FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-10-15 FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA
Report by Allen WyattWeek of 10/15/19
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 79f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 27-inches
Register for Fly Fishing and Casting School on Sat. October 19th
Bring a friend for halfprice
This is an all day event to learn the basics of fly fishing. For the last 25 years, we have taught over 100 students the art of fly casting and how to catch fish on a fly rod. Head Instructor, Chris O'Byrne will lead casting instruction for Mountain stream, Saltwater Flat, and pond/ lake. Inside, we hav instruction on flies, knots, and equipment. We supply the gear and cater lunch. Register now, seats (and rods) are limited.-> https://www.andythornal.com/products/fly-fishing-school
New book by our friend, Chris O'Byrne
Available at Andy Thornal Learn to fly fish anywhere in America, by casting to bass and bluegill near your home. In this humorous small book you will learn; how to find these exciting game fish, a fly cast that will serve you for a lifetime...
Tips
The shad will begin to school in the mid areas of the lake. It will be obvious as there will be action on the surface. Bass will find these schools. Fish the edges of the schools with patterns from 1 to 3 inches. You will need to motor up to the schools as they appear for only a minute or two before diving for submerged hydrilla. You will find this action in the mornings and early evenings. Frog patterns are still good in the shallow weeds and lilies. Push as close to shore from a boat, or fish from shore. Get out a stiff rod, stout leader and make sure you use frog flies with a weed guard. This is the time of year when some of the old-timer-live-bait anglers start net dipping grass shrimp. Blue gill can key into grass shrimp and become selective. Try grass shrimp (scuds) in a dropper rig, a tandem rig, or a tripler. This will be a go-to around Kissimmee grass for Bluegill.
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include 1) Popper/dropper tandem rig for panfish. Using foam body poppers or hoppers, attach a dropper underneath- Grass Shrimp/Scud pattern or beadhead pheasant tail-these should hang 3 to 5 feet off the floater. Technique 2) The smaller bass are cruising with the moderate weather. Anglers should work the edges early and late in the day. Clousers in white, baby bluegill, baby bass, olive, or black, should be worked as far into the weed lines as you dare. Cruising crappie (Specs for the locals) are taking small baitfish patterns next to weedlines. Technique 3) Sinking lines with deep baitfish (EP Everglades Special, EP Shad, or Choklett's Game Changer) should be fished 20-30 ft off the weedlines during the day as Bass are staging for shallower water in 5ft - 8ft of water. This is an opportunity to air out your longest cast as it is all blind casting.
Jason Bergwell with Buttery trout from his annual Michigan trek.
Forecast
Cruising bass and specs will be shallow and near the weedlines. Small black and small white minnow patterns will be good. In addition, watch for schooling shad in the mornings and late afternoon. Buck size bass fishing should be excellent. Try grass shrimp in the Kissimmee grass and cattails. Bluegill should continue to be excellent. Winds will be moderate, increasing in the afternoon. Chance of rain is low for several days, then scattered showers on the weekend. Pressure will fall until the weekend. Waning from a full moon (Oct 13th.) Spec fishing is going to be good as they are cruising grass lines. They will push to mid lake for spawning when the weather cools. Lake levels are still high. We expect lake levels and river levels to fall through the week. At the time of this report: the Peace River is below average. Econ River is near seasonal average. Myakka River is at a trickle, far below seasonal average. Hillsborough is average but the Withlacoochee is flowing above average. Kissimmee River near Frostproof is below average. This week should be excellent for paddle craft on the lakes and rivers.
Learn to tie your own flies at our club meetings!
Next meeting is Oct 29th, Fly tying is regularly at Andy Thornal Company on the first and third Tuesdays at 6pm-7:30pm. We usually tie two patterns including bass, saltwater, and small flies, too! This club atmosphere is friendly for beginners and experts, ages 10-80. Bring your own tools or borrow some of ours. The class is free, but we ask everyone to make a $10 to offset costs. Next club meetig is Oct. 22nd.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-06-03
Your Fresh Water Fly Fishing Report for Central Florida
Conditions: Excellent
Surface Temp: 84f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 20-24 inches
Let us know what you are catching-or not catching-Send your pics of fish, beautiful places, or some of the flies that you have tied. We love to post them on our fishing report! Send to allen@andythornal.com
Calvin Lopez caught one of his all time best bass on a Umqua Diving Frog.
Tips:
Topwater for Bluegill in the morning. The fish are shallow early in the day. As the day progresses they head to deeper and cooler water. Clousers can cover a lot of water in this situation. White, Chartreuse, Blue & Chartreuse are best bets. Game Changer flies fished on a sinking line will put you in the same deep part of the water column as a conventional crank bait, but you can work the fly much slower, even suspended. Take advantage of this unique opportunity. Jigging style flies like Sloppy Jose or Clouser can dissect the water column. Using a sharp retrieve and a long wait between retrieves will create a high-low jigging pattern. Use this until you find the depth the fish are holding. Bass are pursuing frogs as they lay their eggs this season. Umpqua Diver Frogs and Georgia Bullfrawgs can produce the biggest fish of the day. Get out your 8wt and catch your personal best!.
Everyone got a good chuckle about this amazing tiny bass. We recently re-lined this ancient reel and rod, and put it back on the water, where it belongs. Love photos like this!
Techniques:
Bluegill are taking topwater flies. Examples include bugs with light bellies like yellow or chartreuse, yellow sprogs, and white rubber spiders. We also had a report of small crappie (Specs) biting in the morning on small white clousers. We recommend a floater/dropper tandem rig for panfish. Using foam body poppers or hoppers for the floater, attach a dropper underneath-using your choice of pheasant tails, hare's ear or a prince nymph. One of our favorite customers insists on grass shrimp for the dropper. Keep your dropper flies a little deeper than usual and focus on submerged grass lines when throwing streamers. Have you seen all of the dragonflies? It is a good indicator to throw blue poppers and/or green wooly buggers (dragonfly nymph.) Look for wind blown hyacinths, these create instant pockets of shade, and usually harbor tons of bugs. Panfish and Bass will be attracted to them, Tilapia will like eating the roots, and bugs. They create mobile cover for baitfish.
Trevor Brown caught some unexpected Specs in the Summer Heat
Forecast
We anticipate bluegills to be shallow or near shallow water. The topwater bite will continue in the morning. Small buck bass will continue to be good along weed lines and lilies. Frogs are laying eggs, and big frog flies should catch your biggest bass, this week. New Moon is on June 3rd. The high pressure that is parked over the Florida peninsula lowers our chances of afternoon rain and raises heat to near 100 degrees. End of the week shows increasing cloud cover and increasing chances of rain on the weekend. Winds will be moderate except near pop up storms. Expect lake levels and river levels to fall rapidly through the week. At the time of this report: the Peace River is half average level, Econ is a third of average approaching a trickle, Myakka River is above seasonal average. Hillsborough is a little low and the Withlacoochee spillway is almost 0 (which is normal in early June.) Kissimmee River gauge below the Hwy 60 dam is currently not reporting.
Neil Warnock with a paddle board bass. Note that Neil uses both a fly rod and a spinning rod.
Josh Johnson with one of his floating shrimp flies.
Learn to tie your own flies at our club meetings! Next meeting is June 4th.
Crabs and Shrimp Month! Fly Tying is regularly at Andy Thornal Company on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, 6pm-7:30pm. We usually tie two patterns including Bass, Saltwater, and small flies, too! This club atmosphere is friendly for beginners and experts, ages 10-70. Bring your tying tools or borrow some of ours. The class is free, but we ask that everyone make a $10 purchase to offset costs. Next club meeting is May 7th.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2019-01-02
Week 01/02/19
Conditions: Good
Surface Temp: 64f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 18-24-inches
Let us know what you are catching-or not catching-Send your pics of fish, beautiful places, or some of the flies that you have tied. We love to post them on our fishing report! Send to Allen@andythornal.com
Levi Payne is catching a bunch of fish this week!
Register Now for our Full Day Fly Fishing School. Our Next Date is January 5th. Click here for more info/registration Where Great Traditions Begin!
Tip:
Continue to focus on hard cover such as docks and timber. Placement of the flies is important, try to almost hit the cover and fish it deeper in the water column. Fluorocarbon helps the fly sink and also is more abrasion resistant than nylon monofilament. Keep your tippet size at either 2x or 3x since it gives you enough stealth for the clearing water, but also gives you a chance fighting fish near dangerous cover.
Daniel Lanier shares this Bluegill catch from Calhoon County, Missourri. Caught him on a Pheasant Tail Cricket.
Techniques:
Keep throwing streamers with a low and slow retrieve. The fish are responding to shad and bluegill patterns. The smaller size flies are working, with number 6 brush flies matching the "hatch" the best. Have a few streamers tied with either rabbit fur or marabou in case the bass are feeling more aggressive. The added movement in these materials can create some violent strikes. The water is also clearing up in places like Saddle Creek and Teneroc making it even more conducive to fly fishing. Topwater is still working when fished in heavier cover such as lily pads or at the base of trees. With a slow retrieve back to the boat. The top colors have been yellow and olive. Look for the nervous activity caused by the shad, as this is a sure sign that the bass are near. When throwing baitfish patterns the best place to cast is parallel to the shoreline. This allows you to cover more water. Try varying the depth during the retrieve if they aren't responding to a steady retrieve. They are typically schooling on the windblown side of the lake. Bluegill still are hanging around docks and near any moving water. The best way to catch them has been a heavier tungsten nymph drug on the bottom or a worm fly with a squirmito tail on a jig head. When presenting these flies try crawling them by pulling the fly line to your wrist for a slow gradual retrieve rate. Sometimes bass sized flies get gobbled up by a monster bream when working docks or brush piles. This has been key as they prefer to eat them deeper when they are right above the bottom. When fishing near heavy cover for panfish bumping up to 4x tippet will allow you to still be stealthy but have some extra strength around the wood. Specs(Crappie) are still being caught along grass lines. Use baitfish patterns in white, black and/or brown/olive in sizes 6, 8, or 10. Classic popper fishing is recommended at sunrise when the weather is either a little warmer or foggy. Colors is important as the fish are selective. Start with white as this mimics a struggling baitfish then start trying brighter colors such as yellow or orange. Casting these at the base of trees have yielded some spectacular blowups. Popper dropper rigs are a very good way to fish. Use classic trout flies such as a Pheasant Tail or a Hare's Ear Nymph is sizes 10-14.
Tristan Barringer with another amazing bass!
Trevor Brown finished the year with some great fish!
Forecast
The temps will drop as the week progresses and the wind will die down. This will make for a pleasant start to 2019. The lake levels are continuing to drop slowly and clearing in clarity. The Peace, Econ, Hillsborough, Myakka, and Withlacoochee Rivers are all at high river levels. And levels on the Kissimmee River are at below average level for the time of year.
Phil Pope is our Head Fly Tying Instructor. He was finishing some Lo Fat Minnows with his UV light for sale in the fly shop.
Special Fly Tying Session Jan. 15th. Our old friend, Captain Craig Crumbliss will show the art of Bamboo rod making, and teach fly tying.
FLY TYING CLASSES ARE ON FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS at 6:00PM-7:30PM. [Exept this Month since New Years was our first Tuesday-RESCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY THE 15th AND TUESDAY THE 29th.] No reservations needed. We supply materials and tools (or bring yours.) $10 min purchase requested. Because New Year's Day is on the first Tuesday of the month, our next tying class is Jan. 15th. Contact us at 863 299-999 for more info.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-11-13
Week 11/13/18-11/20/18
Conditions: Good
Surface Temp: 75f
Clarity: Slightly Tannic 18-24-inches
Let us know what you are catching-or not catching-Send your pics of fish, beautiful places, or some of the flies that you have tied. We love to post them on our fishing report! Send to Allen@andythornal.com
This is what fly fishig is all about. Chris and Jim Bishop on the Chattooga River.
Tip:
Specs(Crappie) are making the report, finally. Caught outside of lily pads and near deeper water; Specs have been consistent in several pics from customers. Bass have been staying active and the fishing is very good. Streamers have been consistently producing results. Bass have been most productive a few feet off the bank and stripped fairly slow to keep them deeper in the water column around 4-6 feet down. This is where fluorocarbon and intermediate sinking lines come in handy.
Jim Bishop releases another rainbow trout on a great weekend.
Mayan Cichlid, an unusual catch in Central Florida Lakes as they are cold water sensitive. They are very aggressive fighting fish, and an invassive species, usually from an aquarium.
Techniques:
The bass have continued to school up and chow down on schools of shad. This is one of our favorite times of year, since we get to chuck some meaty streamers at some aggressive bass. They have been hanging out a little farther offshore than most people are fishing. Try casting from a boat length away from where you start pounding the bank. The fish are staying in 4-6 ft of water, and they will eat top water flies too. A white gurgler is a great companion to a white streamer to cover all your bases as the bass will be exploding on top one second then retreat to deeper water. Bluegill are hanging around docks and near the mouths of canals. The best way to catch them has been a heavier tungsten nymph drug on the bottom or a worm fly with the squirmito tail on a jig head. Specs(Crappie) are being caught along grass lines and outside of lilies. Use baitfish patterns in white, black and/or brown/olive in size 6, 8, or 10. Classic popper fishing is recommended at sunrise. Colors are important as the fish are selective. Start with white as this mimics a struggling baitfish then start trying brighter colors such as yellow or orange. Popper dropper rigs are a very good way to fish. Use classic trout flies such as a Pheasant Tail or a Hare's Ear Nymph is sizes 10-14, or try an Green Drake emerger sz 10-14.
Conley Whiddon had a great morning with this Grand Slam. White poppers were the ticket at sunrise.
Forecast
With cooler temperatures rolling in at the end of the week the fishing should be good despite the weather shift. Lake levels are still high, but lower than last week. The Peace. Econ, Myakka, Hillsborough, Withlacoochee, and Kissimmee Rivers are all at above average levels. Normal river levels are falling with the season. Lake levels should slowly recede, and are approaching desirable levels.
Billy Williams tied this rubber legged leech pattern. Looks really good! Billy has been catching a lot of trout in N. Ga.- But this fly would be awesome here too!
FLY TYING CLASSES ARE ON FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS at 6:00PM-7:30PM. No reservations needed. We supply materials and tools (or bring yours.) $10 min purchase requested. Our next tying class is Nov 20th. Contact us at 863 299-999 for more info.
FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-29
Week 10/29/18- 11/05/18
Conditions: Good
Surface Temp: 79f
Clarity: Tannic 24-inches
Let us know what you are catching-or not catching-Send your pics of fish, beautiful places, or some of the flies that you have tied. We love to post them on our fishing report! Send to Allen@andythornal.com
Tip of the Week:
There was plenty of action on night time bass this week-marking a change in the fishing. A cool front has mornings at a delightful temp. Bass should be in 4-8ft of water. Weighted baitfish patterns can get deep to these fish on the weedlines. Using a sink tip will make countdown times much shorter for these fish. There is continued success on small white shad, and baby bass, baitfish patterns.
Techniques:
Specs(Crappie) are being caught along grass lines. Use baitfish patterns in white, black and/or brown/olive in size 6, 8, or 10. Also, we've heard about more great spec fishing in the lily pads. Jig vertically through holes in the pads. Hunter tied a weedless jig, specifically for this. Olive, Tan, or brown are best at the moment, but have some brights available. Jig style flies with squirmito tails were very effective last fall. Classic popper fishing is recommended at sunrise. Colors seem to be important as the fish are selective. Popper dropper rigs are a very good way to fish. Use the flies from your trout trip; they work great as droppers. If you are buying flies, bigger nymphs (sz 12) in prince or hare's ear patterns. Get these flies on the bottom.
Adrian learned to cast a fly rod within an hour! More info on Fly Casting Schools->
Forecast
We forecast good to excellent fishing on top water in the mornings, and for schooling bass in 4-8 feet of water. Last week was a full moon with clear skies; encouraging nighttime feeding. With the moon phase changing we see prime feeding moving to morning during the week. Partly cloudy, falling pressure, temps 65-80. Rain is forecast on Thursday and Friday. Wind is an issue all week in the afternoon. Lake levels are still high, but lower than last week. Kissimmee River at the dam (below Hwy 60) is down a large amount since last week, dropping below seasonal norms. Peace River at Arcadia and Econ River at Oviedo have dropped very quickly, and are low for this time. Myakka River is at normal levels. Hillsborough and Withlacoochee are about normal for this time of year. Normal river levels are falling with the season. Lake levels should slowly recede, and are approaching desirable levels.
Renzettie Traveler fly tying vises come in several models.
FLY TYING CLASSES ARE ON FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS at 6:00PM-7:30PM. No reservations needed. We supply materials and tools (or bring yours.) $10 min purchase requested. Our next tying class is Nov 6th. Contact us at 863 299-999 for more info.