News from Florida Keys Outfitters

Florida Keys Outfitters Newsletter

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Greetings!

Happy New Year to all! I hope the Holidays were good to you. Here in the Florida Keys, December's weather and fishing offered us a little bit of everything. Warm sunny weather early in the month brought reports from Capt Drew Moret of some great tarpon fishing on the flats near Flamingo. Sue and I splashed our skiff and found a few of the big tarpon but had better luck with snook, baby tarpon and redfish.

The consummate angling team of Tim Mahaffey and Capt. Duane Baker were sharing bow time when they each caught and released an awesome bonefish! These beasts were personal best for both Tim and Duane.


Tim Mahaffey with a 14 lb 8oz	Capt. Duane Baker with a 13lb 8oz

Tim said "They were classic tailers and epic fights.... It don't get no better than this!"

As the month drew to a close many anglers and guides found our typically excellent Spanish and cero mackerel winter fishing on the Gulf side of the Keys. Both bluefish and mackerel were taking poppers readily! Veteran guide Mike Ehlers took a pair of anglers from Windsor Canada to the Gulf and his anglers said fishing was berserk!


Nice mackerel on a popper	Capt. Tim Klein holds son James' first bluefish on the fly!

Sailfish have started showing up in good numbers offshore of the Keys. Betsy Bullard, winner of the 2009 Herman Lucerne Memorial Tournament, caught a rare "sailfish on fly" while fishing with Capt. Paul Ross aboard his boat the "Relentless." The second half of December brought some good opportunities for teasing sailfish to anglers looking to pursue sailfish on fly.

Sandy's Angling Tip of the Month

Fly Line Management - Wind is inevitable and managing loose fly line on the deck of a skiff is key to success. First, stack your fly line in loose coils on the deck. (a Strip Mat is very helpful) Then take a handful of fly line and stuff it into your pants pocket. This will keep your line separated and prevent twisting. When you're ready to cast the line will immediately be pulled from your pocket.(Be sure your car keys are in your tackle bag, not your pocket!)

Fly Tubez stripmat

New Product Highlight

Unlike its predecessor, the fly line tamer, the Strip Mat is a lower cost ($70 plus tax/freight) and less bulky alternative. It's easy to store in a hatch and it's also very flexible, taking up virtually no room. We've also found that stripping line into the mouth of the line tamer takes some getting used to, as the strip mat maintains a low profile, a more natural stripping motion can be used. We guarantee two things won't occur when using the strip mat; you won't have to dive in the water after it when it blows off the casting deck with your rod inside, two, it won't be mistaken for a trash can.

Tournament Updates

The 10th Annual Islamorada SailFly Championship is set for January 13 & 14. All 20 slots are filled and we will provide a full recap of the event.

The annual Swamp Guides Ball will kick off with a party Friday evening January 29. Anglers will chase snook, redfish and bonefish on Saturday the 30th with an awards party following fishing. This is a really fun tournament run by the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association. Proceeds generated through the silent auction and raffles benefit the Don Hawley Foundation which assists Florida Keys fishing guides in times of hardship. For more tournament information or registration contact Terri Albury at (305) 664-5142.

Other Upcoming Tournaments & Events:

Redbone Bahamas Abaco Beach & Redbone Bahamas Spring Deepwater Cay - February 2010, contact Gary or Susan Ellis, (305) 664-2002 or redboneinc@aol.com

The Backcountry Fly Championship - February 26 & 27, 2010, Contact Charlotte Ambrogio, (305) 664-2444 or csasun@aol.com

The March Merkin Permit Tournament - March, 2010, Contact Charlotte Ambrogio, (305) 664-2444 or csasun@aol.com

The Florida Keys Fly Fishing School's first session of New Year is scheduled for the weekend of February 20, 2010. Learn saltwater fly fishing from expert instructors and acquire the skills, knowledge and confidence that would take months or years of trial and error accumulate. For more information call (305) 664-5423 or email sandy@floridakeysoutfitters.com

Invitations have been sent to winning anglers of 2009 Qualifying Events for the Florida Keys Outfitters/IGFA Inshore World Championships. The inshore world championships will be held in Islamorada on July 13, 14 & 15, 2010. It is a multispecies tournament with outstanding guides and anglers during prime fishing time. ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series will be on hand to film the event.

Inshore World Championships

ESPN Outdoors

For more tournament information see www.inshoreworldchampionships.com.

Florida Keys News

Tarpon tag emits data near Titanic Location
When satellite tag T-118 began transmitting data on Sept. 15, 2009, it had traveled more than 2,200 miles from where originally attached to a 98-pound tarpon caught on fly aboard my boat six months earlier in Florida Bay. This could very well be the greatest distance ever covered by a tagged tarpon, according to Dr. Jerry Ault, who heads the tarpon research program at the University of Miami, which tagged this fish, one of 137 silver kings tagged since 2001.

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Chapter Meeting
Be sure to mark your calendar for the afternoon of Monday, February 8 to attend the annual Islamorada chapter meeting of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Meeting will be at the Islamorada Fishing Club and there will be research updates on bonefish and tarpon. http://www.tarbone.org/

Baker Bishop shares Tarpon 2009
Thanks to Baker Bishop of Sullivan Island, SC, Ned Johnson, Bart Beasley, Captains Robert Klein & Perry Coleman we can see how great tarpon fishing was in the Keys during the spring of 2009, view their video. Looks like they know how to have a good time! It's time to book some tarpon fishing for this spring! Call Florida Keys Outfitters at 305-664-5423 or book online.

Monthly Photo Contest

Congratulations to Miami angler Ross Reeder for winning December's Photo of the Month. Ross also won the November contest with excellent composition, lighting and sharpness. Here's his shot of a beautiful Keys permit that says it all! Ross will receive a $100.00 gift card from Florida Keys Outfitters.

Give us your best shot for January's photo of the month!

Send via email to photo.contest@floridakeysoutfitters.com by 6:00pm EST by the last day of the month. Please include full name and mailing address. Photos must be at least 300 dpi with minimum dimension of 3" x 5" (900 x 1500) and a maximum dimension of 8" x 10" (2400 x 3000) and submitted in JPG format.

The staff of Florida Keys Outfitters will review all entries and determine the monthly winner. Their decision shall be final. Photos submitted will become the property of Florida Keys Outfitters and used at its discretion. Winners receive a $100.00 gift card from Florida Keys Outfitters.

We're anticipating plenty of great fishing opportunities in 2010. I hope you can take advantage of them in the coming year. Please call the shop or visit our online store for anything you need. Hope to see you on the water soon.

Tight Loops,

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