Flyfishing FWSW

For a change I decided to visit Florida before the hurricane season at the end of May.
The primary target was Snook and then sight fishing for them in the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The “no hurricane” part of the trip was achieved, the sight fishing part did not go that well.

Prior research meaning ask AI yielded the selected time frame as the period with the clearest waters.
Unfortunately real world conditions proved to be otherwise.
Steady SE winds kicked up waves early in the day and thus visibility was usually very poor.

Furthermore the lack of baitfish and visibility meant there were few Snook on the beach.
So in order to catch fish it was either blindcasting near structure or fish near inlets where the
water was usually clearer and Snook could be found.
It was a tough fishery for sure.

Still fish where to be caught and besides the Snook I managed to catch a lot of Seatrout.
I had one freshwater session, in hindsight I had not the right equipment with me for that.
In the end the Tilapia and a Catfish cooperated and I also had a tussle with a Mayan Cichlid.
Jumped a Tarpon, caught a Tarpon and spotted a couple others at the beach and in the ponds.

The Fall Mullet run is definitely a better season to fish with the risk of hurricanes and tropical
storms as a drawback.
Best performing flies a Flatwing Deceiver pattern which I sourced from Piscari Fly in Ireland.
The flatwing in a Mullet livery worked good on the Snook.
A Fulling Mill Foxy Clouser minnow with sili legs that resembled a sandfly was a good pattern
for blindcasting near structure, that fly catches anything.

Mayan Cichlid

Germany 05-05-2025

6 May 2025 admin

Last Monday was a National holiday so I had time off from work.
Off course I went fishing but I started late as the morning was quite chilly.
We had overcast skies and quite a strong north-westerly wind blowing.

Spring had sprung and the canopy over the stream was now green.
All those blooming trees deposited lots of debris though on the water and
patches accumulated at obstructions of the flow.

There where insects about, spotted some sedges and small mayflies.
With all the debris floating on the surface no action on top.
First fly of choice was a squirmy as it was heavy and went down quickly
before getting snagged in floating debris.

The first fish came pretty soon, a small brown trout.
After that it went eerily quiet and even switching to a more delicate nymph yielded no bites.
I decided to move and noticed a big trout just behind a deadfall.
I though I could sneak up on the fish but I was too clumsy and it bolted.

With the trout gone I tried the less wary shiners in front of me.
Despite having a dozen or more fish right in front of me I could not get solid takes.
The next deeper pool had fish in it, even a trout.
With the drought going on the pool was shallow and again I was spotted first, game over.

Moving further upstream again a scene with lots of shiners and no bites.
But then I spotted fish feeding in the surface which I thought where dace.
I tied on a smaller nymph and with the second drift I hit the jackpot, a nice brown trout.

I was thinking that by now only shiners would be in that pool but again I spotted a rather
violent rise. Another cast and bang, another solid brown trout.
After that the shiners started biting with mostly roach and a nice dace.
Further upstream I scared more trout but also landed some smaller ones.
Best day of the season so far.

Germany April 27th.

28 April 2025 admin

Weather predictions for last Sunday where bright sunny skies with only occasional a small cloud.
Ideal to check if something was going on in the chub department.
Off course way to early again as the bugs that chub feed on are still absent.

With the stream being extremely shallow and lacking cover it was almost impossible to approach the fish.
If the fish spotted you first it was game over for the big fish … they did not grow big because they were stupid.

We had some rain last week so the stream was a little bit higher and clarity was down.
Also the algae mats that had grown on the bottom started to drift to the surface.
Lots of debris on the surface so tricky for fishing.

Looking down from a bridge and was not sure the shapes in the water where chub or just weeds.
I rigged up and checked the spot out, I could spot five big chub hovering in the current.
I tried to coax them up with a spent mayfly pattern to no avail.
Nymphs and streamer also failed and the fish finally disappeared.

The early morning was cold so I went to a shallow wide stretch in front of a weir.
I was hoping the shallower spots would warm up early and hold fish.
Insects where on the water and fish rising but they turned out to be tiny bleak.
Had a few on the dry to get rid of the skunk and then moved on.

The third spot was again near a bridge and there was a lot of fish activity.
The surface was crowded by bleak but deeper in the water column I could see chub.
I opted for the nymph and that worked pretty well on the smaller chub.
The bigger ones where too wary though and soon left because of the racket caused
by hauling in the smaller fish.

The last hope for a big fish was to find some free ranging chub.
I checked out an old hot spot with old meaning it used to be productive.
Seeing other anglers with spinning gear was a bad sign but luckily they went in another direction.
Big chub where present but again I was spotted first so no joy.

It was good to see that some chub are roaming the stream again but to early for productive fishing.
We need some more bugs around and more aquatic plants for cover for improved conditions.
The sight of the first mayfly was promising prelude, we just have to wait a little longer.

Germany, 13-04-2025

14 April 2025 admin

My goal for the weekend’s fishing was to check out the chub section of the river.
The coming Saturday would be the warmest day so far with a whopping 22 degrees C.
Alas a terrible headache kept me from going out.

Instead I went out on Sunday with a 180 degree change in weather.
Light rain showers and a considerable drop in temperature.
My first fishing spot was at the entrance of the stream to a village.
I had not been there for a long time and noticed some pretty drastic changes.

Two of the large willows on the stream where in the process to be chopped down.
No cover thus but access to spots otherwise inaccessible.
And despite the sprinkles and strong wind I could see fish moving about.
Unfortunately they where not in the biting mood and the only bite ended in a lost fish.

I finally ended up in a forested stretch of the stream.
Some of the big trees leaning over the water looked pretty dead and dangerous in these windy conditions.
With the drought going on the water was extremely shallow and I could not see any fish.
Only hits from the tiny bottom feeders aka gudgeons.

Not many insects around so surface fishing still out of the question.
Nymphing was again unproductive so the squirmy came into action again.
Only managed one roach, a dace, a gudgeon and a small brown trout.
Even the spots where I was not supposed to fish where empty…

Around five in the afternoon I called it a day and coincidentally that was precise the time
when you could order something to eat at the pub.
So while it started to rain again I sat inside and chatted with the landlord and the usual suspects.
The landlord provided me with some high octane drink to flush away my fishing sorrow.

Germany 06-04-2025

7 April 2025 admin

During last week the weather was very warm, sunshine and hardly any clouds in the sky.
During the weekend temperatures would drop significantly.
When I went out on Sunday the temperature was about 34 F early on.
Once I was at the water the temperature had risen somewhat so it was not that cold.
A strong easterly wind was blowing over the land.

I was prepared with some heavier clothing as the highs for the day would be about 53 F.
Since my visit to the stream last week the outdoors looked quite a bit greener.
I also noted that the algae mats where growing on the bottom of the stream.
Those mats would die off later in spring when the foliage would block out the light.

My first goal was to catch those trout I missed last week.
Tried the same spots and heck nothing was present, in fact on most spots I got no bites at all.
Finally I spotted some tiny fish moving in a pool.
I order to avoid skunk I tried to get one of those, it was a school of gudgeons with some small
dace mixed in.

I wanted the dace but the gudgeons where more numerous so I caught one of those.
Maybe the trout had moved upstream so I checked any deeper pools there out.
Surprisingly I got a hit from a small trout and it went airborne a few times only to throw the fly.
A pool further upstream the same happened.

Spots where I would normally catch shiners guaranteed where all dead.
Nymphs where useless, I got all bites on the squirmy.
There was one pool that was promising and since access was a bit harder than usual it
could be a bonus for finding fish.

I launched the squirmy in the beginning of the pool and got a hit from a good fish.
Turned out to be a brown trout of a decent size for this small stream.
I fished a light tippet so I had to fight the fish carefully with the chance that the
barbless hook would come out if I did not take care.
Luckily it all went to plan and I could land the fish.

I tried some other spots in a downstream section but although I could spot fish I did
not get any bites. Surprisingly as I spotted a lot more insects in the air than last week.
I blamed it on the east wind.
Spring was in full swing, a lot drier than last year though so again weather in extremes.
Noticed the first swallows in the sky back from Africa, also spotted the first stork.

Germany 30-03-2025

31 March 2025 admin

I opted to fish last Sunday which unfortunately was the day with the worst weather possible.
The rain showers where as expected and relatively light, rhe wind however was brutal.
Despite the conditions I could still spot some blue winged olives on the water … heck I call all small mayflies that name.

Any dry fly action was off course out of the question.
The blossoms of the elder trees where covering the water along with dead leaves.
I noticed algae growth had started in earnest as the floor of the stream looked dark from the growth.
It was time to deploy the nymph to see if anybody was home.
I noticed fish in the first pool I came along and managed mall dace and a little brown trout.

Another likely spot was void of fish, I had seen a report from a friend who caught quite a few big
browns so I was hoping to encounter some.
I tried a lot of places but with the low water due to weeks of dry weather fishing was tough.
Also without cover of the leaves and the strong wind stealthy approach was out of the question.

I moved up to another section that boasted more deeper pools but even there I hardly got
any bites. The best I could manage was yet another small brown trout.
I finally spotted a larger fish but from the high bank … I was also spotted and the fish
made fast tracks to safer places.

There was one spot where I had high hopes of catching a decent size trout.
The tricky thing was the wind and a submerged brush at the head of the pool where I expected
a fish. After a few casts short of the target I hit the mark and hooked a big trout, for a short while
though as the hook came out.

Against better judgment I tried a second time at that spot knowing full well it was unlikely that the trout in question would hit the fly again.
Surprisingly though I hooked another fish, smaller thought but I also lost that one.
Other marks I fished where empty.
When I got into another shower I figured it might be time to call it a day and head for a sheltered place to get something to eat and drink.
Luckily my old haunt from days gone by was open again so I warmed up there and had dinner.

Germany 09-03-2025

17 March 2025 admin

I had not been out much this season yet, weather conditions where not favorable so far.
Too often it was cold and miserable so fishing made not a lot of sense.
But we had some sudden outburst of spring when temps skyrocketed like on this day.
I went out pretty late in the morning as the nights are still cold.

Most pools I checked where empty but one or two had fish in them.
Dace where active as I noticed several fish moving about.
The water was clear and a little higher than expected for a period without much rain.
Some small mayflies where buzzing around but nothing to get fish rising as it is still
way to early.

I managed several dace on the pheasant-tail nymph and even landed an out of season brown trout (season starts middle march).
Migratory birds have returned like lapwings, oystercatchers and the likes and I have
heard great cranes heading north in the night sky.

My go to pub had gone down the drain during the winter so to get anything to eat I had to go to plan B.
I still found a place nearby that was open so I could end the day with a warm meal.

Germany 21-02-2025

22 February 2025 admin

Last Friday I had to extend my license at one of the syndicates I am in.
With the sudden warm spring weather it seemed a perfect opportunity
to take the day off and go fishing.

Since it had been cold for a long time I did not expect much to move.
The water was slightly higher than usual and visibility was good.
I only tried the most likely holding spots but all where void of life, could not spot anything.

The last hope was put on the dead arm of a feeder stream.
That spot always held fish but when I arrived I missed the telltale signs of moving fish.
It took a while before I spotted a dust cloud in the stagnant water.

At first I suspected a muskrat or carp but then I spotted an actual pike parked in the bank.
Not soon after that a second pike appeared and a whole racket started.
The pike where obviously in spawning mode.

A diving kingfisher showed me the location of fish.
I dropped a squirmy in the water and got many nibbles from small fish.
I could spot a lot of these tiny fish moving about and in the end I managed
to catch one small roach, mission accomplished.

Germany 10-11-2024

11 November 2024 admin

Last weekend the best day to go fishing turned out to be Sunday as the weathercast actually predicted a rare appearance of the sun.
In the morning though the weather gods could not decide between fog or continuous light drizzle.

Temperature predictions where around 8 degrees C, so not particularly comfy.
Opted for inner village fishing as I expected the most fish to be present there.
My old hotspot that used to be a pool of some depth was apparently filled for the most part with sand. Having said that I spotted several moving about at the edges where it was a little deeper.

I opted to fish with a double nymph setup and tied on two pheasant tail patterns to gain some depth. That worked out pretty well and it was the first time ever that I had several double hookups. The fish species moving about where roach and dace.
Another first was that I caught a little chub at this spot which should not be possible as the
weir in the next village downstream poses an impassable barrier.

Of course, catching so many fish from the same shallow spot soon proved to much and the bite stopped. The upstream section was a straight shallow stretch, lifeless with the exception of one spot where the current had scoured a deeper hole.
A lot of dace were around that even went for the indicator.

After a while I got tired of all the dog walkers behind me with their barking mutts so I tried the mill pool for pike or perch … nothing to be had though.
In the end I went for the solitude of the forest but not much was moving there with the exception of one small gudgeon and a small dace.

In the mean time the solid cloud cover had finally broken and a glimpse of the sun could be seen.
I fished a small rapid next that usually only produced tiny fish due to it’s shallowness but this time I hooked a solid brown trout. A hanging offence as trout season was closed but interesting nonetheless as the red markings on adipose fin almost made me believe it was a wild fish.

That trout was the icing on my fishing day and with a late start on this day time and daylight
would soon run out so I called it a day.

Florida 2024

28 October 2024 admin

To put it short this years trip was a combination of disasters being hurricanes back to back
and personal tragedy that caused me to break off the trip after one week.

So back to business … prior to my departure hurricane Helene had pounded Florida, Georgia and the
Carolinas so I was not sure if my flight would depart due to damages along the route.
With the airlines usually not that forthcoming with giving info about cancellations the decision to
cancel or not cancel was made by using info from poweroutage.us.

With all counties that I had to pass having power for 85 percent or more I figured airports and
other important facilities should be operational.
With no negative advice from the hotel I stayed in I was good to go.

Although my destination was not directly in the path of the hurricane the damage was still done
by the storm surge. The beach road was swamped by several feet of sand so impassable.
Beach accesses and public parks where closed with only some access points open.

Fishing was dismal for the first couple of days due to wind and wave action causing the usual
muddy mess in the Gulf of Mexico.
The only fish willing to play where small ladyfish that would hover around structure like pilings
and rip rap.

After a few days the water cleared up and more access was restored.
The main target remained ladyfish although I spotted some snook and tarpon at certain locations.
A trip to the southern end of the beach convinced me that the beach was missing 3 to 4 feet of sand
due to erosion caused by the hurricane.

I could only reached the last part of the beach at the inlet by wading waist deep at low tide during calm weather. This would be a dangerous venture during rough weather and higher tides …
So fishing was off … I barely managed one small snook after losing a big one as there where not many around. Had some shots at the tarpon but they where not willing to play.

With access to the southern end of the beach difficult I concentrated on the northern end where the
inlet was always good for some fish. Mostly small ladyfish and blue runners that would congregate on
the incoming tide to harass the baitfish.
Action on the beach itself was pretty slow, highlight for me was catching a nice redfish while fishing
a clouser-minnow for any bottom feeding fish that might be around.

After a week the next hurricane was looming but I had to cut my stay short due to the passing of
a family member. A few days later the area I was staying in received a mandatory evacuation order
due to hurricane Milton so all in all a pretty bad time.