Ulf Erik 'Stu' Forsbakk


Florida Keys Fly and Light Tackle Fishing Guide

My name is Geoff Colmes, I live year round in the Village of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. I specialize in fly and light tackle sight fishing in the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park. I've been a USCG licensed Captain and full-time flats and backcountry fishing guide for over 30 years, guiding anglers to tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook, redfish, and largemouth bass.

I'll work hard to meet your angling expectations, whether it's fly fishing in the Keys, or sight fishing using light tackle deep in the Everglades. Please contact me if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a fishing trip.

Tarpon, Permit, Bonefish, Snook, Redfish and Bass

The Florida Keys and Everglades National Park offer outstanding fishing. You'll find sight fishing opportunities for species such as tarpon, permit and bonefish in the Keys and snook, redfish and largemouth bass in the nearby Everglades. Aside from the great fishing in our own backyard, the Florida Keys have all the amenities you can enjoy after a day on the water, such as lodging, excellent restaurants, bars, and breweries.

The Florida Keys and Everglades National Park

From Islamorada in the Florida Keys, to deep into the Everglades National Park, I offer guided fishing trips specializing in fly and light tackle sight fishing for tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook, and redfish. Additionally, I guide for largemouth bass, peacock bass and offer canoe trips in the Everglades 'no motor zones.'

I'm frequently asked the question - what's the best time? In my opinion the is no definitive way to predict the perfect time of the year to target a particular species. There are however higher percentage months or "seasons" for some gamefish such as tarpon. In the Florida Keys and Everglades, weather, migratory patterns, feeding, spawning habits, fishing pressure, and environmental impact all play a role in our fisheries predictability.

Expecting the unexpected and being flexible is a good rule live by while fishing here or anywhere else. More often than not, the best fishing of the year is a surprise, such as a warm-up with perfect weather in January or February, providing great permit and tarpon fishing opportunities.

snook 3

Fishing Methods - Fly Fishing and Light Tackle

When I was in my teens growing up in South Miami, I was lucky enough to meet Don Ingram. Don was one of the few saltwater fly fisherman and fly tying experts around South Miami back then. The legendary fishing guide, Capt. Bill Curtis and angler/author Chico Fernandez were the only other fly fisherman that I had heard of. I met Don at a rod building shop in Culter Ridge; known as Rod Makers South which was one of the few places around twon that you could find saltwater fly rod blanks. If you wanted a decent fly rod, you had to build it yourself and Rod Makers offered instruction, stocked the blanks, and sold all the components. After some persuasion, Don agreed to show me how to fly cast on a golf course pond in Cutler Ridge for the sum of twenty dollars. I also bought some flies form him, some of which I still have set aside to this day.

Since then, my fishing method of choice has mostly been the fly rod, but a lifetime of experience as a fishing guide and angler has taught me that the fly rod is not always the right tool for the job, that 'fly fishing' takes more expertise than simply 'fly casting,' and that technical expertise is no substitute for on the job experience - or what we refer to as 'time on the bow.'

Many times the weather conditions, the type of fish, and the surroundings can make fly fishing difficult, if not impossible. For example, many of the places that I guide deep in the Everglades are small tree lined ponds, connected by even smaller creeks, too narrow at times for fly fishing, nevertheless, the fish are there.

In my opinion, the challenge along with and skill level required for making a good presentation to a wary gamefish like a snook, with plug or spinning gear is no less demanding than on fly. I encourage everyone to become a 'complete angler' by mastering all the different methods of casting, making it possible for you to maximize your fishing experience no matter what the conditions or topography.

Author - Angler, James W. Hall

imagesHey Geoff: Been thinking about you a lot lately, the trip, the mother ship, etc. as I get into this new novel. I wanted to thank you again for a wonderful few days out there. It was a real pleasure that I'm sure I'll remember forever. I'm also using a Mothership like vessel in my story--I haven't looked yet, but I assume I can find a lot of the specs on the website. If not, is there some handy way you can send me the tonnage, length, etc. so I can give the ship a better description.

You also mentioned A Land Remembered, which I said I'd read. But if I read it, I don't remember it at all. Maybe I just started it once and put it down. I'm halfway through it now and loving every second of it. What a wonderful evocation of that time and place. It's a great story and one I'm going to try to use parts of in mine. Thanks for bring it to my attention.

Anyway, hope your season is going well and all is happy with the family. Again, thanks so much for your guidance and inspiration.

James W. Hall

Author - Angler, Chico Fernandez

download 1Thank-you Geoff,
It is my good fortune to fly fish around the world for a living, including my own fly fishing trips to the Everglades; so I get to see some great fishing locations. And yet, fishing the Florida Everglades with Geoff is one of the highlight trips of the year, year after year. Geoff's vast knowledge and enthusiasm for the area is unsurpassed. Easy going and good humor are also part of the days fishing. And his poling approach to sighted fish, always makes my casting as easy as it can be under the challenging circumstances.

My son Stephen and I, have taken many double figure snook with Geoff. And then when he takes you in the back country, way back where only and handful can go, at best, it is like seeing the glades as it must have been hundreds of years ago. A labyrinth of red mangroves, tunnels, saw grass buttonwoods, creeks, lakes and bays, mixed with snook, redfish, tarpon, largemouth bass and bull sharks. It is one of my favorite places to fly fish in the world.

Till next fishing trip, su amigo,
Chico Fernandez

Get in Touch

Capt Geoff W. Colmes
105 Palm Lane, Islamorada. FL 33036

305.393.1245

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