Fishing on Monday with Joe

Monday was another day for the 6, and while the weather was marginal at best Joe and I decided to go. We left Islamorada at about 7:15, and in high water made it to the glades in just under 45 minutes.
Immediately, it was apparent that the only way for us to see a fish would be if they rolled–the cloud cover would remain with us all day. While in slicked out conditions this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the fish are more likely to roll. In wind that approaches 10, however, it means an unfortunate amount of time staring into the chop for an occasional roll that may disappear into the same chop before you can scan back towards it. It also means that hearing fish roll is less likely.
All that said, Joe told me he thought he could find a group of fish and that we could hook few. After fishing with Joe now a fair number of times and finding his predictions eerily accurate, I had no doubt that at some point we would come tight.
As it turned out, it didn’t take many more stops to find our fishing: within an hour, Joe had the skiff staked out on an interior edge. Fish, most easily contenders for the 6 lb record, rolled around us. We simply waited for one to show within casting range.
My first cast was to a roller just off the bow. Two strips and I could see a dark shape rise up and inhale my fly with a flash; I set the hook, and we were off to the races. Well, almost off to the races, as the fish jumped and we estimated its weight specifically: marginal, at best. I didn’t wait long to break it off–no sense in ruining our chances at one of the larger fish that we knew were around us.
Our second fish was from a string of three that swam straight towards us from our 6 o’clock. while one of the fish looked large enough, the one that ate was small. This fish, too, I broke off in order to focus on the task at hand.
As the tide died out so did our fishing, and we hooked one more fish from a roll. Also too little, this fish came off on the hookset and we left for another area.
We had one shot at a rolling fish there, and finished our day with another look somewhere else. The rain was coming, and we elected to call it a day after three fish hooked.
We finished the day with a nice visit with Mark Krowka and his wife Marcy, and added a few slices of pizza for good measure on the way home.
As always a great day on the water with Joe, and as usual I can’t wait to fish with him again. As it turns out, this is next Friday, 5 October, for the Baybone Superfly. I’ll have a report from our Superfly fishing, unless the weather is good for the 6 and then we’ll most likely fish the glades for tarpon.

ncl