# Fly Fishing Navarre 6/27/20-7/4/20



## a.v.bradford (Nov 19, 2014)

I'll be visiting the area on vacation next week and hope to do some fly fishing - maybe even some catching!

I won't have a boat so all of my endeavors will be on foot. For this time of year, would you recommend sound side or surf side? Doing some research in the forum and online, I've gathered that tan/white and chartreuse/white clousers are pretty good as well as crab imitation flies. I'll also bring along a few top water flies (poppers and walkers) to try out. Anything else I should consider bringing along for flies? I'll be fishing an 8 wt and will have floating and sinking tip lines with a variety of leaders and tippets.

What species should be expected this time of year? Any other suggestions or tips?

Thanks!


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

Gulfside is fun at daybreak for ladyfish and a spanish or two as long as the June grass is gone. Trout and redfish are in the sound grassflats on the other side, but you might need to find access on the Hwy 98 side for the best flats. I pretty much rely on small clousers for everything saltwater these days. Have a great time, the weather looks good for next week.


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## a.v.bradford (Nov 19, 2014)

Thanks, First Cast. Any public access points you would recommend on the Hwy 98 side? I would be fine with walking a ways if needed.


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

I don’t know of any good public access spots, but you should drive over to Broxson Outdoors and talk to them about it. They’re a good local tackle shop and should be able to get you going. 8155 Navarre Pkwy, 32566.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Green deceivers do good also Gulf and soundside.


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

a.v.bradford said:


> I'll be visiting the area on vacation next week and hope to do some fly fishing - maybe even some catching!
> 
> I won't have a boat so all of my endeavors will be on foot. For this time of year, would you recommend sound side or surf side? Doing some research in the forum and online, I've gathered that tan/white and chartreuse/white clousers are pretty good as well as crab imitation flies. I'll also bring along a few top water flies (poppers and walkers) to try out. Anything else I should consider bringing along for flies? I'll be fishing an 8 wt and will have floating and sinking tip lines with a variety of leaders and tippets.
> 
> ...


So how'd you do??


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## a.v.bradford (Nov 19, 2014)

Had a great time out there!

Caught several ladyfish in the surf, but didn't find any spanish mackerel. Ladyfish are a hoot out there so I could do that just about all day - the way they school up on the bait fish in the surf is really something to behold.

On the sound side, I wasn't able to quite dial things in. There were lots of speckled trout around, I hooked a few and managed one nice 19" fish. I didn't see any redfish, but I am sure they were there. There was one day that I saw some pretty monstrous sized black drum cruising the shallows, but I couldn't get them to take anything I was offering. I only fished on the south side of the sound, never made it over to the north side of the sound.

For both the sound and the surf, I stayed near the eastern edge of the Gulf Islands National Seashore within walking distance of the house we were renting.

All in all, it really was a great trip - couldn't ask for much better in an area that I was unfamiliar with and totally on foot. Thanks for the tips!


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## a.v.bradford (Nov 19, 2014)

One other note - I saw lots of small sharks cruising the shallows on the surf side. All in the 1' to 3' range with the overwhelming majority between 1' and 1.5'. Not sure if that is normal or not, but I thought it was a really cool sign of a good ecosystem. They showed zero interest in any of the flies I presented. Thanks again!


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

Sounds like a good trip, and I'm glad the June grass cleared up enough for you to throw a fly. Ladyfish are known as a poor man's tarpon around here, they're good jumpers and runners for the size! The sharks I usually see are in the 3 to 4' range, but not in the numbers you saw in the smaller ones. Must've been a good spawning year for the men in gray! Holler back if you make another trip, and we'll fish on some private property on the north side of the sound.


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