OT Key West flyfishing recommendations

[Kingfisher]

Talking to wife about winter vacations over lunch and I mentioned I've always wanted to fly fish for bonefish and tarpon in Key West.
I'm an experienced fly fisherman but she has no interest. Anyone recommend a lodge/guide, etc for my situation where I really want to fish and she will....well do whatever is available for spouses?
Thanks

[semdoug]

I haven't fly fished down there but would suggest looking here:

https://forums.floridasportsman.com/

and here:

https://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/index.php

[HenryA]

Have you fly fished saltwater flats species? If not the Keys may be a tough start. You won’t get a lot of shots so you need to make them good. Real good or you just end up frustrated and fishless. A good place to look: https://www.orvis.com/s/florida-fly-fishing-trips-orvis-endorsed-lodges-guides/1094

If you want to have a more relaxed start think about Belize. El Pescador lodge would be a good choice. http://www.elpescador.com/ There are things there you and your wife can do together like visits to ruins and wildlife preserves. Nice snorkeling and diving. Or a boat ride when you go fishing! A little fishing, picnic and swim combination maybe. She might enjoy a day of that as the scenery is pretty great.

More fish although generally smaller fish than the Keys. Having more fish to throw at will make for faster learning and more catching and more fun.

[Kingfisher]

[thank you



QUOTE=HenryA;2412715]Have you fly fished saltwater flats species? If not the Keys may be a tough start. You won’t get a lot of shots so you need to make them good. Real good or you just end up frustrated and fishless. A good place to look: https://www.orvis.com/s/florida-fly-fishing-trips-orvis-endorsed-lodges-guides/1094

If you want to have a more relaxed start think about Belize. El Pescador lodge would be a good choice. http://www.elpescador.com/ There are things there you and your wife can do together like visits to ruins and wildlife preserves. Nice snorkeling and diving. Or a boat ride when you go fishing! A little fishing, picnic and swim combination maybe. She might enjoy a day of that as the scenery is pretty great.

More fish although generally smaller fish than the Keys. Having more fish to throw at will make for faster learning and more catching and more fun.[/QUOTE]

[classtimesailer]

Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada is really nice$. I never hired a guide in Florida but had good luck on my own near the campground on Long Key.

We did hire a guide in the Bajamas on Long Island from a nice resort at the north end of the island. The guide picked us up on the beach in front of our bungalow and set us up for many opportunities and a couple fish.

[sillverchevy]

Winter in the keys could be iffy if sight fishing ocean side. Alternative could be backcountry for snook, redfish, sea trout, jacks...maybe a baby tarpon. Just a thought...

[saf-t]

Another vote for Belize. Way less pressure on the fish = much greater likelihood of a successful trip.

And while you're there, take a day off from chasing bones and go here (https://www.cahalpech.com/blog/10-reasons-to-tour-actun-tunichil-muknal-atm-cave-in-belize-now/). One of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Pro tip- if you're even remotely claustrophobic, ignore this suggestion.

[11.4]

If you're going to be in the keys, you have three main targets -- bonefish, tarpon, and permit -- plus a host of other fish like barracuda, grouper, and so on.

The trick is that you find them mostly in different places. Tarpon (except for smaller baby tarpon) want deeper water in channels in and out of bays or between islands. That's a regular offshore fishing boat. Bonefish like flats boats or simple wading. Permit like flats boats or wading, but rather different locations and often you need a boat to get farther out there to where the permit are. So you have to pick your fish and then your guide. I wouldn't say that Key West is the best place to find a guide or to fish with a fly; the top bonefish and permit are up closer to Key Largo and the best (and less expensive) tarpon fishing is on the west coast of Florida north of Fort Myer. I've fished all over the world most of my life, and Florida has superb fishing but you need to take a rifle shot approach to picking location and then fish. Going twenty miles away makes all the difference in that area. Now you can get lots of baby tarpon, which are lots of fun on a light rod (try a lunatic 10-lb fish on a 5-weight floating line) all over the place. And you can just go out and see what you get -- grouper can be interesting, barracuda definitely so, plus small sharks, and all kinds of other fish. But for the big name fish, I'd focus on the more restricted locations I've suggested above.

[Louis]

Just read this while lounging by the hotel pool one afternoon and call it a day:

http://images.paperbackswap.com/l/02/9102/9780020519102.jpg

[jr59]

If you're going to be in the keys, you have three main targets -- bonefish, tarpon, and permit -- plus a host of other fish like barracuda, grouper, and so on.

The trick is that you find them mostly in different places. Tarpon (except for smaller baby tarpon) want deeper water in channels in and out of bays or between islands. That's a regular offshore fishing boat. Bonefish like flats boats or simple wading. Permit like flats boats or wading, but rather different locations and often you need a boat to get farther out there to where the permit are. So you have to pick your fish and then your guide. I wouldn't say that Key West is the best place to find a guide or to fish with a fly; the top bonefish and permit are up closer to Key Largo and the best (and less expensive) tarpon fishing is on the west coast of Florida north of Fort Myer. I've fished all over the world most of my life, and Florida has superb fishing but you need to take a rifle shot approach to picking location and then fish. Going twenty miles away makes all the difference in that area. Now you can get lots of baby tarpon, which are lots of fun on a light rod (try a lunatic 10-lb fish on a 5-weight floating line) all over the place. And you can just go out and see what you get -- grouper can be interesting, barracuda definitely so, plus small sharks, and all kinds of other fish. But for the big name fish, I'd focus on the more restricted locations I've suggested above.

This is pretty good advice. I have a old female friend who married a charter boat captain in KW. I’m wait to hear what he has to say. I will PM when they get back to me.

[msl819]

We fished for bones on the fly here:

https://www.hawkscay.com/special-offers?NCK=Brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqKflpt7_3AIVo7ztCh1IAAssEAAYASAA EgIUVPD_BwE

We specifically hunted bones. They are an educated fish due to the fishing pressure they receive. I can’t remember our guides name but we enjoyed our time. That said, if you have thrown flies to redfish you owe it to yourself to give that a try. Still my most enjoyable fishing experiences.

[MisterMurray]

I've never fished in Key West but spent a few days in Islamorada. I'd highly recommend Capt Luis Cortes, Firefly Charters. He's very easy going and fun to spend a day on a boat with. Got my first tarpon on his boat. I've also fished with Capt Jared Raskob. He's an absolute animal. Will work VERY hard to put you on fish.