South of the Kennedy Space Center in east central Florida, an hour's drive from Orlando, lies my favorite fishing spot in the entire state of Florida. The Banana River Lagoon harbors redfish schools containing hundreds of individuals, some of which exceed thirty pounds. Seatrout are always a possibility. During the summer, fishing for snook and baby tarpon is consistently good and often excellent. In the winter, black drum tail on shallow flats. These monsters are small if they weigh less than thirty pounds.

You get a feeling of solitude when you fish there. Even though the Refuge is in a developed and still growing area, the fact that boats with motors are not allowed make fishing there a relaxing, tranquil, and for me an almost religious experience. Most anglers who fish the waters of the Refuge do so by canoe. I treat my canoe as though it were a flats skiff, poling it with a pushpole while both I and my angler stand and search for targets. The excitement of searching for fish in crystal clear water with fly tackle is tremendous, combining the finest elements of hunting and fishing.

The fishery changes throughout the year. Winter is prime time for tailing fish, both redfish and black drum. The water level usually drops during the drier winter months, making many of the deeper flats where the really big fish feed wadable. Not all the winter fish are huge. By the shoreline reds between 20-30 inches are also feeding, especially in the afternoon after the winter sun has warmed the water. The Clouser minnow and the Fuzzy Crab are the best patterns for these fish, whether they are tailing or cruising.

As the days lengthen and the water warms, the black drum become harder and harder to find. The day comes when you'll start seeing more alligators than drum. Due to the large numbers of 'gators wading during the summer is not recommended. We fish entirely from the canoe then.

In June the tarpon and snook start showing up. The reds and trout are still there, since they are both year-round residents. Schools of jack crevalle can sometimes be seen crashing pods of mullet.

The entire lagoon seethes with life! Fly rods ranging from seven- to nine-weight, depending on the angler's casting skill and the wind conditions, work well. A matching reel with 150 yards of backing and a matching floating weight-forward fly line nearly complete the outfit. A nine-foot leader (the length of which may need to be increased on calm days) tapered down to a fifteen pound tippet during the winter finish the arrangement. During the summer a shock leader of at least 30 pound mono is added to the tippet to take the abrasion caused by the lips and gill plates of the snook and tarpon.

A small selection of effective fly patterns would include Fuzzy Crabs in size 2 in dark brown, and Clouser minnows (same size) in black, brown and white, and chartreuse and white. Seaducers in size 1 are very effective during the warmer months. Good color combinations include yellow and grizzly and red and white. And lastly some surface flies should be carried. I like foam poppers.

Access the Refuge by State Road 401 on the east side. Just south of the Canaveral Air Force Station you can launch a canoe and paddle into the refuge. On the west side, access is at the Barge Canal at the north end of Banana River Drive, off SR 528. A two mile paddle brings you into the Refuge. Fish may be seen all along the flats here, too, so don't get tunnel vision about making it up there!

For some of the finest fishing Florida has to offer, visit the Banana River Manatee Refuge. While the chill winds blow in other parts of the US, you may experience the hottest angling of the year!