By Terry Gibson
Here in southeast Florida, local fly fishermen that know how extensively I've traveled often ask me questions like, "What's your favorite fly-fishing destination?" I surprise most of them when I answer, "You're standing in it."
My sister and I grew up in Palm Beach County, the children of two fly-fishing fanatics. It seemed like we were fishing fascinating new water each weekend and catching lots of species, even though we didn't usually drive more than an hour or two from the house we grew up in near Palm Beach International Airport. We loved it, but until I'd fished in lots of other areas touted as "fishing paradises," I never fully appreciated how ecologically rich, diverse and productive this area is. It's one of my favorite regions to encourage people to explore.
That's why, a few weeks ago, producer Jon Brett and I filmed a video for VISIT FLORIDA about saltwater fishing opportunities in and around Palm Beach County, with Capt. Scott Hamilton. Capt. Scott took me under his wing almost twenty years ago and taught me most of what I know about the challenging game of offshore flyfishing in Palm Beach.
Capt. Scott fishes in saltwater that ranges from a few inches deep to thousands of feet, which affords him a uniquely insightful perspective on saltwater flyfishing in Palm Beach. As usual, Scott put us on the fish and we had a great trip. Jon, who hails from St. Petersburg, was blown away by everything from the indescribably blue water to the size and diversity of species we encountered. For Scott and me, making the video reminded us how lucky we are to live where we do.
