STREAM TO SEA FLYFISHING SCHOOL

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Happenings & Things Relevant to Fishing the Treasure Coast

What's in the River?

Late summer is fast approaching. Water temperatures are in the lower 80's in the evening and approach 90 degrees in the heat of the day. While fish can be caught throughout the estuary during the day, a mind set of fishing pre-dawn, twilight and at night can reap rewards. By the time the sun is in the air snook are running for cover, tarpon are reluctant to bit and all of the predators have their early warning alarms out. Silence, more silence and arriving at your fishing site by pre-dawn are effective keys to successful fishing. Look for bait fish under birds and approach them with extreme caution.

If another boat is fishing a school of bait fish, show restraint and move on Their are plenty of bait fish that need to be worked! When you find another pod, stop a good distance away and use your trolling motor or pole to where the fish are working. More bait fish and resultant game fish are put down from the surface due to bad manners and simply getting on top of them any other single event. There will be jerks who no matter what will plow into the area where you are fishing. Now a days, it is better to be quite and keep on fishing than to start a confrontation. Even the water ways produce a few bad people!

We have not been at a loss for bait, both off the beach and in the estuary's. The rivers have plenty of mullet and glass minnows while the ocean has a large variety of bait for game fish. There are blue fish, bonito, jacks, spanish mackerel and a host of other predators waiting to feast upon them. We have caught in the same pod of bait fish, blue runners, spanish mackerel, bonito, jacks, tarpon, sharks and cobia!. Morning conditions in the summer make life great for the fly rodder. Calm seas and winds make for great casting conditions. The afternoons, however, spawn some terrific thunder storms. Be careful waiving a graphite rod while there is a threat of thunder and lightening..It's best to get off the water and resume fishing when the weather calms.

Trout and red fish may be found on the flats very early in the morning or later in the evening. Snook season is closed and the larger fish are moving out to the inlets and to the open ocean to spawn. They can still be found around lighted docks and bridges at night. One must be extremely quiet and key your fly selection on the size of bait fish seen in the lights. I really get excited fishing when there is an out going tide and a couple of hours of darkness have elapsed prior to fishing.

As always, play the fish quickly and get them back into the water. A good rule of thumb is that fish cannot be expected to survive if they are not returned to the water in about the time that you can hold your breath. Take them out with wet hands, hold them horizontal to the water and only lift them if you need a quick picture.

Set the Steel,

Roy

Fishing Calendar

Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Snook

G

G

G

G

G

G

VG

VG

VG

VG

G

G

Cobia+

G

G

VG

VG

VG

G

P

P

P

G

G

G

Dolphin*

G

G

G

VG

VG

VG

VG

G

G

G

G

G

Grouper*

G

G

G

G

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

Jack

G

G

G

VG

VG

VG

G

G

G

G

G

G

Kingfish*

VG

VG

VG

VG

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

Marlin*

P

P

P

P

G

G

G

G

P

P

P

P

Pompano

VG

VG

VG

G

P

P

P

P

P

P

G

VG

African Pompano

G

G

G

G

G

P

P

P

P

P

P

G

Red fish

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

Snapper

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

Sailfish*

VG

VG

VG

G

G

G

P

P

G

G

G

VG

Tarpon+

P

P

P

P

G

VG

VG

VG

VG

G

P

P

Trout

G

G

G

VG

VG

VG

G

G

VG

VG

VG

G

Wahoo*

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

G

+near shore, *far shore

What's on the Menu?

Bluefish Cafe Pate

Bluefish may take a bad rap when it comes to taste. Like most game, bluefish taste like what they eat. In the Chesapeake bay region bluefish feed largely on menhaden which are strong and oily. As the story goes, "you are what you eat". In our area, while still oily, bluefish are much more palatable. This recipe, uses smoked bluefish. With a good glass of white wine, this pate served as an appetizer is a winner.

Bluefish Pate:

8 oz. chopped smoked bluefish or Spanish Mackerel

1 1/2 tb sp. lemon juice

1 tb sp. horseradish

1 tb sp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

7 oz. softened cream cheese

Combine the ingredients, with the exception of the cream cheese in a bowl. Lightly mix to preserve the texture of the fish. Blend with the soft cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a good strong cracker.

There you have it.

About the Director:

Roy in Kyak

In the 50's my family lived in Flint, Michigan. Dad was the quintessential outdoors man. As a kid he joined the CCC and worked in the upper peninsula of Michigan. After marrying my mother, his dream was to have a home in the country. When I was still very young, my parents purchased a small tract of land in the middle of a cow pasture on a 120-acre lake south of the city. Like my father, if something lived outdoors, I hunted, trapped or fished it. Dad especially loved to fish and was happy doing so on about any type of tackle. But he especially loved the fly rod. Dad used to say that he could almost communicate with the fish when casting a fly. I knew my dad loved me when he finally allowed me to use his beloved Granger bamboo rod to fish for bass and bluegills. He worked long hours but he fished with me as much as he could and always encouraged me to work on fly-casting skills.

Dad was a self-taught fly caster. Much of what he learned probably came from reading Field and Stream. Like father like son. Years passed before I ever took a formal lesson. When I finally did, I was amazed at how much more there was to learn. My instructor patiently explained how to undo a couple bad habits I had developed and taught me some valuable new techniques. I was thrilled with the improvements in my casting ability.

Back to my story. Time went on and during my middle teens, Dad took back the bamboo rod and for Christmas bought me a Wright Mc Gill fiberglass rod. That rod, plus scores of others are still in my possession.

I grew up, went to college and became an Audiologist and served as an Army officer for 28 years. Throughout my professional life I continued to fly fish from mountain streams in the Pacific Northwest, to Montana and Wyoming, to the Great Lakes and on streams, ponds and freshwater lakes across the country. What saltwater fly fishing I did do, was for steelhead, sea run cutthroat trout or shad. I had no experience in saltwater fly fishing in Florida until my wife came along.

For years I came to Florida with my wife to visit friends and relatives. My wife had to drag me. When we arrived I know I made life miserable for everyone. The beach was hot. The idea of throwing three ounces of lead with a 12-foot pole to catch small shore fish while standing around in that heat had no appeal to me at all. I wanted to go home the minute I arrived.

Finally, when yet another trip to Florida to visit my mother-in-law was looming ahead of us, my wife said, "Look, either come and try to have a good time, or stay home." She started to walk away then turned back. I could almost see the light bulb pop up in her brain. "Pack your fly rod," she said. I started to protest that I knew nothing about fly-fishing in Florida but she brushed me off, "So learn! Pack your fly rod or stay home." I packed my rod.

I was not quite sure what to do and had little luck finding anyone with experience with a fly rod in saltwater. After a little exploring and some trial and error, I found out that if I waded the same areas where the guys go to drown shrimp and I cast a streamer-type fly I could actually catch fish.

I remember my first catch. After the take, the fish stripped out line to the backing. I was afraid he was going to break my 10-lb. tippet and was firmly convinced I had hooked a tarpon. Where were the cameras from ESPN?  Only after landing a 2-lb ladyfish did I finally I understand the true strength of saltwater fish and the exhilaration of catching them. I was hooked!

I retired from the Army after the Gulf War and my wife and I moved to the Virginia mountains. I raised cattle and did some guiding for trout in the Allegheny mountain streams. Before I knew it, I found myself running   the Orvis Fly fishing Schools at the Homestead Hotel, a resort in historic Bath County, Virginia. I loved and still love teaching.  We started spending the off season in Florida. I purchased a kayak and fished the Indian River. To this day, people ask me what am I doing. When I tell them I'm fly fishing, they seem amazed. People simply do not associate fly fishing and saltwater.

Over the past few years I found I was making more and more comparisons between freshwater and saltwater fly fishing in my classes. I realized I was more and more disappointed when it was time to leave Florida. As we drove back to Virginia after our last "off-season" stay, I laughed as I told my wife I couldn't believe I had come full circle - from hating to come to Florida to hating to leave. She had been dozing on and off but I saw her smile. A minute later I added, "But I would really miss my classes." Again, she smiled. After a long time I said, "I suppose I could start a school in Florida." This time she opened her eyes, turned her head and said, "I was wondering when you'd figure that out!"   And so, I realized it was time to move on. With encouragement from family, friends, and students, I decided to start .

As well as a certified Fly Casting Instructor of FFF, I am an avid supporter of the Florida conclave and a member of the council. As a member of the Coastal Conservation Association, I actively support the scientific management of water flow into the Indian River Estuary in order to preserve the shellfish, river grasses and brood stocks of our wonderful game fish. I am a life member of Trout Unlimited and actively worked in Virginia to preserve clean, cool, and healthy rivers to preserve cold water species of game fish.

My goal is to share with you the collected wisdom of our fine staff with the hope that you too will soon be hooked on saltwater fly fishing in or out of boat.

Photo Gallery

Area catches and other image contributions.

Book Reviews

A collection of books, handpicked and reviewed by Stream To Sea. Great reference material.

Calendar & Links

Steam to Sea Calendar, local weather links, tide links, and more.

Lodging

Recommended local establishments and other options.

News & Events

What's in the river?,odds, and ends, fishing calendar, on the menu and about the director.