My family and I took a trip to Southwest Florida in June with a couple friends and I did get out to chase snook almost every morning with fair to good results considering the conditions. A late spring/early summer trip to the gulf coast can be a bit of a gamble with the weather. Afternoon storms are the norm and if they’re strong enough it can really stir up the sand in the gulf making sight fishing on the beach nearly impossible. Luckily the water cleared up enough by the second day of the trip to allow us enough visibility to see some snook cruising in the shallow surf. Also, the beach where we stayed has a long hook shaped sand bar that creates a good sized lagoon that is protected from crashing waves and strong tides. This backwater bay was the perfect place to wade and sight fish. My friend Andrew and I caught a couple fish there and I saw a true giant that didn’t show much interest in my fly. It was the kinda of fish that haunts you….this is the fish that I dream about in the weeks prior to my gulf coast vacations… a 20+ lb beast that’s cruising a shallow, sandy flat, capable of spooling my 8 wt…. knowing those opportunities are there is what brings me back to Florida every year.
