Archives 2016

Not all Fishing Guides and Charter Services are Fly Fishing Guides.

Just like the title reads, not all fishing charters or fishing guides  are Fly Fishing Guides. A true Fly Fishing Guide specializes in Fly Fishing.

As a traveling angler, heading to a new destination you’ve never been to, or maybe you’ve been but never went fishing, there are a few things to consider when booking a Fly Fishing Guide. Here are a few questions you may want to consider asking when talking to potential Guides.

Does the Fly Fishing Guide you are considering actually fly fish?

Lots of charter services and fishing guides advertise that they guide fly fishing trips. Yes, they own a boat and  they can get you out on the water for a day of fly fishing, but will they have the knowledge to make your day as productive as possible and help you land that trophy Redfish you came for? If the Guide doesn’t fly fish, it doesn’t mean he can’t put you on fish, but will the Guide know the best angle to set you up on a shot? Most likely, the answer is no. Wind is almost always a factor when fly fishing in saltwater, if your guide is a fly angler he should know how to position the skiff so that hull of the boat isn’t “slapping” in the wind and alerting the fish to your presence or he’ll know to put the wind on your non-casting side so that you can make the best shot possible.

• How long has the Guide been fly fishing?
  • Fly anglers never stop learning and progressing. As you know, there is a huge learning curve. The more experience your Guide has fly fishing, the better your day will be on the water. Guaranteed.
• Does the Guide tie his own flies?
  • Most legitimate Fly Fishing Guides will tie their own flies. There are nuances to fisheries. That is not to say that store bought flies won’t work, they probably will. However, a Guides flies will be specifically tied for the various situations you will encounter throughout the day.
• Does the Guide fish on his days off?
  • This is definitely very important. If I’m not booked, I’m making plans to get on the water with one of my buddies. I’m just as ate up with the fly game as you are and love sticking a few fish!

Let’s face it, booking a charter isn’t cheap. I encouraged you to do your research before booking with a Guide. I can’t stress the importance of “getting to know” your guide some before you book, give the guy a call and see how your personalities jive.

Interested in booking a trip or just have questions… Feel free to contact me.

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A really cool image of a “Gator” Sea Trout caught in Mosquito Lagoon

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report – Summer 2016

Summer is definitely upon us. The days are hot, the winds are light and we’re dodging unpredictable rain showers and thunderstorms. While the temperatures are hot, so is the fishing. As a Fishing Guide, there are times during a season where it feels like you’re a robot. You get so dialed into your routine it becomes second nature. I can get the skiff loaded in the morning with my eyes closed and at a world record pace. What I find difficult is getting the time to sit down at the computer and write up a fishing report that has useful information in it and is also enjoyable to read. With out further delay, here is my summer fishing report for the East Central Florida area, mainly Mosquito Lagoon.

Capt. Justin Price checking out a solid redfish from Mosquito Lagoon.

This summer has provided some of the better sight fishing we’ve had in a long time. The water levels have been and remain low. The low water has been

Carnage

challenging for some anglers. There have been multiple conversations overheard about the low water conditions and how that is causing some anglers and guides to struggle. I’ve found it to be the exact opposite. With the low water coupled with a loss of grass habitat over the last few years, has made finding redfish fairly easy. As a sight fishing guide, I spend my day on the pushpole. All day. I’m very familiar with the areas of Mosquito Lagoon that will fish well on these particularly low water conditions.

A small Tarpon from Mosquito Lagoon. An exciting sign of things to come.

This summer, it has been pretty easy  to find multiple groups of redfish tailing up on a flat. If you are a fly fishing angler, the previous 2 to 3 months of sight fishing redfish on fly in Mosquito Lagoon has been exceptionally good. On top of the redfishing, there have been a lot of large sea trout on the flats, a few groups of black drum and were even getting shots at some smaller tarpon.

Want more info?

If you’d like some more information on fishing Mosquito Lagoon, an updated fishing report or just have a question, let me know.

Christian with his first Snook…. And on a fly.

Capt. Jesse landing a fish during Tarpon Season while his client snaps a few pictures.

Are you passionate about fly fishing? If so, then you are familiar with Tarpon. The Silver King. Megalops Atlanticus. Poon. For many fly anglers catching a Tarpon on fly is the pinnacle of fly fishing. Ever year, tens of thousands of anglers migrate to Florida for Tarpon Season. Every Tarpon Season, hundreds of thousands of Tarpon migrate along the coast of Florida. Fly anglers and Fly Fishing Guides, often refer to this phenomenon as Tarpon Season. Becoming increasingly obsessive as the season gets closer. Leading up to the beginning of Tarpon Season, anglers will begin booking their dates with their favorite Tarpon guide, making travel arrangements, checking the integrity of their equipment and stocking up on flies.

Example of an effective fly during Tarpon Season.

It isn’t any different for Guides, prepping to guide an angler to a Tarpon is a massive undertaking. The prep work starts well in advance to the first charter of the season. This prep work shouldn’t be taken lightly. In most cases, an angler has invested thousands of dollars into this particular fishing trip. As a guide, you need to be to match the investment made by your client. Not financially but the effort needs to be matched and exceeded. I take this preparation very seriously. I’ll begin tying flies and rigging leaders months before the season kicks off. It doesn’t stop there, rods and reels are double checked, new gear is ordered. Early season scouting becomes critical. Finding a few spots that are holding early season, “happy” fish boosts your confidence level. Confidence is critical when you are Tarpon fishing.

Rolling Tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico.

A Tarpon is a big, predatory fish with years of genetic programming to migrate, feed and reproduce. Its during Tarpon Season that anglers and guides will find the highest concentration of Tarpon in particular locations. During the migration, Tarpon frequent shallow basins, deeper flats, or a cruising oceanside sandbars. Spending time to study this behavior has helped make me a knowledgeable Tarpon Guide. Knowing not only where fish will be but why fish are there is critical. For an angler, feeding a big Tarpon a clump of feathers and fur tied to a hook is life altering and addicting. After you catch your first Tarpon on fly, I can guarantee you will be anxiously awaiting the next time you’re hooked up to The Silver King.

If you’d like more information of fishing Tarpon Season or to book your dates call Capt. Jesse Register of Flyin’ High Charters at 407-448-2017.

The word is out… By now, you’ve probably heard about fishing the Louisiana Marsh. If not, you’ve been living under a rock. If you want to sight fish big Redfish, then you need to be fishing the Louisiana Marsh during the Fall and Winter months.  Fishing the Louisiana Marsh, whether you are a Fly or Spin angler, should be on your bucket list. The Louisiana Marsh, for me as a Fly Fishing Guide, is pretty close to heaven. Why? Its pretty simple…. Big fish in skinny water that want to eat.

Corby, who resides in Central America, makes an annual trip to the Marsh to chase big Redfish with me.

Keep in mind… fishing is fishing, it can be unpredictable. It might be; the weather, the tide, the moon phase or some other factor we have zero control over. Don’t expect to show up and just because you’re in South East Louisiana, a big Redfish is just going to lay across your lap while you and your buddy snap a few pictures. You need to bring your “A game”. There are regularly clouds and wind, sometimes we have dirty water. You pair clouds, wind and dirty water together and you’ve got some tough conditions to manage. With that said, the Louisiana Marsh is a world class fishery and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

On his first trip to the Louisiana Marsh, Frankie from Orlando, with one of a few really nice Redfish.

I remember my first trip to Louisiana in the fall, many years ago. I had never experienced Redfish behavior quite like what areas of the marsh offered. That was something I never thought I would say. When I’m not a fly fishing guide in Louisiana, I guide on Mosquito Lagoon (once famed as the Redfish Capital of the World). I figured I’d seen a Redfish do just about everything. Boy, was I wrong. Louisiana Marsh Redfish are a different breed of Redfish.

Have you ever had a big Redfish bull doze your fly so hard he creates a wake so strong its pushing the fly away from his nose? Have you had 3 Redfish, around 30 lbs, competing over your fly? Fly fishing for Redfish in the Louisiana Marsh is world class and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Kenny, from Alabama, with a Louisiana Redfish “Pumpkin”. Sight fishing these fish when they are lit up is one of the coolest experiences as an angler.

Deciding to take a fishing trip, whether it be to the Louisiana Marsh or to some remote location, is a big decision with a lot of details. An angler has to figure out how to get to the destination, where to stay, are there places to eat, tackle shops, etc. Flyin’ High Charters tries to take the stress out of planning a trip like of that magnitude. When you fish the Louisiana Marsh with Flyin’ High Charters; the toughest decision you’ll have to make is when to come down to the bayou. There are numerous hotel options as well as some incredible local eateries around where we fish.

Scott M. from the Atlanta area with a 30+ pound Redfish caught in less than ideal conditions during a harsh winter cold front.

Your trip to the Louisiana Marsh is sure to be a good one!

Young Fly Angler Stone Sacco with an absolute PIG Redfish!

It is important to note, you are required to purchase a non-resident Louisiana fishing license. You can purchase the non-resident 3 day skiff license online by clicking here. If you’d prefer to purchase over the phone you can do so by calling 1-800-765-2602. You’ll be given an authorization number, write that down and bring it with you. The license is valid for 3 consecutive days.

On a day off in the Louisiana Marsh, Capt. Jesse gets to get on the bow of the boat and take a few shots at some big Redfish!

If you’d like more information on fishing the Louisiana Marsh or to book your dates call Capt. Jesse Register of Flyin’ High Charters at 407-448-2017.

Winter is definitely here! Like usual, when the fishing is hot, I’m playing catch up on fishing reports and editing images. Here is a short and sweet Winter Fishing Report from the Louisiana Marsh:

While a lot of the country is getting hit with harsh, blistery, cold air…. We’re still fishing hard and catching some really nice fish. As a saltwater angler, I definitely love my summer time, warm weather fishing but with that said the drop in temperature doesn’t seem to be affecting the fish at all. In fact, it seems to be improving things.

This year was my first winter guiding redfish in the Louisiana marsh. I’ve been fishing the winters out there for several years now, but it was always a vacation not work. This year, I had a lot of interest from clients of mine from Florida to fish Louisiana. So, right after the new year, I packed up the skiff, rods, cold water fly lines, the dog and drove up to Louisiana. If you’re an avid angler and enjoy sight fishing BIG redfish and black drum, then you owe it to yourself to fish the Louisiana marsh at least once in your life. The marsh is massive, it’s rich with life and the fish are big and hungry.

Here’s a few images from this winter. Enjoy!

A fine example of a Louisiana Marsh Redfish caught this winter.

Spin to Win!

Look at what we have here… Nice fish

Scott, from CT, with his biggest redfish to date. Way to go dude!

Scott with another nice redfish on fly.

Scott with another nice one!

So, now we are back in Florida, fishing around the Space Coast has been good. The fly fishing has been pretty fun right now. The key has been finding shallow clean water and working the flat slowly looking for laid up fish on the sand/grass edges. The water is really clear, so be stealthy.

Get out there and fish! As always, if you are interested in learning more about salt water fly fishing around Central Florida don’t hesitate to reach out.

Capt. Jesse

Capt.JesseRegister@live.com