Report for week ending Sept. 17, 2005

The last week we have had unusually hard rains almost every day from early morning until late evening. The seas have been rough. Fishing has been tough with moments of excitement! Very unseasonal weather, the most rain in a week in Barra that I can remember since living here 13 years.

Phil Hoover and sons Matt (an Orvis endorsed guide in FLorida) and Drew visited this week, the families 40th return trip, and these guys struggled to get a 7 day score of tarpon 29 jumped and 9 to the boat. This was their slowest trip ever in September. As I said earlier, just most unseasonal weather and slow fishing.

Fly fisherman Jim Croner, a regular to Rio Clorado Lodge, managed to break a 14wt. fly rod on a big tarpon and trolled a fly getting 6 more hook ups with none to the boat.

The back lagoons have been clear and most anglers opted for light tackle mojarra fishing and were not disappointed. John Crawford from Starkville, MS boated over 30 nice mojarra two afternoons in a row which we cooked up for dinner.

Boats that have gotten out to sea have seen big schools of tarpon, but they are not feeding.