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Printable checklist

Saltwater Flats and Fly Trip Checklist

A printable checklist for a saltwater flats trip for bonefish, permit or tarpon: licenses and park rules, rods and flies, sun-proof clothing, questions for your guide, fish handling, and travel with fly gear.

41 items

Check current conditions and rules

Official sources for real-time information. Conditions change daily; these pages are the authority, not this guide.

A flats trip rewards preparation more than most fishing. Shots at bonefish, permit and tarpon come fast, often in wind, and the gear you forgot is hard to replace on a small island. This checklist covers the licenses, tackle, clothing and questions that make the difference.

Start with the license section as soon as you know where you are going, then send the guide questions to your lodge or outfitter before you buy flies or leader. Pack the rest in the last two weeks, and practice casting in the wind while you still have time.

Items that cite a rule link to the agency, airline or conservation group behind it. Rules change, so check them again before each trip. The handling items come from Bonefish & Tarpon Trust research on how release practices affect survival.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology, checked October 24, 2026.

Source: NWS: Heat illness, checked October 24, 2026.

For more, read traveling with fishing gear for TSA and airline details, our packing list, and the fishing licenses guide. For destinations, see the Bahamas Out Islands and the Florida Keys, plus our bonefish and tarpon pages and fly-fishing vacations.

Licenses and rules
Rods, reels and flies
Clothing and sun
Questions for your guide or lodge
Handling fish
Travel with fly gear

Rules and requirements change. Confirm anything regulatory with the agency or your captain before you travel.

Sources and fact-checking (14)

Facts checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. Seasons, rules and businesses change; confirm with the official source before you travel. How we research.

  1. Flat (Fly) Fishing Licence, Applying for a, Government of The Bahamas (bahamas.gov.bs)
  2. Sport Fishing Permit, Government of The Bahamas (bahamas.gov.bs)
  3. Saltwater Fishing Licenses, FWC (myfwc.com)
  4. Fishing, Everglades National Park (nps.gov)
  5. Sanctuary Regulations, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (floridakeys.noaa.gov)
  6. CDC: Reducing risk for skin cancer (cdc.gov)
  7. National Weather Service: Heat illness (weather.gov)
  8. Bonefish Handling, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (bonefishtarpontrust.org)
  9. Best Practices for Catch & Release Fishing for Tarpon, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (bonefishtarpontrust.org)
  10. TSA: Fishing pole (tsa.gov)
  11. TSA: Small fishing lures (tsa.gov)
  12. TSA: Knives (tsa.gov)
  13. U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Prohibited and restricted items (cbp.gov)
  14. Tropical Cyclone Climatology, National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov)