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Marquesas
Tom Rowland |
| Situated 25 miles west of Key West lies one of the only atolls in the Atlantic Ocean. Rich in history and mystique, the Marquesas Keys are a flyfisherman's paradise offering diverse opportunities to pursue the most exciting shallow water fish in the world in a pristine and undeveloped environment. Regulated by the Park Service, camping here is illegal and no one lives on any of the islands. Fishing the Marquesas is like returning to a time when the Keys were completely uninhabited. Many seasons, I find myself fishing here all day and seeing no other boats or fishermen. Navigating to the Marquesas is straightforward and the fishing is relatively uncomplicated. There is little tide variation between inside and outside flats and gamefish inhabit every inch of shallow water. The very best way to fish the Marquesas is with an experienced guide but it is possible to do it yourself. |
GETTING THERE:
Staying in Key West is the best starting point for a trip to the Marquesas. Key West offers every possible type of accommodation from chain hotels to guesthouses to five star resorts. There are several excellent guides who specialize in flyfishing who regularly fish the Marquesas from Key West. Guides are highly recommended due, in part, to the difficulty and possibly dangerous crossings to and from the Marquesas. These guides know where the fish are and will waste no time looking in unproductive waters.
The Saltwater Angler (305-294-3248) is the only fly shop in Key West. Owned by Capt. Jeffery Cardenas, author of Marquesa, A Time and Place with Fish, there is a strong connection to the area. The staff will have a recent report and all the flies and tackle appropriate for the trip. Also, the shop stocks a large quantity of Cardenas’ book and the collection of short stories written about this area, “West of Key West”. Both books are strongly recommended to all flats anglers whether they are planning a trip to these islands or not.
Anglers bringing their own boat have several launch sites to choose from. Launching from Garrison Bight at the City Marina is the easiest and most convenient location. Other ramps include Oceanside Marina (305-294-4676) and Murray’s Marina (305-296-9555), both of which are full service marinas located on Stock Island. It is also possible to launch at Sugarloaf Key but that would add another 35 miles to an already long excursion and boaters would have to navigate tricky waters. I would not suggest this location for your first trip. However, for those familiar with the waters, the best launching spot would be The Sugar Shack (305-745-3135) at mile marker 17.
Pelican Landing Resort (305-293-9730) and Harborside Motel (305-294-2780) are the only two accommodations in Garrison Bight that offer waterfront lodging and boat dockage. These are the most convenient locations for anglers bringing their own skiffs. Other suggested accommodations include:
The Best Western Key Ambassador 1-800-528-1234
Center Court 305-296-9292
The Heron House 305-294-9227
The Marquesa 305-292-1919
The Hilton and Sunset Key 305-294-4000
Beginning in Key West, navigation to the Marquesas is relatively simple. It is imperative to be well equipped with a VHF radio, cellular phone and charts of the area. The best chart on the market is Waterproof Charts’ # . which includes published fishing spots and navigational routes.
Simply cross Northwest channel to the west and enter the “Lakes” markers. From there, follow the channel markers due west to Boca Grande Key. At Boca Grande Key boaters should be able to see the Marquesas on all but the haziest days. Head due west 7 miles to reach the East Side of the Marquesas. There are 7 navigable channels leading to the inside bays of the islands. |
ONCE THERE:
Be considerate of other fishermen. At roughly 4-mile wide 4 miles long, the circular atoll can accommodate several boats, but each party has to be considerate of all others. Staying about ½ mile off the flat when running outside will enable all skiffs to fish without interruption at all times of the year. During Tarpon season (April-July) allow roughly ½ mile between boats and enter the flats at a right angle. Observe which way the other boats are poling and come in behind them. Do not cut in front of other boats because you will be cutting off their flow of tarpon. Idle your skiff to water that is shallow enough to pole and pole into your spot. During the rest of the year, boats poling shallow on the flat (2-5 feet of water) are probably fishing for permit. Permit fishermen need a lot of room and it is customary to give a boat that is already fishing the entire flat or at least a mile of the larger flats. Always take the time to determine which way the boats are poling and come in from behind. Do not run your motor along the edge of the flat. Permit are the most spooky of any flats fish and proper entry to the flat will insure that you will not spook your own fish and keep you out of trouble with other fishermen and guides.
To fish the inside, enter by using the deep navigable channels and make an honest attempt to use one that no one is fishing. Try to keep the running on the inside to a minimum. The fish on the inside are even more sensitive to motor and other noise because of their distance from deep water. In short, give everyone plenty of room and put yourself in their shoes. The Marquesas holds 3 of the most desired species on fly and all are extremely spooky. If everyone exercises proper etiquette, we can all enjoy a wonderful fishery. |
| FISH SPECIES AND TECHNIQUE: |
PERMIT
The Marquesas are justly famous for the permit fishing opportunities. There is no better place on the planet to pursue permit with a fly. On any day, a world record permit may be caught on one of the flats in the Marquesas. It is not uncommon to see and have shots at several world record fish in a single day.
Permit are the most year round fish that we have in the Florida Keys. All months offer good opportunities for permit fishing but in April, most of the fish generally leave the flats to spawn offshore. January, February, March, July, August, September and October seem to be the most consistent. The best fishing will consistently be found on clear, windy days.
Pole water from 12 inches to 5 feet deep for tailing and cruising fish. Also observe the deep edges of flats and channel mouths for floating fish. In order to find permit, anglers need to cover vast areas and stay exceptionally quiet. A nine-foot, ten-weight rod with a weight forward floating line and a good quality, proven reel is ideal. I use a 10 to 12 foot leader tapered to 12-16 pound test fluorocarbon. The choice of flies is the easiest part of flyfishing for permit. I rarely deviate from the standard Merkin tied on a Partridge Sea Prince hook in a size 2/0. I use various natural color schemes and always stay armed with several different sink rates. |
TARPON
Migratory tarpon (60-120 lbs.) begin to appear in late April and taper off in early July. The heart of the migration is typically May and June, but some years fish arrive much earlier or taper off much later. The Marquesas offers consistent fishing for migratory tarpon.
Pole the deep edges of the flats or stake out to find them. More boats are in the Marquesas during tarpon season than any other time of the year. Make sure to give all boats plenty of room and follow the basic rules of etiquette previously discussed.
An 11 of 12-weight rod with a floating or sinking weight forward line is and ideal set up. Make sure to have a reputable reel proven capable of landing tarpon. Leaders should be 9-12 feet in length with a 60-80 pound shock tippet. Standard Keys style tarpon flies in various colors are productive. |
BONEFISH
Truthfully, the bonefishing in the Marquesas Keys is not tremendous. There are bonefish there and some guides and anglers target them. For some reason, the numbers of bonefish are comparatively low and the size is below average for the Florida Keys. Anglers can find enough bonefish to finish out a slam or even catch quite a few on occasion, but realistically, anglers are likely to find better bonefishing on the East Side of the Northwest channel.
8 weight rods with a floating weight forward line, a reel with good capacity and drag, standard flies of various sink rates and leaders tapered to 6-10 lbs. are typical outfits for Keys bonefish.
Pole the shallow water and along channel edges. I have found bonefish on every side of the Marquesas, but the north and south sides seem to be the most consistent. The best months for bonefish in the Marquesas are May, June, July, August and September. |
BARRACUDAS
Cold fronts and cool temperatures draw the aggressive and voracious barracuda from the deeper water to the shallow water flats. During the months of January, February, late November, and December, the Marquesas may well hold the greatest number of barracudas anywhere. Remaining motionless over white spots, edges and holes, barracudas spring in to action to ambush various baitfish.
Pole the flats and concentrate on water depths of 1-3 feet. Try to spot the fish long before the cast is made and sneak into range quietly. Although the barracuda is an aggressive fish, it is also wary and easily spooked by noise. Lay the fly 3 feet in front and 3 feet beyond the barracudas face and begin stripping. Accelerate when the barracuda initiates the chase. 9 to 10 weight rods with floating lines are preferred. Make sure to have a reel capable of landing a bonefish. Leaders should be constructed similar to a standard bonefish leader with a shock tippet |
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