Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 211 is my conversation with Brandon Cyr, a Key West flats fishing guide who grew up in Marathon as a true Conch and has spent roughly 12 years on the water guiding for permit, bonefish, and tarpon. Brandon walks through how he left construction and charter work for flats guiding, why permit may be the hardest fish on the flats, the day he proposed to his fiancée after she landed a permit, and the environmental changes he has watched firsthand across more than a decade in the Keys.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
Brandon Cyr is a flats fishing guide based in Key West, Florida, who grew up in Marathon in the mid-Keys as a true Conch. He has guided for roughly 12 years after transitioning from construction and charter boat captaining, and he fishes six days a week focusing on permit, bonefish, and tarpon.
Permit are extremely skittish and intelligent fish with exceptional eyesight and an acute sense of smell. They are highly selective about what they eat and have strong instincts that tell them when something is not right, which makes them one of the most challenging species to fool on the flats. Some anglers spend years trying to land their first one.
Flats fishing is fishing in shallow water, typically two to eight feet deep, where you sight cast to bonefish, tarpon, permit, and other species on clear flats. The guide poles the boat along while anglers stand and look for fish by sight, then cast directly to visible fish rather than fishing blind.
A Conch is someone who was born and raised in the Florida Keys. Brandon Cyr is a true Conch, having grown up in Marathon in the mid-Keys as part of a tight-knit community surrounded by water, which shaped his deep connection to fishing and the ocean.
Brandon has observed water quality degradation from nutrient pollution caused by septic systems, agricultural runoff, and urban stormwater, which creates algal blooms and dead zones. He has also witnessed mangrove die-off tied to saltwater intrusion from sea level rise, which threatens the nursery habitat juvenile fish depend on.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 211 with Brandon Cyr is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
Brandon is the kind of guide I respect — somebody who did not just fall into the job but found his way to it, and who treats the fishery as a privilege rather than a resource to be used up. He grew up a Conch in Marathon, worked construction and charter boats, and eventually realized flats guiding was the thing he was meant to do.
What drew me to this conversation was the mix. Brandon can break down why a permit is the smartest fish on the flats, tell you the story of proposing to his fiancée on the water, and then turn around and talk seriously about what he is watching happen to the Keys ecosystem. I wanted all of it on tape.
Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page to hear the whole conversation in his own words.
Brandon's connection to the water is not something that developed later in life — it is in his DNA. He grew up in Marathon in the mid-Keys, surrounded by a community built around the ocean, fishing and exploring as a kid. The path to professional guiding was not a straight line, though. He started in construction and boatyards, moved into charter boat captaining, and only then found flats guiding, where he says he truly found his calling. Hear the full story of the career switch in the episode.
If you have spent any time around flats fishermen, you know permit have a mythical status, and Brandon does not sugarcoat it. He explains that permit are exceptionally skittish and smart, with incredible eyesight and an acute sense of smell, and that they are highly selective about what they eat. It is that combination of intelligence and wariness that makes fooling one of the ultimate achievements in flats fishing. Brandon breaks down what separates the anglers who succeed from the ones who go home empty-handed. Listen to that section.
After six years together, Brandon planned a proposal on the water, the place where he and his girlfriend spent so much of their time, and coordinated with family to be nearby in kayaks. That day they hooked a permit — only his second or third of the entire season — and after she landed the fish, Brandon got down on one knee. She said yes. They did not complete the slam, but as Brandon tells it, she was more excited about the proposal than the fish anyway. The full story unfolds in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
When you are on the water six days a week for 12 years, you notice what others miss. Brandon has seen water quality degrade from nutrient pollution tied to septic systems, agricultural runoff, and urban stormwater, all of which can create algal blooms and dead zones. He has also seen mangrove die-off from saltwater intrusion related to sea level rise, and he is direct about why that matters: mangroves are the nursery habitat the whole fishery depends on. Brandon's full perspective on conservation is worth hearing in his own words.
What strikes me most about Brandon is his authenticity. He is not just a guide who takes people fishing; he genuinely cares about the resource and understands that being on the water is a privilege that carries responsibility.
The proposal story is great, but the part that stays with me is hearing him describe the environmental changes he has watched over more than a decade. These are not abstract concepts for him — he lives with the consequences of water quality and habitat loss every day he is out there.
Press play in the player above, or grab the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Marathon, Florida · Key West · Florida Keys · permit · bonefish · tarpon · mangroves
Brandon Cyr is a Key West flats fishing guide with over 12 years of experience targeting permit, bonefish, and tarpon in the Florida Keys. A true Conch who grew up in Marathon, Florida, Brandon transitioned from construction work and charter boat captaining to flats guiding, where he found his passion. He guides six days a week and is an advocate for sustainable fishing practices and conservation, known for his deep knowledge of the Keys ecosystem and his commitment to protecting the fishery for future generations.
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