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.
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