The Salty Feather will be hosting a Fly Fishing Tournament on Northeast Florida’s Inshore waters. This will be a catch-photo-release tournament with two divisions. Division 1 will be total length of legal Redfish and Division 2 will be total length of a legal (Redfish, Trout and Flounder) slam. You can only weigh one fish of each species for the slam.

Prizes will only be awarded to the top angler in each division, however we will have tons of items to give away during the Captains Meeting and the weigh-in. The Prizes will be as follows:

Total inches of Legal Redfish will win a Winston Boron 2 MX 7 weight fly rod (retail value $710)

Total inches of a legal slam will win a Sage Z-Axis 9 weight fly rod (retail value $715)

Entry fee for the tournament will be $35.00 if paid by September 15^th and $45.00 if paid at the Captains Meeting. The Captains Meeting will be held at the Salty Feather on Friday September 30^th at 7:00 pm. Fishing will begin at safe-light Saturday morning October 1^st           and you must be in the weigh-in line at the Salty Feather by 4:00 pm.

All anglers are responsible for their own measuring device and digital camera. A unique token (which must be in all photos along with your fly rod) will be handed out at the Captains Meeting Friday night.

Tides for tournament day are: 0.0 low at 6:30 am and 6.0 high at 1:29 pm. That’s right, it is going to flood. You can fish out of a boat, kayak or from shore. You may fish anywhere you want however, you must be present at the Captains Meeting and back to the weigh-in on time to be eligible.

For complete details and rules and to get registered call or come by the store. (904) 645-8998

We had some decent early morning low tides this weekend so I went out to see if I couldn’t scare up a couple of redfish. The topwater bite remains strong from daylight to around 8am; Saturday’s bite was extended a bit on account of the cloudy weather. The tides weren’t as low as I would have liked them to be and the reds were not backing as much as they have been, although I did manage to find a few working on either side of the tide. I threw an assortment of flies, all black, as well as some topwater plugs and soft plastics on spin gear. There are some pretty good sized reds in the creeks, its just a matter of finding them and getting close enough for a shot without spooking them. The weekend turned out pretty well, with several reds on top, a nice 18” flounder on a black and purple ep, and my biggest red of the year, a fat 28” slob that was backing with some buddies on incoming water in the mouth of a small feeder creek. I hope everyone got out this weekend and bent a rod, ‘til next time,  good fishing.

What a beautiful evening on the water.  Capt. David Borries and I left the store around 4:30 PM to so we could be on the water about two hours before high tide.  Timing was perfect, the first flat not 300 yards from the dock, had three Sheephead tailing.   Both Dave and I managed to put all three fish down without getting a strike.   The second flat had three reds tailing but they didn’t stay up long enough for Dave to get a hook up.  The third flat was the charm.  It had several Sheephead tailing and I moved to the left side of the flat and Dave went to the right. I tied on one of my SH Crab flies and a gave Dave one.   This is a fly that has caught over 50 sheephead over the last 20 years.  That might not sound like a lot over a 20 year period of time but it’s more than any other fly I know.   Dave decided to try a new fly that he had tied that morning.  It was a black toad with purple marabou tail and orange rubber legs.   Boy I’m I glad he did!!  I ended up getting two refusals and Dave landed his first sheephead on a fly. Nothing better that landing a prize fish on a fly that you have created.

The evening continued with numerous tails and chances.  Dave ended up landing two more reds on his new fly and I ended up losing two big reds.  The last one straighten out my hook.  We walked back to the boat in the light of the moon with memories of a special fish being caught and a big one that got away.  It doesn’t get any better than this.

Capt John Bottko

Spend the day with Capt. John Bottko and learn his secrets from 25 years on the water fly fishing N. E. Florida. This seminar covers everything you need to know about fly-fishing the Jacksonville area.. Whether you are experienced, or a beginner, the course will help you to be a better fly fisher. Topics covered include tackle, knots, rigging, casting, fighting fish,  line management and fly selection. A special emphasis is placed on what species are available in N.E. Florida to the fly fisherman  and how to catch them. The class is taught by Capt. John Bottko. Lunch is included. Cost is $100.00. Call the store to reserve your space 904-645-8998. Class is limited to six students.

Next Class: September 10, 2011

The art of fly tying is one of the most rewarding facets of our sport. Catching fish on a fly is one thing, but creating that fly takes the catch to a whole new level. This course will get you tying the flies you need for our local waters in just four weeks. The topics covered include tool selection, knots, and the use of all the different materials. The lessons do not stop there though, also included is a lot of discussion about how and where to catch fish on the flies that you tied. All materials and tools are included. If you already own a vise and tools you are encouraged to bring them. Cost: 100.00 Four consecutive Tuesdays or Thurdays, starting between 6:00pm and 6:30pm

Next Class Begins:  September 13, 2011

Advanced Inshore Fishing School

December 2nd and 3rd 2011

The who’s who of Northeast Florida’s inshore fishing. Over a hundred years of light tackle and fly fishing experience. Captain’s John Bottko, Larry Miniard, David Borries and Tony Bozzella have teamed up to present North Florida’s first inshore fishing school.  This two day seminar is limited to only 12 students so you will be up close seeing what’s in each of the Captains tackle bags and how they rig their boats.  Many of the classes will be broken down to even smaller groups with two captains teaching six students.

The seminar is going to be held at Deep Creek Lodge, which is located just south of Jacksonville on the ICW.  This pristine setting will allow both class room and on the water instruction. There will even be kayaks available for you to use after class if you would like to try out what you learned.

The first day is going to cover tackle and techniques. You will learn how to use all the tools from fly rods to trolling motors. This is where you will learn the secrets of what to use and why. There will be casting and retrieving lessons with both fly and spin.  And plenty of one on one time to get all your questions answered.

The second day is going to cover structure and reading the water. Northeast Florida is unique in that it has seasons and water temperatures that vary from the high forty’s to the low ninety’s. It has tides that move from four to seven feet of water every 6 hours and six area inlets that vary in clarity from tannic to clear.  With all these varying conditions, you will learn what to fish for and how to fish twelve months of the year.  We’ll even touch on cooking and cleaning what you catch. And of course there will be plenty of time to get all your questions answered.

Cost is $600.00. Lunch and munchies will be included. Class is limited to the first 12 paying students.

Have you been tying flies for awhile? Would like to take the next step?  In this class we teach fly design from the point of view of imitation.  You will learn baitfish, crab and shrimp patterns designed to fish the inshore waters of N.E. Florida. You will learn to tie the epoxy spoon and to work with epoxy to strengthen all your patterns. This class is for everyone that has a basic knowledge of fly tying. Capt. John Bottko will not only teach you tie his favorite patterns, he will teach you where and when to use them.  Cost of this four week class is $150.00.  All materials are included.