom, or cruising over clear sandy bottom. It’s the most exciting and rewarding way to fish for redfish. Getting to watch the eat or “the grab” is truly rewarding. There is also a few black drum and sheepshead around doing the same thing. We’ve caught a few, although the sheepies are very spooky and black drum are as blind as a bat.

The trout bite has been good. I’ve seen good numbers of fat and healthy looking trout. They are a great target on the fly. You can’t go wrong with a small chart. clouser fly to catch seatrout. Other target species to target with a fly around the bay right now are little tunny and mackerel. Also look for Cobia showing up on the flats and on the backs of rays along Tampa Bay’s east shore. There is some giant snook showing inside the bay, but they have been a pain in the.. well let’s just say it’s a tough challenge sight fish them with a fly.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Get out there and wet a line!!

Capt. Nick Angelo
813-230-8473
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

The temperature is finally stating to drop a little and the fishing is getting the way it should be this time of year. Fly fishing for redfish is really starting to heat up in areas inside of Tampa Bay. The water clarity is good and we’ve been having plenty of sunny days to sight fish for reds. Fishing the lower water is key to finding redfish over clear sandy bottom or in potholes. The reds are cruising and hunting for food at this time. When you see one, make a quick 30 foot cast with a fly or jig and watch it get bit! Most of the redfish I’ve found are large singles or in small groups. Other species we have been targeting with a fly are snook and some cobia.

The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Sarasota Chapter of the Coastal Conservation will hold the fourth annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge this Saturday, Oct. 31 out of the Ken Thompson Park boat ramp on City Island in Sarasota. The catch, photo and release event features an Open Division and Fly Angler Division. If you like to fly fish please come check it out! Visit http://www.mangrovecoastflyfishers.com/tournaments.php
for more info.

We recently had the Second annual RedFly tournament hosted by Capt. Jon Bull. The weather was horrible but it was a great time meeting everyone and getting out on the water. Here are he results-”Only 3 total redfish were measured in. Joe Welbourn and Tom Tylisz measured a 25.75″ redfish to take second place and $195 prize. First place went to Capt. Bryon Chamberlain and Capt. Nick Angelo who found two great specimens measuring out at 29.00″ and 28.75″ for a total of 59.75″ and a $300 first place prize.” Another All fly tournament may be in the works soon.. Thanks again and I hope everyone can get out there and wet a line!!

Capt. Nick Angelo
813-230-8473
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Fall fishing has arrived in Tampa Bay! The Bay is becoming full of game fish gorging themselves before the coming of winter. The tide is getting real low during the day and the waters are starting to become cool and clear. These are ideal conditions for sight fishing our favorite species like redfish, snook and many more.

The redfish are starting to school up and can be found on the crystal clear sand and grass flats inside the bay. Standing on the deck of a skiff with a fly rod and stalking a “slob” redfish in inches of water is what fall fly fishing is all about. Not to mention the fantastic fly fishing opportunities we have for migratory fish like cobia, mackerel, and bonito! The possibility of a late season tarpon is never out of the question either.

I would like to thank everyone who made it out on the skiff with me this tarpon season. The season had it’s fair share of bad weather making for some challenging days on the water. But there was no shortage of fish to throw a fly at. We had some great days with 5-6 fish going into the air each trip. I would say the average was 2 bites per trip and all but a handful of trips had fish going air born. Just remember the more you tarpon fish, the better tarpon fisherman you become, and the more tarpon you will hook. I thank everyone again for another memorable season. I hope to see you all again next year!

What’s happening right now? The fishing for bonito and mackerel has been off the charts! We’ve been getting between 6-16 bonito on fly and light spin on every trip. The schools of mackerel and little tunny are blitzing all over the mouth of the bay. Mixed in with these schools are small kingfish and a few tarpon. We are also getting into some nice redfish up to 30 inches in parts of the upper bay and also in areas towards the south end of the bay. Evening trips are still a good option for small tarpon, redfish, and snook.

What’s to come in the next few months? Expect the fly fishing for redfish to continue to get better as we get more “blue bird” sky days and super low tides. I will start my season fishing the areas around the Chassahowitzka wildlife refuge for redfish, black drum, trout, and the occasional giant snook. There is nothing like poling the flats during a beautiful fall morning in the “Chaz”. It’s a true piece of old Florida!

Fishing Tampa Bay from the south end to the upper sections of the bay will continue to get better as the weather gets cooler. We can expect to find large schools of redfish cruising over sandy bottom and large singles in just inches of water. The snook fishing can be fantastic. Snook will continue to feed heavily until the first major cold snap. Give us a call or shoot us an e-mail for the best tides and times to go fishing.

Get out there and wet a line!

Capt. Nick Angelo
813-230-8473
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Fly fishing Tampa Bay is great even in August. By far the best way to beat the heat and catch a bunch of fish on fly was to go night fishing. I like to start my trips around 9pm and go till 1 or 2am. But it all depends on the tide. Having good moving water is a must when fly fishing at night.

We pulled on plenty of nice snook and small tarpon, and as many seatrout as one would want to catch this month. Sometimes the snook or tarpon would eat the fly as soon as it hit the water. But most of the time a good clean fly presentation was required. When it comes to fly selection, fish seem to key in on a certain size. We used small 1 1/2 to 2 inch bait fish patterns.

Tarpon are still available but have slimmed out. You can still get shots at fish if you put your time in. You might end up getting a few shots at another species while you wait. I had David from Georgia on the boat with me last week. We saw a dozen tarpon and had a few almosts. But the highlight of the day was when we found a group of 6 cobia on the back of a bull shark. After a few casts we finally connected to a 30 inch cobia. After a photo we found the shark again. We only had a few more chances and the shark headed out to sea. We both really wanted to hook the one cobia that looked about 40 pounds!

We’ve been getting into some groups of poons feeding on bait inside the bay. When we find area with some fish rolling we start casting. Doa baitbusters and plugs seem to work best. But sink tip fly lines and bulky baitfish flies will get it done for a good fly caster. Hope everyone can get out and wet a line!!!

Capt. Nick Angelo

cell: 813-230-8473

www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

The Late season tarpon action on fly has been great the past few weeks! We’ve been getting a good amount of shots each day, seeing between 20-50 fish. Most are singles and doubles, but I have seen a few larger groups between 8-15 fish. It is not the big flows of tarpon we get during the main part of the season. But the fish we are getting now definitely eat better.

We can expect the tarpon to keep thinning out. They will clear the beaches will move into the bays to feed. There is no telling when the season will be completely over. I am not planning on hanging up my 12wt rods any time soon. As long as you have the right tides and the right weather, it is always worth a look.

The fishing after dark has been real hot right now. August is my favorite month for fly fishing when the sun goes down. The sea trout are all over and you can catch as many as you want on fly. For someone new to fly fishing it’s a great way to learn and have some action. I just can’t say it enough. For fly fisherman of any level, there are plenty of big snook, reds, and a few tarpon around to catch after dark.

I had anglers Bob and Richard for an evening of fishing a week o so ago. Bob is from Pinellas and is a seasoned fly angler. His friend and business partner Richard came all the way from China! Richard caught his first fish ever on fly. There were some big snook around and It was too much fun watching him get excited just seeing the fish. The snook weren’t biting that good but Bob did manage to land one and break of a biggin. I was a great trip that I myself enjoyed very much. Hope everyone can get on the water and wet a line!

Capt. Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Tarpon Fishing has been put on hold for a few days due to the crazy weather. We Managed a few days of tarpon fishing in between the storms and blistering west winds. There are still plenty of poons around to through a fly at. We should have some good days on the horizon. As soon as the weather clears and the winds lay down. The fish should be willing to eat, having not been pressured for a while.

Night fly fishing for snook has been excellent. I have taken a few of my tarpon trips for evening sessions due to the foul weather during the day. The Snook have been stacked on the lights along with some trout, reds, ladyfish, and a few small snapper. All the fishing is in the intercoastal waterways. The fishing at night can be safe and we are never more than 100 feet from a dock or land. Night fly fishing can provide great action for both novice and experienced fly anglers.

Capt. Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

 There is no need to travel far from the waters around Tampa Bay to catch tarpon on fly. This past week has proven Tampa Bay’s worthiness as a top tarpon fishing destination. We had poons going into the air on every trip! All the tarpon were sight fished on a fly in crystal clear water. The season is off to a great start. Hopefully we’ll continue to be blessed with sun, clean water and hungry fish.

 The fish have been moving around a bit as of the past few days. We might find a large group of fish one day, only to have the same spot void of fish the next. If you post up and be patient, you will get your shots. As we appoach the New moon next week, we should start to see more and more fish. The better and bigger tides should get fish on the feed.

As for flies, go dark colors in low light, and bright colors with the high sun. Flies with good movement like toads or rabbit strip flies will get the grab. Good fishing and have a safe weekend on the water!

Capt. Nick Angelo

cell: 813-230-8473

www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Will this wind ever stop? The 20-30mph winds we’ve been having over the last few days has made fly fishing difficult. The forecast for next week is calling for sunny skies with lighter winds. I hope it holds true!

Prior to these extreme winds, we’ve had some good days sight fishing redfish and snook. We landed a few nice redfish on fly and threw at some big ‘ole snook. Fly anglers got into plenty of ladyfish, trout, and Jacks to keep them busy. Some of the jacks were big.  We saw a school of jacks at first I thought was a dolphin pushing a wake. As it got closer I realized it was a tightly formed school of 8 Jacks near 20#’s! The largest we caught on fly this past week was about 10#’s. Hooking a jack like that in skinny water we give you a sizzling bonefish like run.

The last of the real low morning tides has past untill fall. We will be targeting redfish and snook closer to the mangrove shorlines. Look for fish to be holding in potholes and around oyster bars. As the tides and seasons change, so do the flies and lures we use. For flies I switch to bait fish imitations such as clousers, puglisi bait fish patterns, and bend backs. When using conventional gear I use D.O.A Cals and top water plugs.

Tarpon season is just around the corner! On windy days like today, I am finishing up tying flies and leaders for the upcoming season. Tarpon will be coming out of their winter slumps and looking to eat. Some fish have already been showing up. Not many, but enough to say we have put a few fish in the air! Feel free to contact me for some good upcoming tide dates for this season.

thanks and good fishing!

Capt. Nick

813-230-8473

www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

Fly fishing for redfish continues to be the thing to do on these winter low tides. Schools and single big fish are easy to spot with the “blue bird” sky conditions. The fish were spooky on the calmer days, but seemed to bite better with a little breeze.

I fished this past week with a few clients and some friends. We had redfish all over the place on one calm and clear day of fishing, just after a cold front. The fish spooked by everything. They would blast out from the skinny water, often before we could make a cast. It was frustrating having so many fish around, and not getting chewed.

The Next day tuned out to be just the opposite. Nice size redfish were out in good numbers. We practically got right on top of them with the skiff. A few redfish turned and ate flies that hit them on the tail. We put some nice fish, pushing 30 inches, in the boat that day.

Ironically the following day brought calm and clear conditions once again. We saw less fish and had some half ass attempts by reds to eat the fly. As my friend Rusty says, ‘What a difference a day makes’. But it’s always nice just to enjoy a beautiful day on the water, with my clients and friends.

Capt. Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com

The redfish in Tampa Bay were schooled up and feeding well this past week. Some redfish schools has fish over the slot.  Fly fishing clients had plenty of shots at fish in clear, shallow water. The fly we’ve been using the most is a small black toad fly. Presentation is key when fishing for these reds. The fly must be hopping away or in front of the fish. I prefer to lead a school of fish and let them overtake the fly before moving it. The fish can be spooky, but take your time with them and you will be rewarded.

Fishing in the Chassahowitzka Refuge has been spectacular for sight fishing reds as well. Although the fish are spread out more because of the warm weather, there’s still plenty to throw at. The low tides offer some fantastic fishing up there. We’ve been catching redfish on fly on every trip, when the cloud conditions are right. But on calm cloudy days, you will get some good tailing redfish action. This cold snap should get the fish grouped together. I am looking forward to the next set of low tides starting monday. Get out there and wet a line!
Capt. Nick
www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com