Fishing Report: February 2007

Windy conditions in the last few days have made things more challenging for some of our fisherman out on the flats as the fish have been hard to spot and access to some areas has been limited. Despite these blustery conditions, there has still been much success. In fact, in the last couple of weeks, guest Perry Herst Jr. and his guide, Perry, were able to catch a pair of good-sized tarpon in the wind shelter of the mangrove canals, and earlier in the month, guest Phil Clough landed a great-looking tarpon in a steady rain.

Fly selection has been the real key recently. A more discerning population of bonefish has required fly patterns that differ from the standard fare. According to the guides, the smaller-sized olive or dark brown bonefish bitters (with weed guard) have been producing good results in the shallow flats around the lodge. And, after experimenting with a number of patterns, Herlé Hamon was able to land a nice-sized Permit on a Merkin crab imitation with his guide, Tie-Tie.

For many of the fisherman, their stay at Mango Creek gave them shots at other species of fish as well. Both Perry Herst Jr. and Jeff Wiese brought in 3-foot-plus barracudas that not only gave the fisherman a good fight but also provided dinner for the families of the guides as well.

Finally, cheers to Swiss guest Neil Harrison, who took advantage of our Hobie kayak and set off to do some fishing on his own. Neil loved the sleekness and stealth of the kayaks, and the pedal system allowed him to keep his hands free to troll and cast while still driving the kayak. Plus, he said paddling around all day was "a blast" in and of itself. Hopefully, the arrival of five more kayaks within the next week or two should allow more anglers the chance to venture off on their own and enjoy not only the fishing but also the scenery of the island.

With the spring months just around the corner, the wind should begin to settle, and we’re looking forward to calm, sunny days full of action on the water.