About Sanibel FlyFishers

Sanibel FlyFishers was established in 2002 around the dining room table of Norm “Mr. SnooK” Zeigler’s home on Sanibel. Since then we have grown from a small, casual group to one more organized around learning, teaching, and participating in fly fishing related activities. We welcome all those interested in fly fishing - you can join us if you make your home here, are visiting us, or just want to keep tabs from afar. You never finish learning to fly fish, - we are all at different stages of our progression and we welcome and support folks who are new to the sport, or just interested in trying it out. All are welcome and we are especially enthusiastic about increasing the number of women and younger fly fishers in our ranks.

The Club is active throughout the year. We have a monthly luncheons, fly tying sessions, community service opportunities, and of course, we fish all the time. We hold monthly meetings from October through April, each including social time, an educational session and a guest speaker. Seasonal activities include casting clinics, outings such as beach and kayak fishing, and destination trips. We publish a monthly newsletter and weekly beach fishing report to keep you up to date on conditions and activities. We have volunteer opportunities for teaching and environmental improvement work. We are always interested in hearing what activities would help you become a better angler. Our current annual membership fee is $40.

We do more than fish! We embrace a culture of teaching, mentorship and community. Learning to fly fish in the salt can be daunting for beginners, but we want no one to be intimidated – we have many experienced members ready to share knowledge and provide guidance with those just starting out or needing an orientation to the area.

A great fishing club can’t exist without the fish, and we have increasingly turned our attention to the complex environmental challenges we face in SW Florida. This is done through our support of such local groups as the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Fund (SCCF) and its Marine Laboratory, The Sanibel Sea School, Coastal Watch, Captains for Clean Water, Fish With a Hero, and our own direct advocacy activities.

We believe in conservation education.  To improve the future of natural resources, we can help foster a new generation of resource managers and scientists.  Generous donors and the club’s fundraising activities have made it possible to help educate the future stewards of our environment by establishing an endowment fund that supports students in the FGCU Water School and a scholarship fund for interns at the SCCF Marine Research Lab. We typically hold an annual fund-raising event to support the club’s ongoing philanthropy..

Above all, we have found great joy in fly fishing the waters of Sanibel and its surroundings. Our club will be a success if we can help you discover that joy. For those of you who are not yet members, please consider joining us.