SALTY QUILL LLC
BRADENTON, FLORIDA

I would rather see a Snook and cast to it, than blind cast, just like I would rather see a rising trout, make the cast and hook him on a dry-fly. But for me and my Snook hunting, I have only seen optimal conditions for sight fishing a few times. Optimal conditions are low waves, one foot or less, little wind, clear water, full sun, and Snook. At this point in my Snook hunting, I am not going to wait around for a clear, cloudless day, with low waves, little wind, and clear water to go after them. I have been on the beach 25 or more times. Much of the time there have been waves a little too high to see clearly in the water, overcast conditions, wind, or milky water close to shore. Several times I got to the beach and didn’t fish because of the high wave action. I have since heard that there is a web cam available where I can see wave height before going. Oh don’t get me wrong, I have seen some Snook. I have had some sunny, quiet times and I have seen single Snook, doubles, and triples swimming down the trough. I have seen groups of a half-dozen Snook attacking a bait fish school and running them right up on the beach. I have seen groups of 30-50 Snook swim by me quietly in single file. I have seen some really huge Snook, 20 – 30 pounders, in deeper water that wouldn’t look at my fly. I have seen skittish Snook that quickly sped away when I raised my arm to cast, and I have seen docile Snook that were cooperative in eating my fly. I caught one by making a 6 foot cast as it came by in a foot of water close to the shore , and I caught one on an 80 foot blind cast out into the open water. I targeted one Snook out of a string of fish as they came by. It left the squad to take my white streamer. But most of the Snook I have caught so far have been blind casting down the trough, casting next to some type of structure, or out in deeper water. I have caught Snook on the first cast of the day, and on successive casts. Two casts caught two Snook. Too easy! Four times I have had two Snook on at a time. I started fishing two flies but after losing three flies and three fish to break-offs, I am back to only using one fly at a time. It is almost impossible to land two Snook with a double fly hook up, but I did hook and landed two small Snook on the same cast. Three times I have fished the whole day and caught no Snook. I have also caught Sea Trout, Jacks, Whiting, Lizard Fish, Mackerel, Hound Fish, Pinfish, Puffer Fish, Cat Fish, and something else that I am not sure what it was. If I come to a place on the beach that looks “fishy”, and feels “fishy”, then I stop and take a few casts whether I see a Snook or not. I realize some veteran Snook anglers only cast to fish they can see. I am not there yet, perhaps I will never be. I am catching too many Snook and other species fishing around structure, sandbars, depressions and troughs, besides I love to cast. I have spent all day casting in drizzle, sleet, snow and wind, floating on a high Wyoming lake hoping for that moment when a huge rainbow takes the streamer. I have fished the North Platte River in a February with its unmerciful howling wind, sleet and snow only to get broken off from a wild brown trout because my reel was frozen. I surely can beat the sun, heat, and wind that often comes when fishing a Florida beach! Besides if it gets too hot I can just go for a swim. The only thing I can’t deal with is the lightning accompanying the afternoon storms. When the lightning starts I find shelter quickly. Fortunately the weather app on my phone gives accurate storm information and warns of lightning strikes. Most of the Snook fishing is in the AM and done by noon when afternoon thunder storms begin to build. Summer is the rainy season in Florida. When it rains here it is like taking a shower. Inches of rain can come down in a short time and the rain is warm! An Intermediate Salt Water fly line is a clear line that sinks slowly, 1.25 to 2 inches per second. It is invisible to the fish and your eyes also. This line will sink slowly and get below the waves. It also help you keep in contact with your fly as there is not as much slack in the line. Use 4-5 feet of 25 to