Florida Keys Fly Fishing School & Outfitters, Inc.
Newsletter – January 2007
By Sandy Moret

Wow, what a job building something in the Keys! I am really just a fishing bum with a fly shop and when Sue and I decided to move Florida Keys Outfitters to a new location two and a half years ago, we never realized what would be involved. Well all the hassle is over and we reopened the Friday before Christmas and we are lovin’ the new digs.

Those of you who have been to the Keys know of the historic Green Turtle Inn in Islamorada which housed the Green Turtle Restaurant, package liquor store and cannery. We wanted to renovate the building which survived the 1935 hurricane in the Keys into our shop, restaurant and package store, but when we began exploratory demo, we found nothing was holding up the roof!

We started from the ground up preserving the feel of the old Keys and Islamorada’s historic sign # 2. Soon to open on site will be Gary & Susan Ellis’ Redbone Art Gallery which features some of the finest angling and tropical art available anywhere! The Green Turtle Restaurant will also open soon featuring traditional Keys cuisine with Chef Dawn Seiber’s artistic touch as well as fine wines and liquors. Everything will be available for on site or to go.

And back to fishing, The Islamorada Invitational Sailfish Fly Rod Championship broke tournament records once more having a full lineup of 20 boats fishing for two days for Atlantic Sailfish. 21 fish were hooked and 9 were released during Wednesday and Thursday’s event. Every boat raised fish and were probably 30 strikes that did not get hooked up.

PHOTO: Angler Esteban Neely and Capt Mark Houghtaling winning sailfish photographed by team mate Bob Brien

Atlantic Sailfish are rarely fished for with fly rod in the US and the event attracts some very devoted and hard core fly fishers with a lot of talent. In its first year, 14 teams competed catching no fish. Some have said that this may be the most difficult fishing tournament in the Florida Keys. The anglers and captains have learned a lot since the event began and we are getting the hang of how to do it. With decent conditions they are catching an Atlantic Sailfish on fly every few trips”

The tournament is an all release team event using sixteen pound tippet supplied by the tournament. Each team is allowed two anglers who may cast, hook and fight the fish and anyone on board can tease the fish with live or dead hookless teasers making the “bait and switch”

A release is accomplished when the connection of fly line to leader is brought into the tip top of the fly rod. If that occurs in less than 60 seconds 10 points are earned. If the fish is more difficult and takes more than 60 seconds then 50 points are earned. If the fish is billed and the fly retrieved the catch then counts for 150 points.

Anglers Esteban Neely of Dallas and Bob Brien of Bristol, VA aboard Captain Mark Houghtailing’s Magic Fingers were first to score 150 points by landing and removing the fly from a fish at 9:20 am on Wednesday. Second place winners on time, Bob Rich and Sandy Moret of Islamorada fishing aboard Esperanza with Captain Rusty Albury followed suit at 2:37 pm.

High winds to 30 mph and heavy seas to 12 feet made landing the fish on fly very difficult. With conventional tackle 15 feet of heavy leader allow management of a fish at the boat much better than with the one foot shock leader allowed with fly tackle. It was the roughest day I have ever spent in blue water!

Thane Morgan of Amarillo with Captain George McElveen aboard The Reel McCoy took best other fish with a 37 inch dolphin. The winning team has qualified to fish in the ROLEX/IGFA Invitational Offshore Championship in May of 2008.

The event is sponsored by Florida Keys Outfitters, Rich Products, The Green Turtle Inn, Columbia Sportswear, Sage Rods, Craig Reagor and Tibor Reels.

Over the past few days bonefishing has been great on the Oceanside of the Keys and winds are going calm as we speak so the big tarpon should float in Florida Bay!

We have a few more openings in the February 3 & 4 session of the Florida Keys Fly Fishing School where Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, Steve Huff & I will be helping anglers with their fly fishing skills. Call us @ 305-664-5423 or email for reservations and guides after school.

Sandy Moret