Fishing Reports for Upper Florida Keys

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                  Dog Days Of Summer

It has been a great Spring and Summer fishing aboard "Tails Up TOO"

This past Spring & Summer the fishing in the Gulf Of Mexico and the Atlantic side of the Keys has been some of the best fishing all Season. Although the Flats fishing in the Bay and Ocean Flats was tough with the high winds daily I was able to find several good size Tarpon  along with several tailing Bonefish but the were not in the eating with the full moon tides. With  strong Spring windy days this year most of the days I was able to take the anglers to spots with the "Tails Up Too" boat. In April I had an angler Jim and his son come in from Minnesota to fish the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean. While out in the Gulf of Mexico we spotted a large group of Lemon Sharks on the top of the water. We were able to get very close to them and get a great photo of this school of about 50 fish laying around on top of the water. Just before we spotted them Jim and his son caught several large Jack around 15 lbs and Snappers in that area.

The Gulf area was a good producer for many different types of fish this season and one day my Anglers from NYC had a visit from a Sea Gull on the stern of the boat. Kevin an avid Bird watcher and Audubon member had more fun with our visitor than the nice fish he had caught.

May was a busy month with the winds dieing down and making it a lot easier to get off shore to the areas where we were able to get some Tuna and Dolphin for my anglers. Most of the large Dolphin this season have been staying off around the 30 mile area from Islamorada and the smaller Dolphin were in close on lots of floating grass. On one of my charters my Angler John from Michigan joined me with his son Todd and daughter Kate. It was the first time for Kate to visit the Keys unlike her brothers and father that have fished with me for several years now. This was Todd's first time in the Atlantic side so we adventured out to the Islamorada Hump one day so that Todd could test his fish lifting skills on a couple big ones. The first one was a nice size Amber Jack then a Hammerhead Shark. Todd reminded me of one of his trips when we caught one after another Redfish all around 30 inches and he had no problem bring them to the boat. Todd wouldn't let these fish get the best of him this time and landed the Amber Jack and released the Hammer Head at the side of the boat.

The biggest catch in the month of May was the marriage I performed for my anglers Buddy and his new wife Kathy on the stern of the "Tails Up Too" at Sun Set. After a day of Fishing Off Shore for Tuna and Dolphin. Buddy a professional off shore tournament fisherman from New Jersey recently fished in the East vs West Shark tournament that was televised here in the United States. I guess Kathy was the biggest catch in his life so far. Good Luck to Buddy & Kathy 

On to more catches and this one might be the next really big one. My friend and Angler Tony from the UK came over this season with his new friend Caroline, it was Caroline's first visit to the Keys and her first time on a boat fishing. This wasn't Tony's first time fishing with me he has been a regular angler with me for over 12 years and I have fish all his children also in the backcountry with a lot of great catches. Caroline was a complete stranger to fishing so I brought out Tomoko with me to soften the edges and make her feel right at home. Caroline caught on right away and as things go she gave Tony a run for his money with all her catches for there trip. They had a wonderful time and I look forward to there next visit also.

With a few days in May of howling winds my Angler Steve from Toronto Canada made it down for some Tarpon on Fly days. The only problem was the weather it just would not stop blowing for him it was a steady 25 to 35 kts all 3 days. Trying my best to get Steve out on the water all I could do is have him  Fly cast from the stern of the "Tails Up Too" and spot for them from the tower. With 3 days of tough fishing Steve was able to get a few good casts up into the wind at a couple really big fish. I know that most backcountry guides in the area had a much tougher time just to find areas they could stake out. We did manage to get out into the Gulf of Mexico area one day but with the waters being rough and clean water, we moved off to around Marathon banks and found clear water. Steve was a real angler to give it such a tough try with the conditions but he didn't want the trip down this year be one of looking at the water from a Hotel room as he told me. Fly used cloudy water conditions was my Black dredge Fly with a sinking line.

With June in full swing the weather was great and seas calm I ventured off shore with the owner of Ragged Edge Resort for a day of Dolphin fishing. As we came about 2 miles from the Islamorada hump I laid out my lines with the "Tails Up Off Shore Lures". My new lures that I introduced last season have been very successful for the anglers and sales have been steady. It wasn't long and we were hooked up on a lure with a nice 25 lb Dolphin. Jimmy thought it was a small one at first till he saw it surface out of the water a few times. We landed that one and moved on to fish the hump area and caught our limit in no time. Although we only kept a few for the table it's always fun just to see how many you can hook up in several different ways.

With June coming to a close one of my anglers Sue that I hadn't seen since the day of 911, 2001 came over from the UK to try out the "Tails Up Too" with her friend Peter. Back on that day that will live with us for ever Sue had one of her best days ever fishing with me and I'm sure that fishing day still lives with her also. I was hoping that this trip also would be one for her to remember for a long time to come also. Peter never fished the Keys before and this side of the Atlantic was ready for everything I could throw at him. The first day we adventured out into the Gulf of Mexico and caught several large Yellow Tail Jacks in the 10 to 15 lb size along with a few Jew Fish and Sharks. We had a couple shots at Permit but they were tough sighting for a first time angler in this area. The next day we gave it a try on the Atlantic side and did well with Dolphin and Tuna. We caught several in the early morning then it seemed to ease off until late afternoon and some birds started to show up to point them out for us. We were onto a nice school so I cut the engine and started to drift with the school, Sue and Peter were picking them off one after another with just a bare "Tails Up" Buck tail jig. They just would not refuse one every time it hit the water. At one time we had them jumping out of the water as it was ready to hit the water. Peter was thrilled with the few days fishing and was ready to give it another try come Sail Fish Season. Sue and Peter are proud new owners of an Inn in the UK called Cheneyhollow. www.cheneyhollow.co.uk a nice country Inn with a 10 minute walk to the beach and Village shops and Pubs. Lovely hope we can get over there soon.

Doctor's Day Off

With end of the summer winding down three Doctors of Dermatology came down to the Keys for a relaxing day of fishing off shore. Craig a business associate arranged the trip with his clients Andrew and Jim and stayed at the Ragged Edge Resort where I can have my boat at the dock ready to go early in the mornings. We adventured out around 7 am to hit the Islamorada Hump in time for some real Tuna action. Andrew wanted to fly fish for Tuna and I had a 12 wt rod set up with a "Tails Up" Tube Lure Purple & Black style. Craig and Jim were all set with spin tackle also with the Purple & Black. After arriving to the Hump in calm seas and light wind we could see off in a distance birds low to the water and fish jumping out of the water chasseing bait fish. Two lines out on the out riggers and a flat line out about 150 feet I set out the Tube Lure on the fly Rod about 150 also. Within a few minutes we had a hook up on the fly rod and it ran off another 100 yards of backing before Andrew was able to get him turned and start to reel in. After a few more runs and landing the Tuna it was a Black Fin around 7 lbs. Next it was Jims turn on one of the out riggers and he was hooked up a deep diver and lots of pressure finely brought this fish to the boat and I saw yellow right away and it was a Yellow Fin Tuna, small in size but lots of fight weighed in at 10 lbs. just about Sushi size. Now that the bite was on we had all 3 rods going off at the same time and all were hooked up with Tuna, Black Fin that is. The bite went on for a few hours then eased off, we saw some still going after the baits but no hook ups. With 3 tired out doctors we headed back to the Resort to clean the fish and call it a day after catching 10 Tunas and just keeping 4. A fun day for all on Fly Rod and Spin.

                                                       Andrew                                                         Jim

A special Day At Bass Pros

I recently spent a day at the opening of the New Miami Bass Pro shop at Dolphin Mall tieing my Offshore Flies with the Famous Guide of South Florida Bill Curtis looking on. Bill was a delight to talk to and learn so much about years gone by and how he had so much to do with the sport fishing world in South Florida. Bill works at Bass Pro fly department and is still fishing on those days off.

Our Fall Fishing Package and Off Season Rates

We have come up with a nice Fishing and Lodging package for my anglers and have lowered the charter rates for the period of August thru December 15th. I have made arrangements with 3 of the resorts in the Islamorada area to give us a break on there rates to help out making it a reasonable time of the year to enjoy some great fishing and quiet time in the area. My trips are for 3 days fishing and a 4 night stay for 2 anglers. And I can take up to 4 anglers on the "Tails Up Too".  

August 1 Thru December 15, 2007

Trip A: 2 Days fishing Back Country 1 Day Off Shore 4 night stay $1,900

Trip B: 3 Days Off Shore Fishing 4 night stay $2,300

Price does not include Local Bed Tax or Tip.

So if this gets you thinking what to do with that free time in the Late Summer and Fall give me a call or drop me an e-mail and I can give you more information.

The "Tails Up Too" is all geared up this year with new rods and reels and Outriggers for anything that comes our way and what ever your pleasure to fish for the day might be. I still have the "Tails Up" flats boat so we are still fishing the flats and backcountry for those interested. And if you want to try your hand at Fly Fishing for the Sailfish Now is the time to Book those days. Sail fishing is generally good all the way into February then slacks off for the Dolphin and Tuna fishing that heats up when the water Temperature starts to rise again. 

On a greater note that Park Project that I have been working on for the Village is starting to happen, we had a couple meetings on it and I was elected the President of the committee. It is going to be a Garden and Memorial park setting in which people will be able to buy engraved bricks that will be a walk way in the park. Also we are going to have a life size Bronze statute of a Older man and boy and girl learning about fishing. It will be a non profit corp. to raise money for the statute and signs that will be on display about fishing in the Keys. We hope also to have a area that will honor some of the special people that have fished the Islamorada area also. I'll keep an up date on the project as it come on line.

Call soon or e-mail me with any dates you might want to reserve  for this up coming season aboard the "Tails Up" or Tails Up Too"

Tight Loops,

Capt. Len Roberts