A Fishing Guide

A Fishing Guide is Captain Steve Friedman, who has been guiding in the Florida Keys since 2000 and works out of Angler House Marina on the bayside at mile marker 80.5 in Islamorada. What he does is sight fishing, which is the version of fishing where you and the guide are both looking for the fish before anyone casts, on the flats and through the backcountry of Florida Bay. The targets are the ones anglers plan whole trips around: tarpon, bonefish, permit, redfish and snook. He fishes fly or spinning rod, whichever you prefer, and he teaches. If you have never thrown a fly line, he will coach you through it before and during the trip rather than letting you flail.

There are three boats and the choice actually matters. Two are poling skiffs, an 18 foot Floyd Skiff Company and a 17.8 foot Hell's Bay Whipray Pro, built to slide into water so shallow a normal boat has no business being there, which is where bonefish and permit live. The third is a 24 foot Sea Pro bay boat with a T-top that takes a larger group and handles both the shallow stuff and the deeper water, which is the one to ask about if you are bringing kids or a mixed group of anglers and non-anglers.

The credentials here are unusual and worth reading before you book. Friedman is a Blue Star Fishing Guide, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary program that recognizes guides committed to sustainable practice, and he served on the committee that founded it. He sits on the sanctuary's Advisory Council. He spent six years as commodore of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association, and he is a founding board member and former president of Florida Bay Forever, a nonprofit working on the restoration of the bay he fishes every day. On the water this shows up as narration: he will tell you what the seagrass is doing, why the fish are where they are, and how the whole system fits together, because his argument is that a guide whose ecosystem collapses does not have a job.

Practically, tackle, bait, water and ice come with the trip, and you bring your own food and drinks. Half and full days are both available. Departure time is not fixed, because it depends on the tide, the season and what you are after, so booking is a phone conversation rather than a click. Bring polarized sunglasses, a hat, long sleeves, sunscreen and shoes you can stand on a deck in.