Wednesday, November 25, 2009

We Can Swim Here in Ol' Key West

Looks Like we better plan on swimming, " Noah? got room for some more monkeys?"

I was bragging about the weather until, about 4 o'clock this morning when the," Hammers of Hell " started firing lightning bolts down the street and Stinky ( our little Jack Russel ) and me shot bolt upright, hairs on end, on both ends!

Stink and I snuck out to the dock so see if the skiff was still floating, all's well.

Raining like a Holstein piss'en on a flat rock, probably 6-7 inches in the last 12 hours.

I may just have to trot over to the Pirate LS for some Navy Black Tar Rhumb.

Plans for Turkey on the Barbe, done it before with a foul weather jacket on, we will be fine.

Crossing fingers and eyes for a good change in the weather for fishing on Friday but iceing the Rhumb anyway.

We can have Turkey Sandwiches...

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Charley's Trout


Tarpon Jumping Turkeys for Key West Thanksgiving

We're lucking out with higher late Novembers air and water temps .

Looks like mornings this Thanksgiving week will be spent checking out some Tarpon spots and carrying heavier Spinning tackle and a Tarpon fly rod.

Tailing Permit on our lower tides are also a really good option.

November has always been one of my favorite months for Permit fishing in the Lower Keys, Key West Flats.

Sometimes a early cold front will interfere by driving water temps down and removing all but the less finicky speedsters, Barracudas, Sharks, Pompano and big Jacks.



Mince Meat Pie and Tarpon on Fly .....sung to the Jingle Bells Melody!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Tailing Turkeys on the Flats of Key West

NOT exactly, but the fishing guides would qualify.

This time of year along with the rest of the U.S. and the Canadians we thank , Thanksgiving has always meant a lot to me.

Everyone expects a great meal and a Nap, some a parade and football too, but not something from Tiffany's.

I remember the big feasts with 100 or more of the McDevit clan, McCaughtry's and seven turkeys, five hams, a few Pheasants, Ducks and sixty pounds of mashed potatoes, table full of pie's, cakes and cookies dessert requiring it's own room.

Later cigars, eggnog's and football on the 12 inch tv screen, that was the early 50's

Most times over the years I fished on Thanksgiving , squeezing down a turkey when I had a chance, not anymore.

In 2005 late October brought to the Florida Keys hurricane Wilma.

I wrote a piece on the Thanksgiving I shared a few weeks later with fishing guide pals Gil Drake, Lindsay Harper their families and of course my wife Marcella and our wonderful old Bull Dog Jozy the clown ( RIP ).

We gas grilled Turkey and deer on the back deck of the Bougainvillea House because the walls were still missing and we had only a borrowed fridge plugged in , no other appliances.

Swatted mosquito's and drank some wine, had a pie.

It was a grand feast, Walter McDevit was there.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Falling in Love With Key West Fall Fishing

Back in Key West two weeks now and have already spent most of the time fishing the Key West Gulf Flats , some time on the Atlantic side and in the western Lakes.

Fishing with my Ol' pal Capy. Todd Bowen wack'en our way around the Mangroves sniff''en out a big Grey Snapper for a Crispy Fried Fish lunch.

The weather has been super this week with light winds and 78-80 degree highs, low humidity, this is the most comfortable time of year to fish the Backcountry.

Fishing Yesterday with my good friend Charley Cook from Wall Street/Squam Lake along with his son Chas, we scared 25-30 Permit right out of their.. scales!

Charley and I share a great pal and famous frog hunter , Jim Cloud an escapee of " the Street" and Tarpon Fly Poler with three decades of tracking down Big Poons and force feeding them feathers.

Cloud has been mentioned several times before in these pages and Charley Cook is famous for capturing one of the biggest Bone fish ever caught down in the Marquesas.

I saw it and am sure he cheated but can't figure out how!

Charley, Chas and I will be back out again tomorrow assaulting the Snipe Keys and Turkey Basin and enjoying the laughs that swim there.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Cocked and Locked in for Key West Winter Fishing

Motorcycling to N.E. Ohio is a bit of a ride from the Florida Keys but 7 or 8 years in a row I've done it up and back, it's the end and beginning of my fishing season.
After battling Tarpon and Permit in the hot May June of Key West, a long Moto ride is quite a change

Sniff ' en the Pecan Groves of South Georgia, Thoroughbred Farms of Kentucky and Corn Fields of Ohio is a nice break from my own sweat and sun block el La Flats O'dur!

Fly fishing for Large Mouth Bass and Blue Gills in the small Ohio Lake/Swamps from my Gheenoe would seem rather tame when comparing that sport to the Saltwater Monsters that have paid my rent for the last 30 years but!

Warm summer evenings, quiet Beavers swimming, White Tail peeking at your last Lily Pad Cast.

Steelhead on the Grand River is Octobers fun, Falls Leaves and Pumpkin Patches and a Hallooooween at the college bars with the Co-eds sloshing beer and breasticle's.

Next day putting the Gheenoe into hibernation and racking the 5 and 7wt fly outfits for their winter sleep.

Firing up the Big Honda Crotch Rocket on a 30 degree November morning and lunching in West Virgina.

Brisk......

A few days later snatching Sea Trout in the basins in the Gulf Flats and looking forward to the fun fishing that starts with the Cold Front that pushed me and the Honda south.

Hi Honey I'm Home!