Every fly-fisherman has those bucket list locations and fish that they want to get their eyes on before it is all said and done in this life. Whether it is catching a GT in the Seychelles, Golden Dorado in Bolivia, or Roosterfish in Mexico (as you can tell, I have some big future hopes for trips), the new experiences keep the passion alive and going. However, not all of these new experiences require an overseas trip.

The one place I had been itching to get to in the good ol’ USA had been the Everglades. And let me tell you what, it blew away my expectations and I cannot wait to go back. With a long weekend in effect, the goal was peacock bass and other exotic species, and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We timed the trip PERFECTLY in that the peacock bass were just beginning to spawn, making them hot and aggressive! It was quite a sight to behold watching this fish post up on beds and attack a topwater or baitfish fly that landed within a foot of their home-stay. Another amazing thing was watching these fish come out of the depths to smash a fly, in that not all of the fish were in spawn mode yet. Not only was I able to catch my first peacock on a fly this trip, but these fish were of great quality. These things fight way harder than any largemouth I have ever caught, and are a truly a beautiful fish that has innovated freshwater fishing in south Florida. Way too many peacock pics to post, but below are some favorites.

The most impressive part about the Everglades was hands down the amount of species. During this trip, we caught peacock bass, largemouth bass, warmouth, spotted sunfish, gar, oscars, and mayan cichlids. The largemouth fishing was exceptional, and wiggle minnows and topwater flies were hands down the most effective thrown right against the lily pads. In addition to this, if we wanted to catch cichlids and oscars all day, we easily could have. Many times while fishing for bass, these fish would come out of nowhere and steal the fly. At one point during the trip, we tried finding a fly that these fish wouldn’t eat, and to catch 100+ in a day on the 6-weight is something that any fly angler should enjoy. These fish are often overlooked because of their “invasive” label, but purists, relax and breathe the fresh air and give these fish a shot. Truthfully, if I lived here, I would love to catch these for a hour or two a night after work.

Needless to say, I’m planning another Everglades trip for next spring. Next time, would love to try and catch a clown knife-fish, bowfin, or snakehead in addition to all of these species. The Everglades is a special place, and you never know what you might find in these Jurassic Park type waters.

Tight lines as always,

Joe