How to prepare for a Fly Fishing trip on the West Coast of Florida

Being prepared for your fly fishing charter can be the difference between you having a wildly successful day and us riding back to the ramp with a skunk still on the boat. Here are some things to bring, some things to expect, and some tips and tricks to keep you ready for an awesome day fly fishing on the West Coast of Florida.

1. What to Bring

   1. Sunglasses

      1. A good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must. Anglers who cannot see their targets will struggle all day to hook one. My general preference is a bronze/amber back lense with a green/bronze front. This gives you the best lighting options for most saltwater environments. There is also a huge difference between quality polarized lenses and ones you might pick up for cheap at a gas station. When you think about your costs of booking a guide, travel, accommodations, and other entertainment when you go on a saltwater trip, it really makes no sense to cheap out on a pair of sunglasses. Check out my favorites here.

   2. Good Footwear

      1. Make sure you are comfortable standing all day long on the skiff. The surfaces of a boat and casting platform are hard. So you need to make sure that you're comfortable standing on them consecutively for 5-10 hours depending on the length of your trip. People who decide to sit down on the platform and wait for a good shot are almost never rewarded. They cause too much noise when standing up to get ready for the shot.

   3. Sun Protection

      1. Let's be honest, you're not going to reapply sunscreen in the middle of the day when Tarpon are swimming by you for hours on end. This leaves you with one really good option to protect yourself from the sun - cover up. At a minimum, sunscreen in the morning, a hat, a good sun shirt, and a buff should be packed for your trip. I prefer to wear a hat, hooded sunshirt, buff, pants, gloves, and shoes to cover up as much as possible. But you also have to weigh what you'll be comfortable fishing and standing in all day based on the weather.

   4. Correct Tackle

      1. General inshore trips require an 8WT rod with a few other options. I prefer to also bring a 6WT or 7WT on calm winter days when a light presentation may be required. While a 9WT or 10WT gets packed in the boat on spring and fall days when we may run into laid up snook, tarpon, cobia, or jack crevalle on the trip. An 11 or 12 weight is essential for migratory tarpon trips.

      2. I provide top notch tackle from Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods, Tibor and Hardy Fly Reels, flies, other necessary tackle. With that being said, I always welcome customers bringing their own tackle, I've found some of my favorite fly patterns this way. It's also a great way to learn new techniques regarding rigging and parts of fly fishing when customers bring their stuff.

   5. Drinks and Snacks

      1. There is nothing like a good cold cut and a frosty gatorade while waiting for the tide to change. Or a cigar and an ice cold beer if you prefer. What's important is that you bring the things you need to stay in the game and enjoy the day. I provide water and snacks on every trip, and I encourage customers to bring whatever else they'd like to eat and drink for the day. Bonus points if you bring lunch for the both of us. The guy that gets my first tarpon invite every year brings me a sandwhich on every trip. Coincidence? I think not.

2. Be prepared for the shot

   1. Casting Practice

      1. Inexperienced saltwarer anglers are rarely ever prepared for the types of casts needed to get a fly in front of saltwater game. That's OKAY. However, the more you can do with a fly rod before getting on the front of the boat the better. At a minimum, anglers should be able to carry 40 feet of line + a 12 foot leader in the air and accurately place it to a target with minimal false casts. Practice this type of cast at different angles, from the ready position in your yard or at a local park. If you can, bring a friend and have them stand behind you with a ball or other target. Have them throw it out in front of you, and then try to place the fly on that target with as few false casts as possible. Start all of your casts during practice from the ready position. Hold the fly in your non casting hand, drop it and then begin your first back cast.

         
         

         

         The ready position

         
         

   2. Making the best of the shot

      1. Listening to your guide - AKA me - is important. But it's also important that you can just understand what you're seeing in front of you. What is the fish doing? Which way are they going? Are you looking at the right fish? You need to process a lot of information quickly in order to make the most of your shot. Time on the water certainly helps, but you can also get better with this by just understanding nature, what predators and prey are trying to accomplish while we are out there trying to mess it all up. You can get this with a guide, but you can also get this by taking a walk around your local park, nature preserve, bass pond, or trout stream. Just get outside and look at some animals and try to understand what you're seeing.

   3. Making the best of your day

      1. No matter how successful we are with the main goal - catching some fish on a fly rod - you have to remember to have fun and enjoy your day. Take it all in and remember what we are doing out there in the first place. You can be competitive and want to get better while also having a good time. And that mindset should always be present while enjoying a day on the water.

Use this information and get in contact with me any time to prepare for your next fly fishing trip! See you on the water soon!