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FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-23

With the excessive heat, last week, there was a noticeable lul in fishing reports.  However, since it cooled over the weekend, we expect to see fishing improve, especially the surface fishing. View full article →
October 17, 2018

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FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-17

Specs are being caught on shad patterns.  Bass are feeding 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.  View full article →

FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-10

Fly Fishing is excellent this week.  After the hurricane moves across the panhandle, we will have beautiful weather.  Bass are schooling on shad,  Bluegill, Crappie, and tilapia join the mix.  Fly casting school, and fly tying club info. View full article →
October 03, 2018

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FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-10-03

 

Week 10/03/18- 10/104/18
Conditions:  Excellent
Surface Temp: 86f
Clarity: Tannic 18-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

Shallowfly Walt laying the graphite to a big one near a nice mangrove in the area.  Great fish fighting technique with the rod tip low.

Tip of the Week: 

Hot days have pushed the fish deeper. Bass fishermen are going to find fish in 4 to 6 feet of water.  There are multiple reports of decent bass at this depth.  The trick is to use weighted flies like a clouser or a conehead bugger, and count the fly down 10 seconds before you retrieve. The faster you retrieve, the more the fly comes to the surface.  This is a problem since the fish want the fly moving fast, and down deep.  Tip for this: 1)sinking line, or 2) sinking-tip or 3) Loop-to-Loop sink tip.  These lines will keep your fly deep, and use a fast retrieve.  Small White shad patterns (yea, been saying this all summer.)  More Bluegill this week.  "Early Bird" will catch the most fish.  The popper bite it still on, fish mornings as the sun rises with poppers.  Colors-Chartreuse, White and Black.  Sizes-Small and Medium.

Trevor Brown showing his small white shad technique.

Techniques:

We have a new/old recommendation with the hot weather.  I used to think it was lazy, still-fishing under an indicator.  Recently, we have had success with flies with soft materials like marabou, or rubber legs.  They undulate with subtlety. Recommended examples are damsel nymphs or wooly buggers which use marabou tails. Wilson's bully spider and the foam spider use rubber legs.  Make a cast. let it sit, sip your beverage, and catch fish. Lazy, but effective.

John Johnson  showing his small white shad technique.

Water temps continue to heat up, with occasional bucket dumps of rain.  This is a formula for cloudy water.  This is a formula for cloudy water.  Some lakes, not all, are very cloudy-even chunky.  This can occur when you put cold rain water on top of hot lake water.  The hot water rises and brings up all the bottom muck with it.  Old timers would say 'the lake has turned.' This is usually a winter phenomenon in Central Florida, but when there are huge downpours of cool rain, this can happen anytime of the year. Our suggestion-change to a different lake for a week.  Come back and the fish will be very hungry!  The heat of the surface can shut down the bite. Structure like overhanging trees is important.  Shade is important.  Work the docks, and shorelines that are in the shade, (these places have cooler water, and provide a great ambush point.) Follow the afternoon shade to find the most aggressive fish. Bluegill success on Dropper rigs  with soft hackle nymphs and bushier style nymphs.  Nymphs should be bushy, with rubber legs, and weighted, as there is plenty of bluegill action on the bottom.   

Jason Bergwell is hunting the first trout of the day on the Au Sable River.  Fish live in beautiful places!

Forecast

Clear skies are forecast for most of the week.  Wind will become an issue toward the end of the week.  Best fishing should be bookend (Early or Late.)  Lake levels are still high.  Some of the lakes are complex to fly fish because the water floods into the grass and timber areas.  Army Corps of Engineers have reduced the water coming out of the  Kissimmee dam (below Hwy 60.) It is below normal level for this time of year.  Econ, near Oviedo, is also low. Myakka, Peace, Hillsborough, and Withlacootchee are above normal for this time of year.---extra care should be taken.  As we eade out of the rainy season, we will watch river leels fall.  Lake levels should slowly recede.  Lakes with large marsh areas will become friendly to fish. We expect bass fishing to be excellent this week.

Max Grimard with his first fly rod fish.  Congrats Max!!! 

Where Great Traditions Begin!   Register Now for our first Full Day Fly Fishing School of the Season.  Next Date is October 13th 
Click here for more info->


Josh Johnson tied this sweet Clouser minnow.

FLY TYING CLASSES 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 Sept. 18th

FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-09-10

Week 09/10/18 - 9/18/18
Conditions:  Good
Surface Temp: 82f
Clarity: Tannic 23-inches

Listen to the fishing report  

xxx

Where Great Traditions Begin!   Register Now for our first Full Day Fly Fishing School of the Season.  Next Date is Sept 22nd 
Click here for more info->

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

Jason Bergwell, Shawn Ceranic, and Trevor Brown took a day trip for peacock bass-Wow!

Tip of the Week:
More Bluegill this week.  Smaller Bass are biting. You've heard this tip for a few weeks-Small white minnows like Grasset's Snook minnow, and white sz 6 Clousers are producing fish. One of our favorites, the popper-dropper rig with classic trout flies on the dropper are catching lots of fish. Bushier nymphs like Gibson's Snymph, Hare's ear, and Prince are catching lots of panfish.  Important-Bead heads to drop to the bottom so use a long dropper tippet (3ft to 5ft).  Size10 down to size16 will do the trick.  Poppers, Sliders and Amnesia style topwater in chartreuse, white, and black for topwater.  We finally heard about a frog pattern catching-it has been a while!  1lb to 2lb bass are taking topwater, again.

 



Love this Peacock Bass Tail-These tropical fish are great fun in South Florida 

Techniques:

We like fly fishing topwater, when they will bite on top. Rrecommendation for the week for bass is for larger poppers/sliders size 2 to 2/0. 12in to 16in bass are working in the shallows.  Follow the afternoon shade to find the most aggressive fish. Expect rain storms in the afternoon.  For the biggest bass in the pond, we will recommend  Reaction style flies like the Schmiderbait Spinner-Fly, Dahlberg Divers, and Game Changer flies. These should be moved fast, forcing a quick reaction from the Bass.  We like white, but 'flash' seems to be most important. Water is flowing through canals and large culverts.  These will be feeding funnels and will create opportunities for the fly angler. Pay particular attention to the seawalls in the canals as they can give a fish a great spot to hang.  Bluegill success on dropper rigs  with soft hackle nymphs and bushier style nymphs.  Nymphs should be bushy, with rubber legs, and weighted, as ther is plenty of bluegill action on the bottom.

Casting Instructor, Chris O'Byrne can catch 'em on a broken fly rod.
7 Day Forecast:

Falling pressure through the week, and clear afternoons til Thursday is forecast. Flowing canals will create feeding funnels and should be an opportunity. Lake levels are very high.  Some of the lakes are complex to fly fish because the water floods into the grass and timber areas. The water levels are very high, docks are under water on the Winter Haven Chain, and flood control damns are wide open. Econ, Myakka, and Kissimmee (below Hwy 60) are at normal level for this time of year.  Peace, Hillsborough, and Withlacootchee are very high---extra care should be taken.  We expect bass fishing to improve to excellent this week.


Our New Tarpon Time T-Shirt pictured with Tarpon Artist, Wes Lott.

FLY TYING CLASSES 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 Sept. 18th

 

The text in this report may look familiar.  We upload weekly to the Orvis Fishing Report for Florida.

Links for Local Weather And River Levels

Local Weather

Water Levels Peace River

Water Levels Econ River

Water Levels Hillsborough  

Water Levels Myakka River

 

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FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-09-05

Conditions are Good in this weeks fly fishing report for Central Florida.  Photos of freshwater fish and flies that catch them from Andy Thornal Co. View full article →
September 01, 2018

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FLY FISHING REPORT 2018-08-31

Week 08/30/18 - 9/06/18
Conditions:  Good
Surface Temp: 82f
Clarity: Tannic 23-inches

Listen to this report as a podcast -> http://www.podcasts.com/central-florida-fly-fishing-da3fbc79d

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 are plenty of bream that are cruising and feeding.  Small white minnows like Grasset's Snook minnow, and white sz 6 Clousers are producing lots of fish. Bluegill and shellcracker are abundant.  The Myakka Minnow is catching lots of bluegill in gold/chartreuse tail.. Popper-dropper rigs with classic trout flies on the dropper are always a best bet.  Bushier nymphs like Gibson's Snymph, Hare's ear, and Prince are catching fish from Sarasota to Orlando.  Bead heads to get them to the bottom so use a long dropper tippet (3ft to 5ft).  Size10 down to size14 will do the trick.  Poppers, Sliders and Amnesia style topwater in chartreuse, white, and electric blue for topwater.  Black and frog patterns don't seem to be catching-not sure why.


Trevor Brown, showing how it's done in his new Kaku kayak.  Kayaks need to have a clean deck (snag free)and need to be wider (stability) for the fly angler. 

Techniques: 

The Summertime pattern is in effect for bass.  They are biting in deeper water.  White Clousers and Grasset's Snook Minnow (white) have caught fish.  Worm patterns (like Wilson's Bass Bully and SCOF's Turd Burgler) in dark and natural colors are catching bigger bass in 5ft of water.  Time to break out the sinking line and a big Game Changer fly for the biggest bass in the lake.   Afternoon rain storms return and will push water through canals and large culverts.  These will be feeding funnels and will create opportunities for the fly angler. Pay particular attention to the seawalls in the canals as they can give a fish a great spot to hang.  Sprogs and foam spiders are catching bluegill fished into the cattails and bullrushes. Bluegill success on a dropper rigs  with grass shrimp patterns and soft hackle nymphs. 

Some nice flies tied by Billy Williams.

FLY TYING CLASSES 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 Sept. 4th.

 

7 Day Outlook:  

More afternoon rain is forecast. Morning should be best for fly fishing topwater.  Flowing canals will create feeding funnels and should be an opportunity. Lake levels are very high.  Some of the lakes get more complex to fly fish because the water floods into the grass and timber areas.  The fish are gorging on little bugs and lizards and other snacks in a place we cannot cast a fly.  The water levels are very high, docks are under water on the Winter Haven Chain, and flood control damns are wide open.  All local rivers are running high and extra care should be taken.

The text in this report may look familiar.  We upload weekly to the Orvis Fishing Report for Florida.

Links for Local Weather And River Levels

Local Weather

Water Levels Peace River

Water Levels Econ River

Water Levels Hillsborough  

Water Levels Myakka River

 

 

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