# Everglades National Park 9/5



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I haven't done too much fishing lately.
With work, and terrible conditions on over the past few weekends, I wasn't able to get out.
So with the nice wind reports for this past weekend, it was certain that it was down in 'mingo on Sunday.
We found a crapload of reds right out of the gates.
But we were out of whack, and somehow managed to pull the hook out of the only three fish that ate out of the estimated 100 reds we sight casted to.
As the tide is starting to slow down, I stop poling and look around to see where to pole to.
As I look to the sides, I spot something behind us.
Like, literally behind me.
I make a flip about 10 to 15 feet behind my back and instantly hook up.
But when I say behind me, I literally mean behind me.
I try to set the hook backwards while holding on to the push pole at the same time.
The fish came off.
We start chasing the school across the flat when another skiff decides to pull up, and make their way over to that school that we were chasing. 
So we had no choice but to back off and hope for other reds.
Sure enough, they spooked them back toward us but they were so spooky that we had no shot.
We chased a few schools around with more shots and no luck.
This went on for hours until the tide turned.
The tide changed to incoming, and the fish disappeared.

So now, I switched over to explorer mode and ran to a bunch of spots that I always wanted to try, but never did.
We ran from spot to spot and didn't see anything but stupid 'cudas.
By now, 10 miles west, the tide had already switched back to outgoing.
So we made the trek and hoped to see a sign of life from anything other than a barracuda.
We find a nice depth, and start to pole.
The thought of failure began to sink in.
I decided to grab a bite to eat and a refreshment from the cooler.
And as I close the cooler, I hear my buddy Bernard make a cast and instantly hook up.
Finally! the sound of drag peeling off his little 2500 on his 5' rod lifted what felt like 1000lbs off our shoulders. 
After boating the fish, snapping a couple quick pics and a release, he jumps back up on the poling platform and poles me down to where we see a school waking our way.
I make my cast and it got nailed.
Fish on, same song and dance.

But now, it's my turn to pole.
We notice a school of at least 40-50 reds making their way to us.
We both make our casts and instantly, he hooks up!
within seconds, I hook up too!
But, I somehow managed to catch a pesky 'cuda in a school of at least 40 redfish!
How the hell does that happen?

He boats the fish, pose for some pics, and then off to the real reason for this whole trip.
The goal all week was to get my first redfish on fly.

Everything seems a go.
A school of about 10 big reds is waking down the flat.
He poles me into position, and I make my cast.
I lock eyes onto a fish that pounced at my fly so hard.
But it didn't eat.
I'm wondering why it didn't eat, while I look for my fly in the crystal clear water.
While this is going on, I hear some mumbling in the background that to me, sounded like a phone call on Charlie Brown. 
I finally try to decipher what the mumbling is, and it's Bernard informing me that a fish had my fly in it's mouth all along!
I try to strip set, but there was slack in the line and the line only got tight at the very end of my strip.
The fish takes off, as I'm trying to gain composure to try and stick him good.
But the fish was coming right at us, and the fly came loose.

My heart sunk!
But I was confident I'd have another shot.....................
But maybe the fishing gods had another plan.
For we didn't spot any other fish the remainder of the day.
We poled around the same flat for some more and didn't see anything.
Finally, we decided to call it a day.
Extremely satisfied that we were able to get on some fish, and finally boat a few.
But the real goal was not met.
Maybe next time?


It's not often that I get out there on my skiff with a angler skilled enough at poling, and fly fishing to understand what to do at the situation. 
Let alone with good conditions as we had on Sunday!

That was the second time I ever attempt to throw a fly at a redfish.
Let's hope third time's the charm!

The bright side is I have managed to find the reds schooling on every single trip.

These are photo's from Bernard's camera.
I took some pics of the porpoise on my camera as well, I just haven't uploaded them yet.

































Some dolphins we stopped for on our way to another spot. They were just too funny.


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## orbe12 (Jun 25, 2010)

Nice rojos!

Stick with it man, a red on fly is nice indeed!


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## shallowfish (Jan 2, 2007)

I've been looking for you to post about last Sunday. I saw your boat parked in Florida City by the Wal Mart on Sunday afternoon. I gues you guys stopped for dinner on your way back. Good report and really nice boat.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I've been looking for you to post about last Sunday. I saw your boat parked in Florida City by the Wal Mart on Sunday afternoon. I gues you guys stopped for dinner on your way back. Good report and really nice boat.


Thank you.
And yea, we stopped at Sonny's. lol
It's becoming a post-mingo ritual. lol


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## mm9 (Jan 4, 2010)

good job man. i believe we left the ramp/channel at the same time. I was with my g/f on the teal skiff. weather was nice. had an awesome time with some trout and exploring new areas. my g/f got spooled by a beast and after that we called it a day lol. keep whipping the long rod, its only a matter of time.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> good job man. i believe we left the ramp/channel at the same time. I was with my g/f on the teal skiff. weather was nice. had an awesome time with some trout and exploring new areas. my g/f got spooled by a beast and after that we called it a day lol. keep whipping the long rod, its only a matter of time.


Oh cool. 
I remember seeing you guys. 
that day was tough.
High water all day long, it was a challenge for me.
I found the fish at the usual spots, but then once that tide turned, I couldn't find them.
Finally found them to end the day.


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

Good report and the flipper pic is very cool.


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## blackcircle (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for the kind words guys! and Hola! new to the forum, been trying to get in for a while now. had to create a new email..tech issues. Thanks Eric for the opportunity to fish and help to try at the goal on the boat!.. I am confident it will be a success next time out!


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Welcome aboard, pap!
Glad to see you finally joined.

Let's see if this wind calms down, if not, still hitting mingo in the wind!


> Thanks for the kind words guys! and Hola! new to the forum, been trying to get in for a while now. had to create a new email..tech issues. Thanks Eric for the opportunity to fish and help to try at the goal on the boat!.. I am confident it will be a success next time out!


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