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Taking fewer fishing trips than you did before the economy went South?
Don't know where to go...who to trust...how to give yourself the best chance to have a quality experience for the dollars you spend on a smaller budget?
Because of my expertise as a leader in the field of non-profit therapeutic adaptive outdoor recreation event planning, getting max bang for the buck from fly fishing trips is what I do!
I present to you the very best picks for 2011-2012:
With 32 years of fly fishing experience in 3 countries and across the entire United States in both fresh and saltwater combined with nearly as many years of trip-leading and outfitting experience for backpacking, paddle sports, and hunting; I have a pretty good value meter. I am only presenting options that provide truly exceptional opportunities for the money spent, and which fall within a working class price range.
People with special needs are welcome to contact me to inquire about the appropriateness of these trips on a case-by-case basis. Special accommodations can be made for most impairments. A portion of all proceeds are donated to the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute, Inc.
Southwest Florida In-shore Slam Package (October - April)
Up to 4 anglers (2 anglers per boat)
3 days and 4 nights includes 2 meals per day, lodging, guide fees, fishing license, all tackle and flies. $950.00 per angler.
In the Fall, tarpon stop biting and fishing for redfish, sea trout, and snook heats up! Many of the tarpon guides leave Southwest Florida during the winter for this reason. But the guides I fish with are yearround residents and full-time professional fishing guides with many decades of all-seasons fly fishing experience in these waters. By mid-November, the opportunity to cast to schools of tailing redfish on the flats becomes routine. The snook move into the backcountry for the winter. And the large sea trout move in to the deeper holes in the flats and creek channels way in-shore. It’s time for the famous Florida In-shore Slam: all three species in one day caught by the same angler. I have done it in one backcountry bay with one of the guides I use down there, but it usually takes some moving around. The weather is much milder and more pleasant this time of year, too.
The photo of me holding the Redfish on the the first page on this website was taken in September of 2010 on the day I scored that Florida In-shore Slam all in one backcountry bay. It is a fairly typical sized Redfish for the areas we fish.
Both guides are fully insured licensed US Coast Guard charter Captains and certified fly casting instructors. They fish from top name brand flats skiffs like Maverick and Actioncraft and carry the best tackle and equipment in the business today like TFO, Loomis, and Sage rods, Yeti coolers, SA and Airflo fly lines, Cortland and Gamma backing and leaders, etc. All flies are custom tied by either the Captains or me...usually a combination thereof. One is a member of the Florida Guides Assn and certified to work with people with special needs. The other is a member of the international governing body of master fly casting instructors. Their combined experience fishing the waters in the immediate area exceeds half a century.
Southwest Florida Canoe/Kayak Fishing Trips (All Year)
Many of the most productive flats and backcountry creeks in Southwest Florida’s coastal waters are too shallow even for flats boats. They are the exclusive domain of anglers stalking their quarry silently in kayaks and canoes. This style of fishing is as much hunting as fishing, and for the sight-caster with an active lifestyle it can be highly addictive. Watching large, powerful fish swirl on and take your fly after an accurate presentation is always a rush juxtaposed against the tranquility of paddling the lonely sub-tropical shallows.
I fish with Southwest Florida’s only full-time fly fishing and paddle craft only guide. He is a certified fly casting and paddling instructor, and a certified adaptive guide. His equipment is top notch and he takes his craft very seriously. The redfish you see in the photo above left was caught during a light rain in the Fall of 2010 while fishing with my guide on one of our favorite grass flats just before low tide. It was one of a large school of tailing redfish - one of many on the flat that morning. We caught a couple more, and a few more over the next day or two. This wasn't the biggest one, either. It was just the best picture.
Peak season for sight-casting to large schools of tailing redfish on the flats occurs from mid-November through March. Large sea trout also move into the shallows this time of year, and snook move into the backcountry. If you can schedule your trip to fall on weekdays instead of weekends do so. The dramatic difference in boating traffic and angler pressure makes a big difference in the quality of your experience.
Rates:
½ day = $180
¾ day = $240
Full day = $300
Additional Angler = $40
Night Snook Fishing Trips (Summer)
Snook are aggressive nocturnal feeders. The best opportunities to catch trophy snook most definitely occur at night fishing around bridges, pilings, and docks with lights on them. This is a “warm-weather” sport that is best enjoyed from May through September. Don’t forget your insect repellant!
Rates:
Five Hours: $240
Additional Angler = $40
Lodging Option: Lodging can be added starting at $55 per night for a double occupancy housekeeping suite with a full kitchen, wireless internet, cable TV, and pool within walking distance of four restaurants and a grocery store. This is MY specially negotiated rate not available to the public.
That's $275 - $395 per day for lodging and guided kayak and/or canoe fishing for 2 people!
Boca Grande Beach Snook Fishing (Summer)
Another great sport for sight-casters is walking the beach casting to cruising snook in the summer time. Not only do you get to enjoy a fantastic walk on a beautiful beach, but you get to make short casts to the saltwater version of the largemouth bass! These fish are usually cruising. If you’ve never done this, it takes a bit of getting used to (and some good pointers or coaching) to get the hang of it. But it is great fun. All you need is a rod and reel, a few flies, and a good hydration pack. It is simple, elegant, and you don’t even have to get up early.
I prefer Boca Grande Beach on Gasparilla Island because of its scenic beauty, fish-attracting contours, and (don't tell anyone) near-deserted lack of beach-goers. Yes, miles and miles of pristine public beach that very few people use sporting a good summer snook fishery, cruising tarpon, the rare barracuda or shark looking for a snack off the second trench when the tide is right, just doesn't see a ton of sunbathers, swimmers, jetskiers, surfers, and such. Why not? Have you ever priced real estate there? That's why! And the toll booth at the causeway keeps out anyone who doesn't really want to go there.
Yes, I've fished many of the good beach snook fishing spots in Florida. I've also caught snook in Texas and up and down the East coast of Florida. In my opinion, Boca has the second best snook fishery and by far the best fishing environment. I don't know about you, but I don't like to fish in a crowd. I don't even like to take a walk on the beach in a crowd. So Boca is my top pick!
Six Hours: $180 (additional angler = $30)
See Lodging Option note above.
That's $265 per day for 2 people for lodging and guided fishing!
Boca Grande Tarpon Fishing Package (May - September)
Up to 4 anglers (2 anglers per boat)*
3 days and 4 nights for $1195.00 per person (May and June) or $950.00 per person (July – September) includes 2 meals per day, lodging, guide fees, fishing license, all tackle and flies.
Fish for Tarpon in the Tarpon Capital of the World with Boca Grande’s top fly fishing charter captains. Lodging and meals provided with “old Florida” style on a working man’s budget. This trip is for the serious fishermen! At these prices, the deal is fantastic for all species of saltwater fish. For tarpon it is crazy! I encourage you to price these rates against 3 full day charter rates alone with south Florida tarpon charter Captains.
Both guides are fully insured licensed US Coast Guard charter Captains and certified fly casting instructors. They fish from top name brand flats skiffs like Maverick and Actioncraft and carry the best tackle and equipment in the business today like TFO, Loomis, and Sage rods, Yeti coolers, SA and Airflo fly lines, Cortland and Gamma backing and leaders, etc. All flies are custom tied by either the Captains or me...usually a combination thereof. One is a member of the Florida Guides Assn and certified to work with people with special needs. The other is a member of the international governing body of master fly casting instructors. Their combined experience fishing the waters in the immediate area exceeds half a century.
*Scheduling Note: May and June are peak tarpon season in Boca Grande. If you want to book with top guides during tarpon season, you need to make reservations at least 3 months in advance…when you will be taking leftover dates from the regular clients. For 3 straight days of fishing (especially over a weekend), make reservations no later than the end of January. By July, it gets hot. The tarpon love the heat, but most of the fair weather anglers go home. Only the serious fishermen are left standing, and we start fishing at the crack of dawn and quit by noon or so. So reservations made a month in advance are fine from July through September.
Stay Tuned for my Spring Through Fall 2012 White River Arkansas Trout Fishing Package Announcement Coming Soon!! (special needs families will not want to miss this one)
Blended Trip Options: Contact me directly if you are interested in combining one or more of the options listed above for a single trip for your party. In some cases, it can be done. I can customize your package and provide you with a quote.
What is a "hosted trip?" A hosted trip is a way of improving your chances of having a very pleasant trip when you decide to try a new guide, destination, targeted species, or style of fishing. You book your fishing trip through a "host angler" who travels with you (usually meets you at the destination). The host has taken this trip several times before. He/she has a strong working relationship with all of the people and businesses you will interact with during your fishing trip. He/she knows the fishing conditions, climate, and local culture you will experience. You will gain from his/her experience by avoiding mistakes that he/she has already made, getting the benefit of the advice he/she was given along the way that turned out to be helpful, and everything will be smoothed along by a familiar face on both ends of every interaction. If there is a restaurant or construction zone to avoid, your host will warn you. If there is some odd local custom that the natives take very seriously but always neglect to tell visitors about, your host will bring you up to speed.
You do not pay your host. The lodging and dining establishments, transportation services, and guide services pay your host out of their normally advertised or even discounted rates. So the host's services basically cost you nothing. A good host will also bring along extra rods, reels, flies, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, Buffs, insect repellant, and all that stuff that everyone seems to show up missing or drop over the side of the boat on the first day. Most hosts bring a quality camera and take pictures, which they will send you electronically after your trip. If they process these images into videos, slideshows, or presentations; if they photoshop the images or burn them to a disk for you; you should expect to pay extra for such add-on options.
Unlike a guide (who should never fish with clients), a host angler will often fish with the party they are hosting and it is their choice. But he/she will rarely do as much fishing as the other members of the party. He/she will help with anything needed from the lodge to the water. You only need to make them aware of what you need. They will handle any and all concerns or complaints regarding lodging, meals, or guides.
In my case, I am a certified fly casting, fly tying, and on-water fishing instructor with two separate certification bodies. I carry additional certifications from the Adaptive Outdoor Safety Council, am current in First Aid, CPR, and Boater Safety, and have been certified as a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Small Craft Instructor, wilderness survival instructor, and am formerly a licensed Texas fishing guide. I speak Russian and functional Spanish in addition to English. While on your trip, all of these skills are at your disposal as well. What I don't do is: pay your bill, clean up your mess, carry your bags for you, or bail you out of jail. I'm just sayin'...
Disclaimer: All prices are subject to change. Dangerous weather conditions may prevent going out on the water in boats at times at the sole discretion of the guides. Florida is in a hurricane zone, and natural disasters do occur. Trips occassionally have to be rescheduled or refunded. We do fish in light rain or intermittent showers, but high winds, seas, and lightning are of particular concern to the Captains. Lodging rates generally do not but can fluctuate during holidays and peak tourism seasons based on availability. Booking well in advance is a good way to avoid this. Deposits for trips are never refunded when the trip is cancelled by the customer. All trips are strictly catch and release fishing, and good sportsmanship will be observed at all times.