Clouds and Wind Make for Tough Week on Mosquito Lagoon
The Report from Spotted Tail 5/1/11
Upcoming Events-
-Space Shuttle Endeavour is now targeted to launch around 2:30 p.m. EDT, May 2.
-On May 7 I'll be giving free fly tying lessons at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, starting at noon. We'll be tying Clouser Minnows. Come out and see us, and walk out with some new flies!
-On May 21 I'll be giving a seminar called Fly Fishing for West Coast Tarpon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, starting at 10 AM. Tom Van Horn will also be giving a tarpon seminar aimed at east coast fish.
Bad News Dept.- the love bugs are back in all their I-can't-see-out-my-windshield glory.
It's Monday afternoon. It's cloudy and windy. I'm sick of looking at the computer.
I grabbed a three weight and six foam spider flies and drove to the Econ River. In two hours I lost all six flies, caught some handsome panfish, fished around a large alligator, had a good time, and learned, or I should say re-learned, a few lessons.
-Use at least 8 lb. test for tippets. The five pound test I used just breaks too easily when you hang up. In the Econ, hang-ups are expected. Sunfish aren't very leader shy.
-Don't tie your spiders in black. You can't see them! When you can't see where your fly is you hang up more often.
The water in both the Econ and the St. Johns is low, at a perfect fly fishing level. Sunfish ought to be bedding soon if they're not already. So tie up some spiders and go try it.
Tuesday Scott Radloff and I went looking for fish in the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon. We got quite a few trout on DOA Shrimp, but didn't see very many redfish anyplace and only got one junior leaguer on a wiggle jig. There was a fair wind blowing out of the south and it didn't help us at all. The only school of reds I know of right now is down the south end of the Mosquito Lagoon, which is closed to entry until that shuttle blasts off.
Wednesday Dr. Lou Payor and his son Steven joined me for some fishing. We started in the Mosquito Lagoon. We fished around, using DOA Shrimp and Johnson Minnows, getting a few trout and ladyfish and seeing very little else. We went through the canal into the Indian River Lagoon and looked in a lot of places, none of which had any fish at all. Again, a fairly hard south wind didn't help us. While we didn't get skunked, it was hardly scintillating fishing.
On Friday afternoon Paul and Janet Moase joined me for some fishing and a space shuttle launch. We launched at Scottsmoor. My, what a crappy place to launch! The wind was howling (20-25) out of the north and it had blown all the water out of the north end of the lagoon. We barely made it out to Turnbull Basin. My outboard overheated on the way, all gunked up with mud and decaying vegetation.
Once we got out into the basin we started by casting DOA Shrimp. We got some trout and ladyfish, all fairly small. We looked along the edge of the flat for redfish but only saw one. Between the clouds and the wind though Moby Dick could have been there and we would have missed him.
Then Tom Van Horn called to tell me the launch was scrubbed.
We fished for almost four hours. Our best fish was a 19 inch trout we got on a DOA Shrimp. Tired of battling the wind we quit a few minutes early.
The shuttle is supposed to go up on Monday. It's going to mess up my Monday charter, but a launch will make it all good.
Embrace simplicity.
Life is great and I love my work!
Life is short- go fishing!
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.
