Fly Fishing Species 2023

[Ham]

98) Leatherjacket

crazy little guys that are hell on smaller fish. They are quick! I lost the first one I had hooked, but ended up catching a couple.

the guide stayed out an extra 30 minutes trying to help me get a Speckled Trout or Ladyfish on fly on a flat with turtle grass. I had some bites from needlefish and these guys. They have sharp spikes just ahead of their anal fin that will poke you and it is pretty painful and takes a while to feel better. Like getting stuck by a hardhead catfish.

[Ham]

99) Scamp Grouper

So, The guide trip was on Sunday. Very successful from a multi species standpoint. 
Monday morning, I got up before daylight and went to a tidal creek full of hope for a Ruddy Bowfin, or Hardhead Cat, or Brown Bullhead or a Fun Micro.

no Luck with any of my hopeful stuff and no micros seen. I got this nice Spotted Sunfish, but that was a repeat.

them we went over to Apalachicola and I tried some fun spots with no luck at all. 

so, Tuesday morning I was up way before daylight and headed to Destin Harbour.

parking was Fubared. The free spots were behind construction barricades. There were so spots that were $20 for 4 hours through an app for your phone, but I didn’t wanna do that. I found a No Parking Sign that had in the fine print 9A-5p for Lifeguard Parking. BINGO! I was gonna be gone before 9 AM.

I walked the half mile to my fishing spot as fast as I could through loose sand. Sand sucks. 
I had my 6 weight and my 8 weight with me. I started with the 6 weight and the @BilletHead Saltwater Taffy Woolie on. Tide was going out and I was hoping for a Gray Snapper, Ladyfish, or Needlefish. I was throwing out and letting it settle and swing down over rocks with the current. I had not been at it long when I was engaged with a heavy fish. I was confused because it wasn’t acting like a Redfish nor a Black Drum. I put as much pressure as I dared on the Size 8 hook. I was working it in and then everything stopped. The fish had gotten down in the rocks! I went down Current over the rip rap and put pressure from a different angle and I was able to manipulate the fish free. A couple more minutes and I had a freaking grouper! There is not consensus amongst the fish nerds. One group is adamant that it is a Scamp Grouper and the other side says Gag Grouper. I’m leaning Scamp. The caudal fin of the Gag is flat and the Scamp has longer tips. The tail of this fish did not have a flat edge. The photos were pre daylight and flawed. I wanted to return the fish quickly so I got what I got. 
more attempts were made at kingcroakers and needlefish and Black Snappers, but it was not to be.

Sitting at 99, I am suddenly less confident than ever. I know how Roger Maris felt. It’s all self imposed, but I want to get this done ASAP and return to whatever my normal life was. 
 

[BilletHead]

1 minute ago, Ham said:

99) Scamp Grouper

So, The guide trip was on Sunday. Very successful from a multi species standpoint. 
Monday morning, I got up before daylight and went to a tidal creek full of hope for a Ruddy Bowfin, or Hardhead Cat, or Brown Bullhead or my a Fun Micro.

no Luck with any of my hopeful stuff and no micros seen. I got this nice Spotted Sunfish, but that was a repeat.

them we went over to Apalachicola and I tried some fun spots with no luck at all. 

so, Tuesday morning I was up way before daylight and headed to Destin Harbour.

parking was Fubared. The free spots were behind construction barricades. There were so spots that were $20 for 4 hours through an app for your phone, but I didn’t wanna do that. I found a No Parking Sign that had in the fine print 9A-5p for Lifeguard Parking. BINGO! I was gonna be gone before 9 AM.

I walked the half mile to my fishing spot as fast as I could through loose sand. Sand sucks. 
I had my 6 weight and my 8 weight with me. I started with the 6 weight and the @BilletHead Saltwater Taffy Woolie on. Tide was going out and I was hoping for a Gray Snapper, Ladyfish, or Needlefish. I was throwing out and letting it settle and swing down over rocks with the current. I had not been at it long when I was engaged with a heavy fish. I was confused because it wasn’t acting like a Redfish nor a Black Drum. I put as much pressure as I dared on the Size 8 hook. I was working it in and then everything stopped. The fish had gotten down in the rocks! I went down Current over the rip rap and put pressure from a different angle and I was able to manipulate the fish free. A couple more minutes and I had a freaking grouper! There is not consensus amongst the fish nerds. One group is adamant that it is a Scamp Grouper and the other side says Gag Grouper. I’m leaning Scamp. The caudal fin of the Gag is flat and the Scamp has longer tips. The tail of this fish did not have a flat edge. The photos were pre daylight and flawed. I wanted to return the fish quickly so I got what I got. 
more attempts were made at kingcroakers and needlefish and Black Snappers, but it was not to be.

Sitting at 99, I am suddenly less confident than ever. I know how Roger Maris felt. It’s all self imposed, but I want to get this done ASAP and return to whatever my normal life was. 
 

                   I have determined there is really very little to nothing normal about your life and fishing itinerary Hamelton! 

[netboy]

Looks like a Gag to me. Used to catch them offshore in Texas, but never close in.

[Ham]

I assumed it was a Gag Grouper, but I was told that it was not. this was a grouper that my fishing partner caught. I assumed Gag On bottom in 50 foot of water. Look at the caudal fin. Flat edge. 

[Ham]

100) Chain Pickerel

I did it. I got my 100 th. 

[Ham]

100) Chain Pickerel i had gotten a tip about a small MDC conservation area Lake that was “loaded with Chain Pickerel”. It was close to a fall back spot if I was unable to get it done. I won’t burn the spot, but if you need to know PM me. 
so, I dodged a lot of deer in the way in and saw multiple vehicles that I think belonged to ppl that were hunting.

it was a balmy 34 degrees when I slid the boat into the water, but I had on waders and a PFD. I had spare clothes and towels  in the truck if I rolled my boat. 
About 10 minutes in, I had a Good take from a really nice Pickerel, but he didn’t stay hooked long. I fished a while longer and had another fish flash my fly, but not take. 
I tried a different fly out deeper for a while with no detected strikes. So, I switched to a Circus Peanut on my 8 weight. I was struggling to get good distance with that larger, heavier fly from a seated position and in general hating my life when the pickerel devoured my fly. He had both hooks planted. He was not coming off. Kind of a weird feeling right now. Really Happy and Really Relieved to have finished it. I’m pretty proud of doing it and I’ll always be able to say that I’m in a relatively small group of anglers that have accomplished it, but I’ve been so focused on it for so long that it feels weird that it’s done.

Of course, since I had a few hours of possible fishing time after I caught my Chain Pickerel so I went to my back up spot. I caught some pretty decent Rainbow Trout that were extra feisty. And I got another Chain Pickerel,

I’ve gotten crazy Lucky a few times this year. And I had a lot of help and encouragement from Dave. There was a lot of travel. Burned a lot of gas. Broke multiple  fly rods. 

Now, I still have some fish that I’m holding a grudge against and IF I get the right chance, I’ll definitely try to force feed them a fly. I’ll get em eventually, but it’s be Fun to get em this year.

Thanks for following along. I appreciate it. 

[bfishn]

You da Man!!!

[FishnDave]

This is SOOOO EFFING COOL!!!!  Wow!  100 species in a year!  ON FLY!!!  You helped me to catch over 80 species on fly this year, and I'm very happy and thankful for that... but ONE HUNDRED!!!!  WOW!!!  Not that I'm necessarily a good example to be compared to.... but I only surpassed 100 on fly EVER earlier this year!  That's how incredible your feat is! So happy and excited for you @Ham !

 

[Ham]

101) Striped Bass

I made a trip last in February this year looking for one of these on fly. I had truck trouble on the way home which ended up in me being without a tow vehicle until May at which time the window on Stripers at this location was CLOSED. 
I did not forget about them and hoped they would be there before the end of the year. They were and I made the long drive down to try again.

I was disciplined and dedicated to the task. I had Spotted Bass, LMB, Yellow Bass, and White Bass helping me not get too frustrated. Eventually, I got a big eat and managed to stay pinned to this schoolie Striper. 
i wish I had had heavy clouds or more wind or rain or something. It was kind of slow.

but after catching one, I was free to play and learn the area better. I moved and tried another area and caught three more Stripers. They sure are fun.