Everglades Backwater Tackle

[daStevester]

I will be doing some backwater fishing in Feb in the Everglades Park. The person taking me out suggested I bring my own tackle.
What should I bring on this trip?

[Sneaky16]

You should be prepared for Snook/Reds 8-9Wt and Early Tarpon 10-12wt.
Floating line. If fishing with a guide use his flies.

[lemaymiami]

If you have the ability here's what I'd suggest. It's how I normally set up for a day fly fishing the backcountry out of Flamingo or Everglades City/Chokoloskee.

1. a light rod that you're comfortable with rigged with a floating line. An 8 or 9wt, you can go lighter - down to a 7 or 6wt if you're a really good caster, but an 8 or a 9 will do almost everything you'll need.

2. a medium heavy rod for bigger flies, large bugs,etc. Here, the standard is a 10wt with a floating line, but I'd also bring an intermediate for this rod. The intermediate gives you a lot more options. I have some anglers that are perfectly comfortable working fish up to large tarpon size on a 10wt.

3. The big stick should be an 11 or 12wt setup with an intermediate line to fish rivers and everything else with really big flies or when you're targetting giant tarpon or sharks. If you're going to fish Florida Bay then you'll want a floater instead of the intermediate. An intermediate is all I ever use but a floater if you're in shallower water will be needed.

Remember, as well to have backup lines (even an old beaten up one will do) in case you destroy a fly line. Mangroves are really hard on fly lines....

Good luck.

[flyfishsalt]

With the rods and lines covered well think about this as well :

I take it that you hired a guide who normally takes people bait fishing and he told you that you need to bring your own fly gear. This is a common thing here in florida. While this may seem completely nuts to people who are only used to fishing with guides in the Northeast or with Trout fishing guides in the northern united states things are different down here. This does not mean that you can not catch fish with a guide who does not usually fly fish, in some cases this turns out to be the case but flexibility and knowledge of the fish in the area and feeding habits is the most important part of being successful. However don't expect help with your casting if you are not up to the challenge. In preparing for your trip to the everglades think about casting a floating line on a 9 weight with a wind resistant fly like a large mudler minnow or gurgler. This will not prove to be as easy to cast as a 400 grain sinking tip line and short leader and large clouser like we do up north. Practice your casting on a stepping stool or chair in the yard. I often fish with people who have never fished on a flats boat and they have no idea how to control the line. It is different because you can not strip your line into the water, over the trolling motor, onto the console of a small flats boat, or under your own feet. Think about landing the fly in an area where a fish is sitting in two feet of water or less. By this I mean you can not smack down on the water or line the fish, so acuracy and stealth is key. Lastly think about bringing a stipping basket of your own that you have practiced with because some guide who do not fly fish every day, do not have boats that fly fish well. This can easily be overcome when you have practiced with a stipping basket that you can wear on your waste (orvis style is great).

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is how to have the most fun and enjoy the day while learning from someone with local knowledge. I often meet people while I am fishing in the Everglades that have fished in areas their whole lives. What is so unbelievable and amazing about this part of the world is the diverse plant, animal, and fish life that exists there. While everyone wants to catch tarpon and snook on the fly rod, there are a million other things going on in the Everglades even on a cold windy Febuary day...