Naples Botanical Garden

Walking through the entrance to Naples Botanical Garden is a treat for the senses. There's really no way to even begin to describe its scope. For some reason I pictured something smaller like the gardens of my youth in Clearwater and at our current home in Fort Myers. Was I ever wrong.

The Garden grounds cover 170 acres that feature plants from the subtropics. This includes places like Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Florida. Everything from the wetlands and swamps to the dry and arid is represented and it's laid out in a way that lets you feel as if you are time traveling from one section of the world to another. There are huge water gardens with beautiful lilies and trickling waterfalls and large expanses of open lowlands with sawgrass. There are even rice patties planted and cultivated in the Asian area.

The Naples Botanical Garden was originally founded in 1993, closed for expansion in June of 2007 and reopened to the public in November of 2009. Expansion has continued and the result is a world class, award wining garden.

My visit was made possible as part of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association annual conference. It's held each year in a different area of Florida to help introduce writers to the featured location. During a group tour I was able to speak to executive director Brian Holley and came away with these interesting tidbits.

• Seventy acres of invasive melaleuca and Brazilian pepper were removed and turned into thousands of yards of mulch during the reconstruction.
• Over a 1/4 of a million yards of dirt was moved around the site to make the highlands and lowlands.
• During construction thousands of native plants were saved to be planted later.
  
• There are currently over 7500 different kinds of plants.
• There are currently 1000 plus orchids.
  

The pride in Brian's voice was evident, as it should be. This was a massive undertaking that you'll have to see to believe.

I walked the shell, stone and dirt paths though a good part of the area, but time was pressing and I soon realized that this is more than a quick tourist stop along US 41. I believe you could plan an entire morning or day at the Naples Botanical Garden and still not see it all.

The Garden is open from 9am to 5pm daily. Admission is $12.95 for adults and $7.95 for children 4-14 years old. 3 and under are free. There are also memberships available and members admission is free. Each Tuesday "Early Bird" hours are offered from 8am until 12pm. This gives amateur photographers and painters some quiet time and early morning light.

For more information go to www.naplesgarden.org

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Tarpon Lodge, A Trip To The Past

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the expression, "Old Florida". Most of the time the description is close, but not right on the money. Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island, in my opinion, is the exception.

My wife, JoNell, has a fairly grueling travel itinerary associated with her job. She goes on excursions both near and far to preach the gospel of vacationing in the Collier County area of Florida. In the month of May, her birthday month, she traveled to New York City and San Francisco and spent her big day on the road, or in the skies as it were. She very much wanted to do something special for her birthday. She told me so, but our schedules just didn't mesh. The window of opportunity was made smaller when she told me she had another trip scheduled to the state of Texas in early June. What's a guy to do?

Call a friend, Rob Wells Jr., business manager of Tarpon Lodge.

JoNell and I had talked about staying at the Lodge many times but it just never happened. I've visited there for a number of fishing outings, including tournaments, and had lunch there on a couple of occasions, but no overnights.

My email to Rob was simple. I need to surprise my wife. We only have a few days to visit and I really want to make it special for her.

Rob got the ball rolling and booked us a 4-night stay in the "Cottage" along with a slip to keep the boat. I'd decided to drive it up there so that JoNell could get in a little fishing and shelling, two things she really loves to do. I also reserved 3 nights in a row at the dinning room. More about that in a minute.

We arrived separately, JoNell by car and me by boat. After unpacking we took a self tour of the grounds and got familiar with our home away from home. The Cottage was perfect. One bedroom with a king size bed, bath, living room and kitchen. There was even a porch, where I could enjoy my evening cigar and look out on Pine Island Sound.

Speaking of Pine Island Sound. It's one of the best fishing areas in the world and Tarpon Lodge is sitting right next to prime territory. I've been guiding in and around the Sound for the last 10 years and nothing anywhere else can match the diversity of fish found there. Tarpon, snook, redfish, trout and a myriad of other species call it home and most are more than willing to cooperate when a lure, fly or live bait is thrown their way.

We spent the afternoon relaxing. Goodness knows, we both needed a break. We walked the grounds and eventually made our way across the road to the Randall Research Center where you can learn about the Calusa Indians. The Calusa's were an ancient and powerfull tribe that once ruled the entire southwest region of Florida. You can walk a trail, reading informational signs, or schedule a guided trip.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I booked 3 evening reservations for dinner at the resort's dinning room. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. JoNell and I soon discovered why it has a much coveted Four Star rating. The food and service were top notch. The selections all looked yummy and it was difficult to pick what to have as the main course. Beef or fish or shrimp or scallops or pork... you get the idea. JoNell summed it up nicely. She said she was very glad I had booked 3 dinner reservations so she could work her way through the menu. Not a bad idea!

Days 2, 3 and 4 were spent boating, fishing, shelling and relaxing. We made runs in our 22 foot Skeeter bay boat, to the small islands just south of the Tarpon Lodge and caught lots of redfish, trout and a mix of fun fish. We visited North Captiva, an island without bridges, so boat access is a must. We walked and shelled an almost deserted beach.

Later that day we visited nearby Cabbage Key, another boat only location, and had lunch at the restaurant. They are famous for having thousands of individual dollar bills hanging from the walls, that are signed by visitors and left behind. They are also noted for their cheeseburgers in paradise. Rumor has that singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett penned his famous "Cheeseburger" song there and, as they say, the rest is history.

Don't worry. If you don't have a boat, there are charters available through the Lodge for fishing, sightseeing, lunch cruises and shelling.

The days went by quickly and soon it was time to pack up and head back to the mainland, leaving island life behind. It was apparent to both of us that more time would be needed on our next trip to the Tarpon Lodge. And there will be another trip back to old Florida.

Tarpon Lodge website is www.tarponlodge.com
Cabbage Key's website is www.cabbagekey.com

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Summer Skin Protection

I’ve spent a good portion of my life living, fishing and playing in the great outdoors of Florida. I’ve worked on the water for a number of years and with that comes the dangers of over exposure to the harmful rays of the sun.

When I was a child we didn’t even use sunblock. Those were the days of the Coppertone girl with print ads and billboards showing a little blonde girl having her pants pulled down by a small dog to expose her bare, lilly white butt. The rest of her body was golden tanned! My how things have changed! With new science and research it’s been proven that the UV rays from the sun we worship here in Florida are actually quite bad for your skin. It’s no longer fashionable to have that deep dark resort tan.

Because I work on the water almost everyday and I spend most of that time in the sun, I thought I’d pass along some useful information to help you protect yourself from over exposure to Mr. Sol.

Sunblock. I use it everyday and recommend you put it on whenever you are planning a day outside. I like the white rub-on lotion vs. the spray-on version. The lotion covers your skin much better and there is little or no evaporation. The sprays seem to put most of the protection on the deck of my boat and are impossible to use in the wind.

I personally use “Bull Frog SuperBlock” lotion with a 45 SPF factor. The SPF number is very important. An SPF 10 rating means you can stay in the sun without burning 10 times longer than you can without using sunblock. Be careful with the numbers. If your skin begins to burn in only 15 minutes then an SPF of 10 is only going to protect you for a little over 2 hours providing you don’t sweat. Yes, you can reapply but I’ve found that it’s best to put the sunblock on BEFORE you leave the house. It works much better on cool, dry skin then it does on sweaty hot skin. Make sure you put extra lotion on your nose, ears and the tops of your hands. If you are going to be on a boat you should make sure to apply extra sunblock to the backs of your legs. The reflection off of the deck is brutal.

Clothing. It is important to wear proper clothing for protection from the sun. Many of the sport clothing manufactures are now making shirts and pants with SPF ratings on the labels. The highest I’ve seen is 30 and that’s a whole lot better than the typical SPF 5 that a cotton t-shirt will provide. The sporting / fishing attire is also going to keep you a lot cooler than street clothing. It’s also designed with light weight materials that breath and “wick” sweat away from your body. I’d recommend that you buy long sleeve shirts and long pants. The sleeves can be rolled up if necessary and most fishing pants come with zip off legs that turn them into shorts after returning to the dock. Here’s a tip for you. Buy lighter colored shirts and pants for summer wear. The light colors reflect sunlight while dark colors absorb it. There’s nothing hotter than a black shirt on a sunny day.

Accessories. There are several items that you need to add to your arsenal that will help protect you from the sun’s rays.

Get a good pair of sunglasses. The sun is brutal on the eyes and a nice polarized pair of shades will cut the glare and will also provide protection for a wayward lure or hook.

Sun gloves have been on the market for quite some time now. They are fingerless and light weight and dry quickly even after being totally submersed in water. They are designed to protect the back of you hands from the sun and work much better than sunblock lotion because they won’t “wash off”.

A hat is a must and the best are ones made with light colors and wide brims. I have a Tilley hat and would recommend it, hands down.

The buff is a cross between a scarf and a full face mask. They are tubes of a stretch material that are lightweight and breath even in the hottest weather. You simply pull the tube over your head and then down around your neck. You can pull it back up at anytime to protect your face and even your ears if needed. They are simple and comfortable and easy to use. Just don’t wear it to your local bank branch office.

Until next time... Get out there and enjoy all that our area has to offer.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Fishing Stories

Everyone loves a good fishing story and because of my profession, as a fishing guide, I get to hear more than my share. Some are believable and, well… some are not, but I’ve noticed that the best stories offer much more than just the “big fish” as a punch line. They usually involve a journey with good friends and lots of laughs along the way. Here are a few of mine from years past.

In the spring of 1999 my wife, JoNell and I along with our friend Steve, were fishing the back waters of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The target for the trip was tarpon and most importantly this would hopefully be JoNell’s first tarpon.

The weather was incredibly hot so we decided to get a very early start. We were on the water just before dawn. After leaving the Matacumbe Marina we headed over to a small bay called Little Basin. We were still in sight of the docks at the Islamorada Fish Company when we noticed there were tarpon rolling everywhere! I made several cast with live pinfish and shrimp but all were refused. Steve was using a couple of different artificial baits with the same luck. It was madding! They just wouldn’t eat. I pretty much knew that the tarpon were in the area because of the fish scraps the Fish Company dumped in the area each morning. With that in mind, I cut up a pinfish and tried that. It was more of the same; no takers.

While Steve and I were discussing what to do next, JoNell found a small crab in the bait well and announced she was going to give it a try. I told her it wasn’t going to work because the fish here in the basin were use to eating scraps and I doubted very much that they would go after a crab.

OK, I admit it. She was right, I was wrong. The crab wasn’t in the water 10 seconds and a tarpon sucked it down! The fight was on and for the next 30 minutes or so she fought the fish like a pro. It weighed in at around 75 lbs. She had played and landed the first tarpon she had ever hooked. Not many folks actually land their first poon!

Steve and I unsuccessfully threw those fish crabs and lots of other offerings for the rest of the morning while JoNell looked on and coached. The tarpon continued to roll all around us and if they were so equipped, they would have thumbed their noses at us.

During the summers of the mid 1980’s a very good friend of mine, Garry from Kentucky, introduced me to small mouth bass fishing in the creeks near where he lived. It was an eye opening experience for me. I could actually go wading without the worry of being eaten (no gators) or stung (no stingrays).

We spent a great deal of time in the Little Kentucky River near Frankfort. It was a beautiful place with huge birch, maple and oak trees and the rocky bottom of the creek was home to literally hundreds of small mouth bass. We fished with ultra light spinning gear consisting of a 5 foot rod, small reel and 4 lb. test line. There was no need for a leader. I’ll never forget the first time he handed me a rod. We wouldn’t even attempt to catch bait here in Florida with something so small!

The lure of choice was a small plastic Rebel Crawdad with a plastic diving lip that you cast and then retrieved slowly, bouncing it among the rocks. The power of the strike was amazing! I’d put it on par with any good size saltwater fish. The fight was also surprising considering that most of the fish we caught were between 1 an 2 pounds.

On one of our trips we encountered a cat that apparently owned the section of the creek we were fishing. He was big and tiger stripped and quite friendly for a wild cat living in the woods. It didn’t take long to figure out why he was stationed near this particular fishing hole. Every time we caught a small bluegill (they are a colorful version of our pinfish) he would come out of the woods and meow and give you that doe eyed look that said, “Please give me that fish.” We’d toss it in his direction and he would catch it on the fly and then proceed to devour it, bones and all! After 3 or 4 he would lay down by the creek in the sun for a nap. We continued to find him there for quite a few years after that first encounter. He’s long since disappeared but to this day we still refer to the area as the “Catnip Hole”.

In the summer of 1978 my brother and I decided it would be fun to sail a couple of sailboats around Sanibel and Captiva on a kind of circumnavigation trip that would somehow also involve fishing. Pete commandeered a 28 foot Irwin from a friend and I rented a 27 foot Catalina from the Sanibel Marina. We loaded the boats with supplies (mostly beer and munchies) and set off around the Sanibel Lighthouse on what was suppose to be a week-long adventure with our wives. We trolled the Gulf and managed to come up with quite a few spanish mackerel. While anchored off of Cayo Costa, for a couple of days, we caught snook in the surf and lots of jacks and ladyfish.

On day 4 the Catalina had a major mechanical malfunction and we decided the best thing to do was to sail back to the marina and pick up another boat. Unfortunately there wasn’t another one available so we were forced to scrap the rest of the adventure. Well, sort of. The girls had had enough so they headed for home, but Pete and I decided to sail the Irwin back up the Caloosahatchee River to her home dock. I’m not sure why we left the marina after midnight. Well, maybe I do know why but there’s no need to point fingers. Once we were underway I fired up the stove and started cooking a big pot of boiled shrimp. We were just about to start eating when the blue lights came on and the boat was bathed in bright light from big spotlights. We were being stopped by the Florida Marine Patrol.

Those were the days of big time smuggling. I’m not talking about illegal aliens, I’m talking about drugs. I have no idea why we were even suspected of being pirates. Maybe it was because we were the only boat on the water after midnight and had no running lights, Jimmy Buffett music was blaring on the stereo and the smell of shrimp (bubble, bubble, bubble) was coming from the portholes. I don’t know.

Shortly after the patrol boat tied up along side of us I offered the officers shrimp and cold libations. After a momentary hesitation they refused the beer, saying they were on duty, and accepted the offer to join us for fresh cooked Gulf shrimp. After a bit of friendly conversation and a quick check of the boats safety equipment, they sent us on our way without even writing a warning ticket for the lights. The moral of the story is: If you are going to smuggle anything into U.S. waters in the middle of the night make sure to bring plenty of fresh shrimp.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters