A new species on fly rod is always a memorable occasion

Author Steve Gibson shows off a first, a sailfin catfish from Lake Manatee. (John Weimer photo)

I'm a little different. I think.

While most people I know don't give a hoot about catching a new species, I'm all over it any time I get the chance.

I've been that way since the day I started fishing.

I remember a trip to Costa Rica in the early 1990s. My hosts wanted to pursue snook and tarpon -- species I catch all the time while angling around my home in Sarasota, Fla.

I've caught more snook and tarpon than any angler has a right to catch. With that in mind, I opted for Costa Rican native species.

During my stay, I caught guapote, roncadore and mojarra -- three species that were new to me and unavailable in my home waters. I didn't catch any snook or tarpon, but I was quite happy with the results.

Just the other day, I caught a new species near my home. I had been trying to catch a sailfin catfish around the boat launch at Lake Manatee. They are pretty easy to spot around the launch. However, I had tried a couple times without success.

After a fun day fly fishing for bluegill and other species with John Weimer of Sarasota, I decided to try my luck on these prehistoric catfish once again. Only this time, I would pursue them with a No. 12 Gibby's Snymph, a tiny nymph pattern which usually produces good numbers of fish.

I didn't expect much. Why should I? I'd never had a sailfish cat show even the slightest interest in anything I cast in front of them.

But they apparently loved the Snymph. The cats were plentiful in the shallows along the shoreline just north of the launch. I waded along slowly and look for them on the bottom. When I'd spot one, I would cast the fly in front of them and let it sink to the bottom.

I hooked and lost two fish quickly. The third fish wasn't so lucky. I was solidly connected to the 2-pound fish on my 1-weight TFO Finesse.

The fight was unremarkable. The fish was slow and sluggish, but nothing the 1-weight rod couldn't handle. After a couple of minutes, Weimer, who was wading beside me, was able to net the dark-colored catfish.

I was extremely happy. Not because of the battle. Not because they're good on the table. But because it was my first on fly!

Actually, according the Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they're pretty decent on the table. Sailfin cats are not indigenous to Florida, but have been in state waters since the 1950s. They were probably introduced by tropical-fish enthusiast who dumped the contents of his/her aquarium into a backyard canal or pond.

The rest is history.

Over the years, I 've caught a number of first-time species on fly, including oscar, peacock bass, Mayan cichlid, Midas cichlid, blue tilapia, spotted tilapia, sheepshead and others.

Every time I catch a fish on fly rod that I've never caught before is a memorable occasion!

Gibby's Snymph opens up a whole new world in Florida freshwater fishing

Gibby's Snymph is very effective on a variety of fish and amazingly easy to tie.

Nymphs aren't just for trout.

I found that out a few years back after a productive trout trip to northeastern Georgia. Fishing out of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga., we caught an impressive number of rainbow trout on nymphs in the Chattahoochee River, Soqui  River, Chestatee River and Noontootla Creek.

The Snymph resulted is this fine speckled perch.

While drifting nymphs in the current, the proverbial light bulb went on in my head.

"I'll bet nymphs would  be great on panfish back in Florida," I thought to myself.

I was only half right.

Not only are nymphs great for bluegill, but also speckled perch (black crappie), shellcracker, largemouth bass, channel catfish and other species.

Unlike nymphs used to entice trout, they don't have to be fancy or complicated. In fact, the pattern I tie and use is quite simple. It's so simple that I've dubbed it Gibby's Snymph (a combination of the words simple and nymph). It's a bead-head nymph, with a squirrel tail, dubbed body and wire ribbing.

Four steps and you're done. Four simple steps and you're ready to fish -- and catch fish.

Big fish also eat nymphs.

GIBBY'S SNYMPH

Hook: Bass Pro White River No. 10 396 nymph

Thread: Uni

Head: 1/8 Gold or copper bead

Tail: Squirrel

Ribbing: Fine gold wire

Put bead on hook and place in vise. Tie in thread and wrap to hook bend. Tie in sparse bunch of squirrel hair. Dub body, building it up toward the bead. Wrap ribbing forward and whip finish.

Voila! You're ready to fish.

Hefty shellcracker eat nymphs.

I tie Snymphs is several colors: tan; brown, olive and rust. Those colors have all produced. I'm sure other colors also would produce.

I fish the Snymph under an strike indicator. I like Lightning Strike 1/2-inch fluorescent yellow strike indicators. I've found they're the best and simplest to use for what I do in Florida.

Fishing the Snymph is pretty simple, too. I cast the Snymph to the edge of the structure (grass, lily pads, trees, rocks, etc.) and allow it to sink. I don't work the Snymph too much. I use a couple of one-inch strips in succession and then allow the Snymph to sink again. If there's any chop on the water, that usually is enough to give the Snymph all the action needed.

One thing I've found important is to point your rod tip straight down the line toward the strike indicator. With the rod tip in the water, all slack is removed from the fly line. That is important when the indicator goes under and it's time to set the hook. With no slack in the line, setting the hook is easy and usually effective.

You might think the Snymph is only good for small fish. Not so. I've taken bluegill to 12 inches, speckled perch to 2 1/2 pounds, large shellcracker, bass to 5 pounds, channel catfish to 7, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass, gar, tilapia and oscar.

This large tilapia inhaled a Gibby's Snymph.

Back when I first started fly fishing in Florida's fresh waters, I used popping bugs. I used popping bug for bluegill. I used larger poppers for bass. I caught mostly bluegill and bass. On rare occasions, I caught shellcracker and speckled perch.

It was fun when the topwater bite was  going on. When it slowed, it was time to go home.

That all changed after my trip to northeast Georgia to fly fish for trout. That opened up a whole new world.

I found out that when the topwater bite ends, the day is just beginning when you switch to subsurface flies.

In fact, the subsurface bite usually is much better!

January offered warmth and some pretty hot action

Terry Byce of Lakewood Ranch battles his first Everglades oscar.

This unseasonably warm winter is good and bad. It's good because you can get out on the water and enjoy yourself in warmth.

It's bad because it isn't the norm for fish.

Snook are still on the flats and under the mangroves which isn't normal this time of year. We should be finding most of the snook up creeks and rivers, but that's just not the case.

Burt Benjamin, 81, battles a spotted seatrout on fly rod.

Fishing has been pretty good in both fresh and salt waters.

In salt water, we've been getting spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle and pompano.

Burt Benjamin of Connecticut joined me for an outing on Palma Sola Bay. We managed to catch 20 seatrout to 23 inches, three flounder and a pompano on Popovics Jiggy Flies.

If you think you're too old for kayak fishing realize that Benjamin is 81.

John Weimer of Sarasota fished with me on several occasions. We fished Palma Sola Bay and caught 22 seatrout to 19 inches and several ladyfish on Popovics Jiggies and Super Hair Clouser Deep Minnows.

Terry Byce of Lakewood Ranch spent a day along Alligator Alley and wasn't disappointed. On his first trip, Byce caught "more fish in a day than I've ever caught." He managed oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and largemouth bass. All fish were caught on Gibby's Mighty Myakka Minnow.

John Weimer of Sarasota is hooked up in The Everglades.

Weimer and I fished Alligator Alley and had similar results. We caught an estimated 200 oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and largemouth bass.

Interestingly enough, we caught a majority of our fish while employing a method we dubbed "the non-working technique." We'd cast out Myakka Minnows and allow them to sink. We wouldn't retrieve them at all. Sooner or later, a fish would inhale the offering and the battle was on.

The non-working technique paid off in many fish.

Speaking of the Myakka Minnow ...

I developed the fly more than 10 years ago. And it has resulted in many fresh and saltwater fish over the years. One of the main materials used is Bodi-Braid by Spirit River.

However, Spirit River was recently bought by Hareline Dubbin. And the new parent company has decided not to carry Bodi-Braid.

That caused me concern. However, after a visit to a local needlepoint shop, I have come up with a substitute. Actually, I'm better off because the shop carries not only the colors I need, but also additional colors that were previously unavailable to me.

I now tie Myakka Minnows in a variety of colors.

If you're interested in purchasing Myakka Minnows, they're $60 a dozen (plus shipping). Minimium order is a dozen.

I tie them in sizes No. 12 to No. 6 for freshwater. In addition, I tie them in No 4 to No. 1 for saltwater.

They make great night snook flies.

Over the years, the Myakka Minnow was caught oscar, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass, stumpknocker, warmouth perch, largemouth bass, sunfish, pumpkinseed, speckled perch (black crappie), white crappie, channel catfish, blue tilapia, spotted tilapia, barramundi, brown trout and others.

In salt water, they have resulted in spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, tripletail, bonefish, tarpon, mangrove snapper and others.

The Myakka Minnow is not magic, but a great fly whenever fish are feeding on small minnows.

I fished Lake Manatee on a couple of occasions and did well. On one trip, I caught 20 bluegill, two bass, one speckled perch and a stumpknocker on Myakka Minnows, popping bugs and Snymphs. The other trip was virtually the same.

February looks promising and is booking up quickly.

FEBRUARY FORECAST: Spotted seatrout action should be very good over the deep grass in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay and Palma Sola Bay. In addition, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle should please. Redfish action should perk up on the flats and around mangroves. Snook are still in the bay, but will move to creeks and rivers if we get a sustained cold front. In fresh water, Lake Manatee and the Manatee River should produce bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, shellcracker and speckled perch. Alligator Alley should produce loads of oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, largemouth bass, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and an occasional peacock bass.

If you're interested in a fishing trip or purchasing Myakka Minnows, please give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com).

Hope to hear from you soon!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Nymphing is a productive fly-fishing technique in Florida

Gibby's Snymphs (simple nymphs) are quick and easy to tie and are very productive for a variety of freshwater species.

A few years ago, I traveled to northeast Georgia to fly fish for trout.

After a frustrating morning on Noontootla Creek, I asked guide Rex Gudgel for a little help.

"I know where the trout are, but I can't catch them," I said. "Why don't you show me what you would do?"

The author shows off  a hefty Mayan cichlid

Gudgel, who was working at the time as a guide out of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga., surveyed the spot, then tied on a nymph and added a strike indicator. He cast upstream and allowed the rig to float down with the current.

He explained the nuances of nymphing to me. While doing so, he caught rainbow trout of 12, 17 and 26 inches.

I was amazed.

After he left, I caught and released a 27-inch rainbow, the largest of my life.

But that wasn't the highlight of my life. Don't get me wrong. The trout was great. But nymphing lit the proverbial lightbulb in my head.

I thought the technique would pay handsome dividends back home in Florida where freshwater trout were little more than a dream.

John Weimer's peacock bass sucked in a Snymph.

Rather than trout, I envisioned big bluegill and shellcracker. I could see these panfish sucking up nymphs with reckless abandon.

Now, I'm not going to tell you that I'm the first person ever to use the technique in the Sunshine State. I'm sure others have done it. However, I have fished in Florida for more than 45 years and I've never seen anyone use the technique.

For me, freshwater fly fishing was simple. You'd cast a small popping bug for bluegill. You'd cast a larger popping bug for bass.

There was no in between.

Lake Manatee speckled perch on a Snymph.

When the bite ended, it was time to go home.

Sometimes, the bite lasted all day. Often it didn't. We would usually head home by mid-morning.

That all changed when I began nymphing.

I started out using a popular trout pattern: a bead-head Hare's Ear. It produced pretty consistently. 

Later, I began developing simpler patterns that could be tied in just a couple of minutes.

Hefty shellcracker on Snymph.

I first began nymphing on Lake Manatee, a  body of water nine miles east of Interstate 75 in Manatee County. The lake can be tough, but if you invest the time to learn it you'll find it's loaded with fish.

I've used a number of different strike indicators over the years, but I've settled on  Lightning Strike Round Foam Strike Indicators (http://www.basspro.com/Lightning-Strike-Round-Foam-Strike-Indicators/product/15218/)  that I purchase at Bass Pro Shop. They're simple and do the job nicely.

This is no fancy system. I tie on my Gibby's Snymph (simple nymph) and set the strike indicator according to the depth of the water. Usually I set it between 18 inches and two feet.

I cast it out (usually toward the shoreline structure), allow the nymph to sink, and then twitch it during a slow retrieve.

When the strike indicator twitches, moves or goes under, it's time to set the hook.

What could be more simple?

I've used the technique in lakes and streams throughout Florida, and it has rarely failed. I have used it in Lake Manatee and caught hand-sized bluegill, large shellcracker, impressive speckled perch, largemouth bass to 4 pounds and channel catfish.

Capt. Rick Grassett used a Snymph to fool this tiny tarpon.

In a small lake east of Naples, I have caught gargantuan Mayan cichlid, hefty bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass and peacock bass.

It has produced in The Everglades, the Myakka River, Upper Myakka Lake, Hillsborough River, Manatee River and other bodies of water.

A month ago, I launched my NuCanoe Pursuit at Benderson Lake near my home in Sarasota. I had only fish the lake a couple of times and not in the last 15 years. I caught a few bass near a spillway on Clouser Deep Minnows, then begain drifting down the east side of the lake. I started nymphing. I caught 25 bluegill, five shellcracker and a hefty channel catfish. I also lost another large channel cat.

I've also caught small snook on the Manatee River on the Snymph. Capt. Rick Grassett of Sarasota fished a small lake in Charlotte County with me and landed a small tarpon.

The Snymph has now become my "go-to" rig in fresh water.

The beauty of the rig is its simplicity.

It is quick and easy to tie.

Most of the time I use a White River 396 No. 10 or 12 nymph hook (Bass Pro Shops).

Slide the gold bead on the hook, then place it in the vise.

Tie on the thread just behind the bead and wrap back to the bend of the hook. Then tie in the tail. You can use pheasant tail, squirrel or whatever.

Tie in a short length of copper wire, then began dubbing with Hareliine Dubbin' Hare's Ear Plus. Build up the body. Finish by wrapping the copper wire toward the bead and whip finishing the thread. The wire serves two purposed: 1. It segment the body; 2. I secure the dubbing.

I usually use tan, olive, brown and rust dubbing. I'm not sure color makes much difference, though.

Simple.

Snymph.

Easy.

When I head to a lake or stream to fly fish, I'll still start out most of the time with a No. 10 popping bug on a 3-weight fly rod. I'll stick with it until the bite slows or stops.

When that happens, I'll pull out my 2-weight TFO Finesse rod and begin nymphing.

What I've learned over the years is when the topwater bites stops, your day is just beginning.

Gibby's Snymph is a an effective, easy fly that catches fish

Snymphs are easy to tie and  effective in most any color.

Fly fishing is a great way to catch fish. It's not only deadly on such species as rainbow and brown trout in this country's colder fresh waters, but for most species of fish.

I'm going to share a technique that I began using about 10 years ago that has increased my catches in fresh waters around Florida.

Monster shellcracker on Synmph.

Flashback to 1975. In those days, I cast popping bugs and only popping bugs. When the topwater bite ended, it was time to go home.

Fast forward to 2006. I discovered nymph fishing. Nymphs are small flies that are usually used in colder streams for freshwater trout.

I'm here to tell you they're deadly on a variety of fish in Florida. Now, when the topwater bite is done, my day is usually just beginning.

For starters, I use a No. 10 bead-head nymph that I tie on a White River (Bass Pro Shop) WR-396 No. 10 hook. It's a 1X long classic nymph hook.  You can tie the nymph on any size hook you want, but I've found No. 10 is very versatile.

The fly is so simple and easy to tie that I've dubbed it Gibby's Snymph.

I tie the fly with tan dubbing, brown dubbing, olive dubbing and a number of other colors. I use a 1/8 gold bead.

Gibby's Snymph (simple nymph)

Hook:  WR-396 No. 10

Thread:  8/0 Uni Thread (color to match dubbing)

Head:  1/8 gold bead

Tail:  Small bunch of squirrel tail to match dubbing

Body:  Hare's Ear Plus Dubbin Hare's Ear

Ribbing:  copper wire

Nice peacock bass and a Snymph.

The fly is not only deadly on a variety of fish, but ultra-easy to tie.

Add bead to hook and place in vice. Tie in thread and wrap back to point of hook. Tie in a small clump of squirrel tail. At this point, I tie in a short length of copper wire. Now, I twist on dubbing to the thread and wrap forward. I start with about a 2-inch noodle of dubbing. I keep going forward and build up the dubbing toward the head. After I'm satisfied with the shape, I wrap the wire forward, tie it off and cut it. I then whip finish the thread.

Voila! You're ready to fish.

I've caught a variety of fish on the Snymph. I've caught big bluegill, huge shellcracker, stumpknocker, channel catfish, largemouth bass to 4 pounds, golden shiners, Mayan cichlid, oscar, peacock bass, speckled perch, sunshine bass, snook and tarpon. I might have caught a couple of other species, but I can't remember.

I fish the Snymph under a strike indicator. I adjust the strike indicator according to the water depth. It might take a couple of adjustments to get it right.

Diminutive tarpon on a Snymph.

I fish out of a kayak, so I don't have to make long casts. The beauty of kayak fishing is that the fish don't know you're there (if you're quiet). So, I set up about 20-25 feet from my target area.

When it comes to kayak fly fishing, there's no doubt in my mind that the NuCanoe Pursuit (www.nucanoe.com)  is the best. It's roomy, spacious and features and uncluttered cockpit that makes a perfect stripping basket. Additionally, it has four rod tubes into which you can stow fully assembled fly rods. I normally carry at least three fly rods on most trips, so two are stowed safely out of the way when I'm not using them.

I cast to my target area and allow the nymph to sink. I don't "work" the nymph much, and I believe you can overdo  it. I give it a twitch or two and allow it to sink.

Channel catfish love the Snymph.

A majority of my hits take place as the Snymph sinks or when it's just suspended under the indicator. Sometimes I'll just let it sit there. If there's a little chop on the water, that's usually enough to give the fly life.

Detecting a strike comes with experience. The indicator (think of it as a miniature bobber) might go under. Set the hook! But it might just "twitch." Set the hook. It might not move at all. I advise watching your line and responding if it moves.

With experience, you'll get the hang of it.

Just the other day, I launched my Pursuit at a local spot which I hadn't fished in years. It's a lake within a county park that has been fished hard over the years.

The fishing was pretty darn good.

In just a few hours, I caught nine largemouth bass, 25 bluegill, four shellcracker and a decent channel catfish. I also hooked another sizeable cat, but broke off.

Bluegill are suckers for the Snymph.

That's 39 fish.

Most came on the Snymph.

I have caught bass to nearly 5 pounds on the Snymph. I've caught loads of hand-size bluegill. It's deadly on shellcracker. Speckled perch (black crappie) love it. Ditto for stumpknocker, channel catfish and tilapia.

The best thing about the Snymph is it meets my criteria for a great fly: 1. It catches fish; 2. It can be tied in five steps or less.

Quick, easy, out the door and on the lake. What more can you ask?

It's my opinion that many (most?) flies are designed to hook fly fishermen. They're intricately designed, beautiful and take more time to tie than they're worth.

I received a new fly-fishing/tying magazine to which I subscribe and saw an article written by one of the young guns of fly tying. He wrote about a new fly that he had designed.

Now, nowhere in the article did it chronicle the fly's effectiveness on any particular species. The fellow simply wrote about how to tie it.

It was a good-looking fly, for sure.

But it involved 62 tying steps! That fly would take more than an hour to produce.

The only way I'm going to spend that amount of time on one fly is if fish jump out of the water to hit it or it's a fly that will catch a species that won't hit a fly.

Take a look at the Clouser Deep Minnow, if you will. It's perhaps the best fly in the country for both freshwater and saltwater species. In addition, the Clouser is one of the simplest flies of all. You can crank them out to the tune of 12 or more an hour. Four tying steps and you're ready to fish.

That's my kind of fly. And, by the way, I do use the Clouser successfully in fresh and salt waters.

The Snymph is quite similar in that it's easy to tie and catches fish -- lots of fish.

When the topwater bite is over, I no long head home. I start casting the Snymph. My day is just beginning.