Thank goodness that fishing is among the best activities you can do during a global pandemic! I’m thankful to be able to fish a regular season this year and hopefully things will start to get back to the new normal shall we say.

We have had our share of bad weather. We have had a few named storms breeze by us. I can say I’m very thankful for a little rain and wind compared to 4 years ago post-Irma.

Last weekend we finished up the Redbone S.L.A.M. tournament here in Key West. The fishing was not easy but we managed to pull it off and William Collier took 3rd place in the fly division. The bonefish and smaller tarpon are abundant and have been most of the summer.

Just recently there have been some monster permit showing up here. It’s just that time of year and so glad to see some big ones out there.

Our weather seems to be hit or miss this week. Some random storms rolling through making visibility difficult. Of course last week it was flat calm and the water was crystal clear.

As we head into fall we can expect the bonefish and permit to be active. It may slow down once we get our first good cold front to roll through. But none-the-less its a great place to be social distancing. We have plenty of places to dine outside and plenty of outdoor activities in addition to fishing the flats.

We have already had a very interesting year to say the least. I cannot express enough how supportive my clients have been during this time. The Keys were closed for a few months time and although it has kept the number of COVID-19 cases down, it has hindered our tourism business tremendously. I have to say that we are lucky to live here. The waters are more beautiful now and the water is so clear. I have never been a big fan of the cruise industry, now it is much more apparent the damage they do to our marine ecosystem. Since we don’t have any ships coming to port, the water has remained so clean and clear.

Our fishing has been good lately. Tarpon have been swimming but with the passing of the moon the fish have slowed down or disappeared for a bit. Probably looking for those palolo worms. They will be back, it happens every year.

Meanwhile the permit are back on the flats in full force. We’ve seen many schooled up and feeding on crabs. It’s remarkable to see them all together and with their heads poking out of the water now and again to slurp up a crab.

Bonefishing has been the most consistent. During my time off I was able to go find some new spots (some where you’d never think there would be fish) and it has been so fun to see bonefish come back so strong.

In the months ahead I see us having a great summer of fishing here in the Keys.

The Keys are a destination year-round for great fishing. The summer months are no exception. It’s been a hot one and August is the peak of heat here. But that also means we get some calm mornings that are perfect for tarpon fishing. Some of the bigger tarpon have moved on in their migration but there will still be some on the ocean side and some resident tarpon around Key West Harbor and around the bridges.

Early morning and early evening fishing can be the best. Even the fish take a break in the heat of the day. This week I took a break from the flats and took the show into deeper water for some snapper, grouper and cero mackerel. It’s a nice way to mix things up and also put some food on the table.

August 6th is the start of Florida Spiny Lobster Season. The season lasts from August 6th until March 31st. A fishing license and lobster stamp are required in order to harvest lobster. The maximum per person, per day is 6 lobsters. They must be harvested by snorkeling or diving and need to be measured with a gauge. More info on lobstering can be found here: http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lobster/.

We have some availability this month and into the fall. Fall is a great time for permit and bonefish on the flats. The offshore waters start to liven up a lot with more bait equals more species of fish.

We were fortunate to get literally no weather from Hurricane Matthew here in the Lower Keys. Fortunately the storm spared a lot of our friends in the Bahamas and up the east coast.  As almost always right before a cold front or a change in pressure the fishing can really turn on. And that it did! My anglers last week were fortunate to get in some good fishing for tarpon, bones and permit.

October is a spectacular month for shallow water fishing in the Keys. In particular the permit fishing can be really, really good. There are a lot more larger permit on the flats again and they will stick around for a while now, pending any harsh cold fronts that roll through.

The winds in October can range from very calm to blustery. This coming week the forecast is calling for wind but the fortunate thing about windy conditions and permit is that we are able to get a lot closer to the fish without them noticing we are there. The noise of the waves masks the noise of our skiff.

And although fly fishing in the wind is something a lot of people are not used to, I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice your cast a bit before you get here to do the real deal. Getting the fly out there in two false casts is ideal. Sometimes the fish will not give us much time to move around and sometimes just the movement of a cast can scare them off. This month the fish seem to be on the hunt more for food and feed actively, puffing mud is their dead giveaway.

The tarpon fishing will not be ask active and juvenile fish will be in selective places. October is the greatest opportunity for bonefish and permit this fall, take advantage of it if you can.