The holidays are in full swing here in the Keys. The recovery from Hurricane Wilma has been phenominal. Many businesses scurried after the storm to clean up and get back to business for the busy season to come.

We’ve had some cooler temperatures here lately. And for all you folks shivering in the north someplace, cooler to us means below 80 degrees. The temperatures have touched low 70s in the evening and kept the days mild with mostly clear skies. I don’t mean to rub it in but the weather has been perfect for whatever activity.

Fishing started out slow a couple weeks into December but since then it’s really heated up. A tough decision for me is whether to go offshore and try for tuna on a fly or fish the flats for the toothy barracuda and the elusive permit.

For fly rodders this area of the Keys gives so many opportunities to fish for so many different species. I feel fortunate to have these fishing grounds as my home.

For those looking to get away in the coming months here’s an outlook for what to expect:

January: Tuna, bonito (false albacore), wahoo, sailfish, amberjack and cobia are the best targets for someone wishing to hook something offshore on a fly. Other bottom dwelling fish include snapper and grouper and are best taken on light tackle spin gear. The flats offer great chances for barracuda, sharks, jack crevalle and permit. There have been some snook around to but the lower Keys don’t hold them in large numbers like the Everglades and Upper Keys do.

February: Kingfish, tuna, bonito, sailfish cobia offshore. Inshore and flats will be hot for barracuda, sharks, jacks, cobia, permit and possibly some tarpon. Fishing deeper flats and the edges of channels for Tarpon is a favorite of mine this time of year. The weather has to be right for the Tarpon to show up but when they do it’s a welcome addition to the flats fishing menu.

March: Excellent permit fishing on the flats. This month is historically when permit feed the heaviest in preparation for their hiatus offshore to spawn in April and May. The Del Brown Invitational Tournament used to be held in March but it moved to July and a new tournament will have its debut this March in the Lower Keys: The March Merkin. Offshore fishing will continue to produce kingfish, cobia, sailfish, mahi mahi for fly rod interests. Some Tarpon may move into the harbor as well but this type of fishing is more likely to be a light tackle spin fishing experience.

Happy Holidays to All and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!