(Note:  See my April 2018 article for an update on fishing the Faka Union River.)

The Faka Union River, known as the Fiki Uni to some long-time locals, is an important fixture of one of the largest pristine areas in Florida—the Fakahatchee Strand.  It is the retreat of flocks of wading birds, deer, black bears, and the endangered Florida Panther.  You may even see, as I did, an endangered American crocodile in this wilderness that has

been designated by Florida as an Area of Critical State Concern.  And the chances for a coveted angler’s slam–snook, redfish, and tarpon–are as good here as anywhere in the country.  I’ve scored several over the past few years.  You may even hook a hungry bull or black tip shark to boot.

Although not apparent on the surface, the environment here has been severely altered by get-rich-quick development and drainage schemes over the past 50 years.  Only in the past decade have serious remedial efforts been undertaken.  The Port of the Islands development, the aborted Southern Golden Gates Estate project, and Faka Union Canal just up the road barely a mile from the put-in are poster children for the carnage.

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