Ye Olde English Fly Shop

Ye Olde English Fly Shop sits at 24570 Overseas Highway on Summerland Key, around mile marker 24.5 in the Lower Keys, and it is not the sort of shop you expect on this stretch of highway. It supplies rod builders: bamboo and IM-8 blanks, nickel silver ferrules, reamers, agate and snake guides, reel seats, cork grips, wrapping thread and epoxy. That is the full kit for building a cane rod from scratch.

The fly tying side runs to hand forged hooks and tools, local patterns tied for these waters, and the shop's own kits and fly line. There is apparel and the usual accessories, but the reason people drive down for this place is the components and the advice that comes with them.

They describe it as a gathering place for fly fishers rather than a store, and they run occasional workshops and custom rod building demos, which makes it worth a stop even if you are not building anything. Open every day, 9 to 5. Call (305) 509-1113.