I recently moved from Smokey Mountains in TN to Ft. Rucker, AL and was wondering how to get into saltwater fly fishing. I asked a guide at a local outfitter in TN about it and he said to look into Chacalochee Bay around Mobile. How is it? Are there any places in AL or panhandle FL where I could fish? Will I be able to wade because I don’t have a boat and pretty sure I couldn’t afford one? However, a kayak is a possibility. Thanks for any help.
i lived in spanish fort for about 9 years, it is on the eastern shore of mobile bay. cant say i ever heard of chocalatchee bay.
i did a lot of wade fishing on dauphin island in the spring, and west pass at orange beach in the fall, but the effects of katrina kinda shut those two spots down for me. i would try going to the gulf coast outdoor magazine message board , www.gcomag.com nice group of people, and they should be able to get you started. lots of open beach and back bays, youll just have to find the right one for the right time of year.
good luck.
It’s Choctawhatchee Bay and it’s a drive from Mobile. It’s located at Fort Walton Beach which is between Pensacola and Panama City. There are many places to wade around Pensacola, Santa Rosa Sound and Choctawhatchee Bay.
That’s actually much closer to where I live than Mobile is. You know of any outfitters that are located there that could help get me started?
I belong to the Panhandle Flyfishers in Destin. We are about 50 strong, and can help you get your bearings and give suggestions on where to fish, what guides to use, fly patterns that work, etc.
We meet at the Senior Center building next to the Destin Community Center on the 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. Stop by, meet the friendly folks, and you’ll come away with more info on our area that you can ever remember. We wade and kayak and fling flies for any fish that happens to be around. We also tell tall fishing tales to anyone that’ll listen. Come join us.
Regards,
Bill
I fly fish the salt because the voices in my head tell me too…
Caibill,
Wish I could stop by but its a 2 hour drive and would be hard to make it on a Thursday night. But thanks for the offer. I don’t have any gear or knowledge for saltwater, so I guess I’m looking for outfitters that I could visit on a weekend to help me get started.
There’s an Orvis Shop in Sandestin that is our club’s sponsor. A lot of our members either work there or hang out there on weekends. Jason is the store manager and Brooke is the fishing department manager. Both are very knowledgeable concerning fresh or saltwater fishing in our area. The shop number is 850-650-2174.
Good luck. Also, if you do get in our area, email me and I’ll help you get started.
Regards,
Bill