Everglades Fly Fishing Guide: Capt. Tyler French

Born and raised in Naples, Florida Capt. Tyler French was able to have opportunities unique to SW Florida. As a commercial fisherman, his father shared his love of the sport with him from a very young age. It quickly went from a fun time on the water with dad to an all out obsession. Every chance he had he was finding any canal, ditch, lake, or pond until he was finally able to purchase his own boat. Learning the waters throughout Southwest Florida was no easy task, but through determination, exploration with friends, and guidance from others, it all just clicked. Capt. Tyler’s greatest feeling is using his experience to put his clients on fish that create lifetime memories for them.

Q. What is your fly fishing style?

A. Laid back and patient but aggressive, when running from spot to spot I’m always trying to get there as fast as possible to maximize fishing time, but fly fishing requires a certain level of patience so when I’m behind the rod I try not to rush shots, waiting for the moment and position where the presentation is going to be the best possible. When moving to the back of the boat I have learned that rushing will provide you with missed shots and spooked fish more often than not. If someone makes a bad shot or misses a hook set I’m going to let them know but keep them optimistic and use it as a teaching moment instead of scorching them. Once someone's mindset turns negative, their performance does as well.

Q. Why did you decide to become a guide?

A. It might sound cliche but I became a guide because I love putting people on fish, providing them with a unique experience, teaching them the history of the water we are fishing, and sharing those memorable fish that we catch. Spending my whole life growing up in SWFL and spending countless hours on the water has shaped who I am and is a big part of why I chose this path as well. Another big part of who I have become is my father. As a former commercial fisherman, his life has also been shaped by the water and he passed that along to me from a very young age. One of the first great memories I have is catching a 48” snook with him that was bigger than me at the time. Lasting memories like this is what I hope to pass along to all of my clients. It’s also interesting to meet new people that share the same passion, hearing their stories, and helping them to become better fly fishermen or women.

Q. What is your most memorable catch?

A. My most memorable catch comes from the surroundings and events more than the actual fish. Poling a tarpon spot looking for laid ups on a flat calm day just as the sun came up enough for us to see them. I was the angler and as we are coming down this shoreline a 70-80 lb fish pops up out of nowhere 5 ft from the boat. With the fly in my hand I didn’t have much time to react so I just threw the fly in front of her face with my hand and as soon as it hit the water this fish just inhaled it right away. After about a 10-15 min fight she came unbuttoned but the shock of what had just happened and the fact that it was my first big laid up fish is what made this fish memorable.

Q. What is your most memorable client catch?

A. My most memorable client catch was one morning fishing rollers with my client and his daughter. Again it wasn’t so much about the fish as it was the events. He had brought his daughter on this trip because they were starting to fade apart as she grew up and that means they weren’t going fishing as much and she was putting her interest elsewhere. So with him on the bow fishing rollers, I saw what appeared to be a big fish pushing a wake towards the middle of the bay. I hurried over there and told him where to lay the cast. He put a decent shot on the fish and started stripping the line through. A couple seconds passed and the wake stopped so I was starting to think that the fish turned off the fly. Right as I’m thinking that the line comes tight and this fish just launches into the air. The daughter was awestruck as she saw this for the first time. We fought the fish for a good 15 min and the hook pulled but his daughter was caught up in the world of fishing all over again. Now they send me pictures from time to time of their travels and catches and make sure to come back down when they can.

Q. Do you enjoy fishing as much as you enjoy guiding?

A. Obviously everyone loves being on the bow and feeling the tug but I have to say I probably enjoy guiding more. It gives you another level of satisfaction.

Q. Who got you into fishing?

A. My father.

Q. What is your favorite fish in the world to fish for?

A. Tarpon.

Q. What is your dream fishing location?

A. The everglades is hard to beat but right now I would love to go fish Belize or Cuba.

Q. Music or no music on the boat?

A. Depends on the client and how the day is going but usually I mostly play music on the way back in.

Q. What is your opinion of bananas?

A. The infamous banana tale. I used to believe that this was the worst of omens until I started bringing bananas on the boat just to see what happened and I have had a lot of epic days with bananas on the boat so that kind of broke the myth for me.

Q. What can everyone do to help the environment of Southwest Florida?

A. I could write a whole essay about this right now but I think some of the most basic things would be to:

●      Limit or completely halt the use of plastics when you can

●      Make sure you’re throwing trash and recyclables where they belong

●      If you see trash in the water or on land, pick it up and throw it away

●      Participate in beach cleanups or on the water cleanups

●      Don’t dump chemicals in or around the water or anywhere for that matter

Speak up. You don’t have to be on the front lines to make a change but you can join or donate to a group that is an advocate for environmental protection.