SUN DESTINATION

The Florida Keys: A Reel Good Time

By Jill Neiberg

Crave a day of fishing with a guarantee that you’ll catch something?

Head south to the Florida Keys, where it’s warm enough to swim year-round and most fishing charters will refund your money if you don’t catch something. (It’s an easy deal for them since you will always catch something.) Here’s the lowdown on what awaits you in the waters and where to stay.

Islamorada

Sandwiched between Everglades National Park and the Florida Straits, North America’s only coral barrier reef, Islamorada, is the favourite fishing haunt of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush. It didn’t take a presidential decree but rather a fishermen’s consensus to name this portion of the Keys the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Make late-dinner plans because you’ll be busy all day ­– from catching sailfish in the morning to hitting the backcountry in the afternoon for shallow fishing of bonefish, permit or tarpon.

Shack up in a plantation house at The Moorings Village resort, where windsurfers are strewn about the white beach for guest use, gratis. Here, the sound of the birds chirping is more satisfying than that of the ocean’s waves ­– or maybe it’s the other way around. Plan to arrive for the monthly Full-Moon Party, complete with beach bars and barbecues, fireworks, flame-throwers, bonfires, live music and DJs. It takes place on the shared private beach of the hotel’s two restaurants, across the street on the bay side of the coast.

Marathon

If you’re intent on capturing “the big one”– and the photo op that comes with it – head south to Marathon, where even rookie fishermen have a good shot at snagging a tarpon up to 90 kilograms (though 30 kilograms is more likely). The popular bridges – Long Key, Toms Harbor and the Old Seven Mile – are the perfect place for dropping a line and idly fishing. Common catch include yellowtail, mangrove and mutton snapper, along with grouper, mackerel and the ever-present barracuda. Common catchers include former New York Yankees first baseman and outfielder Joe Pepitone.

Find your inner peace at Tranquility Bay, a sparkling new resort made up of 87 two- or three-bedroom homes that come complete with state-of-the-art sound systems, Wi-Fi and full kitchens and laundry. As an added bonus, the resort’s restaurant, Butterfly Café, is one of the town’s finest, and the best dish they serve isn’t on the menu; the chef will prepare your catch to your liking or offer suggestions.

Key West

From Marathon, drive to the southernmost tip of the U.S., where Ernest Hemingway fished the straits between Cuba and Key West for giant blue marlin. These days, you can add sailfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna to the list of fish that will vie for your bait. While the fishing is fantastic, Key West is by far the most built up and, dare we say, cosmopolitan of the Keys. The town has bars – a lot of them – and unforgettable views of the sunset.

Hole up at The Marquesa Hotel. The well-placed property is steps from the ocean as well as lively Duval Street and Mallory Square. Made up of 27 charming rooms and a restaurant, the hotel is the only Orvis-endorsed property in Florida. To beat the heat, be sure to book a poolside room, which places you steps away from one of the hotel’s two pools.

(Jill Neiberg is a New York City-based freelancer who loves the Keys so much she got married there.)

TOP PHOTO: JEREMY STERK / ISTOCKPHOTO