surf or body

Florida’s weather usually remains very pleasant January through to December, making it an all year round holiday destination. Mix that with the attractions available, Disney World, Sea World , Cypress Gardens, Bush Gardens and a host of other entertainment. Then add on the top class fishing (available for the price of a yearly fishing permit costing about $33-00) then you can see why it’s such a popular destination. But always make sure to buy a fishing permit before attempting to fish. It’s a serious offence not to have a fishing permit Florida has a coastline of some 1200 miles, second only to Alaska. On the east coast is the Atlantic Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico over to the west, and the Straits of Florida down to the south. Florida is a patchwork of hardwood forests, freshwater marshes, sand dunes, coral reefs and huge freshwater lakes, including lake Okeechobee. Florida produces half the nations sugar crop and its biggest exports are citrus fruits. We think of Texas for cattle ranches but Florida has some of the biggest ranches in the country. More to the point, it’s also said that Florida has 700 species of fish! In freshwater the Large-mouth bass dominates. It’s the number one sport fish. Flies, spinners and plugs, in fact all types of lures including plastic worms, also live and dead bait all catch these fish. The bass fishing is a multi-million dollar business. Bass boats are the state of the art, fitted with huge outboard motors, foot controlled electric motors, live bait wells, ice chests, padded swivelled seats, echo sounders, fish finders, GPS systems and much more. Your average bass angler will have a dozen rods and reels with boxes and boxes of lures. A few anglers these days are now carrying a big selection of flies. In fact, your bass angler is a tackle dealers dream. You will find hundreds of lakes Available in Florida. Those lakes you see on the golf courses at Sea World and Disney World all hold bass in large numbers. Florida produces 70 to 80% of the phosphate in the country. Those disused phosphate pits make super bass fisheries and wildlife sanctuaries where you get to see lots of ospreys and alligators. Kissimmee has an excellent chain of lakes greatly favoured by bass anglers. Many of the rivers also hold bass including the St. John’s. Not only will you catch and see bass but you can have dinner and be entertained on aboard a paddle steamer as it sails up and down the river. I have been told Lake Okeechobee holds bass of twenty pounds plus. All this is available to the visiting angler. On one trip I met Lakeland tackle dealer Allan Smith, a six foot guy with bright blue eyes that twinkled whenever he talked about his favourite fish, the bass. Allan would call me up at night and say, “Wanna go bassing at dawn Martin?” My answer was always “Yes please”. An hour before dawn, with the sound of crickets ringing in our ears, we would be off, stopping at a gas station to collect a bag of ice, some fresh coffee and doughnuts. The latter could often be purchased with a dozen or so different fillings, my favourite was blueberry: an excellent start to the day. Arriving at the waterside, I would transfer to the boat, then Allan would back the trailer into the water, climb aboard and drive the boat off the trailer. Then it was off, skimming across a glasslike surface leaving a creamy white trail behind us. As we neared one of Allan’s favourite marks, the gas guzzling motor is killed. An electric motor, water temperature gauge, fish and depth finders are switched on. Then we cruise quietly over the water in search of our quarry. I recall one day when Allan fished for bass with spinner baits and plugs. I chose a fly fishing outfit with a very big streamer fly on a size 3/0 hook. The sun was warming both us and the water as ospreys worked the thermals. They are a common bird in Florida and they can be seen everywhere nesting on telegraph poles. Occasionally you would see a bald Eagle trying to make the osprey drop it’s catch. As the osprey released his catch the eagle would dive in and grab it. We fished a dozen spots that particular morning without success. Those bass didn’t want flies, plugs or shiners (a small chub-like fish that are used as live bait). We left at lunch time, fish-less. Another top bass angler was a guy called Ronnie Waggers who, with his partner Dave Hoy, runs ‘The Professional Bass Guide Service’. This PBGS was set up for TV companies who want to make fishing programmes, also to act as a guide for out of State anglers on vacation. They also offer trips for the business man who wants to impress an important client. In the UK it’s usually the golf course – in Florida’s freshwater, it’s bass, bass and more bass. I remember vividly one occasion. I was sitting by the swimming pool having a midnight drink before turning in. when the phone rang. “Are you Martin James from England?” “That’s me,” I answered. “I’m Ronnie Waggers. You wanna go fishing in the morning for bass?” I said “Yes” and arranged to meet Ronnie at 5 am. This gave me just four hours sleep before I was to meet the guy. Talk about a cheerful person, Ronnie was full of life and jokes. Climbing into his four wheel drive Ford, we were away. First stop, the gas station, for packs of ice, fresh sandwiches, doughnuts and cans of cold drink. “Wanna coffee and a fresh doughnut?” asked Ronnie. “Yes please” I said. As I sat there in the half dawn light in the quiet of the Florida countryside having an early snack, I watched the sky change from all shades of pinks to gold’s then a mixture of both. What a life! I could suffer this for a few months! Ronnie told me we were off to the phosphate pits, a series of lakes that he and Dave manage as a wildlife and angling centre on behalf of a large mining company. What impressed me was the way companies and individuals cared for the environment. We could learn a lot from them. In Florida you don’t have to worry about dog dirt and litter, the menace of the year 2000 in England. Floridians get together to keep their streets and countryside clean. They adopt roads, either as a group or as an individual. Most of the people care. Churches, scouts, anglers, schools, girl guides, environmentalists, hunters, industry, fast food shops – they all get involved. It’s their future and their children’s future they are protecting. Anglers will adopt a boat dock to ensure it’s kept clean. They DO have their share of idiots who will dump their rubbish at the end of a fishing trip, it happens the world over, though it’s a minority in the United States. In the UK it seems it’s a MAJORITY. Take a look around your local day ticket trout fishery and see how many bits of nylon line there are. After a half hour drive we arrived at The Pits as they are known. Ospreys and eagles were wheeling on the thermals. Egrets were everywhere. At the water’s edge we found two large eyes peering just above the surface; they belonged to one of the many alligators that inhabit these waters. These are sometimes transferred from lake to lake for restocking, just as we restock with fish. In no time at all the boat was in the water. All 20,000 dollars worth packed with everything an angler might need and a lot more. Ronnie’s professionally built boat was designed with the bass angler in mind. It was equipped with an aerated live-bait tank with controlled water temperature, an ice box for food and drink, an electric outboard (controlled by the foot, forward and reverse so that it could turn on a sixpence) an echo sounder, temperature gauge, fish finder, fire extinguisher, padded swivelled seats, extra batteries, storage for rods etc. There was also wet weather gear should we need it. This boat was a work of art. Topping it all off was a 150 hp outboard motor with electric starter. I climbed into the boat then sat down on a lovely padded seat. After putting on life vests, Ronnie started the motor and we moved off slowly the throttle was opened up. The bows lifted from the water and we skimmed away to a distant mark. Already the temperature was in the eighties we had a clear blue sky flat calm water. I was off bass fishing American-style. I loved it. As we neared the first mark, the big engine was shut down and Ronnie switched over to an electric trolling motor. All was peace and quiet. The other electronics were switched on and we moved slowly around looking for drop-offs and underwater snags where the fish might be laying up. We found a place where trees were growing in the water; it was time to fish, Ronnie with a spinning outfit baited with a plastic worm. I used a fly outfit with a deer hair bass bug and started off casting around the trees where I hoped the fish would be lying in ambush. Ronnie’s rod quickly buckled over. He was into the first fish of the day, then a nice bass was being lifted from the water, it weighed about four pounds. I quickly followed with a nice fish of about the same size then another and another. In fact there were many times when we had double hook-ups. In a few hours with just alligators, eagles and ospreys for company we caught lots of fish. All you need is your 7 weight reservoir outfit with a floating line. The temperature was now 88 degrees: time for more sun cream and cold drinks. Another bass hit my small imitative frog pattern and went off tail-walking with its gills flaring. This was real fun, fighting America’s number one freshwater fish in gin clear water under an azure sky. As an added bonus we had the sunshine. I’ve done a lot of bass fishing since those first days, and I must say it is great fun with a fly rod. Florida had another great attraction for the angler, its coastline. Most holiday makers visiting Florida choose Orlando. I feel there is a better and cheaper place, That’s Titusville on the east Coast. It sits astride US Highway 1 between Cocoa beach in the south and Daytona beach in the north, famous for its motorbike racing. The area is known as the ‘Space Coast’ choose the right time and you can even watch a space shot. The accommodation and restaurants are cheaper and more friendly in Titusville. And you can often reach Disney World, Sea World etc. quicker than from Orlando. The people are exceptionally friendly and helpful, often going out of their way to help you I had an example of this on my last trip. I arrived at Mosquito Lagoon to fish for the redfish. As I put the line through the guides I realised the top guide had broken off. No fishing, I didn’t have a spare rod. Thankfully I was using a Sage rod so I didn’t worry too much with its lifetime guarantee. Next morning I called Kaufmann Streamborn of Portland Oregon. I told them my story of disaster and was quickly told “Don’t worry where are you staying”? I gave them my address. Kaufmanns then said “Another 8 weight will arrive tomorrow morning, have the damaged rod packed for collection.” After all this I called into Florida Fishing Outfitters on Washington Avenue for a chat and to seek the latest information on fly patterns, where to fish, guides etc. During the conversation I told Jay Dee my tale of woe. He immediately said “Don’t worry, borrow one of my rods” As he disappeared into the back office then returned a minute later with one of his Sage rods “Here borrow this until your rod arrives” . Jay Dee didn’t have a clue who I was or where I was staying. That rod helped me catch my first ever fly-caught tarpon. Between US Highway 1 and the coast, you will find the Indian river, Mosquito Lagoon, Banana river, Playalinda beach and much more, including the Merritt Island wildlife sanctuary. Out on the coast there are some magnificent beaches where you can fish, swim, laze about reading a book, wind-surf or body-surf the waves and meet lots of friendly American people. The Indian river fishing is as good as it gets with some of the biggest redfish in the world. There are seatrout, ladyfish, tarpon and jacks. All offering good sport and they are the perfect quarry for the fly fisherman. Eight or nine weight rods are all you need, floating lines and a reel carrying some two hundred yards of backing complete the outfit. On my last trip I had a days fishing with Robert Goodwin of Buxton. Our guide for the day was Capt. John Kumiski who is Coast Guard Certified. John has written what I reckon is the best guide book on the fly fishing available in Florida. It’s titled ‘Flyrodding Florida Salt’. It’s the How, Where and What to catch in Saltwater on Flies in the Sunshine State. It’s helped me catch a lot of fish and get to know a little bit of the Indian river system. Giving the book a total out of 10 for exceptional reading, knowledge gained and value for money, I would give it a full 10. It’s that good. It’s like having a guide in your pocket without the $300-00 price tag. This book is available in the UK from Paul Morgan Coch-Y-Bonddu Books Machynlleth E-mail omorgan@zetnet.co.uk As John slowly poled us down the Indian River, we could see in the distance the huge NASA building where they assemble the space craft. As we chatted about fishing, the wildlife we were able to see included several alligators either cruising or sleeping. I marvelled at the beautiful scene that greeted my eyes at every turn. With the sun shining down from a clear blue sky I felt very lucky and very privileged to be fishing with a guide who is one of the best in the business. The water surface of the Indian river was flat calm, though very coloured due to all the flood water coming into the river from the surrounding marshes through several culverts. The water level was three feet above normal, Not much chance of seeing tailing redfish. Hurricane Floyd had caused all the extra water. Suddenly John was off the poling platform and starting the outboard engine as he shouted. “Martin, Robert, look! Jacks crashing into bait 150 yards at 3 O’clock, let’s go”. It was more an order than a request. As we braced ourselves, the motor roared into life, the bows lifted and we skimmed across the smooth glass-like surface towards the eruption of bait fish. Terns were diving, squealing and screaming as they picked off whole or parts of bait fish. Below the surface I imagined a group of hungry, teeth-snapping vicious jacks, tearing into the frightened bait fish. Jacks are ‘The street fighters of the aquatic world’ They were now up at the surface slashing and tearing into the terrified small fish. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for these mullet. In this killing zone there was a smell of death in the air. Shouting to Robert I said “When the boat settles, shoot your popper then make some quick strips”. Robert hadn’t caught a jack before. Though it was my turn to cast. I gave it to Robert. He didn’t make a mistake. Two quick strips then a good jack savaged the popper. Robert firmly set the hook. The retrieved line shot through his fingers, the reel sounding like a scalded cat as the fly line was ripped off in a blur followed by yards of backing. Robert had a grin a mile wide. “This beats trout fishing at Rutland” he shouted as the fish continued to run and run. Ten minutes later Robert had nearly beaten one of the toughest aquatic fighters in the world. As the fish was drawn to the boat, I switched the camera to motor drive then pressed the shutter button. A minute or so later John leant over the side and grabbed a fish of some 6lbs. I shot another couple of pictures of John, Robert and his fish before it was released. After that Robert said “I could give up fishing back home and have two weeks of this fishing each year”. I seconded that one, but hopefully we would be able to continue fishing both at home and abroad for all the fish that swim in fresh and saltwater. It’s the greatest sport in the world. John switched on the motor and with the throttle fully open we shot off towards another group of jacks hitting more mullet. As we came within casting range, the motor was throttled back then stopped. Robert and I both cast poppers into the melee. Quickly we had a double hook-up. This was fishing as good as it gets and it’s available to anyone for the price of a fishing permit. These jacks were a bit smaller, probably around 4lbs, but good fun on our 8 weight rods. For an hour or so we had some fast and furious sport then it died . The jacks had gone, all was quiet. Another group of anglers came across and said “Well done, it was a pleasure just to watch you guys with them fly poles”. We chatted for a while then moved off in different directions.With nothing showing, John said “Let’s go and look at the culverts”. A few minutes later we closed in on one of the culverts. Mullet were jumping clear of the water. Some predator had decided it was lunch time. Capt. Mike Hacula, who works Mosquito Bay, has a saying about Mullet. “If they are playing around and not jumping in fright, they are happy mullet”. These mullet were far from happy as predators tore into them. Robert quickly proved this by catching some good ladyfish in quick succession, including one that would probably weigh over three pounds. After a few fish, it was my turn. Fishing a chartreuse and white clouser minnow, I was soon catching ladyfish, but it was one of those baby tarpon I wanted – but I couldn’t get one to take. John handed me a fly and said “Put on this grizzly deceiver” . On the second retrieve it stopped dead in the water!! Snagged I thought. Then what looked like the opening of a silver bucket appeared on the surface, quickly followed by a silver body. A fish jumped clear, head shaking, gills flared. In the bright sunshine the water droplets looked like diamonds falling from a bar of silver. The fish went tail walking then jumped, jumped and jumped again – this was great fun! A baby tarpon about six or seven pounds on an 8 weight fly rod. What must it be like to have a hundred pounder on the end of your line, I wondered. All too soon the fight was over, John leaned down grabbed my first tarpon. I punched the air then shouted “Yes, you’re mine”. It wouldn’t be my last. I wanted a lot more of these babies. They often go to fifty pounds. These would do for starters but once I had got some experience of the babies, I would go chasing those three digit fish. Yes, Robert was right, it beats Rutland Water trout fishing. This is just a sample of what you can expect if you visit Titusville area of Florida. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Washington Avenue and the Bellwood Motel and Restaurant on Highway 1 just south of Titusville. I would suggest the former if you’re taking the wife or girl friend, the latter if it’s a group of guys. The Bellwood motel is cheap and clean with comfortable beds. No phones or TV’s, but who needs Them? Look around for the best bargain on car rentals, We saved nearly $800-00 dollars for a two week rental by shopping around and using Alamo. You can contact John Kumiski on (407) 977-5207 or by E- mail Jkumiski@aol.com Another good thing about fishing in Florida is you can get some very cheap flights, especially if you book outside the school holidays. Florida is also a cheap place to sleep and eat. (If you want to join me on a trip you’re very welcome. E-mail me at martin@flyfish.demon.co.uk) Another popular form of guiding and fishing is from Kayaks. I fished with John Stanton, who I found not only a very friendly and knowledgeable guide but also a good angler and companion. He is also very knowledgeable on the wildlife. You can contact John by E-mail fishkayaks@aol.com. You will certainly enjoy your day or days with John. Fishing from kayak’s allows you to be able to get in to the very shallow water, where you often find the big redfish. Sometimes getting close enough to drop the fly in front of the fish’s nose. Don’t forget your fishing permit, it will cost about $33-00 and can be purchased from many sources including Wall-mart and K-mart stores. You will need a selection of flies, Clousers and Deceivers in various colours and a selection of bonefish and crab patterns. I would also suggest you get a couple of spoon flies. These can be cast quite easily on a 7 weight rod. These fly spoons are a very attractive pattern for the redfish. You can fish them deep in the grass which is often where redfish will be feeding.

Don’t forget to visit the International Game Fishing Association HQ at Fort Lauderdale. You can drive there and back in a day with no trouble. If you want to fish the Mosquito Lagoon, then contact Capt Mike Hacula of New Smyrna Beach Tel 904 428 8530. From the UK prefix with 001 or E-mail floriday54@aol.com. In October 2000 Titusville will have a big redfish competition entitled “Hunt the Red In October”. I will be going across, why not join me? Let’s see if the Brits can walk away with the winners trophy. Should you require further information on fly fishing in Florida or would like to join me on a trip just E-mail me martin@flyfish.demon.co.uk I will do my best to help.