The reports have been filtering through over the last few days for all things not permit: by far the most intriguing is the number of aggresive blacktip sharks–one of which we had the occasion to toss an ancillary jack to during the Merkin. These fish are so awesome it’s hard to believe. Barracuda, jacks, and…

Many congratulations to Captain Don Gable and angler Mike Dawes for taking the victory in the 2011 March Merkin. The Angling Company would like to extend our warmest comgratulations to both angler and guide for a job well done. Runner-up went to captain Doug Kilpatrick and angler John Ain. Nice work, boys! Below is a…

So tonight is the party, then the film(s), tomorrow is a pre-fish day followed by the captain’s meeting, then off to the races at 8:30 on Tuesday for day one of the March Merkin. A busy week, full of fishing. The Angling Company would like to wish great luck to all anglers and guides who…

Today is certainly warmer (74 (f) at the moment) than yesterday, which had temperatures in the high 60’s (f) for most of the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer still, with Monday and Tuesday returning to our pre-front air and water temps. From what I hear from those on the water today the tarpon…

The high today was in the high 60’s (f), and with that the fish on the flats are taking a break. The good news is that the weather is forecasted to warm up over the weekend, with a return to our pre-front highs by Sunday. This is good news, and a cold front may even…

This image is from weatherunderground.com, showing the leading edge and body of the rain that’s falling as I write this: It doesn’t spell doom for the fishing, however, as we are not seeing the cool temperatures that sometimes characterize a line of precipitation such as this. The weather is slightly windy yet balmy, and Sunday…

No photos from Monday’s adventure yet, so an inshore reprot will have to suffice. The weather is beautiful, but the wind is keeping the fishing difficult. I have heard of a number of great captures; mostly tarpon on the flats as well as permit and bonefish. The fishing is great, and we are all looking…

We left the dock at 5:30 in the morning, rigged and ready, full of fuel. Our plan was to work our way west, stopping at the shrimp boats along the way to capture some blackfin, get some bycatch for bait, and then end somewhere in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas. What actually happened was…

I never quite feel the same as when I’m rigging for a trip. There is a calming simplicity that accompanies the experience, saying always; “this is right, this knot will hold, this rod paired with this line will throw how I want and get the fly where I want it to be. This is my…

Today the wind has dropped and continues to do so; the forecast called for 16 MPH in the morning, dropping to around 12 by tonight. With a high of 81 degrees (f), this is great news; the fishing should get great! As far as a real-time report goes for what’s going on in the shallows,…