Saltwater

PRO KITS | With RIO Ambassador Capt. Brandon Cyr

Geoff Mueller December 06, 2024

As a seventh generation Conch, and recent winner of both the Del Brown and IGFA permit tournaments with Mike Ward, Brandon Cyr’s ability to quickly comprehend a flats scenario, and then succinctly communicate how to solve it, is no surprise. It’s also no wonder he’s a little choosy when it comes to the lines he uses to get the job done – day in and day out.

We recently caught up with Cyr after an unseasonably sultry winter day of boating bones with his clients. Below are his top fly line picks for chasing saltwater’s “big three” – from now through any given day of the season.

BONEFISH & JUVENILE TARPON | The Elite Flats pro has always been my go-to in the 7wt and 8wt tapers. With a weight distribution powered by a longer back taper and mid-weight head, it allows for unmatched versatility – including delicate presentations to skittish bonefish and large line picks-ups for second casts, plus it's perfect for covering shorelines for cruising snook and juvenile tarpon. 

XL TARPON & TOURNEY PERMIT | Believe it or not, the Elite Tarpon, in 10wt, is my favorite line for permit. Most people shy away from the more front-loaded fly lines in fear of not being able to softly present the fly. But the heavier front taper allows you to turn over a much longer leader with ease, while still giving you the ability to punch through windy conditions when necessary.

Those who spend time permit fishing know that these fish have a sneaky penchant for almost always finding themselves upwind. Another advantage of using this line is you can easily change the fly to throw at that school of cruising tarpon with confidence, and without switching fly rods. 

BONEFISH/PERMIT LEADERS | I build my own bonefish and permit leaders out of RIO Fluoroflex, controlling the taper and length (10-15ft) based on the conditions. My breakdown is: 50lb-40lb-30lb-12lb for both bonefish and permit. If you're worried about your knots or don't have the time build a leader from scratch, the RIO Fluoroflex 9ft Bonefish/Saltwater leaders are a must-have.

TARPON LEADERS | My tarpon leader breakdown looks like this: 60lb flouro-50lb fluoro-16lb Bimini hard mono (class)-60lb fluoro (shock). RIO also offers premade Tarpon Pro leaders with class and shock built in and ready to rock and roll.

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Keys Conservation

The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

In the Florida Keys and South Florida, BTT works to determine and address the causes of declining fish populations. In recent years it has defined a series of research steps designed to provide actionable knowledge that improves the Keys flats fishery. BTT advocates for those actions that will protect and restore the fishery and habitats.

Become a member and support BTT's work to conserve and restore bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries.

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