Vaughn Cochran

Captain Vaughn Cochran, founder of Black Fly Outfitters oversees the backcountry fishing programs offered by Guy Harvey Outpost.

Captain Vaughn is not your ordinary backcountry fishing guide. First, he’s an artist of some acclaim. A Florida native, Cochran grew up in the art community of St. Augustine and earned art degrees in ceramics and painting at the internationally known and respected Art and Printmaking Department of the University of South Florida. Along the way to becoming our “go to” flyfishing gure, he’s nurtured this early artistic calling, and today his works are held in numerous private and corporate collections and have been displayed in several one man exhibitions held in the main gallery of the architecturally acclaimed International Game Fishing Association.

Second, he learned how to fish in Key West by day while Jimmy Buffet and he by night were creating a musical phenomenon. Not content with the life of a starving artist, Vaughn moved to Key West as a young man in search of a life on the water, dedicated to perfecting his fishing hobby and hoping to avoid adding the title of starving fishing guide to his resume. As luck would have it, skill and good fortune intervened. Playing bass guitar with Jimmy Buffet by night and by day, hunting big bonefish, tarpon and permit across the Lower Keys, Vaughn quickly became one of the most respected and successful fly fishing guides in the Florida Keys. He still pals around with Jimmy on occasion and hasn’t forgotten how to play a mean bass guitar, but let’s just say Vaugh’s settled on a different kind of record making career!

Third, Captain Vaughn knows a fair amount about delivering top of class hospitality experiences. With money in his pocket and a wanderlust for flats over the horizon, Vaughn moved "down island", coming to manage some of the legendary fishing lodges of the Caribbean and Central America, including Parismina Tarpon Rancho in Costa Rica and Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize.

Guy Harvey and the entire Guy Harvey Outpost team are especially proud to have Vaughn working with us to bring you top of class backcountry fishing.

For more information on Black Fly Outfitters, visit www.blackflyoutfitters.com. To speak with Vaughn personally to discuss how to organize your next world class fly fishing or backcountry expedition, give him a call at (904) 997-2220 or to contact him by e-mail, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it