Home For The Holidays

I have taken a couple of weeks off from my "Dream Job" to spend the Holidays at home in Michigan. It is always a shock to deplane in Michigan with the 50-degree temperature change. It is great to be home and I am busy repairing stuff in house and cabins before the tribe arrives. Can't wait!!

There was no break from the wind the entire month of November. I spent a lot of the time trying to find places we could hide and fish comfortably out of the wind. We picked away at Bonefish and Snook, but Sea Trout fishing was excellent. The high point of the month was fishing "The Tournament" at Ocean Reef Club. It was a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We raised a ton of money for the kids and I had a chance to see a couple of guides I haven't seen in years. Win, win!

I will be returning to the Keys December 28th and open for business. I look forward to seeing you then!

Happy Holidays, Capt. Dave

Wind, Wind Go Away

The last two weeks has been an interesting time for me. I have been all over my territory, from Flamingo to Biscayne Bay. We have caught redfish, snook, tarpon, sea trout and bonefish. The one common denominator on most trips has been lots of wind! On most days we are having to customize our fishing to work around the wind. I am hoping it is about to blow itself out!

I had a special honor on November 10th. I was invited to be involved with a fishing outing with Guides from all over the Bahamas and Cuba. They were here to participate in the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Symposium. I fished with Lazaro Valdes from Cuba. We had a wonderful day comparing note about bonefishing and the differences between our countries. Lazaro informed me his neighbors think he is crazy because he is a fly fisherman, they are more concerned with catching dinner! It was a day I will not soon forget.

Tight Lines Capt. Dave

Back In the Keys

It was a spectacular summer in Northern Michigan. Trout fishing was outstanding and the bird hunting this fall was great, but all good things must come to an end!

I have made the long journey and am again open for business at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo Florida. The Club has done some major remodeling to our dock area and it looks great. They still need to complete a few minor details it should just be a few more days and all will be perfect.

If you are going to be in the area this Fall I would love to get you out on the water!

Tight lines, Dave

Hot And Dry

The last month has been one of record heat and very little rain. Water temperature has been high so we have been trying to be very careful not to stress the trout. Midday fishing has on most day's has been out of the question. We have been fishing most days early in the morning. Trico's and olive's have been the fly's of choice. When we have fished midday we were using terrestrials and attractors.

We are hoping for a little reduction in the temperature and some much needed rain. The fishing menu will remain the same until fall. Daytime fishing will get a lot better as the heat moves on. I will be here until late October if you are interested in a float.

Tight lines, Dave

Hexomania 2011

I can't wait for them to come each year, but I must admit after a long hard ride, I am glad I have no more Hex trips booked!!!
Cool weather and lots of rain made this year a reel struggle, but we went out on a high note. Just like golf we forget all the slow nights and just remember the eagle on the last hole!!!

I also had some great brook trout fishing during the day while all the night insanity was going on. We caught lots of fish and some nice sized ones to boot. All the fish we have caught this year have been full to the gills and fat as little pigs! All that high water has given them lots to eat. The best night I had in the Hex was with Tony Kalbli it was his first night trip and he made the best of it. I put him on 5 nice feeding fish and he managed to catch four of them. Not to shabby for a rookie !!!

Now I am looking forward to the morning hatches which should start any day now also the terrestrials won't be far behind. Give be a call if you are interested in some great summer trout fishing.

Tight lines, Dave

Early June

It has been a wild ride this June. To hot, to cold, to much rain, no rain. Well it is Michigan!! As you would expect fishing has been inconsistent. It is always beautiful to be out floating the AuSable though! We had a couple great nights on the brown drakes and caught some fine trout. We are at present waiting on " Hexomania " it shoild start any night and we are all waiting on their arrival!!!

Tight Lines Capt. Dave

Back on the AuSable

The last month has flown by an I can't believe I am again in Michigan! I was quite a shock going from the 90's to the 60's! It feels great to be back in the fresh water again!

The Keys ended up on a wild note with the flats on fire! Big tarpon, bonefish and permit Oh My!!

Fishing back on the AuSable has been spotty, with high water causing some issues. I did catch a monster 26" brown on a fun fishing trip. He ate a big green streamer. We are seeing sulphurs, stoneflies and even a few march browns on the water. The table is set for some great June fishing.

Lets go!!!

Tight lines, Capt. Dave

Flat Crazy

The weather in the Florida Keys has been outstanding and so has the business!! I am sorry I have not been updating by blog , but I have not had time to eat or do laundry. What a wonderful problem to have!!

Fishing has also been insane! We have been catching Tarpon, Bonefish and Permit in great numbers. We are also still catching Snook and Redfish.

I still have three weeks left in the Keys. If you can slip away for some action, come on down!!

Tight Lines, Capt. Dave

Spring Break 2011

It has been a wild and crazy ride the last couple of weeks! It is a thing of beauty to see Ocean Reef Club this busy. What a difference a year makes!

I have been fishing with mostly families as you would expect. That means lots of snappers, jacks and small groupers, but we also have been catching lots of small redfish and some huge trout! This is an unexpected but pleasant surprise. I have been fishing with my regular Monday and Friday client Don Asher and he has been on a roll of late! Don caught another beautiful permit, 31-pounds and lots of dandy bonefish.

I hope the floodgates remain open and the Club stays full of business and fish stay hungry!

Tight Lines Capt. Dave

Flats Fun

Fishing the last couple of weeks has been a blast! We have been catching all the target species we love to catch, but have been in short supply lately. I have had several night tarpon trips and we caught at least one tarpon on every trip. There have been plenty of permit on the flats around Ocean Reef Club. Don Asher has the biggest so far a dandy 25-pounder. Bonefish have been on both the oceanside and bay flats around Ocean Reef. We have caught them up to 10-pounds.

Charters are really starting to book up, so if you are planning a trip this spring please let me know as soon as possible so we can work you in and have a Grand Adventure!

Tight Lines, Capt. Dave

Fishing The Backcountry

Most of the clients I have fished with lately have been interested in action and maybe dinner! To make everyone happy I have spent most of my time in the backcountry or the creeks.

I fished last week with Meg Blair out of Islamorada. We had a great day on the water and ended up all the way back to Flamingo. We caught a boatload of fish, mainly trout and ladyfish. Meg's dog Buster also had a blast checking out every fish that came aboard!

I fished with the Asher clan several days last week. I had a wonderful time fishing with them and we had a blast teaching the younger crowd the art of fishing! High line was Gabrel Asher with a monster hogfish he landed in the Angelfish Creek.

We have also had some nice catches of puppy redfish and snook mixed in with lots of ladyfish, snappers and small groupers!

Tight Lines Capt. Dave

Bonefish Action Heating Up

While the rest of the nation is crippled with snow and ice we are finally having a warm up! The water was up to 74-degrees on the flats yesterday! It was May last year before we saw that temperature. With the warm water we are seeing bonefish return to the flats.

Yesterday fishing with Meg Blair and her friend Johanna Paterson, Johanna caught her first and second bonefish! It was a pleasure to be involved with her conquest! We also caught lots of jacks and other fish, it was a great all around trip.

Earlier in the week fishing with Don Asher we released three nice bones and a boatload of other species. Fishing for redfish, snook and tarpon has also been good. So all I can say is "Life Is Good" !!

Tight Lines, Capt. Dave

Roller Coaster Ride

Fishing the last couple of weeks has been a real roller coaster ride! It goes from bitter cold to above normal warmth. This is not great for the fish. They don't know where to stay and we don't know where to find them. I have had the best luck fishing in deeper water and along the deep ledges in the creeks. At these locations Snapper fishing has been very good with some small Groupers also.

Last Wednesday I took a trip over to the Everglades with my dear friend Meg Blair. We left her house and went almost all the way to Flaming. It was a beautiful calm day and we had a absolute blast. We stopped and fished at several locations and caught a boatload of fish! Lots of Jacks, Trout and Ladyfish. What a great day.

I have also been still having some luck with Redfish up around Ocean Reef Club. I am looking at another busy week and hoping by my next report I will be telling you about releasing lots of Bonefish!

Tight Lines Capt. Dave

New Year

Since my return to Ocean Reef after my Christmas break I have been faced with some challenging conditions. We have had some bitter cold and windy day's. Thank God these conditions have moderated and we are again back to normal winter conditions!! You know the old adage " When the going gets tough".

I have had some outstanding trips of late and we have been having way to much fun on the water. We have been catching lots of fish, not always the clamorous verity, but fun none the less!

Top Gun so far is Sarah Asher. Fishing with her grandfather Don she released 25 Redfish! She kept both her grandfather and I busy releasing and reloading. What an outstanding trip!! The bar is set high for the rest of the season!

Tight Lines, Capt. Dave