Captain Alex specializes in fly fishing for Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook and Sharks in the beautiful and rich flats of the Florida Keys. Fly fishing is his favorite way of fishing, and he will give you the necessary instruction and coaching to accomplish your goals according to your level of expertise. He also offers fly casting instruction. Although, you should employ plenty of time practicing before your charter or hire a casting instructor to make it count while you're on the water! Let’s face it, The fish in the Keys are challenging, big and spooky. Not to mention everything that possibly can go wrong usually does if you're not prepare. Whoever told you the opposite is not being honest. Captain Alex can guarantee you shots at fish, but you'll still need to bring your “A game” in order to be successful. Execution is everything so practice, practice, practice – before your charter.
Late Winter and Spring are his favorite times of the year, as the annual migration of Tarpon takes off, and the fish start moving to the backcountry,...
About Your Guide
Alex Zapata
Independent Guide
Captain Alex specializes in fly fishing for Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook and Sharks in the beautiful and rich flats of the Florida Keys. Fly fishing is his favorite way of fishing, and he will give you the necessary instruction and coaching to accomplish your goals according to your level of expertise. He also offers fly casting instruction. Although, you should employ plenty of time practicing before your charter or hire a casting instructor to make it count while you're on the water! Let’s face it, The fish in the Keys are challenging, big and spooky. Not to mention everything that possibly can go wrong usually does if you're not prepare. Whoever told you the opposite is not being honest. Captain Alex can guarantee you shots at fish, but you'll still need to bring your “A game” in order to be successful. Execution is everything so practice, practice, practice – before your charter.
Late Winter and Spring are his favorite times of the year, as the annual migration of Tarpon takes off, and the fish start moving to the backcountry, passes, inlets and ocean side areas of the Keys. Even though Spring is when you will find the major concentrations of fish, you can find Tarpon and fish for them all year long at different locations. Captain Alex says that Tarpon fishing on the fly is very addicting. "Once you see a school of Tarpon swimming over clear bottom or a fish 'laid up' floating motionless right beneath the surface, you'll know what I'm talking about. Then, you make a cast, that fish starts tracking the fly, cracks his mouth open, sucks the fly-in, takes off jumping, cartwheeling, and ripping 150 yards off your reel. That will be it, you will be hooked for life."
Captain Alex requests that you be a competent caster. "If you have never picked up a 10wt, 11wt or 12wt please do not show up to the dock trying to learn while the fish are swimming. Even if you do it 'a few times a year' it won’t be enough. Chances are that you will be wasting precious time and money. Please take plenty of time to learn how to cast months or at least weeks in advance before your trip. You should be able to double haul, develop line speed and have casting accuracy. Having a good backhand cast will also improve your chances of success. Average wind in the keys is 10 to 15 knots, with days having 15 to 20 knots winds or more being common. Since the fishing is almost always better during windy conditions, you will need to learn how to handle the wind. There are many books out there that address the aspects of fly casting and fly fishing for Tarpon. You can also find tons of info on the internet about the subject. I encourage you to document yourself as much as you can before your trip. Any money you spend with a reputable casting instructor is also money well spent. The same applies for the other 'glamourous' flats species (Permit and Bonefish) which are equally--if not more--challenging and demanding."
Had a great trip with Alex. Put me on several fish and I caught my first snook coming in at 33 inches long!! Very knowledgeable guy and is really passionate about what he does.
Donavin
Verified Review
Had a great trip with Alex. Put me on several fish and I caught my first snook coming in at 33 inches long!! Very knowledgeable guy and is really passionate about what he does.
