River and Creek Fishing

[Swamp Fly 0]

I acquired a solo 14 canoe at the end of last year. Since it weighs half of my two seater I've been doing some river and creek fishing over the last couple of months here in SW Fl.  It looks like rainy season is starting so the fishing will change from what it has been.  I love fishing the dry season, I get to wade and pick apart every nook and cranny of small stream water in a postcard setting.  The fish can be small on average but extra enthusiastic and all colored up.  Not to say there aren't some bigger fish to be had, caught a few 4-5 lb bass, and plenty of hand+ sized bream.  Depending on were you fish there are always some surprises. I caught a half a dozen Snook that were at least 60 miles from the salt.  Had one snook take my lunch money without even breaking a sweat, she was pushing 30" and parted my 8lb tippet like a pair of nippers.  That was over before it began, only thing I left with was a big smile.  I was in less than a foot of water, with a live oak canopy, and the native orchids where starting to bloom.  Go to flies where small tan deer hair sliders, and black woolly buggers. No pics, I keep threatening to leave the fishing gear at home and bring the camera gear instead.  One of these days I'll do it, honest I will, but then I'll remember that snook as I start to pack...

 

Swamp

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great report… Over here on the east coat we’re fishing canals mostly when hunting peacocks and other exotics… All of our small creek adventures are in brackish areas out of Flamingo or Chokoloskee.  Way up inside…

My basic fly leader in all of those kid of places is a “Poor Boy”, a heavy butt section with a surgeon’s loop at the end - then a four foot section of 20lb fluorocarbon without a bite tippet.  That way at least my anglers have a chance with a snook or baby tarpon…

[Swamp Fly 0]

Unfortunately I missed the freshwater Glades canal fishing again this year.  Boat needs a new steering cable and I need to address a bunch of deck rot.  Oh well.  I really love fishing all of that.  Like you say, there's nothing like the Glades.

I like poorboy leaders too, but I'm fishing 3-5wt rods so I'm either fighting a fly that's a bit to big/bulky or will have a hard time turning over something that is stiffer.  That's okay, if I'm after "bigger" tarpon and snook I'll fish the salt with appropriate gear.  I also don't mind being under-gunned for the occasional fish, makes actually landing one even better.

[Swamp Fly 0]

Let's see if I can make this work..

Here are some phone pics from this year.

 

This is a bald cypress from Fisheating Creek.  I believe it is call monument tree.  It reminds me of a big WW2 class battleship.  All of that is one tree and it's root system.

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This is another impressive cypress but from the Peace River.   All of the knees away from the trunk are also part of the root system.

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Various shots of one of the Peace River tributaries. 

[mikechell 0]

It's been a long time since I was down near Peace River and Fisheating Creek.  Caught my first Bowfin on Fisheating.  Now that I live north of Sanford, your part of Florida is just too far to justify ... especially with gas prices today.

[Swamp Fly 0]

The orchids are in full bloom.

This orchid is doomed, the tree will end up in the river eventually.

 

Resurrection Fern.  If you are not familiar with it it will curl up and "die" when it gets dry.  This patch is half and half so you can see both states.

One final poor quality picture.

[Swamp Fly 0]

I call these "South Florida Class 2 rapids". 😁

 

[Swamp Fly 0]

Dragon sign! (gator slide)

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One of Florida's invasive exotics, this one is a Pleco.  They are rather destructive because they burrow into the bank for the purpose of mating.

 

 

Finally I had some visitors when I took a break to eat lunch.  She got very upset and ran away when she finally discovered me.  In her defense, I am known to be very good at sneaking up on cows while sitting on a bucket eating a sandwich.  Cows are silly.

 

That's it, sorry for the lousy quality but even with post editing a cellphone can only do but so much

[Swamp Fly 0]

@Mike

When I lived in Melbourne I used to fish the shad run right around the corner from you at Lemon Bluff . Some pretty water up there too.

Both of those are an hours drive from the house.  My rule is that I have to spend more time fishing than driving so driving 1-3 hours to get in 6-10 hrs of fishing doesn't bother me too much.  I don't make a habit of it though, and I admit the older I get the tougher is to drive 2-3 hrs, fish for 8+, and then drive home.

I hear ya about the gas.  I dropped $100 worth of gas into the truck and it still wasn't full.  🤢 Still others elsewhere in the country pay even more so I guess i shouldn't complain too much.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great series of photos…. I hear you about the fuel situation (thanks a lot Brandon..).  My daily bookings are out of ramps that are exact 93 miles from home (Flamingo or Chokoloskee) so each day I’m towing my skiff nearly 200 miles round trip as well as eight hours in the water… makes for very long days.  My nut each day is roughly 25 gallons total for truck and skiff - lucky me….  
 

So far I haven’t passed the additional cost onto my anglers…

[niveker 0]

Great set of photos, lazy water, perfect for a relaxing float.

I love big old trees like that, don't know why.

[mikechell 0]

13 hours ago, Swamp Fly said:

One of Florida's invasive exotics, this one is a Pleco.  They are rather destructive because they burrow into the bank for the purpose of mating.

Yeah, they might cause a little damage to the banks, but they're a neat fish and they are vegetarians that keep the mosses under control.  The big ones will devour a bed full of eggs sometimes, but not very often.

I love those pictures.  There's very few shallow sand bottom creeks like that near me.  One, Soldiers Creek near Longwood ... I might have to make that destination in the near future.