The Thrill Of Miami Fly Fishing

By Gwen Lowe


Talk about Florida fishermen and most people will probably think of groups of tourists on the flying deck of a fast boat racing out to deep sea waters in search of giant tuna or sailfish. However, Miami fly fishing trips take people to inland salt flats, Biscayne Bay, the Everglades National Park, Flamingo, or the Keys. There are also canal systems throughout Florida that present good fishing opportunities.

The prey is both freshwater and saltwater species. Although casting an artificial fly into the quiet waters of a lake takes tackle and techniques that are different from the equipment and skills needed to fish in the surf, many sportsmen enjoy both challenges. Since the experience is just as important as the catch, both the peace of a quiet shore and the exhilaration of the waves make for memorable times on the water.

Salt is very corrosive, so the reels and hooks are made of different materials. Reels, rods, and lines have to be heavier to match the ferocity of the heavy fishes of the sea. Fortunately, turbulent water can hide the heavier line from fish who are watching the wet fly move along the bottom. Dry flies are not used in the surf.

Technique, which is probably the main point of fly fishing anyway, needs to be adjusted. Casting over rising and falling waves against a stiff on-shore breeze takes much more aggression than is called for on a quiet riverbank. Keeping your balance in the surf is a challenge, as is resisting the cold seawater. Fighting a fifty-pound fish for twenty minutes may be another first that turns this sport into an obsession.

Chartered excursions provide the boat, ice for the catch, tackle needed for the particular waters and species that will be encountered, and the necessary license. Those who take the trip need to provide their own drinks (including plenty of water), food, sunscreen, hat, and camera to record trophy catches. Everyone should have a good pair of sunglasses to protect their eyes from the glare off the water.

Florida provides excellent fishing all year long. Some species of game fish are seasonal, but many spend their whole lives in Biscayne Bay, Everglades National Park, or in the ocean off the beaches of the mainland and the Keys. The inland flats attract many fish that also live in the sea. Catching a shark in the surf will make a great story back home.

Apparently many feel that catching a permit - a deep ocean fish that comes warily to the salt flats to eat crustaceans - is one of life's greatest thrills. These fish are hard to engage with a wet fly, hard to stalk, and hard to land. They're so great a game fish that they're always released to provide another lucky angler with the supreme challenge.

If you think that Miami means catching fish from the flying bridge of a deep sea boat, you are missing a whole world of sport. Check out what anglers are doing in Florida waters for amazing new visions and adventures just waiting to broaden your horizons.




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