Key West, Florida, Match 7, 2002 Capt. Dexter Simmons of www.keywestflyfishing.com and Fly Fishing Paradise announced plans today for a new summer program designed for Fathers and Sons. With the introduction of ”Father and Son Flats Fishing Camps” Capt. Simmons hopes to lure summer vacation anglers to Key West to have fun family fishing while sharpening their fly fishing and flats fishing skills for Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit.Two, Three and Five-day ”camp packages” are available. The packages include lodging and charter flats fishing and instruction by expert, certified guides led by Capt. Dexter Simmons. Fathers and sons will sight cast to fish on the Key West flats while learning new flats fishing techniques from the expert guides.”This program is unlike other fly fishing schools in the Florida Keys that teach on land. We teach on the water while we are fishing, so the Dads and their Sons have a chance to catch fish while they are learning!”, Capt. Simmons explained.The Father and Son Flats Fishing Camps will begin in late June and run through July, August and September. Most of the fishing will take place during the morning hours, when the fish are biting best. The primary emphasis of the flats fishing camps will be on fun fishing and learning how to improve angling techniques on the flats. Each Father and Son will automatically be eligible for the Key West Fishing Tournament program which awards successful anglers with citations for fish caught and released in Key West waters. ”We will make sure that every Dad and Son has a fun time fishing with our friendly, helpful guides,” Capt. Simmons continued, ”We want to host many happy father and son fishing campers here in Key West this summer.Each Father and Son package will also include an optional video analysis of fly casting techniques to assist each angler. ”We will be video-taping each angler’s casting stroke during the day, then analyzing the video in a effort to help sharpen each angler’s casting skill. We believe that this type of hands-on instruction with video analysis is the state of the art approach to fly casting instruction.” Capt. Simmons also announced that each angler would have a chance to purchase copies of the video analysis for a nominal fee. ”Anglers may wish to have a copy of their own instruction video, and this we will make available to them.”Cost for the camps will be $500 per father-son team (one father and one son), per day, double occupancy. A two-day package will be $1000; three-day will be $1500, and five day will be $2500. For fathers with two sons, there will be a small added fee of $50 per day. For fathers with more than more than two sons, please call ahead to work out the added costs, ctc. Airfare, ground transportation, food, beverage, and incidentals are extra. There is a two day minimum for the package and no limit on the maximum. Extra room nights will be $115 per room, per night, tax included. Capt. Simmons encourages Mothers and Daughters who like to fish to attend the camps too. ”Summertime is a great time to have father and son fishing trips because the kids are out of school and it is family vacation time. This is not just a father-son camp. We would like to host mothers, daughters, fathers and sons in any combination in a fun-fishing and learning environment here on the Key West flats.” Capt. Simmons did say that there is a minimum age requirement of 10 years old for the son or daughter in the camp. ”We enjoy teaching kids how to fish, and having their father or mother along with them makes it even more of a fun event for everyone.”Capt. Dexter Simmons has a degree in elementary and secondary education, and a masters degree in sports and recreation management. He has taught classes at the Florida Keys Community College, has held fly casting seminars for various groups, and teaches fly casting and fly fishing to anglers 250 days a year while guiding the waters around Key West. Capt. Simmons has written numerous articles about fly fishing on the flats of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys. He has been published in the Fly Fishing America magazine and posts a weekly fishing report on numerous web sites as well as on his own site, www.keywestflyfishing.com. Capt. Simmons encourages anglers to contact him with questions or inquiries and can be reached by telephone at 305-745-3304, or by email at captdexter@prodigy.net.
