# Florida Keys Fly Fishing Report



## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

On Wednesday and Thursday I was fortunate enough to have some work in Ocala...which led to a 500 mile or so fishing quest to lower Florida. If I was that close to great fishing, why not a little bit of driving. 

In Alaska last summer I met a flats guide named Shane Smith. Shane is a terrific and VERY PATIENT guide. I've tried saltwater fishing with a guide in the Bahamas before but that guide wasn't a great teacher.

I came with a bunch of very bad casting habits and a trout fisherman's casting style that was completely unsuited for hitting moving targets at 60 feet.

Shane worked with me to at least get the tailing loop under control (well, at least 1 of 10 casts were passable)

Despite some challenging weather that had us close to cover:










Shane helped me land a couple of these which we pulled from out of some mangroves:










This photo was taken from the parking lot of the Worldwide Angler (or whatever the saltwater Bass Pro on Islamorada is called)










And this was taken at sunrise just south of Marathon (oops, picture didn't load. See below)

The Keys are a pretty special place. Catching a Florida Keys flats fish on a fly checked off the bucket list.  I also hooked some baby tarpon Gotta learns strip hook set!), caught a bunch of sea trout and ladyfish, had a couple great dinners (the Square Grouper at mile marker 22 and the Half Shell Oyster Bar in Key West were great though Key West is a bit crazy for a Midwestern fly fisherman) and got to escape the snow for 5 days.

The last day was spent driving from the lower Keys to Fort Myers. The wildlife along US 41 is incredible and the Big Cypress visitors center has 12 foot gators, river otters, giant gar, all sorts of birds and peacock bass and oscars all immediately below their observation deck. Plus I saw a manatee and its calf just outside of Everglades City.

Anyway, it turns out I am a pretty poor saltwater caster and pretty dumb about flats fishing (as Shane was giving me casting instructions in our first 5 minutes a 20 pound permit cruised to within 20 feet of the boat. I thought it was a manatee, it looked so big so close up. I placed a cast 10 feet behind it and it was gone.) The picture with me staring into the storm clouds is me staring at some big, 85 pound plus tarpon that were porpoising. I got so excited I caught my foot in my 8 weight and snapped the tip off my Z Axis.

Anyway, I can't say enough great things about the two days I fished with Shane. He was top notch and if even I was able to catch a redfish on the fly, anyone can under Shane's guidance.

I have a much greater respect for those big redfish Boozer has posted in here. Getting a 9 weight line 60 feet out with a 15 knot headwind (commonplace on the salt) is difficult!

Here is guide Shane Smith's Facebook page. He is top notch and worked tirelessly in difficult conditions and with an untalented rookie to help me catch fish.

http://www.facebook.com/paul.shibley.1#!/capt.shanesmith


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Oops, here is the sunrise picture


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

Always enjoy your pics and travel dialogues. Thanks!


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Sounds like a great time.....I have always wanted to get down there and flyfish for peacock bass in some of the smaller rivers and water.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

It's definitely a cool place. Just wouldn't want to be there in a hurricane.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Thanks Paul!

I sure love the Keys...










Went there at Xmas and suffered from a prior cold snap which shut down the back country. Couldn't convince the crew to run for the Park

Good for you!


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## mcfish (Jan 24, 2010)

Niiiiiiice


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Nice report!!!


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