Thread: Fly Fishing the Island

Hey guys,

I did some searching but didn't turn up a whole lot, maybe it is because nobody fishes, let alone fly fishes, on this forum.

Anyway, I'm an avid fly fishermen and it will be taking up a fair amount of my spare time on the island. Anyone have any info about it? Does anyone know if there are any fly shops on the island? Thanks.

Interesting idea... free time! What's that, anyway?

Seriously, I have no idea if anyone fly fishes here. I wouldn't trust to eat anything that came out of the Simpson Bay Lagoon (it's full of boating filth and muck) even though the lobsters that come out of there are reputed to be ginormous. Probably the fish will be too! (If you're a catch-and-release fisherman, then go for it.) I've seen someone fishing off the eastern point of Mullet Bay on occasion, and I understand the locals enjoy fishing off the rocks on the western end of Simpson Bay (in Beacon Hill). No clue what happens on the French side.

Being a fish fanatic myself, there are some massive tarpon in the lagoon. They will wrap you in the pier beams if you aren't careful though. Also, you can set out lobster traps in the lagoon. There is no fly shops but there is a fishing store in Cole Bay where you can get all your gear

I'm a new to fly fishing and got really into it right before I came here and have been trying to scout out some places. Apparently St. Maarten is one of the better places in the Caribbean for fly fishing, but I have yet to find a fly shop. So, if you plan on doing that, I would buy the gear back home and bring it with you on the island. I've been told to have plenty of flies if you are fishing for Tarpon, b/c they only bite if you use a 12 lb test leader or less, but they weigh anywhere from 20-50 lbs here, so plan on losing lots of flies. thats just what I have heard though.

Schooner,

I know, I am dreaming with the spare time idea. Also, I am a strictly catch and release fishermen so don't care if the fish are toxic.


Jughead,

I have all of my gear, though I don't have a 10+ weight rod for a 50 lb. tarpon, and I don't really want to fish for anything that large with a fly rod anyhow. I will be bringing my 4 and 7 weights along with me, so let me know if you find anything to give them a tug.

Is St Maarten a tarpon nursery (i.e. any good juvenile tarpon fishing)?

Originally Posted by jhackett

Schooner,

I know, I am dreaming with the spare time idea. Also, I am a strictly catch and release fishermen so don't care if the fish are toxic.


Jughead,

I have all of my gear, though I don't have a 10+ weight rod for a 50 lb. tarpon, and I don't really want to fish for anything that large with a fly rod anyhow. I will be bringing my 4 and 7 weights along with me, so let me know if you find anything to give them a tug.

Is St Maarten a tarpon nursery (i.e. any good juvenile tarpon fishing)?

I agree with Jay... you are dreaming if you are going to find that kind of time...

Slowly my idea of free time has shifted from taking the afternoon off for a nice ride through the french side to whether or not I have time to go out to dinner

I think there would be plenty time to fish. You couldn't do it every day, but there's time to do just about anything you'd want.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I was a fishing nut on the island. Would go out after school and catch dinner at will. The rock jetty behind the Palms hotel was my hot spot. Rubber bodied shad baits with baitcaster or BIG bucktail feathers on an 8 wt fly rod were my massacre tools. Snook and Tarpon at will. Keep the fish's size in perspective, I am the guy holding it and I am 6'6" and 400+ pounds. The fish weighed 46 pounds, 8 pounds shy of world record and beat any US fish.

Sweet fish man. Maybe I'll try to pick up a 9 weight or so rod to cover a lot of different fish.

Looks like I am just going to have to dive around some areas that I might want to fish to scout out the species and numbers.

wow thats a snook