Back in 2015, when the agency kicked me to the curb due to the mandatory age requirements (don't get me started on that mandated age discrimination), TNdeer, at the suggestion of my friend 7mm08, gave me a VERY generous gift of a day of tarpon fishing down in Apalachicola. Phil and I fished with a great guide, but got no takes from the poons. It was still a great trip, and the hook got set a little deeper for me wanting to catch one on a fly rod. It had been a dream of mine for MANY years after watching Curt Gowdy and Stu Apte do it on American Sportsman as I was growing up in the 60s.
Bottom line, at that point in the game, I wasn't close to being ready to catch one without some overwhelming luck. My 40+ years of trout fishing had me where I could on a pretty regular basis put a size 18 dry fly in a teacup size spot at 30'. But, there was no way I could huck a big tarpon fly 50' with a 11 or 12wt rod with any consistency. To say that the saltwater fly game has been a learning experience for me would be an understatement. I guess the challenge has been why my time and $$$ has been directed down to the Gulf rather than the trout trips I was really enjoying out in the Rockies.
I went to work in the back yard, and with the help of some of the staff at Fly South and a great factory rep, learned how to make a half-way decent saltwater cast with the big rods. To simulate casting from a casting platform on the bow and to try to correct a collapsing the cast issue I had on one later trip, I've been practicing on a platform step stool in the back yard the last couple of seasons. I know my neighbors think I am certifiable, and, they are probably right. This type of poon fever is as bad as the other.
I tarpon fished a few days from Everglades City back to Apalach over the past couple of years. I have had a couple of tarpon actually turn on the fly, but, no takes. That finally changed this Wednesday down in Pine Island Bay off of Captiva. Pilchard, who recently joined our site after moving up here from Ft. Myers, was gracious enough to recommend a good guide, Capt. Ozzie Lessinger, for me to use for a morning of tarpon fishing. We started early and got to his spot right as it was light enough to see. It was shallow water, and the fish were "waking" on top. With the chop, it was tough at first for me to pick them out. The eyes of good tarpon guides are incredible! Capt. Ozzie was a little concerned with the "attitude" of the fish since he had fished customers fly fishing for eight straight days without a hookup. He told me he was seeing fish, but, they just wouldn't take.
I reverted to bad casting form and left my first cast short. After calming down a little, I made a perfect cast to the next fish, and got no response. It looked like it might be a continuation of his picky fish issue. We saw some fish working in some very skinny water and moved into position for a shot at them. There was less that 2' of water over the top of the grass bottom. A couple of fish were just milling around. I bounced my cast off the reel on this one, and put it where I was told to cast. As I started to strip the fly in, one exploded on it and ate it on the way up out of the water. It took hard enough that my strip set went home, and then it was airborne again. I suspect I will take that visual to the grave with me.
I quickly got it on the reel, and enjoyed another jump of two. It was a small tarpon of only about 30#s, so it was under matched for the 11wt, and the fight didn't last too long. When the Capt. finally lipped the fish, it is hard to describe the emotions that washed over me. But, even though it was little, it was still a tarpon, and I was happy and relieved. Captain Lessinger shares my feelings about releasing (non-eating) fish in good shape to catch again sometime, so, the fish was quickly turned loose.
We took a few minutes to rest and hydrate, and then got ready to explore some more. The fly that had worked was a new one he had just gotten from a friend, and was the only one he had. So, it got tied back on, and the hunt resumed. The next "fish" we saw was a nice size bull shark which reinforced a quick release of any caught fish. Those bulls are wicked in attacking tired tarpon.
After moving down about 100yds, we saw a pod of tarpon "daisy-chaining". We moved into position, and I put another good cast where it needed to go. After 2-3 strips of the fly, one yoked it again. I strip set, and it took to the air in some jumps. This was a bigger fish, so it went where it wanted to go. I got it on the reel, and felt the power of this one. I worked on it hard, and after being run all over the boat, had it to the leader for the Capt. to grab. Three times he had to let go of the leader when the fish surged at the sight of the boat. The fish was done and on its side for try number four. As he touched its jaw to lip it, it surged again, and Capt. Ozzie didn't let go. He later told me that at a certain point in the fight he either gets them to hand or lets them pop off due to not wanting to feed the sharks a wasted fish. Since we share similar concerns, that was great with me as well. This fish was about 60#s. While not a really big fish, it was my biggest fish, period, to date. I felt the fight in my arm the next day.
We tied on another fly, and I got another cast or two with no takers. It died off pretty quick after the second fish. We ended up going out front into the gulf, but clouds made it difficult to spot them quick enough. We had one fish spook right at the boat without seeing it in time. At that point, it didn't matter for me as anything more was just icing on the cake.
So, my wait is finally over. I thought it might result in the being done with tarpon and going on to the next challenge, but, I don't think so. I want at least one "big" fish on the 11wt, so the hunt will continue. Thanks to all of you that got me started in this wonderful game. I doubt that I would have tried without your gift!
Bottom line, at that point in the game, I wasn't close to being ready to catch one without some overwhelming luck. My 40+ years of trout fishing had me where I could on a pretty regular basis put a size 18 dry fly in a teacup size spot at 30'. But, there was no way I could huck a big tarpon fly 50' with a 11 or 12wt rod with any consistency. To say that the saltwater fly game has been a learning experience for me would be an understatement. I guess the challenge has been why my time and $$$ has been directed down to the Gulf rather than the trout trips I was really enjoying out in the Rockies.
I went to work in the back yard, and with the help of some of the staff at Fly South and a great factory rep, learned how to make a half-way decent saltwater cast with the big rods. To simulate casting from a casting platform on the bow and to try to correct a collapsing the cast issue I had on one later trip, I've been practicing on a platform step stool in the back yard the last couple of seasons. I know my neighbors think I am certifiable, and, they are probably right. This type of poon fever is as bad as the other.
I tarpon fished a few days from Everglades City back to Apalach over the past couple of years. I have had a couple of tarpon actually turn on the fly, but, no takes. That finally changed this Wednesday down in Pine Island Bay off of Captiva. Pilchard, who recently joined our site after moving up here from Ft. Myers, was gracious enough to recommend a good guide, Capt. Ozzie Lessinger, for me to use for a morning of tarpon fishing. We started early and got to his spot right as it was light enough to see. It was shallow water, and the fish were "waking" on top. With the chop, it was tough at first for me to pick them out. The eyes of good tarpon guides are incredible! Capt. Ozzie was a little concerned with the "attitude" of the fish since he had fished customers fly fishing for eight straight days without a hookup. He told me he was seeing fish, but, they just wouldn't take.
I reverted to bad casting form and left my first cast short. After calming down a little, I made a perfect cast to the next fish, and got no response. It looked like it might be a continuation of his picky fish issue. We saw some fish working in some very skinny water and moved into position for a shot at them. There was less that 2' of water over the top of the grass bottom. A couple of fish were just milling around. I bounced my cast off the reel on this one, and put it where I was told to cast. As I started to strip the fly in, one exploded on it and ate it on the way up out of the water. It took hard enough that my strip set went home, and then it was airborne again. I suspect I will take that visual to the grave with me.
I quickly got it on the reel, and enjoyed another jump of two. It was a small tarpon of only about 30#s, so it was under matched for the 11wt, and the fight didn't last too long. When the Capt. finally lipped the fish, it is hard to describe the emotions that washed over me. But, even though it was little, it was still a tarpon, and I was happy and relieved. Captain Lessinger shares my feelings about releasing (non-eating) fish in good shape to catch again sometime, so, the fish was quickly turned loose.
We took a few minutes to rest and hydrate, and then got ready to explore some more. The fly that had worked was a new one he had just gotten from a friend, and was the only one he had. So, it got tied back on, and the hunt resumed. The next "fish" we saw was a nice size bull shark which reinforced a quick release of any caught fish. Those bulls are wicked in attacking tired tarpon.
After moving down about 100yds, we saw a pod of tarpon "daisy-chaining". We moved into position, and I put another good cast where it needed to go. After 2-3 strips of the fly, one yoked it again. I strip set, and it took to the air in some jumps. This was a bigger fish, so it went where it wanted to go. I got it on the reel, and felt the power of this one. I worked on it hard, and after being run all over the boat, had it to the leader for the Capt. to grab. Three times he had to let go of the leader when the fish surged at the sight of the boat. The fish was done and on its side for try number four. As he touched its jaw to lip it, it surged again, and Capt. Ozzie didn't let go. He later told me that at a certain point in the fight he either gets them to hand or lets them pop off due to not wanting to feed the sharks a wasted fish. Since we share similar concerns, that was great with me as well. This fish was about 60#s. While not a really big fish, it was my biggest fish, period, to date. I felt the fight in my arm the next day.
We tied on another fly, and I got another cast or two with no takers. It died off pretty quick after the second fish. We ended up going out front into the gulf, but clouds made it difficult to spot them quick enough. We had one fish spook right at the boat without seeing it in time. At that point, it didn't matter for me as anything more was just icing on the cake.
So, my wait is finally over. I thought it might result in the being done with tarpon and going on to the next challenge, but, I don't think so. I want at least one "big" fish on the 11wt, so the hunt will continue. Thanks to all of you that got me started in this wonderful game. I doubt that I would have tried without your gift!
