Fly fishing South Florida: there’s no place like home

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, I watched as news stations cycled and recycled footage of the devastation in South Florida. Yes, certain areas got hit hard, and people lost homes and businesses and some people tragically lost their lives and yes, the area is still recovering from the hurricane. But people in the Keys are also resilient, and they are rebuilding, and businesses are reopening (many never closed), and it is still one of the most beautiful places in the world, even if the drama that played out on the news stations made it seem like the Keys got wiped off the map. I’ve spoken to many people recently – local fishing guides and business owners – and all they really want is for people to come back down. Tourism is the lifeblood of the area, and South Florida and the Keys are by and large open for business.

A 13-pound bonefish caught last week by Will Franzen and Capt. Carl Ball of AWOL Charters.

Did I mention that the fly fishing is on fire right now? The weather is warming, and everywhere you look, people are catching fish—and lots of them. The bonefishing has been great, with lots of nice fish caught recently. South Florida is still one of the best places on earth to target big bonefish. Hordes of small, eager bones are also around and seem to be growing in numbers, which bodes well for both the fly angler’s chances and hopefully the future of the bonefish fishery. The permit and tarpon fishing is heating up, too, and full-blown tarpon season is right around the corner.

A nice permit on fly makes for part two of the slam.

South Florida is my home, and even though I often travel to other places to fish, it remains one of my favorite fishing destinations on earth. The majority of permit I’ve caught on fly, all the really large tarpon and most of the big bonefish have all been caught down here. I had a chance to get out this past week with for the first time in a while and had great shots at permit, lots of bonefish opportunities, and some great evening fishing for tarpon, even catching a slam on fly with a couple extra bonefish and tarpon for good measure. The next day, I brought a few more bonefish to hand and had some nail-biting permit shots, which is often all you can ask for with those finicky fish. As my second day of fishing wound down, I looked around at the expansive blue sky and flats around me, felt the warmth of the sun on my back, and it reminded me that there’s really no place like home.