Except during the most extreme cold snaps, redfish and trout are not the only flyfishing options. As the water approaches 72 degrees in the spring, expect to see schools of small baitfish appear in deeper water, followed by the first Spanish mackerel of the season. As summer starts, the mackerel are joined by ladyfish and jack crevalle—not great tablefare, but some fantastic action on a fly rod. A good place to look for these is near marker 1 and on the deeper flats to the north, near Dallus Creek. Just follow the birds. Also, don’t forget your 12-weight outfit during the summer. I carry one at all times in the event that I find a school of tarpon moving northward in early summer, or even a cobia on the flats or around the river’s channel markers. Big Deceivers in yellow-and-red make good tarpon choices and there’s nothing like a felt-bodied eel imitation for a hungry cobia.

To get to Steinhatchee, take US19, south of Perry; it’s just over 90 minutes from I-75 at Gainesville. Steinhatchee has first-rate facilities for any budget, and warm hospitality is the result of a sleepy commercial fishing village intentionally turning itself into a sportfishing destination over the last few years.

FS