The Rod & Gun Club
Everglades City
For more than a century, the Rod & Gun Club has stood as one of the last true Old Florida resorts—a place where history isn’t curated for display, but lived day to day.
Long known as a gathering place for sportsmen, travelers, and families, the lodge remains deeply rooted in the Everglades, shaped by generations of hands-on family stewardship.
That legacy continues today through Taylor Caple, a third-generation family member whose upbringing is inseparable from the Rod & Gun Club itself.
Taylor was raised in Old Naples, where, as she remembers, she “used to ride my bicycle up and down Fifth Avenue as a little girl.” However, much of her childhood was spent in Everglades City, where her mother, Pat Bowen, was always working at the Rod & Gun. While other kids were elsewhere after school, Taylor was often on the property—watching, listening, and absorbing everything around her.
Today, Taylor manages the Rod & Gun Club’s daily operations while also serving as the chef most days. She oversees marketing, handles guest reservations, coordinates weddings and special events, and works directly with guests—whether they’re stopping in for dinner or staying overnight. It’s a role that requires constant presence and deep commitment, and one she embraces fully as part of her family’s ongoing responsibility to the place.
Pat Bowen, Taylor’s mother, spent much of her life working at the Rod & Gun Club, where she played an active role in daily operations and helped keep the lodge running. Taylor was often there as a child, learning the rhythms of the place simply by being present. “It’s been a good haul. I’ve been blessed my whole life to work here,” Pat said. “I feel so lucky to have Taylor take over. I used to bring her to work with me so I could keep an eye on her while I worked. I’m lucky and happy to have someone who wants to do it—most kids don’t want to do what their parents did.”
Today, Taylor is following in Pat’s footsteps, continuing the same hands-on work ethic and commitment that has long defined the Rod & Gun Club.
The Rod & Gun Club’s history dates back to 1864, when Barron Gift Collier established a hunting and fishing retreat along the Barron River in what was then a remote Everglades outpost.
Originally built as a private club for sportsmen and affluent guests, it quickly became a destination for those drawn to the region’s wilderness and waterways. After a fire damaged a later-added wing of the lodge, the original structure remained intact—a detail often misunderstood, as many assume the entire building burned.
The historic core of the Rod & Gun Club still stands today. Over the decades, it has welcomed presidents, explorers, and generations of families, serving as both a gateway to the Everglades and a place of gathering and refuge.
Along the way, the lodge also attracted a surprising range of well-known visitors. One favorite family story recalls Taylor’s mother sitting near the billiard table when Mick Jagger and his wife at the time, Jerry Hall, arrived by boat for dinner—then departed afterward in a waiting chauffeur-driven car.
When Taylor was very young, Kate Moss also visited the property for a modeling shoot, another moment quietly woven into the Rod & Gun Club’s long history.
Evidence of these visits—and many others—remains throughout the building. Historic photographs, paintings, and memorabilia line the walls, offering guests a tangible connection to the stories that have unfolded here over more than a century.
These aren’t staged exhibits, but authentic reminders of a place that has long drawn people from all walks of life. The Rod & Gun Club has even graced the cover of Gulfshore Life magazine, further cementing its place in Southwest Florida’s cultural and historic landscape.
Today, that history continues not as nostalgia, but as daily life.
Under Taylor’s leadership, the Rod & Gun Club remains a working lodge and restaurant—welcoming families who have been coming for generations while introducing new visitors to a place that feels increasingly rare.
It stands as a reminder that Old Florida still exists, shaped by people who know it, respect it, and are committed to carrying it forward.
Credit:
Nautical Mile Magazine
