Everglades Fly Fishing Guide

Everglades Fly Fishing Guide: Capt. Colin McMullen

Colin’s family moved to Marco Island from Cape Cod, MA in 2001, when he was four years old. He grew up on the island going to school, playing sports, and spending his free time on the boat with family and friends. Through watching fly fishing shows on TV like Spanish Fly and Walkers Cay Chronicles Colin started to get curious about fly fishing. Eventually, he saved up enough money to buy his first fly rod, reel, and fly line at nine years old. Colin spent hours upon hours in his front yard teaching himself how to throw a fly rod and soon enough caught his first fish on fly, a sightfished beach snook. From that moment on he has had the bug BAD, and still takes any opportunity to pull on fish with the long rod. Colin graduated in May of 2020 from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Marine Science Degree and is nearing the completion of his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science. He is now guiding full time in the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park.

Q&A With Capt. Colin McMullen

Q. What is the biggest highlight of your fishing career?

A. The biggest highlight of my fishing career was catching my first big Tarpon on fly. It was April 2016 and I decided to go fishing after class. I couldn’t find anyone to go with so I went solo and decided to pole some bays to look for laid up fish. It was almost sunset as I pulled into the last pocket of the day. I was losing light, the visibility was tough, and I was getting eaten alive by no-see-ums but I wanted to finish poling the bay. I came around the corner and to my surprise there was a big laid up Tarpon about 40 feet away on the edge of an oyster bar. I quietly laid the push pole down in the water (no caddy), picked up my rod, put a perfect shot on the fish and stuck her. By the end of the fight I had lost the rod in the water, jumped in after it, got it back, and ruined my phone in the process. About forty minutes into the fight I’d almost gotten the face grab multiple times but this fish wasn’t giving up. I decided to break the fish off and head home for school the next day. The ride home that night was extra special as I reflected on all the blood, sweat, and time I’d put into catching that one big ass silver minnow.

Q. What is your most memorable personal catch?

A. My most memorable personal catch was from April 2020. My friend and I had been throwing at rolling Tarpon since first light that morning. After 50+ perfect shots, five different fly colors, and endless different presenetations we decided to switch gears. The tide got right for laid up Tarpon around 9:00 that morning. I was on the bow and my friend was pushing me into a pocket that usually holds some fish. I had about two feet of line out of the rod tip and was dragging my fly through the water about five feet off the port side. Suddenly, I felt something lightly tug at my fly line. I looked back expecting to see a ladyfish eating my fly or a mangrove propagule snagged on the hook. To my surprise it was an absolute GIANT Tarpon! She ate the fly, turned, and I stuck her good. She barely even budged, almost like she didn’t care that she was hooked. After sticking her a couple more times for good measure, she finally took off and cleared my line in seconds. As many Tarpon fisherman know, the biggest fish don’t jump right away and sometimes don’t jump at all. I was throwing a 10wt and this was definitely not a 10wt fish. After about 40 minutes of fighting the fish in a deep channel, I realized there was no chance of getting this fish to hand. I got the leader in the guides, called it a landed fish, and broke it off. If I had to estimate a weight, I’d say 180+ pounds, by far my personal best Tarpon.

Q. What is your most exciting client catch?

A. When it comes to my most exciting client catch, one specific memory from March 2019 comes to mind. I had a trip booked with a client that hadn’t spent much time fly fishing in saltwater. He informed me that he’d spent most of his life fly fishing for trout and was what many would consider a “fly-or-die” kind of guy. This was going to be one of my first charters with an experienced fly fisherman on the bow and I was definitely excited. The night before my charter I was running home from an afternoon of scouting for the next day. The sun was setting, it was glass calm, and the air temperature was in the high 70s. As I ran to the West back towards Marco, I looked behind me to the East and noticed that a combination of Cumulonimbus and Cumulus clouds had formed on the horizon. Instantly, my excitement for the next morning had set in. The sun was just peeking above the mangrove canopy when we pulled into the first spot of the day. The bay was brightly lit by the rising sun as flashes of silver pierced the glassy surface. I cut the engine and my client said “Were those Tarpon?!”, I nodded and said “Yup, I hope you’re ready!”. I quietly pulled out the 10wt and peeled a generous amount of line off the reel. I grabbed the pushpole, hopped onto the platform, and slowly eased the skiff into the pocket. It wasn’t long till three big fish in a pod rolled just 30 feet off of the bow at 11 O’clock. “Start casting, okay a little longer, drop it there and let it sink for a second. Now long slow strips. Strip, strip”. Suddenly the surface erupted from two fish chasing the fly with their mouths wide open. They were fighting over it and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d never seen anything like it. Finally in all the chaos one of the fish garbaged the fly, turned, and my client came tight. The fish went ballistic, cleared the line in seconds, and was instantly in the backing tail-walking across the bay. About forty minutes and eight epic jumps later we had landed and released his first Tarpon on fly. This was the first time that I’d guided a client to their first big Tarpon on fly. It was almost as if I was experiencing my first big Tarpon on fly again for the first time, but this time it felt different. After the fish swam off and a celebratory high five was had, we both sat down and reflected on what we had just witnessed. After gathering his composure, he thanked me for helping him check off one of his biggest bucket list items. Later that evening I realized how lucky I was to have been part of that experience. There was a sense of pride in the fact that my time on the water had finally paid off, for both me and my client.

Q. What is your guiding “style”?

A. My guiding style primarily focuses on sight-casting to Snook, Redfish, and Tarpon in shallow water. These species can be targeted with either fly rods or spinning rods, which is dependent on angler skill level and conditions. From the moment we push away from the dock, my goal is to give my anglers as many shots at fish as possible. That being said, I fish at a pretty intense pace and often have to be reminded that it’s time for a lunch break!

Q. Who got you into fishing for the first time?

A. My dad introduced me to fishing as soon as I could walk. At the time he was a commercial fisherman out of Chatham, MA and would take us fishing off the docks when he was home. When my family moved to Marco Island in 2001, I was four years old. My dad started taking us fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico every weekend. It didn’t take long for me to become obsessed with fishing, and that obsession grew as I learned more about the opportunities our area had to offer.

Q. If you could fish for any fish in the world, what would it be?

A. If it was my last day on Earth I’d be fly fishing for migrating Tarpon over white sand bottom.

Q. What is your dream fishing location?

A. My dream fishing location is Cuba!

Q. Music on the boat?

A. Music on the boat is great when running from spot to spot, but once when we’re fishing silence is key to catching spooky fish in shallow water.

Q. Are bananas bad luck?

A. I’ve had great days and terrible days with bananas in the boat, but it’s better to be safe than sorry by leaving them at the dock.

Q. What can everyone do to help the environment of Southwest Florida?

A. Vote water, stay informed, and support non-profits like Captains for Clean Water, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and Bullsugar!