Fly Fishing the Treasure Coast without a boat-

[p.j. petiniot]

I moved to Jupiter, Florida at the end of August. We purchased a business, and things are still in the transitional state, so we are busy-very busy.

I fully plan on buying a boat by spring, but not before. I will be buying a sit on top Kayak, as soon as I figure out what I want, but I need to get doing some fishing soon.

I have most of my fly rods and reels with me, much of my tackle is still in Indiana. I have a 6, 7, 9 and 11 wt rods with me.

I haven’t tried fishing the beaches yet, as I need to buy or build a stripping basket first.

I need a fishing fix badly. Last time I caught a fish was the end of July, right before we made the move, while we were in SO FLA making a business deal-

I went out with a friend from Melbourne and managed to land 5 Snook and two Sea Trout–I figured that was pretty good for a rookie– 😎

Like I said, I am going to buy a Kayak ASAP, and need to start figuring things out-

Currently, I have a floating SW line for my 6wt. Both a floating and intermediate line for my 7wt, and a floating line for my 9 wt. — I still want to get an intermediate line for my 9 wt, and maybe a sink tip —

After a lifetime of freshwater flyfishing, and very little saltwater fishing, I am in a transitional phase with tackle and gear-

Any advice that is relevant to this area would be greatly appreciated-

[Bob Riggins]

1.

[philip fibiger]

Everything Bob said is spot on. I fish a little north of you, mosquito lagoon / indian river east of Orlando.

For flies, you’ll want some crab patterns (merkin, etc) for redfish, you’ll want clousers of lots of colors (white, white/chartreuse, white/tan), i’m a big fan of sand shrimp, as it seems to catch everything (http://littleriveroutfitters.com/littleriverjournal/StoriesJan09/sandshrimp/sandshrimp.html), EP minnows are fantastic, and you’ll want some bendbacks, deceivers, redfish candy.

Almost all my flies are tied on #4s to 2/0s, and most are tied on 2s.

Your 7 and 9wt will handle almost all the fishing you want to do, and you’ll almost always have a floating line on it.

I’ve got a Hobie kayak with a mirage drive and I love it. I can really haul with it while paddlers are struggling to keep up. It isn’t as stable as some other kayaks though, so it’s not as easy to stand up in. You might want to try one of those diablo paddlesports hybrid SUP/kayak. They won’t paddle as smoothly, but they look like a great standing fishing vessel. That, or one of those hobie mirage pro angler boats. They’re a lot of boat, but seem like an amazing fishing machine.

Finally, find a local club if that’s your kind of thing. You’ll end up with great people to fish with who already have local knowledge (and who might even have an extra spot on their boat). Some options:

http://itricks.com/stuartflyrodders/

Mid Coast Fly Fishing Club New Smyrna Beach, FL

[Colin M.]

Not sure what your salt experience is…but WASH YOUR GEAR…wash it wash it wash it!!! After every single trip.

[henry schmidt]

I’m on the other coast but I personally find myself never going bigger than a 8wt. I prefer the 6wt. and stick with #1 and #2 flies, almost always streamers.  At the beach intermediate line keeps your fly moving more natural, less effected by the wave action.  Don’t forget the freshwater side of Florida. Most of it is full of Snook, Reds and Tarpon too.

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