Better late than never as they say. This is the last fishing report from Naples. One of the souvenirs I took with me from Naples was a cold thus that is why I am typing a report here on the other side of the pond in the middle of the night (can’t sleep).

During my stay in Naples I used the server at the Everglades angler store as a backup to store all my images from the digital camera. The last backups where put on CD-rom that afternoon and then we would go fishing with Diamond Dave at Doctors pass.
As we drove to the pass I asked Diamond Dave where he was going, I got the impression he went to far North. Seemed he always fished the north side of Doctors pass instead of the south side I favored.

We stopped at one of the last public beach accesses and had to walk quite a distance to get to the northern jetty. Underway we where mistakenly identified as citizens from England by one of the surferdudes on the beach (maybe lost from California?)

Maybe it was the tan, maybe the flyfishing gear. I guess we will never now. At the beach Snook appeared and we all started casting to them. Fish followed but there where no takers. At the jetty we dispersed all over the place and started to fish. The tide was not running so all was pretty dead. It was so dead that we soon decided to leave for the next pass down south, Gordon pass.

We walked all the way back to the beach access, hopped in the car and went south. Diamond Dave had to make a visit to the neatly camouflaged 7-11 store (different sign) in the posh 3rd street downtown Naples area. It looked so out of place with all those fancy eateries and galleries in that neighborhood.

At the last beach-access on 33 Ave. South we parked the car and headed to the pass. There where no signs of Snook on the beach so we where hoping that they still would be in the pass like some days ago.


Gordon pass.

We fished the jetties on the beach near the pass for a while but there just where no fish to be seen. So we moved to the pass, hopped over the jetty and started to fish the inside flats.
It was Saturday so there was lots of boating traffic. The tide was just about to go in and spraying baitfish meant only one thing, predators around. It did not take long before we where into fish.


First fish, Ladyfish.

Some fish where following my fly and tried to grab it. Typical behavior of Ladyfish and soon I battled the first one of these acrobats. Those fish could jump like crazy. Almost every cast into the pass resulted in a hookup.


Michael with Ladyfish.

As the sun got lower takes increased and other fish species mingled in with the Ladyfish.
There where small Jacks and Spanish Mackerel around and on the deep side of the pass at Keewaydin Island I saw a huge Tarpon jump out. The Tarpons silvery scales reflected the sun like a mirror, it looked magical.


Ladyfish and Spanish Mackerel where active.

Everybody was catching fish and having a ball with the fast jumping Ladyfish. There where some big ones among them. Diamond Dave was shouting that he wanted a Snook but those where not around this time.


Diamond Dave on the flats.

As the sun set and light slowly disappeared the bite got slower. The full moon would light up the beach later in the night. I knew that Snook always frequented the jetties on the beach and the pass at dusk so I made a cast parallel to the rocks. To my surprise the fly was directly intercepted by a small Snook.


Snook and moon.

We left the pass when all bites from Ladyfish, Mackerels and Snook ceased and joined Diamond Dave at the jetties on the beach. One of the mansions at the beach had installed lights in the garden that where so bright that part of the jetties where illuminated. I saw splashing bait in the lights so I made a few casts to haul in my two last Ladyfish from the trip.
Later that evening we walked back over a moonlit beach to the parking lot, this was a worthy end to a good vacation.