Fly Fishing the Nature Coast – Focus on the Creeks

Targeting creek mouths when fly fishing the Nature Coast is an effective strategy. Creeks concentrate tidal flow, choke down bait, and offer a great place for predators to ambush that prey. The creeks concentrate water flow to areas that then fill up on high tides, offering a place for gamefish to relax. It also gives anglers a unique place to target these gamefish. Creeks are a large driver of where you should focus your time, especially along the Nature Coast of Florida.

Fly Fishing the Nature Coast is one of my favorite things to do. Water flows freely from the gulf through winding mangrove creeks and shallow, clear, sand flats. It is my belief and observation that lots of fish generally stage in these creeks and only leave on certain water levels. Redfish, trout, and snook in particular will stage up and utilize different parts of the creek do feed and then digest their prey. Sheepshead, cobia, sharks, and tarpon utilize this unique tidal flow to stage around points, pockets, and mangrove shorelines driven by the creeks.

Tidal stages will move fish around throughout the day. Exploring low tides will show depressions in the flat. It will also expose shallow areas of creeks where fish will wait for incoming water to push into higher areas. Fish love to concentrate in depressions around mangrove edges, sawgrass patches, and lower creek edges as the tide comes in or falls out. On higher tides, they’ll push up into the mangroves. A unique part of fishing the nature coast is that you’ll find open patches in the mangroves. There are places to pole over small mangroves and grass patches to locate fish on high water. It’s even possible to hook fish on the other side of mangroves that you won’t be able to get a boat to. Wading boots are a necessity.

High outgoing tides provide a really unique scenario. Redfish cruising along flats and mangrove edges will stage up with their head straight in the mangroves. Often waiting for baitfish and crabs to flush out of the mangroves with the tide. They wind up being easy to sneak up on – their heads are buried in the mangroves – but easy to spot, the rest of their bodies flowing gently with the tide. Often, a well placed crab fly along the lateral line of the fish will get you bit. It’s a really favorable shot that I have not found in any other scenario that I fish.

Gaining experience with sight fishing will key you in on target species and their behavior. Behavior displayed from our favorite gamefish is unlike anywhere else I have been. Making the nature coast a must stop in your fishing adventures. Focusing on the creeks will also place you in and around an abundance of wildlife. Shore birds, turtles, sharks, snakes, and horseshoe crabs will all be viewable as we pole along in the Nature Coast. Remember, when fly fishing the nature coast – focus on the creeks! They’ll take you to where you need to go.