BaitfishbeginnerFlorida Keys & South Florida
$8.95
The EP Baitfish is the Swiss Army knife of the Keys fly box -- not because it has a corkscrew, but because it does seventeen things adequately and several of them brilliantly. Tie it in olive/white and it is a pilchard. Tie it in tan and it is a shrimp. Tie it in chartreuse and it is whatever chartreuse thing the fish are eating today. The synthetic fibers outlast natural materials by a factor of embarrassing, and the translucent profile in the water is genuinely beautiful. Form follows function, and function follows fish.
Biscayne Bay
FL · Flats
Florida Bay
FL · Backcountry
Key West Harbor
FL · Channels
Map unavailable. Locations for EP Baitfish: Biscayne Bay, FL; Florida Bay, FL; Key West Harbor, FL
species science
Tarpon breathe air. They've survived five mass extinctions. They migrate thousands of miles, daisy-chain in mysterious circles, and when they eat your fly, they do things in the air that no other fish can do. Understanding what makes them tick is the first step toward actually landing one.
hatch guide
In saltwater fly fishing, there are no hatches — there is forage. Mullet, shrimp, crabs, baitfish, and worms drive every feeding event on the flats, in the surf, and along the mangrove edges. Understanding the forage base and matching it precisely is the difference between a fish of a lifetime and an empty line.
BaitfishintermediateFlorida Keys & South Florida
#1 - #2/0
Enrico Puglisi's signature EP fiber baitfish. The translucent body and realistic profile have made it a standard pattern from the Keys to the Caribbean. Imitates everything from pilchards to ballyhoo.
Snook · Jack Crevalle · Barracuda · Mutton Snapper · Redfish
BaitfishbeginnerFlorida Keys & South Florida
#2 - #1/0
Bob Clouser's legendary lead-eye pattern, adapted for Keys fishing. The weighted eyes create a jigging action that imitates a wounded baitfish in the channels and deeper flats.
Snook · Jack Crevalle · Barracuda · Redfish · Mutton Snapper
BaitfishbeginnerFlorida Keys & South Florida
#1 - #6
A clean, all-white bucktail and synthetic baitfish pattern. Imitates pilchards, glass minnows, and other silver baitfish that swarm the Keys backcountry by the millions.
Snook · Jack Crevalle · Barracuda · Mutton Snapper
BaitfishintermediateFlorida Keys & South Florida
#1 - #2/0
A Lefty's Deceiver variation tied for Keys snook. White and chartreuse with a wide profile to imitate the pilchards and pinfish that snook ambush around mangrove shorelines.
Snook · Jack Crevalle · Barracuda
StreamerbeginnerFlorida Keys & South Florida
#1 - #2/0
A palmered hackle streamer with a marabou tail. The classic Keys all-purpose fly predating the modern era. Pushes water, creates vibration, and catches everything that swims.
Snook · Barracuda · Jack Crevalle · Redfish
BaitfishintermediateFlorida Keys & South Florida
#1/0 - #3/0 (tied long, 5-7 inches)
A long, slender fly tied to imitate the needlefish that barracuda hunt on the flats. Wire bite tippet required. The only pattern specifically designed to attract the fish most anglers avoid.
Barracuda