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There’s a New Ebook on Fishing Florida’s Space Coast!

November 7, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

There’s a New Ebook on Fishing Florida’s Space Coast!

Fishing Florida’s Space Coast- Newly Revised Ebook Edition, By Capt. John Kumiski

Fishing Florida's Space Coast

Do you want to catch fish along Florida’s Space Coast?

This stretch of Florida’s Atlantic coast and the adjacent Indian River Lagoon system offers world class angling for redfish, black drum, spotted seatrout, tripletail, and more. In addition, snook, tarpon, cobia, Spanish and king mackerel, little tunny, jack crevalle, bluefish, barracuda, sharks, and many other species can be found in these waters at various times of the year.

Do you know how to catch them?

This ebook will make you a better fisherman. You will learn:

-How to choose rods, reels, lines, lures, baits, rigging, and techniques that work along the Space Coast.

-When to fish. The fishery changes with the seasons. This book will help you adjust your strategies.

-Where to fish. The text pinpoints hotspots all along the Space Coast and tells you where to find them with Google Maps.

 

Many of the Space Coast’s finest anglers shared secrets contained in this ebook.

This new ebook is your constant reference on how, when, and where to fish along Florida’s Space Coast. Whether you have fished here all your life, are an experienced angler fishing here for the first time, or are just getting involved in fishing, you will refer to this guidebook again and again for the information you need to be more successful.

 

The print edition sold thousands of copies!

 

Capt. John Kumiski has been guiding Space Coast fishermen for over 25 years and touches every page of this book with his wealth of knowledge and expertise.

This book will make you a better fisherman!

Fishing Florida’s Space Coast Newly Revised Ebook Edition, $4.99!

Available from Smashwords, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/490918.

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The Old Town Has Had its Last Ride

October 31, 2014 by · 2 Comments

The Old Town Has Had its Last Ride- A Pictorial Ride Down Memory Lane

An old friend of mine has passed on. The ancient Old Town Tripper, serial number 211999, has had its last ride. It rode atop my van to the Seminole County landfill, where it was unceremoniously dumped. It deserved a better ending.

The lady at the entrance to the landfill said I had to pay to dispose to it. She said the free disposal county residents got only applied to household trash, old furniture and such. I said that although it looked like a canoe it was actually an end table from my living room. She laughed. I still had to pay seven dollars.

In Crawford Notch, NH, preparing for the Saco.

In Crawford Notch, NH, preparing for the Saco.

Jim Tedesco bought it in 1976 from Fernald Marine, on the River Parker, in Newbury, Massachusetts. A couple years later he moved to California. Before he left I bought it from him and had it until about ten years ago, when I sold it to son Maxx. He used it for canoe jousting. It has been sitting in my yard, providing wonderful habitat for insects, for about five years now. It was old, beat to hell, and really had nothing left to offer. Sadly, it was time to dispose of it.

Jim Tedesco, on Maine's St. Johns River.

Jim Tedesco, on Maine’s St. Johns River.

I learned to paddle whitewater in that canoe. I’ve taken at least ten trips of ten days or longer in it, in Maine and in Florida’s Everglades National Park, used it on rivers in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina as well. I had it when I was a canoeing counselor at Camp Chickawah in Maine and a pioneering counselor at Camp Regis-Applejack in New York. My first trip to Florida included a six day canoe trip in the Everglades from that boat. My first salmon, first bonefish, first redfish, first tarpon, all caught from the Tripper.

With Peter Camuso on the Westfield River in Massachusetts.

With Peter Camuso on the Westfield River in Massachusetts.

I’ve slept in it, once. It was not a comfortable night.

With Jim Tedesco in Carrot Rip, Machias River, Maine.

With Jim Tedesco in Carrot Rip, Machias River, Maine.

Both my sons had their first canoe trips in that boat. My son Maxx and his friend Brian enjoyed their first whitewater paddling in the Tripper, on the Tuckaseegee and the Nantahala, back when they were still in high school.

Susie O'Brien, Third Machias Lake, Maine.

Susie O’Brien, Third Machias Lake, Maine.

I’ve fallen out of it quite a few times, with quite a few different people. One memorable dump preceded my swimming through the Dumplings, on Vermont’s West River, on the Saturday before Columbus Day one year. There were hundreds of people watching, shouting advice. I held onto the boat and self-rescued.

What needs to be said???

What needs to be said???

Most memorable, though was rolling it over off Cape Sable with my pregnant wife in the bow. I was running it with a little outboard and when it started to go there was no way to brace it. BAM! We were both in the water. When Maxx was born there was a wind knot in his umbilical cord. Susan and I know how that happened.

Sue relaxing.

Sue relaxing.

When I think back on it, it amazes me that a molded piece of plastic could have provided such a theme around which to wrap my life. BOATS! On the one hand a canoe is only “stuff,” but it provided so much pleasure, so many memories, so much access to wilderness not to be enjoyed any other way.

Ken Shannon tends the campfire in Everglades National Park.

Ken Shannon tends the campfire in Everglades National Park.

To say I felt a twinge of emotion as I drove home from the landfill would be understating the obvious. Fortunately there is another canoe in my yard.

My first tarpon, Bear Lake, Everglades National Park.

My first tarpon, Bear Lake, Everglades National Park.

Maxx and Dad, Saco River, Maine.

Maxx and Dad out canoeing.

Alex and Susan, Saco River, Maine.

Alex and Susan, Saco River, Maine.

Power Ranger ready to paddle!

Power Ranger ready to paddle!

Using the Old Town on a no motor zone charter, Banana River Lagoon.

Using the Old Town on a no motor zone charter, Banana River Lagoon.

Camping on the chickee, Everglades. My boys were 13 and 11 at the time.

Camping on the chickee, Everglades. My boys were 13 and 11 at the time.

Another day, another car, a different companion. Same canoe...

Another day, another car, son Maxx. Same canoe.

No motor area, Everglades National Park.

No motor area, Everglades National Park.

Maxx battles a snook, Mud Lake.

Maxx battles a snook, Mud Lake.

Maxx and Brian Jaye at Nantahala Falls, North Carolina.

Maxx and Brian Jaye at Nantahala Falls, North Carolina.

I feel a need to go paddling…

John Kumiski

Home- Spotted Tail Outdoors and Travel

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Poppers for Seatrout

April 2, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

Poppers for Seatrout

poppers for seatrout

Lovely when alive, tasty on the table, spotted seatrout are one of Florida’s favorite saltwater fish. The problem is, unless you find a really big one (not easy to do) trout are weaklings at the end of your line. They just don’t get the adrenaline going. But you can make trout fishing more fun by using poppers for seatrout.

There’s the visual aspect of using the plug. You can see the lure, and you can see the fish hit it. There’s the very satisfying “Smack!” sound when a good fish takes it. Believe it or not, the missed strikes are fun, and sometimes a fish will hit it four or five times in a row until the hook finally sticks, or doesn’t.

As in all things in fishing there are a variety of plugs on the market that will work. For most of this type of work I like a popping plug, and the Chug Bug (made by Storm Lures) is probably my favorite. Not only does the “pop” of this lure attract the fish, but it has rattles inside for extra attraction power. It calls the fish to it from quite a distance and there’s something almost magical about its appeal to seatrout. Of course, redfish, snook, tarpon, and crevalle will whack it too. I’ve even caught snapper with them.

poppers for seatrout

Storm’s Chug Bug comes in three sizes. All are effective lures for seatrout.

Another excellent surface lure for seatrout is the DOA Shallow Running Bait Buster. This soft plastic mullet imitation features a single hook, great for when floating grass or other debris makes using a lure with gang hooks impractical. While you don’t get the “bloop!” of a Chug Bug you fish it much the same way.

Seatrout on DOA Bait Buster

The Bait Buster is a great lure for any mullet-eating fish.

During the summertime (coming right up!) your best strategy is to get out early (before sunrise) and find a flat that’s about two feet deep with a bottom that has a mixture of sand and grass. Lots of mullet in the vicinity are a definite plus. Working around the edges of bars or docks is also a very good idea. If you’re in a boat you can drift, use a trolling motor on slow speed, or push the boat with a pushpole. Waders can have good success too, though.

Cast the lure as far as you can, and work it back to you. How fast should you retrieve? How hard should you pop it?

Only the fish can answer this question, and experimentation with your retrieve is the best course of action. When you find what they like best, keep doing it until it stops working.

One time when I had Michael Grant out in my boat we were both tossing Chug Bugs. I was using small, steady pops, reeling at a moderate rate, and was getting the occasional bite. Michael was using great, loud pops, reeling slowly. He was getting bites every second or third cast. Of course I changed my retrieve to imitate was he was doing and my success rate went right up.

So if you want to make trout fishing more entertaining, try to using poppers for seatrout.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Sharkwave Fly Lines Coming

February 21, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

Sharkwave Fly Lines Coming

Whether you hated or loved the Sharkskin line, here comes an entire family of them. The latest press release from Scientific Anglers-

The Development of the SharkWave
When we introduced the Sharkskin™ family of lines in 2007, they weren’t simply the latest in a long line of high-quality innovations. The Sharkskin created an entirely new category of product: textured fly lines. These lines, developed and manufactured at the Scientific Anglers facility in Midland, Michigan, represented one of the most interesting and groundbreaking evolutions in the history of fly line technology.

The benefits of the textured lines were numerous: increased surface area allowed the lines to sit higher in the water, offering less drag, easier mending, less water spray, and easier pick-ups; the micro-textured surface trapped air to provide increases in both shootability and flotation—all while decreasing friction; and the microreplicated pattern increased the durability of the lines, allowing them to last up to twice as long.

The accolades mounted. But we knew we could do better.

Using what we learned while developing the Sharkskin, we developed the Mastery Textured series. These lines took the high points of the Sharkskin technology and combined them with the easy feel of traditional, smooth fly lines, resulting in a textured line that performs like the Sharkskin, but feels smoother to the touch.

Then something struck us: Let’s take the best parts of the Sharkskin, combine it with the Mastery Textured series, and see what happens.

The result? Meet the SharkWave, the world’s first Triple-Textured and Triple-Colored fly line. Featuring Sharkskin texture on the tip section, Mastery Textured divots for the belly and running line, a smooth Tactile Reference Point at the AFTMA 30-foot mark, SA•ID line identification, AST dry slick technology, Improved Dry Tip technology, and Streamlined Loops, the SharkWave is unlike any fly line we’ve ever produced.

It’s fishing. Friction-free.

It won’t be cheap. I hope they include finger guards in the box.

See the entire press release with photos, graphs, and illustrations here…

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Lunkerhunt Swim Bentos Bait

February 20, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

Lunkerhunt Swim Bentos Bait

Whether a fish you cast to bites or not generally depends more on how you present the bait than what it is. That having been said, a confidence factor definitely affects how that bait gets fished.

I just got three packages of confidence in a box FedEx delivered.

Lunkerhunt makes fishing lures. They’re based in Toronto. What could they know about saltwater lures? A glance at the picture below shows that clearly they understand what fish will bite and what fishermen will buy. Their baits are gorgeous.

lunkerhunt swim bentos

Their website says, “Designed to perfection, the Lunkerhunt Swim Bento™ is one of the most realistic baitfish imitators on the market. The Swim Bento™ features a lively keeled tail, holographic core, and biologically correct detailing. All of these elements are incorporated into a soft yet durable body construction that enables the Swim Bento™ to come to life with the slightest movement.”

These baits have not made it off my desk yet but there can be no doubt that they will catch any kind of inshore saltwater fish Florida fishermen are interested in.

You can see how to rig them properly here and here. These rigging instruction will work for any kind of jerk bait, too.

I usually fish these types of baits slowly, with gentle twitches of the rod tip to give the bait a dying minnow type of action. Of course, every situation is different, so individual interpretation comes into play.

The Lunkerhunt website shows all their other baits (they specialize in baits for bass and pike) and also tells you where you can get some Swim Bentos of your own. There are also a bunch of videos there if you like that sort of thing.

What are you waiting for? Go get some Swim Bentos!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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How to Buy Fishing Sunglasses

February 5, 2014 by · 1 Comment

How to Buy Fishing Sunglasses

fishing sunglasses

These glass lenses have been good to me for a long time.

All fishermen should wear Polarized fishing sunglasses while fishing. They protect your eyes from both the sun and from errant fishhooks. A fishhook through the cornea or a sunburned retina will ruin your day.

Your fishing sunglasses will be wonderful for driving too, something to keep in mind when you’re counting your pennies.

You should wear the best fishing sunglasses you can afford. You only get two eyes and when they’re permanently damaged you’re out of luck. If you don’t need a prescription, the highest quality fishing sunglasses can be purchased at discount houses, such as Sierra Trading Post. If you need a prescription, though, be prepared to part with $200-400. Sorry.

Look for sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of all ultraviolet light. Sunglasses with lenses that wrap around to your temples keep out more light and UV radiation than typical lenses. Keep in mind that most good fishing sunglasses are not labelled “fishing sunglasses.”

Fishing Sunglasses Lens Material

Your first decision once you have decided to spend some money is whether you want glass or polycarbonate lenses. Compared to glass, polycarbonate scratches easily. If you like to keep up with the latest styles, and have new glasses two or three times a year, it makes sense to get polycarbonate lenses. Poly lenses have the highest impact protection. From that point of view they are the best lenses you can get. Polycarbonate lenses require more care than glass; for example, they should not be cleaned with any paper products. They should be cleaned with a microfiber cloth after being wetted with clean water or a lens cleaning solution.

If, however, you dropped $350 for a prescription pair and want them to last as long as possible, you may prefer glass. They will be heavier than the polycarbonate. I have a pair of prescription glass lenses that are on their fourth set of frames. Glass lenses will last for years if you give them a modest amount of care. And this may make purists shudder, but I clean my glass lenses by licking them and then rubbing them clean with a paper towel.

Read the rest of this article here…

 

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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A Review of The Old Town Penobscot 174

January 7, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

A Review of The Old Town Penobscot 174

Old Town Penobscot review

We hear and see so much about kayaks and kayak fishing these days. Undeniably, kayaks have certain advantages- they’re small, they’re very portable, and when you’re in a solo kayak there is no compromise. You can do exactly what you want, whenever you want to do it.

Canoes seem to have been left behind in all this. This really is too bad, because canoes have some advantages, too. You can stand up sometimes, to rest your butt and get a better view of the water than if you were sitting. While a bit larger than a kayak, canoes are still very portable. And they have one huge advantage over a kayak when it comes to long trips- they have a much larger load capacity.

Another advantage of the canoe if you’re a shallow water fisherman is that you can stand and pole it. I spent quite a bit of time on the trip described below standing and poling the vessel with a ferruled two-piece 14 foot Moonlighter push pole. It works wonderfully well!

Five of us just made a 160-mile paddle along the full length of Florida’s Indian River Lagoon. Three of the participants were in canoes. Two were in kayaks. Before the trip started I wondered how the kayakers would carry all the gear they needed for a trip of that length.

It didn’t take me long to find out. They kayakers lived on freeze-dried food, ramen noodles, cookies, and cliff bars. The canoeists ate real food- apples and oranges, fresh vegetables, cookies (of course!), and cooked our real food on stoves, double burner Colemans. We shared our food with the kayakers, of course.

My friend Rodney Smith and I were in an Old Town Penobscot 174. We pushed it along with paddles made by Bending Branches. I expected to be lagging behind the other paddlers but was pleasantly surprised to discover we could out-paddle every other boat on the trip with the exception of Mim’s Epic kayak, a superbly designed little vessel built for speed.

old town penobcot review

Mim’s Epic is a fast little boat.

No way could Mim’s Epic carry a load like we had.

The Penobscot was, shall we say, heavily loaded. It’s rated for a 1500 pound capacity. I believe it would handle that load easily. Throughout our trip it paddled and handled like a dream.

Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure

We had too much stuff. We made it work.

Old Town builds this boat in a Royalex version and a polypropelene version. To the casual observer they are identical. The Royalex boat weighs 65 pounds, the poly vessel 83. There’s an $800 price difference, though- a hefty $50 a pound.

If frequent portages were a consideration, the extra money would be well spent.

Here in Florida I’d use the difference to get good paddles- the already mentioned Bending Branches. In the stern I used a Sunburst ST. I’ve been paddling a long time and have used a lot of different paddles. This is the best ever. In the bow Rodney used a vintage Bending Branches bent shaft paddle that he likewise said was the best one he had ever used.

old town penobcot review

The Bending Branches Sunburst ST taking a break along the Indian River Lagoon.

Both of us were extremely pleased with both the boat and the paddles. If we were to do it again, we would do it exactly the same way. The boat and the paddles are made for each other.

So ends a review of the Old Town Penobscot 174 and the Bending Branches Sunburst ST.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Clearwaste’s Go Anywhere Portable Toilet- A Review

December 26, 2013 by · 3 Comments

Go Anywhere Portable Toilet

Clearwaste’s Go Anywhere Portable Toilet- A Review

When Kristin Bell insisted we use a Go Anywhere Portable Toilet for the Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure I did not like the idea. New stuff to get. More money to spend. One more thing to carry. Back in the “old days” we always used to shit in the woods.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

The Go Anywhere Portable Toilet received rave reviews from everyone who used it on the Adventure, this reporter included. Men liked it as much as women did.
The Portable Toilet when folded up is the size of a large briefcase and weighs seven pounds. It may be large for a kayaker to carry. Since two of us carried the toilet in a 17 foot Old Town Penobscot canoe, the size and weight was a very minor issue.

We would set the toilet up in a private area. A stick was inserted into the ground along the approach. When going to use the toilet the user would put their hat on the stick, which signaled another potential user, “Occupied.” This system worked well.

We kept a trowel by the toilet so the user could sprinkle some soil over the waste. This way we got multiple uses from the poop bags.

As someone who had to tie the poop bags up and dispose of them a number of times I would say this was the worst part about using the Go Anywhere Portable Toilet. Americans are used to just flushing our poop. We’re not used to and don’t want to be intimate with it. You actually get over this pretty quickly, especially when you realize how quickly 10 people would make a mess of that small island you’re camped on.

We gave talks at a number of environmental centers along the route of our paddle. A question that came up from our audiences a number of times was, “Where do you go to the bathroom?” It was great to be able to answer, “We have a portable toilet.” That translates to, “We’re concerned about the environment we’re travelling through and don’t want to leave a trail of human waste.” It was really comforting to us to be able to say that.

The Go Anywhere Portable Toilet is a well designed, well built, reasonably priced, convenient, and ecologically sound product, an important piece of equipment to carry on any kind of outdoor trip.

Go Anywhere Portable Toilet

You can use the
Portable Toilet to fly cast, too.

It has this reporter’s highest recommendation.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.
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The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide

November 2, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide

 

My idea of Christmas shopping is googling what I want and then paying for it with a credit card or paypal.  So The First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide will have lots of links.

A fishing trip with Capt. John Kumiski makes a spectacular gift, and yes, we supply gift certificates. Or you may prefer a gift certificate to one of our popular fishing seminars.

For the well-read fisherman, books by Capt. John Kumiski are a thoughtful gift that will keep on giving. They are on sale until Christmas, too. I will even sign them!

For the fisherman with a camera, a lens cleaning kit is very useful. For dSLRs a sensor cleaning kit will make all those ugly spots go away.

For the fisherman without a camera, the Nikon AW-100 is waterproof to 30 feet and makes excellent images for a point-and-shoot. It also has video capabilities.

What paddling fisherman couldn’t use a nicer paddle? Bending Branches makes some of the nicest paddles around.

If the fisherman on your list likes to eat fish, he may have to clean one once in a while. A nice filet knife and the best way to keep it sharp will be useful for a long time. A Kevlar glove makes fish cleaning chores much safer.

Going to a tackle store and buying a bunch of stuff for your fisherman is not a good idea. Going into his tackle box, writing down the names of several items he has in there, and buying some of those on-line is an excellent idea.

Accessories make the fisherman. All fisherman need pliers, nippers, and clamps. Dr. Slick makes the nicest ones available.

A dehooker is an always-useful tool for the fisherman, too.

Any outdoorsman needs a way to carry water. The Vapur flexible one-liter Element bottle folds up once empty.

Christmas happens during the winter. Your fisherman might need to stay warm and dry. Raingear from Simms is always in excellent taste. They make a complete line of clothing for the fisherman, too, not just rainwear.

Glacier Gloves, made from neoprene, keep the hands going even when it’s cold and wet.

Many outdoorsmen find coffee an indispensible part of their morning. Stanley’s vacuum bottle carries the goods better than anything else.

Outdoorsmen also need sun protection.

The Tilley Hat is the finest headgear I have ever used and it looks good besides.

The Buff is all the rage with flats fishers nowadays, with good reason. Who needs skin cancer?

And for those skin areas not under cover of the Tilley or the Buff, Smartshield sunblock is my favorite- non-greasy, non-pasty, and extremely effective.

So with a wide range of prices, every outdoorsman on your list will find something useful in the First Annual Spotted Tail Christmas Giving Guide.

Have the merriest of Christmases!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

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Packing for a Florida Canoe Trip- The Fly Box

October 24, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Aerial view of Indian River Lagoon

Aerial view of Indian River Lagoon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Packing for a Florida Canoe Trip- The Fly Box

The path of the Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure takes it the length of the most biologically diverse estuary in North America, the Indian River Lagoon system. This blog discusses Packing for a Florida Canoe Trip- The Fly Box. The conventional tackle box was covered in a separate blog.

We will find many species of fish. I want to keep track of how many different kinds we can catch. Redfish, snook, seatrout, snapper, moonfish, jacks, it’s a long list. Since it’s a paddle trip, you don’t have room to bring a ton of tackle. I hope the list below is an exercise in minimalism.

The fish we’ll be encountering eat three things for the most part- smaller fish, shrimp, and crabs. The flies carried should reflect this. Additionally, some attractor-style flies like spoonflies and poppers should be carried, too.

My rod will be a six-weight outfit with a floating line. It’s too small for big tarpon but I don’t anticipate many of those in December. It’s more than adequate for everything else we’re likely to run into.

The rest of my fly tackle all fits into a single Simms Dry Creek Waist Pack . In the pocket of the pack we find the following items:

– a couple of finger guards

– a Dr. Slick hook file 

– a stick of sunscreen for the lips.

Inside the pack will be the following:

-fluorocarbon leader wheels in 12, 15, 20, and 30 pound test

– a package of Knot 2 Kinky leader wire . You never know when this might be needed

– a dehooker

– a Gerber Multitool

– a small bag with a half dozen small white shrimp flies for nighttime dock fishing. I don’t know that we’ll do any dock fishing but if we get a chance I will be ready.

– a one quart ziplock back containg a couple dozen synthetic minnow fly patterns, similar to Puglisi style flies, in sizes from #4 to #2/0, many with weedguards, some tied as bendbacks.

redfish flies

On top a Deceiver. The other two are synthetic minnow patters.

 

There will be some Hotheads in there as well.

An assortment of Hot Head flies, tied by your intrepid blogger.

An assortment of Hot Head flies, tied by your intrepid blogger.

– a small Plano box jammed with flies, including-

*3 Dupre spoonflies

Jim Dupre's Spoonfly.

Jim Dupre’s Spoonfly.

* a half dozen Merkin crabs, size #4, with weedguards

A gaggle of Merkins.

A gaggle of Merkins.

*several Clouser Minnows in various colors and sizes (#4-1), with weedguards

packing for a florida canoe trip

A Clouser Minnow selection.

*several black bunny leeches, #2, with weedguards

The bunny leech or bunny booger, a deadly fly.

The bunny leech or bunny booger, a deadly fly.

*several of each Son of Clouser and Mosquito Lagoon Specials, size #4

the Mosquito Lagoon Special

the Mosquito Lagoon Special

* several Borski-style Sliders, size #4, in various colors and weights, with weedguards

port canaveral and mosquito lagoon fishing report

A Slider as tied by me.

* a few Trout Bites (a hot pink and chartreuse bucktail bendback), size #4

The Trout Bite on top, and a synthetic minnow below.

The Trout Bite on top, and a synthetic minnow below.

* a few Rattle Rousers, size #4

Rattle Rousers, weighted and not.

Rattle Rousers, weighted and not.

* a selection of poppers and gurglers

My version of Gartside's Gurgler.

My version of Gartside’s Gurgler.

With this kit, even if we were paddling to Key West (don’t get any ideas, Rodney) I would be prepared for most of what we would encounter.

So we have discussed Packing for a Florida Canoe Trip- The Fly Box. If you were coming along, what would you bring?

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, Fishing Tips, Flies and Fly Tying, opinion, Paddle Fishing Florida ·
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