Wild Florida
on the fly
Guided inshore fly fishing and light tackle across the pristine flats of SW Florida, from Sarasota to Charlotte Harbor.
Guided inshore fly fishing and light tackle across the pristine flats of SW Florida, from Sarasota to Charlotte Harbor.
Captain Chris Boldebuck grew up wading the flats and stalking the mangroves long before he became USCG licensed and insured. Born and raised in Venice, FL, Captain Chris has spent a lifetime becoming one with the rhythms of the Gulf Coast. His approach to your trip is a shared exploration of a fragile, magnificent ecosystem.
Chris is a dedicated catch-and-release fly fisherman. He poles a 18'1" Hell's Bay Marquesa, which is not only one of the finest technical skiffs ever built, but rich in local heritage.
Chris is also an avid fly-tier, and every fly used on your trip is hand-crafted by Chris specifically for these waters and the conditions of the day. His technical expertise is matched only by his commitment to the heritage and conservation of Gulf Coast angling.
Chris is a proud member of Captains for Clean Water, an organization fighting to restore and protect Florida's fisheries for future generations.
The Hell's Bay Boatworks story begins with Flip Pallot, the legendary Florida guide and host of Walker's Cay Chronicles. His decades working the flats taught him that skiffs should be shallow-drafted and silent, built to disappear into the backcountry. His vision shaped what became one of the most respected names in technical flats fishing.
Chris runs an 18'1" Marquesa. At 8 inches of draft, she floats across the grass and into narrow backcountry corridors where others can't follow. Imagine stalking the flats with Chris poling from theplatform. You cast from the open deck, listening to the mullet jumping 50 yards off the bow. A snook pursues your Deceiver to 20 ft, then you're on, just you and the fish and the tropical peace.
All because this boat got you there.
Every fly you cast was tied by Chris for these waters. The patterns used on the Gulf Coast carry decades of heritage: the Clouser, the Deceiver, the crab and shrimp imitations refined by generations of guides who learned what moves a snook.
Chris ties from that tradition. He adapts proven templates to the day's baitfish and water conditions. What's in the box when you step on the boat was crafted for the day you're about to have.
All trips include top-of-the-line fly rods and reels, custom hand-tied flies, and light tackle if requested. A valid Florida saltwater fishing license is covered for all guests on board. Maximum 2 anglers per trip.
6 Hours
$700
The full experience. We depart and return when the tides tell us to. Covering multiple spots across Venice, Sarasota, and Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande, this is for anglers who want to lose themselves in the experience.
Book Now →4 Hours
$550
Four focused hours on some of Southwest Florida's most productive flats. Perfect for novice fly fishers or seasoned anglers who are short on time but still want to chase our iconic snook, redfish, and trout.
Book Now →3 Hours
$500
A unique experience hunting under the dock lights around Sarasota and Venice. This can be a high octane trip with trout snaking the young tarpon you were casting to, and roosting pelicans watching the action.
Book Now →3 Hours
$300
If you're not crazy about beach vacations, this might change your mind. Wade the shoreline and sight-cast to the iconic Florida gamefish cruising the surf.
Book Now →Booking & Deposits
A $200 deposit is required to hold your date. Cancellations made more than 30 days in advance receive a full refund. Within 30 days of your trip, the deposit is non-refundable, but Chris will always work with you to find a new date that fits.
Weather
Chris monitors conditions closely and won't launch if the water isn't safe or fishable. If he calls the trip before departure, a full reschedule is offered. Once a trip has launched, no refunds are issued for conditions encountered on the water.
The stretch of coastline from Sarasota south through Venice and into Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande is one of the most diverse inshore fisheries in North America. Shallow grass flats, oyster bars, mangrove-lined backcountry, and the deep passes of Charlotte Harbor are all within easy reach.
This is snook country. World-class trout fishing on the grass flats in winter. And the spring tarpon migration at Boca Grande is one of the great wildlife spectacles on the planet. Chris knows where the fish are, on which tide, in which season. Local knowledge twenty years in the making.
The fish don't always cooperate. That's fishing. What Chris guarantees is that you'll leave knowing more than you arrived with. The skills you build here will change how you approach the water at home.
Our estuary is not for filling your freezer. Chris is a catch-and-release advocate and a steward of his home ecosystem. A day on the flats here is a day exploring a living ecology. Chris wants you to leave with a reverence for what this place is.
"I've fished with guides from the Keys to Montana, and Chris is in a different class. He had us on fish within twenty minutes and kept us there all day. His knowledge of the flats is almost eerie. He knew where the fish would be before the fish did."
"My husband and I had never fly fished before. Chris was patient, encouraging, and incredibly skilled at getting us into position. By noon we had each landed a redfish. The boat, the water, the whole experience … it was unforgettable."
"I'm an avid hunter and a wannabe fly fisherman. Chris is a patient teacher who has put this newbie on trout, snook, redfish and tarpon. His conservation ethic is aligned with my own and we've had many excellent conversations on the water."
Ready to get on the water? Send Chris a message and he'll get back to you within 24 hours. Limited dates available. Booking ahead is strongly recommended, especially for spring.
