ISLAMORADA FLORIDA 2009

ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS Trip Report
September 26 - October 2 2009
The Islander Resort, Islamorada
7 nights lodging, 6 days fishing, 18 hrs CE
Companion Animal Dentistry
Michael Peak, D.V.M.

The Florida Keys meeting has come and gone and other than some unexpected inclement weather for 2 days, the meeting was completed like a fine tuned military operation. The 9 veterinarians and 3 spouses successfully arrived in Lauderdale on Saturday, September 26th, at the Sleep Inn, just 4 miles from the Fort Lauderdale Airport. The group included Dr. Allan Dozier and his associate Dr. Blair Smith from Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Alan Peterson from Poughkeepsie, New York, Dr. Les Martin from Winnemucca, Nevada, Dr. Les Birmingham from Freeport, Maine, guest speaker Dr. Michael Peak from Tampa, Florida, Dr. Michael and Mrs. Sandy Norris from Dover, New Hampshire, Dr. Scott and Janis Mays from Plano, Texas, and Dr. Douglas Andrews and Betty Andrews from Portland, Maine.

Other than having 2 Michaels, 2 Alans, and 2 indviduals with the first names of Les, (highly unusual), there was no problem with attendance and learning everyone's first name. With a weary day of travel behind us, the group met at the local Italian Restaurant across the street for drinks and dinner outside with temperatures a balmy 75 degrees at 8:00 PM at night. After dinner, we shuttled off to bed for an early group departure at 8:30 AM Sunday morning in our rented van for the two hour trip to our lodge in Islamorada, the Islander Resort.

We arrived at the Islander Resort at 11:00 AM and I promptly escorted the doctors to our conference room to set up for our 6 hours of official dental CE lectures for Sunday. Dr. Micheal Peak hit the ground running, lectured straight to 5:30 PM, with only 1 break. We ate lunch in the conference room at the same time to maximize efficient lecture time. The afternoon went by very fast, with lectures on dental equipment, radiography equipment, dental education for our clients in our practices and other subjects that we were not exposed to in veterinary school. The weather was still very boring with clear skies, no wind and 90 degrees. We were not scheduled for group dinner at The Islander until 7:00 PM, giving us ample time to check into our rooms and regroup on the beach in front of our beach units for a review of fly-casting techniques, the double and single haul, and the quick release of the fly from the boat without touching the water. Another day passed with a wonderful meal under the outdoor skies with fresh Florida fish and other local cuisine dishes endemic to this area.

Finally, the time arrived on Monday to meet our guides at Lorilei Marina at 6:45 AM for our first trip out to Florida Bay and the Everglades Park for a true backcountry fly fishing experience. The guides provided all equipment on their 16-18 foot flats boats with anywhere from a 65-90 horse 4 cycle engine on each boat, designed to cruise from 30-49 MPH to reach our destinations. Some of us brought out own equipment nevertheless to use on our boats. Each boat lined up with an 8 weight and a 10-11 weight rod with floating line. We used the eight-weight for casting to bone fish and baby tarpon, while the larger rods were saved for permit and larger Tarpon. The sunrise was spectacular with 75 degree temperatures and some scattered local squalls on the water. I paired up with Alan Peterson, a novice tarpon fly-fisherperson who was attending his first IAFFV meeting. The guides for our trip were head guide Greg Poland, Robert Klein, this brother Tim Klein, Drew Moret, and substitute for Tim Klein, for last two days, Mike Kozma. We left the dock last, allowing the three other boats to depart before our boat. All four guides were heading towards the town of Flamingo in Everglades National Park to fish an inlet called Terrapin Bay, about 45 miles away. To my surprise, we stopped in front of an unknown Key just 15 minutes after leaving the docks, this was Greg's secret spot. Since I felt sorry for Alan Peterson, I let Alan grab my personal 8 weight Loomis GLX 9 foot rod with my favorite Bonefishing Floating line. Alan immediately showed excellent dexterity with his double haul casting technique. After 2 casts, he expertly strip-set a 20-30 (maybe more) pound tarpon at 7:50 AM. For the next 40 minutes, I was able to enjoy his struggle bringing this fish in during 20 minute monsoon rainstorm that left us soaked to the bone. We boated the Tarpon, snapped our obligatory pictures, and then released the happy fish. Sheepishly, Alan assured the two of us that this was strictly beginner's luck. I was up next casting for the next hour, and after several near captures of more tarpon, I once again surrended my gear to Alan. Within 5 minutes, he had another Tarpon on line, and brought this one in 15 minutes. I was again skunked and Alan took over. He rewarded our group with more beginners luck by nailing a third Tarpon, after which he stated that would not fish until I caught something (a crab maybe).

By the end of the day, after watching many tarpon roll at Terrapin Bay and soaking in the sun to dry out, our boat's final tally for Day 1 was 5 tarpon, 1 snook, and 3 ladyfish, and yes, I did finally hook up and Alan was allowed to fish. The remaining 3 boats also performed well on day 1, with more than half of our group landing tarpon, although in the 20 lb range. We adjourned to participate in our 2 lecture hours on dental radiography and interpretation. When the magic hour of 6:00 PM came, we suffered through a beautiful sunset dining outside at a local restaurant 1/2 mile away, Morada Bay.

Tuesday morning welcomed our group to more 70 degree clear skies. The majority of fishing was once again at Terrapin in the Florida Everglades Back Country. Our group witnessed many rolls of tarpon, but for some reason, they did not appear as excited to view our expertly presented flies. Dr. Birmingham caught his first snook and redfish, while many of our group had excellent opportunities to present flies to both bonefish and a few permit.

The non-fishing portion of our group joined up with a local guide's wife for an eco-tour of the Everglades and Florida Keys. The weather took a turn for the worse into the 3rd hour, and upon witnessing a water-spout, the group wisely elected to return to shore.

Once again, our group witnessed the first cold front from the north running through Islamorada, and unfortunately, we had to postpone fishing on Wednesday until 1:30 PM. We maximized this time to complete our last 4 hours of intensive dental seminars dealing with the damaged tooth, surgical extraction techniques, basic oral surgical principles with case presentation and non- invasive fracture repair. Dr. Peak kept the group totally involved with demonstrations on repair of jaw with wiring, cement, and a curing light. We left Florida with enough dental information to improve all of our dental practices to fund many more IAFFV meetings.

The weather cleared on Thursday, and I set sail with Scott Mays to a secret flat in the Florida backcountry that would bring us face to face with some extremely large permit. WOW, this was an understatement. Both Scott and I had opportunities to land 5 permit larger than I had had ever witnessed, but they were not interested in our flies. We each had extreme acid indigestion after encountering this successful flat. Once we scared the permit away, we set off to Oceanside to fish for bonefish, and once again we were not disappointed. The bonefish we attempted to catch were in the 10-12 pound range. The last cast of the day was a blind cast made by Scott Mays to a region where we last saw a push of water. To our surprise, his fly landed in a school of 8-10 resting bonefish, who decided to leave the flat once the flyline landed on top of the school. Oh well, it was exciting.

Our group ate our last meal at Lazy Days, another superb restaurant serving all sorts of local fish. The meal was more subdued as we all knew the trip was coming to an end, and we needed to go home to our rooms to pack for the return trip on Friday morning to Fort Lauderdale airport.

As I write this report with Thanksgiving approaching on a very dark dreary November day in Maine, the memories of lecture, new friendships made with more fly-fishing veterinarians, panoramic vistas of the Florida Everglades, dark green and blue ocean with all shades in between, and bright warm sun, I look forward to more Islamorada adventures searching for the record Tarpon, Bonefish, or Permit. Maybe at some point I may actually catch one of these monsters, but who cares? With a flats boat delicately skimming the surface of the emerald water with the bottom flying by at 35 miles per hour, surveying the many islands to choose from and weaving our way through the channels adorned by waterfowl of every variety, the fishing becomes secondary to living with this moment of wonder at nature's beauty of the Florida Keys and Everglades.

See you at the next IAFFV adventure!

Douglas Andrews