‪I had a day off to go flats fishing. We went west of Key West in search of bonefish permit and barracudas. I fished with Captain Mike Bartlett and Captain Griff Hellwig. We all landed bonefish on fly and had a couple of shots at permit.

I have told many clients of mine that if you really love to fish, don’t become a fishing guide. I got a chance to break out my fly rod and go flats fishing. Long-term client and friend of mine Ricky and I, shared time pulling my boat. We landed several bonefish. I also landed a barracuda, bar jack and had a permit tail up on my fly but not eat.

February is typically the best month for barracuda on the flats of the florida keys. The cooler water bring in this amazing game fish to hunt the shallow waters in search of prey. Cudas favorite meal are any of the thin beaked fish such as needlefish, hound fish or ballyhoo. As anglers we imitate these fish using tube lures and flies that are durable, cast easy, stay on top and we can move very fast. The ideal presentation is a cast slightly past or in front of the fish and a slow retrieve until the cuda starts to show interest, then you want to increase the speed until you get a bight, you can never go to fast. Here are some of the pictures from last month.