Capt. Oliver Rogers

Born and Raised in Naples, FL, Oliver spent most of his life exploring the mangrove jungles of the Everglades in search of tarpon, snook, and redfish. He began capturing images of the fishing lifestyle as a hobby that quickly developed into multiple careers.

Alongside guiding Oliver is a commercial photographer with a passion for powerful stories based in nature. He specializes in communicating the message of his clients through compelling imagery. His love of photography evolved out of and is inextricably linked with his love of fishing—and fishing is deep in Oliver’s roots.

Between photography projects, he is a fly fishing guide in the Everglades, dedicated to putting clients on fish and creating memorable experiences. Oliver strives to be on the water every day, whether capturing the beauty of the Everglades or learning the patterns of the fish that live here.

Q&A With Capt. Oliver Rogers

Q: What is your favorite fishing memory?
A: My favorite fishing memories have happened with my brother and Dad. From all of our wonderful trips to the Bahamas to my days on the skiff learning the Everglades and 10,000 Islands with them it is hard to choose a specific moment but I can think of a more recent one. On a cool fall day in 2021 my Dad, my brother Harrison, and I launched my Hell’s Bay out of Goodland. We had tons of shots at big snook and had a few eat then come off unfortunately. Then it was Harrison’s turn back on the bow and sure enough another big snook came lurking down the bank. A perfectly presented EP mullet and 5 minutes later I was face grabbing Harrison’s personal best snook.

Q: How did your passion for photography come to be?
A: I wanted to document my fishing adventures in Naples and decided to buy a Nikon DSLR. That camera started to become a part of my body as I captured everything I could. A few camera upgrades later and a lot of practice, my hobby transformed into a career as a commercial photographer working for Yeti, Costa, Patagonia, Sage, and many others.

Q: Do you take photos on the boat with clients?
A: I like to bring the camera out when a client is fighting a fish and to capture some high quality grip and grins. I also love to take photos of tarpon jumping, freezing the chaos that happens in a split second.

Q: What is your guiding “style”?
A: My guiding style is calm but tenacious. I have a relaxed demeanor when guiding and like to concisely coach my client to see and cast to a fish. I am always determined to put my clients on fish and try to think out of the box in doing so. My game plan for a day on the water involves hitting each spot in the best order and tide, allowing for as much sight fishing as possible.

Q: What rods would you recommend bringing on a trip to the Everglades?
A: I think an 8 or 9 weight is the perfect set up for redfish and snook. I am partial to the 9 weight because it feels best in my hands and has enough backbone to keep a big snook out of the mangroves. For laid up tarpon in the 10,000 Islands, I prefer an 11 weight but a 10 weight can work as a lighter tackle option. For rolling and swimming tarpon in Naples and the Gulf of Mexico an 11 or 12 weight is the stick for the job.

Q: Where do you fish when you aren’t fishing the Everglades?
A: My favorite place in the world to fish is the Everglades but my second favorite is the Bahamas. I grew up going to Long Island, Bahamas with my family and fishing for bonefish and permit. There is something special about wading to tailing bonefish on the beautiful flats of the Bahamas.

Q: What do you enjoy more–guiding or photography?
A: It’s hard to say because I love them both so much. I would say it depends on who is on the bow and what it was I was photographing, but as long as I am on a skiff I am in my happy place.