paddling shingle creek Archives

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report. This is one of my least favorite weekends of the year. Instead of ruminating on the sacrifices of millions that allow us to live a life of freedom, too many Americans will be drinking to excess and acting stupid. Pardon my venting, please. And also, take a few moments this weekend to think about all the folks who died or lost limbs and their sanity protecting our freedoms. And, for your own safety, stay off the roads as much as you can, too.

Please accept my apologies for using the same scruffy model over and over. I couldn’t get a picture of anyone else, for reasons given below.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Monday

Went to the Banana River Lagoon, which is looking shockingly good. Clean water, healthy grass. In some places there were clouds of what I thought were glass minnows. Not surprisingly, that’s where I saw most of the bigger fish. While I missed three strikes on a fly rod popper and did not catch a fish with the long rod, I did get this beast on a Bass Assassin-

Got some trout (one real nice one) and several redfish too, for an inshore slam. Good day.

Wednesday

I was the guest of Mr. Mike Danagher on his Hell’s Bay Marquesa. Ooh-la-la, quite the boat. We fly-fished in the Indian River Lagoon. My only bite was from a small tarpon, which I didn’t even put in the air. Contact time was approximately 0.227 seconds.

The high point of the day, for Mike at least, happened thusly. I was poling the boat. Mike spotted, and cast to, a pair of fish. One bit, a solid seatrout, around 22 inches. I got my camera out. Mike said, “I have a Boga Grip.” I said, “Fingers!” Mike said, “How about the net?” I said, “Fingers!” He made another comment about the Boga-Grip. I again said, “Fingers!” He pulled the fish up to the boat. I grabbed it and lifted.

Two things happened simultaneously- the hook fell out, and the fish wiggled out of my hands, hit the gunwale, and slid back into the water. I thought Mike might go in too, he was laughing so hard. It was the only fish we got. So no photo, because my fingers failed this time. Thanks for the trip, Mike, and for being a good sport.

Thursday

I went paddle fishing on Mosquito Lagoon. Wow, the mosquitos certainly showed up at the boat ramp! Thought I made a wrong turn and ended up in Flamingo.

I had shots at three separate tailing reds first thing, and managed to catch the third one on a fly I haven’t used in years, the Mosquito Lagoon Special. I finally figured out how to put a weedguard on it.

Got another red, pretty respectable one, and a snook too, on another fly I haven’t used in a long time, the Son of Clouser. Another glorious if somewhat warm day. Water is pretty high now.

Mosquito Lagoon Special, and Son of Clouser.

Saturday

Joined a group of paddlers on Shingle Creek. Always wanted to go there, but Kissimmee was too much deterrent. The drive to and from there wasn’t fun, but the creek was lovely and the folks I paddled with were wonderful.