Naples FL fly fishing
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Dan M
Mar 12, 2011, 8:55:50 AM3/12/11
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
I'm headed to Naples mid June and wonder if any of you guys/gals can
recommend a guide to take myself and a colleague out for some fly
fishing. I'm not sure what we should be targeting that time of year,
so any advice is most welcome.
I went once many years ago and fished for snook at night under the
snook lights. That was a ball, but as it's a work trip I'm not sure if
staying up half the night is the greatest idea...
recommend a guide to take myself and a colleague out for some fly
fishing. I'm not sure what we should be targeting that time of year,
so any advice is most welcome.
I went once many years ago and fished for snook at night under the
snook lights. That was a ball, but as it's a work trip I'm not sure if
staying up half the night is the greatest idea...
Rob Snowhite
Mar 13, 2011, 6:16:27 PM3/13/11
to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
Boca Grande Outfitters is the closest shop I would send you to. Talk to Jason. I used to work with him back in the day before he moved there full time.
Rob Snowhite
From: Dan M <danmu...@gmail.com>
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sat, March 12, 2011 8:55:50 AM
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Naples FL fly fishing
From: Dan M <danmu...@gmail.com>
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sat, March 12, 2011 8:55:50 AM
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Naples FL fly fishing
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Jeffrey Nowak
Mar 13, 2011, 10:15:07 PM3/13/11
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Just came back from Naples a month ago. Mangrove Outfitters is a great fly shop in naples. The guys there are really good. They set us up with a good guide. Capt. Jeff Legutki. He is a real local hardcore guide. He is not a frilly guide. He has two great boats and knows the national park extremely well. He put us on to some monster snook and sea trout. His prices are very reasonable.
A note, he is a serious guide that will help you with casting but he does expect that your casting is pretty good.
I would highly recommend him
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Ken
Mar 14, 2011, 11:49:45 AM3/14/11
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Hey Dan,
I'll just elaborate a little on what my brother already mentioned. My
in-laws have a place in Naples so I'm down there from time to time -
on the most recent trip Jeff joined us and we fished Everglades
National Park with Capt. Jeff Legutki. He's a local guy and knows the
areas inside and out - even in January, he put us on some big Snook.
Snook do tend to be the most sought after species (some call Naples
Snook City) but especially in the warmer months there are a lot of
other fish you can target - jacks, sea trout, reds, tarpon, snapper,
mackerel, etc. There are also a variety of areas to fish depending on
what you are targeting - North up to Sanibel Island and South to the
national park and they all have their own characteristics from back-
country mangroves with tea colored water to grass flats, sandy
shorelines and open water, so you'll want to talk to your guide and
decide what environment best fits your objectives. I highly recommend
a guide as it will greatly improve your prospects, but you can also
fish the beaches and passes fairly effectively if you can find areas
not over-run with people (usually early is a good bet). As waves roll
in, look "through" them for cruising snook or other fish - you just
don't want to be too close to the water or you'll spook them. As for
flies, the EP and polar bait fish patterns tend to be quite popular,
plus some clousers and then a few top water flies like blados crease
for jacks....they're known to roam the shoreline in fast moving packs
and will aggressively hit anything - the faster you can strip it in
the better, then hold on. Anyway, Mangrove Outfitters is right in
Naples and Tom has a crew of guides that will take care of you. As
with any salt fishing, you need to be on point with casting - no
matter how good your guide may be. It is definitely worth it to spend
some time ahead of the trip hitting a hula-hoop on the grass from
different distances - especially on days with light to moderate wind.
I only say this b/c it will maximize your hook-ups and it stinks to
drop $600 on a trip only to spend the first few hours "brushing the
rust off." Let me know if there is anything else I can try to answer.
ken
I'll just elaborate a little on what my brother already mentioned. My
in-laws have a place in Naples so I'm down there from time to time -
on the most recent trip Jeff joined us and we fished Everglades
National Park with Capt. Jeff Legutki. He's a local guy and knows the
areas inside and out - even in January, he put us on some big Snook.
Snook do tend to be the most sought after species (some call Naples
Snook City) but especially in the warmer months there are a lot of
other fish you can target - jacks, sea trout, reds, tarpon, snapper,
mackerel, etc. There are also a variety of areas to fish depending on
what you are targeting - North up to Sanibel Island and South to the
national park and they all have their own characteristics from back-
country mangroves with tea colored water to grass flats, sandy
shorelines and open water, so you'll want to talk to your guide and
decide what environment best fits your objectives. I highly recommend
a guide as it will greatly improve your prospects, but you can also
fish the beaches and passes fairly effectively if you can find areas
not over-run with people (usually early is a good bet). As waves roll
in, look "through" them for cruising snook or other fish - you just
don't want to be too close to the water or you'll spook them. As for
flies, the EP and polar bait fish patterns tend to be quite popular,
plus some clousers and then a few top water flies like blados crease
for jacks....they're known to roam the shoreline in fast moving packs
and will aggressively hit anything - the faster you can strip it in
the better, then hold on. Anyway, Mangrove Outfitters is right in
Naples and Tom has a crew of guides that will take care of you. As
with any salt fishing, you need to be on point with casting - no
matter how good your guide may be. It is definitely worth it to spend
some time ahead of the trip hitting a hula-hoop on the grass from
different distances - especially on days with light to moderate wind.
I only say this b/c it will maximize your hook-ups and it stinks to
drop $600 on a trip only to spend the first few hours "brushing the
rust off." Let me know if there is anything else I can try to answer.
ken
Dan M
Mar 14, 2011, 2:27:42 PM3/14/11
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Hey guys, thanks for the response's. Now that I think of it, I did use
Mangrove Outfitters the last time I was down there. My colleague who
is attending the meeting with me is very much a novice to the sport. I
told him much the same thing you guys are telling me and that is if he
can't at least single haul this might be a very expensive lesson for
him. I know it was for me the first time I went out. I'll talk with
the shop and see if we can try to target fish that might be out of the
heaviest wind. Maybe going into the mangroves is the best bet...
Mangrove Outfitters the last time I was down there. My colleague who
is attending the meeting with me is very much a novice to the sport. I
told him much the same thing you guys are telling me and that is if he
can't at least single haul this might be a very expensive lesson for
him. I know it was for me the first time I went out. I'll talk with
the shop and see if we can try to target fish that might be out of the
heaviest wind. Maybe going into the mangroves is the best bet...
john bilotta
Mar 14, 2011, 4:04:36 PM3/14/11
to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
Good advice on casting practice before fishing. Come out to the Saturday or
Sunday river clinics and we will be glad to help on hauls or anything else.
Chrs
John
-----Original Message-----
From: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dan M
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 2:28 PM
To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
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Jamie Carracher
Dec 17, 2018, 2:17:52 PM12/17/18
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Hi all--rekindling this thread!
I'm going to be in Naples next week. I don't think I'll have time to do a charter/guided trip this time around--and to be honest, I need to practice my accuracy and double-haul before I invest in that--but I'd like to try and get out spend a few hours on the water. Does anyone know of anything that is doable from the beach or generally doable without a boat?
I've found a few good resources online so far and am planning to hit up a local shop to buy some supplies, but any additional thoughts are appreciated!
Jamie
Jamie Carracher
Dec 28, 2018, 5:46:03 PM12/28/18
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Just to close the loop with a report that hopefully will help folks exploring the area in the future.
I ended up renting a kayak for about three hours to explore Big Hickory Island in Estero Bay north of Naples. The conditions were tough for a DIY saltwater newbie. High winds created an extreme low tide lasting much of the afternoon. Numerous spots that normally had several feet of water had me hopping out to push through the sand. The guy I rented from gave me a couple of places to try, the best being a channel that at the time was surrounded by locals and families with spin rods. My biggest mistake was leaving the cover of interior Mangroves and ending up on the outside of the island attempting to fish the secluded areas where the wind was whipping up strongest and the wake from big, fast boats made it hard to stay stationary even with an anchor. I ended up paddling way more than casting.
I hoped to go and get tips beforehand at Mangrove Outfitters, the fly shop down in Naples, but Christmas schedules didn’t work out. I went afterward and they were not fans of the Estero Bay Area because of the number of people and boats. They also said the fish up there were super spooky. They preferred anything south of Naples down to the Everglades and said a kayak would work. I will pony up the money to book a guide through them next time. The amount of time I spent researching on my own only to be blown all over the place would make it worth the cost to go with a local pro, even just once to get a handle on how to approach the area.
Despite my lack of success I’d definitely try to get some time on the water if you’ll be down there. It’s beautiful and I’m anxious to go back and give it another whirl. I will add that you should research the seasons because that has a big impact on where the fish are.
I ended up renting a kayak for about three hours to explore Big Hickory Island in Estero Bay north of Naples. The conditions were tough for a DIY saltwater newbie. High winds created an extreme low tide lasting much of the afternoon. Numerous spots that normally had several feet of water had me hopping out to push through the sand. The guy I rented from gave me a couple of places to try, the best being a channel that at the time was surrounded by locals and families with spin rods. My biggest mistake was leaving the cover of interior Mangroves and ending up on the outside of the island attempting to fish the secluded areas where the wind was whipping up strongest and the wake from big, fast boats made it hard to stay stationary even with an anchor. I ended up paddling way more than casting.
I hoped to go and get tips beforehand at Mangrove Outfitters, the fly shop down in Naples, but Christmas schedules didn’t work out. I went afterward and they were not fans of the Estero Bay Area because of the number of people and boats. They also said the fish up there were super spooky. They preferred anything south of Naples down to the Everglades and said a kayak would work. I will pony up the money to book a guide through them next time. The amount of time I spent researching on my own only to be blown all over the place would make it worth the cost to go with a local pro, even just once to get a handle on how to approach the area.
Despite my lack of success I’d definitely try to get some time on the water if you’ll be down there. It’s beautiful and I’m anxious to go back and give it another whirl. I will add that you should research the seasons because that has a big impact on where the fish are.
John Hammill
Dec 28, 2018, 8:48:50 PM12/28/18
to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for this Jamie. I don’t know how often they are for rent, but there are specialty kayaks which you paddle with your feet. I’m assuming that near surf and/or with all the other noises that you could still fly-fish with them if you paddle slowly and quietly.
I pulled a bunch of sea trout out of the circled area a few years ago with some sink tip line and lord knows what flies/lures. I wasn’t in a kayak but in a little jon boat with a low hp evinrude. I can single haul well and double haul pathetically (though I can Spey like a beast!), but to tell the truth I wasn’t having to cast terribly far with the sink tip. The guy at the shop (which I of course can’t remember now it being years back and a lucky unplanned half day on an exhausting work trip) told me the spot. Can’t remember the store but I remember that exact spot. The rest of the day I was pulling lots of saltwater catfish out of there, with float or sink along the mangroves. Those little catfish fought pretty hard, and one of them, a feisty runt bound to have lots of kids, poked a big hole in my Merrill hiking boots! I also accidentally caught a beautiful young hammerhead, too, which amazingly didn’t break my rod.
OK pix below.
I pulled a bunch of sea trout out of the circled area a few years ago with some sink tip line and lord knows what flies/lures. I wasn’t in a kayak but in a little jon boat with a low hp evinrude. I can single haul well and double haul pathetically (though I can Spey like a beast!), but to tell the truth I wasn’t having to cast terribly far with the sink tip. The guy at the shop (which I of course can’t remember now it being years back and a lucky unplanned half day on an exhausting work trip) told me the spot. Can’t remember the store but I remember that exact spot. The rest of the day I was pulling lots of saltwater catfish out of there, with float or sink along the mangroves. Those little catfish fought pretty hard, and one of them, a feisty runt bound to have lots of kids, poked a big hole in my Merrill hiking boots! I also accidentally caught a beautiful young hammerhead, too, which amazingly didn’t break my rod.
OK pix below.
John Hammill
Dec 28, 2018, 9:01:12 PM12/28/18
to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
It was the Fish Tale Marina in Ft. Meyers Beach. Just googled it.
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Jamie Carracher
Dec 29, 2018, 9:13:27 AM12/29/18
to Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders
Awesome update, John. That wasn’t that far from me—and I saw those kayaks on YouTube but wasn’t able to find them for rent. I was thinking about buying an inflatable kayak or SUP for up north and then taking it down with me. Then I’d have way more chances to fish. The biggest mistake I made was wandering around too much. I realized too late I went the wrong way and then spent the majority of my time paddling to get back to the launch site. But there were a bunch of boat docks that were relatively undisturbed I should have camped out on for longer time.
The guy I rented a kayak from told me about how in the summer he caught a 3 foot tarpon in skinny water with a spin rod near where you bring back the kayaks. It was maybe two foot of water when I was there. I think normally it’s deeper. The fish went wild, jumping three times before he had to cut the line because he couldn’t handle it. Can’t wait to go back and give it another whack!
The guy I rented a kayak from told me about how in the summer he caught a 3 foot tarpon in skinny water with a spin rod near where you bring back the kayaks. It was maybe two foot of water when I was there. I think normally it’s deeper. The fish went wild, jumping three times before he had to cut the line because he couldn’t handle it. Can’t wait to go back and give it another whack!
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