Fall Fly Fishing The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a great place to go fly fishing in the fall. The Keys empty out every fall, the snowbirds are gone, tarpon mania has subsided and kids are going back to school. What this means is there are very few people around except for those who live here. The weather is phenomenal, hotels are cheaper, and the flats are mostly empty. The only exception are all the hungry permit, tarpon, and bonefish that are relaxed and happy due to no angling pressure.
I have always wondered why more anglers don’t flock the the Florida Keys in the fall. I catch more grand slams in September and October than any other time of the year. We usually don’t have to deal with any major cold fronts until after Thanksgiving, and when we do the water temps rebound immediately. The largest tarpon I have ever landed was 3 days before Christmas in fact. Calm weather, warm water, and uncrowded flats equal one thing, excellent fly fishing.
What To Expect When Fly Fishing The Keys This Fall
Tarpon are available year round in the Florida Keys. After the migratory tarpon move on, we go back to targeting our resident fish. This fishing takes place mainly in the back country and the Marquesas Keys. In the fall most of the tarpon we catch are in the 20 – 60 lb range. I like to call these “fun size” tarpon. If there is one thing tarpon like above all else it’s calm weather. It naturally makes them more active and therefore more catch able. Baby tarpon in particular 5 – 15 lbs go nuts early in the morning in late summer and fall. Tarpon love to eat, and we have copious amounts of glass minnows and shrimp for them to feed on. Without disclosing too much information some of the most reliable and incredible tarpon action in the keys happens in the fall every year. Give fall tarpon fly fishing a shot and you won’t be disappointed.
Fall Permit Fishing
Everybody has a favorite, and permit are without a doubt mine. Fall is a great time of year for permit fly fishing in the Florida Keys. Cooling water temps get the permit up on the flats feeding all day long. This coupled with calm conditions makes the perfect situation to find tailing permit on the flats. Less angling pressure makes for happier permit and catch rates soar. I catch a lot of my bigger permit in fall and winter as well. You can expect between 10 – 40 shots at permit on most days in September, October, and November. Those are pretty solid numbers in a game where there are no guarantees. I have recently developed a fly that seems to be doing the trick in a big way, so I am excited about the upcoming months indeed!
Bonefish – The Other Boys Of Fall
While tarpon and permit fishing is very good in the fall, The fly fishing for bonefish is outstanding. For whatever reason fall is the absolute best time for bonefish in the Florida Keys. In the Lower Keys and Key West the bonefishing is better than it has been in years I am happy to report. I see them everyday, and in places they weren’t just a couple of years ago. The cooler water temps of fall suit bonefish perfectly, and they feed aggressively on the flats. Our average bonefish we catch is 4 – 7 lbs with shots at bigger ones a possibility. Bonefish in the Keys fight hard and are fairly easy to catch from Marathon to Key West. If you have ever wanted to catch a bonefish in the Florida Keys, fall is prime time.
Plan Your Fly Fishing Trip To The Florida Keys
If you want to get in on some excellent fly fishing this fall, the first thing to do is give me a call, or email me. I can set up your dates as well as help you find lodging that meets your needs. I can recommend equipment or you are certainly welcome to use mine if you want to. I have multi day fly fishing specials available too. I look forward to sharing some of the best fly fishing the Florida Keys has to offer with you this fall.