[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Treasure Coast offers anglers lots of fly fishing opportunities for both beginners and experienced anglers. Sight-casting is a big factor when discussing saltwater fly fishing and making it more fun. And this can be done in many different ways without “seeing” the fish. What you‘re looking for are the “potholes” along the grass flats, structured eddies in the current, baitfish getting chased, or the dock lights at night. Each of these methods uses particular fly tackle and presentations to hook into some nice fish.
The Indian River Lagoon has lots of grass flats to look for seatrout and redfish along the sandy “potholes” and “clumps” of seagrass in two-to-four feet of water. Before starting your day on the flats, check the conditions. We want to have clear water and sunny skies to help with the visibility. A good rig is an eight-or-nine weight fly rod with floating fly line, 12-or-16-pound “tapered” leader with two feet of 16-to-22-pound fluorocarbon tippet. Some good flies can be your basic Clousers, Deceivers, and poppers. We often use a drift sock to drift the flats quietly in a boat. This keeps the boat at a good angle to cast down-wind at your targets. Eye protection is very important for spotting fish using polarized sunglasses and hat.
A big event every year is the mullet run! This usually starts mid-August and continues throughout mid-October. Acres of mullet can be found cruising the rivers and beaches. A good way to spot them is looking for diving pelicans. After finding your target, cast along the edge of the school to hook into snook and tarpon. When patrolling the beaches on foot, bring binoculars to scan the shoreline at each pubic beach access. You’re looking for that dark “blob” of mullet getting pushed against the shoreline by feeding fish. The mullet run can also show up back in the North Fork and South Fork of the St. Lucie River. As the sun peeks out of the horizon, look for nervous water. The juvenile tarpon can be feeding on these schools as the bite turns on for a couple hours.
As the sun sets along the Treasure Coast, the dock lights turn on. This provides a great opportunity for easy fly fishing. These lights attract small shrimp and minnows that conjure up just under the lights. Lots of snook and the occasional trout can be caught casting small flies in the light. The Micro Minnow flies by Enrico Puglisi have become my favorite flies to throw with a 7-weight fly rod using floating line and 22-pound tippet. Simply cast your fly into the light and give quick, short strips. Once hooked up, you get to play tug-o-war as the snook tries to wrap around pilings. This is a great opportunity for beginner fly fishing with its short casting distance and easy hookups.
The fly fishing opportunities are endless here with many different fish migrations. All you need is a fly rod and flies. The challenge is finding the fish and presenting your fly while remaining stealthy. At Stuart Angler, we try our hardest to promote fly fishing with casting and fly tying seminars along with expert advice. Stop by any time. We look forward to sharing our passion for fly fishing on Florida’s Treasure Coast! The adventure of a lifetime.
NOTE: Stuart Angler hosts a youth program called “FlyDay Night”. Every other Friday evening, the kids come to the shop and we give them fly casting and fly tying lessons, along with pizza and wings! Call (772) 288-1219 for details.
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