Capt. Shane Smith

Often times you wonder why someone with obvious talent, enthusiasm, and wit becomes a fishing guide.  Well, it isn’t for the money!  It’s for the love of the sport, the art of guiding and the joy in sharing with others a passion for the outdoors.  Captain Shane Smith is the poster child for the reformed materialist turned trout bum, turned dedicated saltwater guide.  After a front-on collision with reality, Shane left a career in the Arabian show horse industry to pursue his lifelong love of fishing and the simple life with his wife Jessica.  He guided in the high mountains of Colorado, big game fished the Central American Pacific, waded the watery haunts of the Caribbean, and somehow landed on the front of Will Benson’s skiff.  It was March, and the wind was blowing.  The camera’s were rolling on a new permit film, and Shane gave an oscar worthy performance, catching his first permit on fly!  It was a monumental 5 pound fish, and his soliloquy so elegant, so energetic and so long, we just had to put it in Satori.  After his “heart nearly exploded” it was obvious that the 15years leading up to that event, all the fly fishing, inevitable poverty, dedication to conservation, and the enrichment of others through the art of guiding, led Shane to the community of Keys Guides and the CREW of WorldANGLING.  His enthusiasm, dedication to the craft, and undivided attention to detail are qualities found in only the best of guides.  His long hair and beard are the hallmarks of a fishy mother f*%#&r, and his words wise beyond his years. ” I’ve spent most of my life fishing.  The rest was just wasted!”