Mike Mastropasqua, Author at Ole Florida Fly Shop

ChopperTails

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Mike Mastropasqua

Capt. Carl Ball "We were out here tarpon fishing, tarpon wishing, and one of those big military helicopters flew by us. It flew in, it went by us, it turned around, it came down real low and it was heading right for us. We were like, 'uh-oh'. It got down real low to the water [...]

Circus Act

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Mike Mastropasqua

Capt. Scott Hamilton "The Singletons’ weather was marginal for the four days that we fished, with the seas being a sloppy three to four foot, but with little going on inshore, we buckled down and headed offshore anyhow. The first day was spent warming up on runners and other assorted little stuff, Scott Singleton managed [...]

Tough as Nails

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Mike Mastropasqua

Capt. Bobby Gibson "Jorge and I were permit fishing last week. I don't know how many almosts we had, and then caught one. Hooked one blind casting in the mud. A tank. Out of the first five shots, I thought every single one was going to eat the way they acted and chased the fly [...]

Lizard King

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Mike Mastropasqua

Capt. Brandon Laszlo "So we were fishing somewhere in the Glades. There's a creek where a whole bunch of baby tarpon are at, baby tarpon and snook. And there were a whole bunch of alligators around us. Buddy steps up on the bow and hooks a tarpon. I'd staked the boat out and got current [...]

Push Don’t Pole

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Mike Mastropasqua

Capt. Jason Sullivan "So we were fishing out in Florida Bay for tailing redfish. I was poling a guy to a couple fish tailing. And I guess I went to push and lean into it a little bit, and fell right off the back of the platform into the water. Disturbed everything I thought. Looked [...]

Is That One? Sight Fishing Between the Ears

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Mike Mastropasqua

Sight fishing, more specifically saltwater fly fishing on flats is not easy. Well sometimes it can be, but usually it’s not - especially here in South Florida. Whatever degree of difficulty the day brings, it’s always a numbers game of inches and shots. You’re told to practice casting. Which of course you have to. Because [...]

In The Trough: Fly Fishing For Beach Snook

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Mike Mastropasqua

Lines In The Surf When it comes to heart-pumping saltwater fly fishing, the beach snook fishing along the coast of South Florida provides all the action you desire. Every summer the pilchards, glass minnows and sardines school up along the shores of South Florida, setting the table for hordes of snook, tarpon, and jack crevalles [...]

Orvis Hydros Updated Fly Reel Review

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Mike Mastropasqua

This is the Orvis Hydros. The next generation in the Hydros series of reels, ascending from the Hydros SL. With a solid foundation in place put there by the previous generations, Orvis just improved the Hydros in the areas that warranted improvements. It's still the budget-friendly large arbor workhorse you've known the Hydros family to [...]

All About Bonefish with Capt. Bob Branham and BTT’s Dr. Ross Boucek (West Palm Beach Fishing Club)

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Mike Mastropasqua

Legendary Biscayne Bay guide Capt. Bob Branham and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust's Florida Keys Initiative Manager Dr. Ross Boucek's presentation on bonefish at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Between Capt. Branham's experience and Dr. Boucek's science, we get some great insight into the state of South Florida's bonefish fishery, as well as some fishing [...]

Umpqua XS435 Bendback Hook Review

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Mike Mastropasqua

Bendbacks are such a great fly to have in your fly boxes. They're light and they're weedless! You can bang them up against mangroves for snook all day long. They'll ride through grass where redfish and seatrout are stalking, they'll bounce off lili pads where largemouth and peacock bass are hunting, they'll even help keep [...]