Fishing For Gold In the Everglades

True Story

The alarm went off loudly, but I was ready for it. I had been waking every 15 minutes and watching the clock. Ever since I retired, I have come to hate the alarm and avoid using it whenever possible. Remarkably, I don't sleep in and still wake up early every morning. But, today is the day I am catching up with my favorite guide in Southwest Florida - Captain Debbie Hanson.

We are going to hunt Peacock Bass. It is a species I have had on my bucket list for awhile. Hopefully, today will be the day I can check that box off.

Peacocks are native to the Amazon. In Florida, they are considered an exotic species. Peacocks were introduced to Southeast Florida in 1984. Scientists brought them in to combat growing populations of invasive Tilapia and Oscars that escaped from breeding ponds during hurricanes. Miami-Dade County was ground zero for the Peacocks. The Biscayne Aquifer regulates the water temperature so Peacocks can thrive. Ever so slowly they have been migrating to Southwest Florida through the canals in the Everglades.

Peacocks are a beautiful fish. They are a member of the Cichlid family. Generally, they are golden in color with black stripes and black spots. They have a yellow halo with a black center on their tail fin to confuse potential predators. They are also great fighting fish, especially when caught on a fly!

I am super psyched because I will get to put my new Orvis Helios 3F series 6-wt rod to the test. I have been practicing my casting with it. It is lightweight and the line glides through the guides with a whisper rather than a whine. And, since Joe Mahler switched my grip to forefinger on top hold, my casting accuracy has been deadlier.

To be honest, my casting skills are less than remarkable. I am hoping better equipment will make up for my shortcomings. I've read the articles that advise to never attribute your lack of skill to the quality of your gear. I understand, but today I am optimistic the Helios rod will give me the edge I need to bag my first Peacock.

After crawling out of bed, being careful to not bother my wife who's pretending she didn't hear the alarm, I check to see if the light is on in the guest bedroom. I'm fishing with my buddy Bob today. He's notorious for sleeping through alarms or forgetting to even set one. The good news is he's already up and taking care of business.

We get ready and grab our gear. We need to meet Captain Debbie at o'dark thirty in Estero so she can transport us and her Jon boat to a canal in the Everglades where the Peacock bite has been on fire all week.

Captain Debbie is waiting patiently when we arrive. As early as we think the day is starting, it started even earlier for our Captain. Most anglers don't give a thought to the time it takes a Guide to get the boat prepared for clients. Our Captain has been up at least an hour more than we have. It is time she has invested to be sure we have the best experience possible. I give her a quick nod of appreciation and immediately grab the shotgun seat in her F-150. Bob crawls in the backseat and stretches out for the ride down Tamiami to the Everglades.

Even though I hate getting up so early, seeing the fog lift from the fields and the pinks of a beginning sunrise is awe-inspiring. It makes me wonder how many sunrises like this I have squandered in exchange for a little more time in bed.

We arrive at the launch point with fog lifting off the canal. It looks like a promising morning. We grab our rods and start rigging them with lines and leaders while Captain Debbie goes through her launch routine. We offer to help, but she politely redirects our attention to getting ourselves ready including the obligatory potty stop behind a bush. Our Captain has a routine and our help would likely look more like obstruction. So we take care of the business she can't help us with.

The Jon Boat is an angler's dream. They have a flat, or nearly flat, bottom and a squared-off bow. It is aluminum, so it's rugged. Captain Debbie's is outfitted with an electric motor along with oars for nearly silent running. The downside is the bench seating has no backrest. At our age, it always puts a strain on our casting muscles requiring rest more often than we want. Fortunately, we fish one angler at a time, giving us each a much-needed reprieve before we have to turn in our man card by admitting our back hurts. Our Captain has seen this ritual a million times and often preserves our fragile pride by suggesting we switch positions before our backs give out.

Today, I am the lead angler. Captain Debbie ties a small orange and yellow deceiver with eyes on the end of my leader. We will be fishing the sub-surface today. Receivers are a great choice because Peacock Bass are fierce fighters. They easily destroy flies made of feathers and other soft materials. Adding eyes has been shown to dramatically increase the strike rate. And, I need the odds balanced in my favor if I am going to check the box on this species today.

Captain Debbie directs my attention to a limestone ledge on the bank of the canal just below the surface of the water. Peacock Bass live to hang around rocks along the shoreline. They prefer clear water to murky, and the limestone ledge gives them a perfect hideout to stealthily strike unsuspecting prey. It's about a 60-foot cast which should be within my comfort zone.

I am not a big false caster, and my first cast drops about 5 feet short. I make a move to strip it in and Captain Debbie instructs me to "fish it." I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to casting. More often than not it works against me by either spooking fish or reducing the number of casts I fish. I have fished with Captain Debbie for several years now. She knows my faults well and doesn't hesitate to give me welcome advice to up my fishing game.

I strip the fly-in with no takers and get ready for a second cast. My Helios rod is a 3F series rod. The F stands for feel or finesse. I am counting on my hours of practice on grass to translate into a more precise fly placement in real-world conditions.

Captain Debbie repositions the boat and points out a small outcrop on the shoreline she wants me to target. Hit the spot, let the fly drop, and strip fast. A fast strip excites Peacock Bass and triggers their predatory instincts. The faster you strip, the more aggressive Peacocks get.

I can feel doubt entering my mind about my casting ability. It happens every time I make a less-than-perfect cast. I forget all the good casts I have made and remember my screw-ups. I am always impressed by my fishing colleagues who seem to cast so effortlessly. For me, each involves an internal struggle with my nerves and confidence. Sometimes I win, but more often I lose.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before I start my backcast. I lift the rod tip slowly so the line tightens, pluck the fly from the water, accelerate the rod, and abruptly stop to create the bend so a tight loop can be formed on the forward cast. Then point my forefinger at the target.

I feel my fly move past my ear as it slices silently through the air on the way to the spot I was aiming for.

This cast drops the fly right on the limestone shelf. Everything had aligned for the perfect cast. I can hear both Captain Debbie and Bob mutter "YES" in unison. It is a good feeling when a cast comes together. It is one of my favorite moments and a reason why I love fly fishing.

"Now drop it off the ledge slowly, let it sink, and strip as fast as you can" instructs Captain Debbie.

Getting the fly where you want it is only half the game. Now you have to fish it correctly to be successful. That requires a purposeful approach and patience. Both are skills that quite often allude to me. I have lost many trout in Western waters by being too anxious when setting the hook. Today, however, I am dialed in.

I strip slowly and feel the fly slip off the ledge. I count one-two-three to give the fly time to slowly sink. I can feel my nerves wanting to take over. "Now strip!" I hear Captain Debbie say. "Faster'" she orders.

Before she can say "faster" again, I feel an explosive strike. They say "The tug is the drug" and it's true. My heart races and I strip set the way Captain Debbie has taught me. I feel the fish respond and let it run. I don't want to be too anxious only to break it off. But, I can't afford to be too permissive and let it find structure to wrap my tippet around and snap the fly off.

I am sure the drama of fighting this fish is overblown in my head. But, I remind myself I am in the Everglades on a beautiful day fishing with my best friend and favorite Captain. The only thing that would make the moment better is to successfully land this fish.

The tug of war starts to turn in my favor and Captain Debbie reaches for the net in an attempt to end the struggle. I angle my rod to guide the fish toward her. A few foiled attempts at another run and the Peacock is in the net.

I look at Bob and Captain Debbie and both have grins as wide as mine. I think how amazing it is to have fellow anglers so genuinely excited for your success. The camaraderie is palpable.

We take the obligatory picture of me with my first Peacock Bass. It is far from a Florida state record fish, but to me and my boat mates, it is a trophy catch. We carefully release the fish so it can give another angler a similarly thrilling experience.

In quiet moments, when I ponder about why I love fly fishing so much, it is days like this on the Everglades with people I care about that come to mind. The perfect cast, the thrill of the tug, and the joy of bringing a fish to the boat on a fly. I can't wait for the next time I am on the water.

Epilogue - You can find Captain Debbie at shefishes2.com and I recommend her as a guide without hesitation.

About The Author - Ed was born in Utica, New York and now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is an Eagle Scout and has enjoyed outdoor activities for most of his life. But, it wasn’t until he retired that, with the encouragement and mentorship of his friend Bob Miller, he took up fly fishing. The sport has progressed from an interest to become a passion.

While Ed has authored several highly-rated business books to help people better understand marketing (Building Brands: What Really Matters, Building Brands: Making It Personal), this is his first attempt at short story writing.

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