Grass Roots Guiding

ABOUT US

GRASSROOTS GUIDING BEGAN WITH A DESIRE TO RETURN TO WHAT GUIDING IS ALL ABOUT. YOU.
CAPTAIN ANDY LEE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS YOUR TRIP AND WANTS YOU TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE WATER. WITH A DEEP LOVE FOR FLY FISHING AND A GREAT RESPECT FOR THE FISH THAT CALL THE EVERGLADES HOME, FLY FISHING IS WHAT HE DOES & HE'D LIKE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.

ANDY LEE HAS SPENT THE LAST 15 YEARS AS A FLY FISHING GUIDE. AFTER GUIDING THE BEGINNING YEARS IN COLORADO, ANDY HUNGERED FOR A PLACE THAT WASN'T OVER PRESSURED, SOMEWHERE THAT ALWAYS HAS NEW WATER TO EXPLORE AND EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK IS A PERFECT FIT. A FLY FISHING ANGLER CAN FISH AND EXPLORE THESE WATERS FOR A LIFETIME ALWAYS FINDING NEW AND UNDISCOVERED WATER, JUST WHAT ANDY WAS LOOKING FOR. CAPTAIN ANDY LE View more...E AND HIS FAMILY NOW LIVE IN CHOKOLOSKEE, JUST ADJACENT TO EVERGLADES CITY, A SMALL FISHING VILLAGE THAT IS WITHIN THE BORDERS OF EVERGLADES PARK.

ANDY BEGAN FLY FISHING AS A CHILD, FISHING FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SWIM. A FLY ROD WOULD ACCOMPANY HIM WHETHER IT WAS A FAMILY VACATION OR A PIKE FISHING TRIP TO CANADA. HE JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE SPORT. WHEN OTHER KIDS WANTED TO BE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, ANDY DREAMED OF BEING A GUIDE. DURING COLLEGE, HE BEGAN GUIDING OUT WEST AT THE PRESTIGIOUS 4UR RANCH. THE SECOND HE GRADUATED HE MADE THE MOVE TO COLORADO TO BECOME HEAD FLY FISHING GUIDE. THIS POSITION GAVE ANDY THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL THE GLOBE, ONCE AGAIN WITH FLY ROD IN HAND. WHETHER FISHING THE YUCATAN, BAHAMAS, NEW ZEALAND, ARGENTINA, CHILE, EACH LOCATION OFFERED SOME NEW INSIGHT TO THIS GREAT SPORT, SOMETHING THAT COULD RETURN HOME WITH HIM, SHAPING HIM AS A GUIDE.

FLY FISHING

TARPON. SNOOK. REDFISH. ALL YEAR AND ALL ON FLY. THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.

TARPON: TARPON CAN BE CAUGHT YEAR AROUND, BUT MARCH THROUGH JULY IS THEIR PEAK SEASON. MOST OF THE TARPON FISHING WE DO HERE IS FOR LAID-UP TARPON. HANDS DOWN, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING WAYS TO CATCH TARPON ON FLY. EARLY MORNING ROLLERS CAN ALSO BE CHASED WITH GOOD SUCCESS. JUVENILE TARPON SEEM TO BE MOST ABUNDANT MID TO LATE SUMMER. DURING THE SPRING MIGRATION, APRIL-JUNE, WE WILL ALSO FISH FOR SWIMMING TARPON IN THE GULF. MOST OF THE TARPON YOU WILL ENCOUNTER ARE 30 TO 120 POUNDS. BIGGER FEMALES CAN PUSH 175 POUNDS. 10WT. TO 12WT. RODS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR ADULT FISH WHILE 8WT. TO 10WT. RODS FOR JUVENILE TARPON. WE USE A MIXTURE OF FLOATING AND INTERMEDIATE FLY LINES DEPENDING ON THE PRESENT SITUATION.

SNOOK: EVERGLADES' SNOOK MIGHT BE THE MOST CHALLENGING AND REWARDING FISH IN THE GLADES. SIGHT FISHING FOR SNOOK IN THE MANGROVES OF THE BACKCOUNTRY IS OUR PRIMARY APPROACH. DURING AND AFTER SPRING MIGRATION, THEY CAN ALSO BE CAUGHT ON THE OUTER ISLANDS WHILE THEY ARE CRUISING OR LAID-UP ON THE FLATS AND MANGROVE SHORELINES. THE AVERAGE SNOOK IS 3 TO 12 POUNDS WITH BIGGER FISH PUSHING 20 POUNDS. 8WT- 9WT RODS ARE RECOMMENDED WITH FLOATING LINES.

REDFISH: THESE FISH ARE HIGH IN NUMBER ON THE OUTSIDE AS WELL AS INSIDE AND PROVIDE A EXCITING CHALLENGE ON FLY. THE AVERAGE REDFISH IS 3-6 POUNDS WITH NUMEROUS 10 POUND FISH. ALL REDFISH ARE CAUGHT SIGHT FISHING, WHETHER THAT BE A SHORELINE, FLAT, OR BACKCOUNTRY POND. 6WT-8WT ARE RECOMMENDED WITH FLOATING LINES.

OTHER SPECIES THAT MAY BE ENCOUNTERED HERE IN EVERGLADES PARK: BLACK DRUM, SPECKLED TROUT, SHARK, TRIPLETAIL, PERMIT, POMPANO, JACKS, AND LADYFISH

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN SECTIONS: THE "OUTSIDE" AND THE "INSIDE." THE INSIDE IS A CHAIN OF BAYS CONNECTED BY RIVER SYSTEMS WHERE THERE IS MORE OF A FRESH WATER INFLUENCE THAN THE OUTSIDE. THIS AREA HAS MORE OF AN EVERGLADES "JUNGLE" FEEL. THIS IS WHAT THE EVERGLADES ARE MOST KNOWN FOR. THE OUTSIDE OR GULF SIDE IS A MIX OF SHORELINES, FLATS, AND THOUSANDS OF MANGROVE ISLANDS. BOTH PRESENT AN ABUNDANCE OF VARYING OPPORTUNITIES TO SIGHT FISH WITH A FLY. THE TIME OF YEAR AND THE CONDITIONS WILL DICTATE WHERE YOU'LL GO.

ONE OF THE GREAT ADVANTAGES ABOUT FLY FISHING THE EVERGLADES IS THE ABILITY TO AVOID THE WIND AND WEATHER ON ALMOST ANY GIVEN DAY. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH NUMBER OF ISLANDS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BACKCOUNTRY LAKES AND RIVERS THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE REFUGE FROM INCLEMENT WEATHER. EVEN OVERCAST DAYS PRESENT ADVANTAGES TO FISHING THE MANGROVES BY REDUCING HARSH SHADOWS MAKING THE SNOOK MORE VISIBLE IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. WE ALWAYS WELCOME LOW WIND AND SUNNY WEATHER, BUT EVEN WHEN ITS NOT OPTIMAL CONDITIONS WE ARE OUT THERE FLY FISHING, CATCHING SNOOK, TARPON, AND REDFISH.