It’s been a tough week down here fishing with winds in excess of over thirty miles per hour just about all week long. This always happens around this time in March and all of us just have to deal with it. It’s not to say there aren’t any fish around because there are, but you’re getting your butt kicked while you’re trying to find them. The best thing to fish for right now is permit but with all the wind the fish haven’t been as abundant as you would like. Some days this week, when it was a little cloudy, I would get three shots. When it was sunny I would get around ten shots and I was happy with that. If you are getting ten shots at permit you have a good chance to catch one but when the wind is howling it is hard to get a quality shot at one.

I have been telling my clients that even though the fishing is tough you will become a much better fisherman when you fish in winds like we have been having. It makes you concentrate more on the task at hand and when you fish again whether it is here or somewhere else, it will seem easy after the wind you have been dealing with. There have been tons of jacks on the backs of rays and sharks which have really saved my week. Even this is difficult in all the wind but if you get the fly close to the fish they almost always eat it. If you are spin fishing use a popper and the fish will attack that as soon as it hits the water. I have seen a few bone fish around but nothing with any consistency but definitely keep your eyes peeled for them when you are permit fishing. I haven’t done any tarpon fishing as of late but have seen the bigger boats in the channels which tells me there are a few around. Once this wind lays down a little bit the tarpon fishing should be good again which will be a welcome sight.

The weather can’t always be what we want it to be in March but if you put in a hard day’s work you will get enough opportunity to get the job done.

Since tarpon season is upon us let me teach you how to tie one of my favorite tarpon flies, the puglisi minnow. First you need two different colors of EP fibers, whichever you prefer and some clear thread. I’ll use tan and white as an example but like I said there are a number of colors that work down here. Start your thread near the bend of the hook and tie in about a three inch piece of tan thread. Next, flip the vice over and tie in a white piece the same length. You’re going to have to comb the white piece so it goes above the point of the hook. Repeat this process two more times on each side and tie off the thread. Fluff the material up so it makes a big puff and cut at an angle forming a diamond shape when done. You may also need to cut some of the sides so it is not so bulky. Next, mix up some epoxy and glue some doll eyes to make the fly look sexy. You can also tie flash in between the fibers if you wish but I find it unnecessary. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next week.

Courtesy of Captain Sandy Horn from The Weekly Fisherman