Sheepshead--long-shot, but doable on fly.

Because the Rocks are so close to shore, many of the formations are well within fly casting range. This is blind casting. Anglers should look for dark areas in the water. These dark areas mark the seaweed beds that cling to the rocks and serve as havens for baitfish and invertebrates.

The Rocks attract virtually every species of inshore gamefish that inhabits the Gulf. Among the most common varieties caught are seatrout, redfish, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and bluefish. But the biggest draw is snook, which frequent the area in huge numbers from April through October. October and November can offer fast and furious action for huge migrating schools of seatrout and ladyfish. The best action for both species is from first light to an hour after sunrise and the last two hours before dark.

An intriguing sidelight for boaters is grouper, which in the winter move in from offshore and can be caught occasionally on flies over the Rocks. The curved arc of shoreline between the Rocks and Bowman’s Beach forms a large cove that, during the warm months, often holds large schools of Spanish mackerel. They can often be found by searching for diving terns and pelicans focusing on huge schools of baitfish driven to the surface by the voracious macks.

In general, areas of structure are scarce along Sanibel’s Gulf shore. But one of the first stops for area guides with snook-hungry clients is Sanibel’s best-known area of underwater structure, the stumps and blowdowns along Bowman’s Beach, near the island’s west end.

“The Stumps,” as they are called, are most renowned as a snook magnet, and can produce huge fish, upwards of 30 inches. But their nature means that many fish will be lost. Fly anglers should use tippets and bite tippets that are at least 30-pound test. Trout, jacks and ladyfish are also common. The best way to fish the stumps is from a boat, casting toward the shore. The shoreline tangle of branches, trunks and roots makes beach fishing very difficult.

The other side of the Sanibel coin, the backwater areas of Pine Island Sound, is the reason for the island’s remarkably abundant fishery. Grassflats, creeks, oyster bars, bays and bayous serve as nurseries and abundant food sources for fish. According to Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation biologist Steve Bortone, the huge expanses of grassflats in particular make the Sanibel backwaters the most productive spotted seatrout area in the world.

The central choice for backwater anglers, as Shakespeare might have phrased it, is this: To boat or wade, that is the question.

There is a common and persistent misconception among many people that the Sanibel backwaters are only fishable from a boat. But anyone who takes the time to explore the area will find myriad wade- and shore-fishing possibilities.

In general, the backside shoreline shows a progressive change in character from east to west. It begins with the sandy beach at the Sanibel Lighthouse, gaining grass and mangroves for about three miles, up to the mouth of Tarpon Bay. From Tarpon Bay west, the shoreline is classic mangrove and grass habitat all the way to Blind Pass and continuing up along the back side of Captiva Island.

The author scored a prize pompano.

Good wade fishing access points between the lighthouse and Tarpon Bay include the public parking lot at the Sanibel Fish Pier, the Sanibel Boat Ramp, Bailey Road and Dixie Beach Road. After Tarpon Bay, the Pine Island Sound shoreline is accessible only by boat, with one exception: the power line path that starts near the four-mile marker in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Other excellent wade fishing spots not on the island but nearby include the causeway islands (especially the one with the restrooms) and the large flat just east of the Sanibel toll booths.

The best and most convenient shore fly fishing on Sanibel is along 5-mile-long Wildlife Drive, which winds through the 7,000-acre refuge. Fly anglers need not ever wet their feet. In fact, it is illegal to enter the water on the left (west) side of the road. And although wading is permitted on the right side, no one who is familiar with the area would recommend it due to aggressive alligators.