Fly Fish Key West
Fly fish the Lower Florida Keys and Key West for tarpon, permit, and bonefish with Capt. Johan Vannieuwland.
The Lower Florida Keys and Key West are a notoriously challenging fly fishery, yet attract anglers of all abilities due to easy access and plenty of amenities. Whether coming the the Keys strictly to fly fish, or sneaking in a day or two while on vacation, anglers are encouraged to bring their best game and/or their willingness to learn.
The fly fishing in the Lower Keys is dynamic and conditional. Fish do different things in different conditions, at different times of the year and being able to adapt is important. Capt. Johan Vannieuwland fishes the Lower Keys year-round and trailers his skiff from Key West to Big Pine to maximize his options in all conditions every month of the year.
Tarpon
Tarpon have earned their reputation as the favorite fish of many because of their size, acrobatics, and willingness to eat flies. When the water temperatures are between 72 and 85 degrees and the weather is stable, tarpon show up in the Lower Florida Keys and Key West en masse to rest and feed before continuing their migration north…
Permit
Permit get placed on a pedestal as the “holy grail” of saltwater flats fish by those in the know for a few reasons. First, permit are an “offshore” fish and only spend a fraction of their time on the flats, thus finding catchable permit is a true hunt. Second, permit are notoriously wary in shallow water and getting in range of a permit is a challenge…
Bonefish
Over the years, the Lower Keys and Key West were never considered the place to go for those looking to bonefish. There have even been times historically where there really weren’t any bonefish around. Recent years has seen a boom in the bonefish population for a multitude of reasons and hopefully that trend will continue for years to come…
Capt. Johan Vannieuwland
Capt. Johan Vannieuwland is a Florida native with a lifelong connection to the water. As a child he was fortunate enough to live on the Mosquito Lagoon and fishing occupied the majority of his free time. As he grew, so did his fascination with fishing. His passion took him south to Biscayne Bay and the Upper Keys, and in recent years, the Lower Keys where he guides fly anglers of all abilities for tarpon, permit, and bonefish year-round from his Chittum skiff.
