Everglades Fly Fishing

Fly Fish The Everglades With Capt. John Stark

As you travel Southeast of Naples, FL, the suburban sprawl turns into the millions of acres of protected land and water that comprise the Everglades. Most people associate the Everglades with the hostile critters that inhabit it. As the home to alligators, crocodiles, and almost every venomous snake in North America, the Everglades represents danger and mystery to many who want to come explore the area.

As the third largest wilderness area in the contiguous Unites States, the Everglades definitely lives up to its reputation as a wild place, but the Everglades, when accessed by boat reveals itself to be one of the best shallow water fisheries in the world as well as one of the safest most accommodating places for anglers of all abilities to chase the fish of their dreams with a fly rod.

The Everglades Ecosystem
The part of the Everglades that we fish is a tidal coastal ecosystem comprised of thousands of miles of shorelines protected from the wind by old and new growth red, black, and white mangroves that provide the perfect habitat for the baitfish and crustaceans that attract the gamefish we pursue. Mud, sand, oysters, or the combination of the three make up the bottom composition of these mangrove estuaries and the tannic water that flows over them creates an environment that fish thrive in and provides anglers an experience only found here.

Fly Fishing The Everglades
Some compare fly fishing the Everglades to hunting. The fish are always on the move for one reason or another, and Capt. John understands their patterns. As he quietly poles his skiff through the shallow water, Capt. John and his anglers look for fish. Sometimes a fish will be clearly visible, sometimes it will only give you a small clue that it is there. Once the target is acquired, it is up to the angler to properly present the right fly the right way and entice a bite.

Long casts aren’t always necessary to be successful with a fly in the Everglades, but accurate presentations are paramount. Shots of 30-40 feet are common and anglers with the ability to cast further are often rewarded.

The three main fish that we predominantly persue in the Everglades are snook, redfish, and tarpon, but we also encounter sea trout, sheepshead, jack crevalle, black drum, goliath grouper, tripletail, permit, pompano and more.

The Everglades is a great place to come test your game, work on your game, or introduce a new friend to the art of fly fishing, and Capt. John Stark will go out of his way to make sure your trip with him is a memorable one.