ST Marks NWR - 14 Aug 2015

[Terrier]

Took the day off from and work and fished the wash bar at the refuge from 7:30 - 11:00. Fairly cool and comfortable morning - fishing was still slow for me but there signs of things picking up. Ended up with a 24" redfish on a white/chart./Olive clouser . The fish came early while there were still clouds to the east. Surprisingly, the fish came right before the incoming tide started - water was almost slack. Fish fought well and took a while to land on the 7wt. During the fight I looked around and saw a large gator about 20' behind me. I was waist deep at the time but moved up on the bar to land the fish. Luckily, the gator swam off without bothering me or the redfish. No more fish after that, but I did get cut off twice by spanish and had what felt like a flounder pick up the fly. Saw a couple of large ladyfish being caught. There were plenty of pinfish and crabs in the water and needlefish were everywhere.

Redfish:


Gator Swimming by:

[DixieReb]

That gator would have made me just a teeny bit nervous! Nice fish.

[cotton]

Nice fish. I'm not a fan of gators at St marks. The lack of hunting makes them braver than everywhere else.

[kikstand454]

Ahh.... I see that gator is back. Lol. The last two years, that big boy has been hanging around the long bar off and on. Followed me around in my kayak a few times. Hasnt ever been an issue...yet. Just some pucker factor to relate to friends.


Great fish! Thanks for the report!

[oldflyfisher]

Terrier,
I am fairly new to fly fishing in saltwater and have gained some helpful info from this blog. I am currently learning the double haul to be able to cast heavy and wind resistant flies in the almost always windy conditions. Do you offer fly casting lessons by any chance and if so how much do you charge? I am currently using videos I have found on the internet but I think having someone watch me practice could give me some insight into improving my cast. From what you are posting, you really seem to know what the fish like in the area. Thanks and great fishing!

[Terrier]

Terrier,
I am fairly new to fly fishing in saltwater and have gained some helpful info from this blog. I am currently learning the double haul to be able to cast heavy and wind resistant flies in the almost always windy conditions. Do you offer fly casting lessons by any chance and if so how much do you charge? I am currently using videos I have found on the internet but I think having someone watch me practice could give me some insight into improving my cast. From what you are posting, you really seem to know what the fish like in the area. Thanks and great fishing!

Thanks for the compliments - I'm pretty much self-taught and I'm kind of a hacker when it comes to casting, so I would only teach you bad habits! I know there a few good instructors around town, and I would probably benefit from a lesson or two myself. The Florida Big bend fly fishers (www.fbbflyfishers.com) has info on instructors. There is a good video on youtube by Mel Kreiger on the double haul which I watched a lot. As to patterns, I don't sight fish, so I'm just casting to likely spots, mostly with a lightly weighted (3/16 brass eyes) clouser (olives, white, tans browns with chartreuse), or an EP minnow or Cowen's Coyote on an intermediate line. Topwater, a white gartside gurgler can be deadly on trout.