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When The Wind Makes you Quit.

How much wind makes you cancel?  

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I "called it" this morning 10 min. before leaving the house; because I live about 4 miles inshore, and was rigged and ready to nearly ready when the winds kicked up to 15+ and a small squall line blew in, now squall line aside, I should have atleast gone to the water to see how things looked? Conditions do change, and In my parts a squall can ofter be followed by a sur-real slick-out on the flats! Sadly today the winds are still building.....

 

Here's my 12 lbs Snook from last night, caught from land, 9wt. Dalburgh style...

 

IPB Image

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Nice snuke. I gotta be honest, when it’s blowing 10-15 I don’t really want to deal with it. I’m not as worried about my cast as I am the other factors, visibility, anchoring etc... You can away tuck away from the wind but it’s the ride to and from that can be very uncomfortable and wet. In the Harbor I don’t mind an east wind but the NW and the S winds blowing make for a bad day. If it’s blowing 15-20 I wont even put the boat in the water. I learned that the expensive and hard way. Plus, even if you’re tucked out of the wind sometimes fishing the tight areas is almost impossible. People forget that the wind 10 feet above the ground is blowing a little different than ground level. I like steeple casts with the mangroves to my back. In the wind these are extremely difficult, double haul or not. So to answer your question, 10-15 Im considering it, 15-20 No way!

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I should add that I removed my trolling motor last year and I only push pole. Wind makes this difficult, especially with an 18.6 ft boat. My clients like the extra deck space!

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I don't even consider the wind unless its 30+ and then its only to use that to figure out where to fish. You should never try to hide from the wind since it is friend, generally the best places to fish (at least from shore) are the places the wind is hitting you in the teeth.

 

Mark all this time and I never knew you were the God of Fly Fishing...please spare me your wrath!!!!

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I fished on the jersey coast in 2 hurricanes 60+ mph...of course after it blew over 30 i quit the fly rod and went with a plugging outfit..had a great wind at my back, and could cast loooong...

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My favorite style of fishing right now is chasing Permit and Bones in my 16' canoe. load with gear and a motor, and myself the rig only tips 320lbs on the scale, poling is a dream, paddling is alright until the wind gets above 15mph, I don't like paddling alone, against the wind...

 

Capt. MATT C. --NICE SNOOK! I LOVE that you remove your trolling motor, keeps the guide experience more traditional!(not to mention, I've poled a few Hewes/Maverick skiff's, you guys make it look f*ckin' EASY!!) my compliments.

 

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Since the winds are almost always blowing across the state, it just depends on the situation. Summer winds start in the morning from the east at calm to 5-10 & then the westerly gulf breeze in the afternoon can get up to 25-30 before the thunderstorms. If the fishing is great just cast into the wind until it becomes futile; like when a gust blows the fly backwards onto the beach or into the mangroves. When on a boat the situation gets to be a bit more of a common sense decision; are you undoubtedly going to end up piercing body parts with fly hooks of others on the boat or yourself should a 30+ gust catch the fly, traveling at obviously increased line speed to overcome the winds ? For happy daisy chaining tarpon off the beaches in the afternoon with westerly 20+ winds in a 2-3 foot chop......cast when you see them over the tops of the waves when the boat rises on the next rolling wave before the boat bow drops & your line of sight is now below the wave tops ! B)

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My favorite style of fishing right now is chasing Permit and Bones in my 16' canoe. load with gear and a motor, and myself the rig only tips 320lbs on the scale, poling is a dream, paddling is alright until the wind gets above 15mph, I don't like paddling alone, against the wind...

 

Capt. MATT C. --NICE SNOOK! I LOVE that you remove your trolling motor, keeps the guide experience more traditional!(not to mention, I've poled a few Hewes/Maverick skiff's, you guys make it look f*ckin' EASY!!) my compliments.

 

Yea I thought it was easy until I tried it. After a while its second nature. Thanks for your compliments. Also, usually when the wind is blowing 20+, a small craft advisory issued by the weather service. I don’t care how die hard you are, I don’t know any one who launches a skiff in those conditions for recreation.

 

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I'm with you guys, I put up with whatever is going on. Saltwater in FL means you're almost always dealing with some wind. I really think the question has more bearing depending upon the tackle that you're using. A #8 WF floater is one thing in 15+, a T-350/450 is another thing entirely.

 

I've got a lot of respect for you pole-only guys. I don't have enough friends who flyfish, so the trolling motor has stayed on my old 16' Hewes, which is not a light or shallow by current standards - but it takes an incredible beating without complaint.

 

Are any of you guys near Naples?

 

John

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I'm with you guys, I put up with whatever is going on. Saltwater in FL means you're almost always dealing with some wind. I really think the question has more bearing depending upon the tackle that you're using. A #8 WF floater is one thing in 15+, a T-350/450 is another thing entirely.

 

I've got a lot of respect for you pole-only guys. I don't have enough friends who flyfish, so the trolling motor has stayed on my old 16' Hewes, which is not a light or shallow by current standards - but it takes an incredible beating without complaint.

 

Are any of you guys near Naples?

 

John

John, The harbor Im reffering to is Charlotte Harbor. I live 30 minutes north of Naples.

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When the winds are 20 + there are places to flyfish......not necessarily on the boat especially with small craft caution advisories; but if you're on the water get on the lee side of some islands or in the backcountry & maybe the ride back to the ramp won't get you too wet! Mornings can have flat calm seas & afternoon winds can bring up 20 + winds with 2 to 3 footers & SURF"S UP that can feel like skiing a black diamond trail at 8 AM, or at 8 PM one of those mechanical bulls in the bars. That's when adjustments are necessary & fly rodding might not be the best choice for saltwater with either a #7 weight or a #12 weight, much less cruising on a boat! Wading is easy when the winds are up as the principle is the same, just get out of the direct winds to flyfish. What do you think guides do when a party has hired them for a day & the winds are not cooperating ? Located about an hour north of Naples I-75 exits. B)

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When the winds are 20 + there are places to flyfish......not necessarily on the boat especially with small craft caution advisories; but if you're on the water get on the lee side of some islands or in the backcountry & maybe the ride back to the ramp won't get you too wet! Mornings can have flat calm seas & afternoon winds can bring up 20 + winds with 2 to 3 footers & SURF"S UP that can feel like skiing a black diamond trail at 8 AM, or at 8 PM one of those mechanical bulls in the bars. That's when adjustments are necessary & fly rodding might not be the best choice for saltwater with either a #7 weight or a #12 weight, much less cruising on a boat! Wading is easy when the winds are up as the principle is the same, just get out of the direct winds to flyfish. What do you think guides do when a party has hired them for a day & the winds are not cooperating ? Located about an hour north of Naples I-75 exits. B)

 

I'm a guide part time. If I can I reschedule, if not we deal with it but it limits the fishing possibilities as far as distance you may travel. Most people who hirea captain want to be comfortable and not get wet. On a very windy day, small craft advisory) Your faced then with 2 situations, put the trim tabs down and better the ride while getting soaked or leave them up, stay a little drier and go home with a back ache, sometimes no matter how close you stay to the shoeline you have to travel into open water (manatee zones, low water etc). Remember that most clients arent used to saltwater fly fishing let alone saltwater fly fishing in the wind. All my guide friends agree, may be were just soft. the lee side is always the best choice as Dave suggests unless the wind direction messes with the tides but even then you can make do, ex. Last week I was out with a client and an east wind was blowing around 15 mph and gusting in the low 20's. Not a big deal but it was blowing the water out pretty bad and the outgoing tide was super low. I got out and pushed the boat across a sand bar, it was that shallow, towards a deeper trough where I had seen a bunch of snook and a few reds a couple days prior. Fortunatley I was out of the wind once across the bar and polling around we had the fish to ourselves. Guy caught his first snook ever that day. Personally, I can fish most anytime I want, I choose not to deal with the wind unless I have to. If Im on a fishing trip to an exotic place of some sorts, Im with you guys, Pull out the big whippin sticks and haul some line around!

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