A Key West Slam (oh so close!)

Another valued customer of the store, Brad D. on a recent trip to the lower Keys with two of his fishing buddies had a great time pursuing the Key West Slam on fly. To qualify for a Key West Slam on fly an angler has to catch and release a Tarpon, a Bonefish and a Permit all in one day using a fly rod. Although Brad and his buddies didn’t achieve that goal, they came close and had a great time in the effort. Here is Brad’s story.

Lower Key's Bonefish

Lot's of tailers

Lower Keys junior tarpon

The lower Keys offers a tremendous opportunity for great fly fishing action year ’round but it’s especially good during the early summer through late fall. Often overlooked for the more heavily promoted areas like Key West and Islamorada, the lower keys from Marathon down though Sugarloaf Key offer the best opportunity for a Slam. The heart of that area centered around the gulf side flats north of Big Pine Key has it all. From April through October the area offers plenty of tarpon, bones and permit for a fly fisherman to pursue. In my guiding career, I spent many many days putting my clients on shot after shot of all three. Granted it’s hot and there is the almost constant threat of storms be they local or of the more threatening tropical variety, the majority of the time it’s ideal conditions for fly fishing. Light winds, calm seas and good tides are the hallmarks of the summer season.

The area around the Content Keys north of Big Pine Key

It’s a big area and it’s a hard area to fish without good local knowlege so if you’re interested in giving it a shot, give us a call at the store (904-997-2220) and we can give you the names of some of the guides that work the area year ’round that I know can show you just how great the fishing can be.