Back in the early days, when I was first learning to fish on my own in the Ten Thousand Islands, I would venture out in my boat and visit the spots that my father had taken me to as a child. Dad had learned the area by chartering with the local guides in the early sixties. I couldn’t afford a guide so I just went on guts and faith; it didn’t take long to become apparent that it would take me forever to learn this vast area, I needed an edge and it came in the form of a book called The Fishing Mate by Capt. Andy McLean. Capt. Andy produced this book on an annual basis and it contained maps and tide charts much like the tide charts produced by Capt. Mike that you see for sale around the area today.
First let me tell you that I never met Capt. Andy but I feel I know him. How can I say that? Well, because I read his book and studied his maps so many times. After four decades of fishing this area I can finally say that I understand the depth of Capt. Andy’s knowledge. He kept detailed records on the weather conditions, moon phases, tides and even hurricanes – it is all there in his book. He has maps with arrows showing his favorite spots to fish and he gives you advice on what tides to fish them. He even tells you what kind of fish you can expect to catch on a month by month basis. He offers you sage words of advice on which wind directions produce the best catches and what lures work best, together with little tricks to catch fish when they just are not biting. One of my favorite quotes is “if the birds are in the trees the fish aren’t biting” and you know it’s true; well at least it’s true some of the time.
Last week I was cleaning up around my cabin when I noticed an old copy of The Fishing Mate up on the book shelf. I cracked open the pages and started flipping through this time capsule of fishing advice. It had been over eighteen years since I bought this edition of The Fishing Mate, so when I started studying the maps I was amazed to see that most of my favorite spots were marked on Capt. Andy’s charts. Over the next few days I went exploring the back country bays and I fished several of his spots. Guess what - they still produce fish today. He had marked “Tarpon” in one bay. I swear I wasn’t there ten minutes and a Tarpon showed up. Some of his techniques are a little out date and the lures he utilized are either out of production or better alternatives exist. However, by and large most of what he recommends is accurate to this day even with hurricanes and global warming.
Capt. Andy has been gone for some time now but his knowledge and expertise live on in The Fishing Mate. If you can lay your hands on a copy consider yourself one of the lucky few, I know I am.
Everglades Pro Fishing Charters
Captain Jim Stoner
Captain Doug Stoner
954-444-9995
http://www.evergladespro.com/
snook4341@yahoo.com
