- The only known adult Orca in the world
- IGFA event April 14th and 15th.. Jose Wejebe event
- Fishing TV show Spanish Fly host Jose Wejebe Killed in a plane cash in Everglades City, Florida April 6th 2012
- Only in Florida
- CCA Florida – Tampa Chapter Announces Twenty-Seventh Banquet, April 22, 2012
- Fly like a bird
- Biscayne Bay Estuary deep dredge threat
- A fish named “Ball Cutters”, yes it is exactly what you think!
- Rod Naming contest, Win 1 piece 12 wt Fly rods or Spinning rods, Deadline March 26th 2012
- Ladies Only fishing tournament in Sunny Florida, March 23rd 2012, Chix n Stix
Collin Ross
Biscayne Bay Estuary deep dredge threat
The Biscayne Bay estuary which provides Miamians and tourist alike a miraculous salty backdrop is fighting a war regarding the dredging (600 days of structured unwater blasting!!) and extension of our seaport. Please watch this video and sign the petition. It is simple and the very least we can do to support this conservation effort. Collin
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-deep-dredge/
survival of the fittest………….a hell’s bay glade skiff adventure
While I am not typically a fan of poky clichés, sometimes mother nature wipes the salt spray from your shades long enough to realize that this big blue marble is nothing but a circle of life…….and naturally where there is life, there is most certainly death. While not always accepted, it is a function of reality.
To say we have witnessed a mild winter in South Florida is quite misleading, we have only had 19 days with temperatures less than 60 degrees, by comparison to this time last year we had approximately 48 days. Old man winter has generally passed us by. Yet on a few occasions the weather has cooled enough that I had the urge to check out of my own reality for a bit…………nothing like a few days in the glades this time of year, not seeing another soul to cleanse the mind.
It has been a busy few months for me and escaping the more common morning commute was a welcomed relief…………..
The cooler weather brings about many changes in the glades, many welcomed, others not, but regardless it is a nice change of pace for many of us Floridians that spend the other 9 months of the year sweating.
An early morning purple sky deep in the everglades will make you forget about any trouble you had……………………….
As we pushed deeper into the mangrove labyrinth that is the Everglades, the sun began to break the horizon and gently warm the cool breeze on our faces. The monotonous right and left turns through narrowing creeks finally slowed and it was becoming more obvious that it finally was wintertime in the glades.
Pretty hard mistaking the curvy pink silhouettes in the backdrop of a Everglades sunrise.
It is sights like this that really remind me of how lucky we truly are. I hope to God that the habitat doesn’t go through more drastic changes, and that my kids get to see, touch, and experience some of the things I have. It had been some time since I had seen a natural Flamingo in the glades. Perhaps they just arrived from the Yucatan, Bahamas or were just stopping by for a bit. Unlike my previous encounters I have experienced, this one was different, there seemed to be 4 mature birds with 14 fledglings accompanying and they were spectacular………..and at 6:45AM my day could have ended right there and I would have been perfectly content.
By that afternoon, many fish had come to hand before we set up camp and watched the sun melt into the mangroves. Trips to the glades seem to have the ability to unwind the most complicated of lifestyles.
Catching a few fish on these is always good damn fun…………
As we pushed deeper some changes in the lineup were required………..
The soggy coastal prairie might seem desolate, but rest assured you are never alone as the Everglades is synonymous with insects, and where there are insects, there are spiders……by thousands I might add…….
Naturally we ate well. No such thing as camping with poor eats in my book. Glades Skiff kitchen made due……really love fishing this skiff during the winter
First class accommodations of course…………..
The short lived cold front a few days prior unfortunately left some looming evidence………….
muerte……..
I used to spend a good amount of time chasing these yellow finned bastards, and it pains me to see them so sensitive to the cold, particularly after the devastating cold front some years ago. While they seem to be making a respectable rebound, it is without hesitation that I would tell anyone that we are years before a true recovery can be claimed.
Lucky for us, we did happen to find a few survivors willing to reward our exploratory efforts………
Say, you seen my fly little buddy?
Not all fish were as hard to convince of our offerings…………….
Exploring new areas of the glades is not characteristically analogous with catching quality fish, but on some occasions things work out as one would have hoped…………regardless you can never be certain to what sights may be met around any hidden corner……..
What the hell was that?
“remain on the walkways” I think not………………….
In route back to reality knowing what’s ahead, and the landscape you just left behind, is serious motivation to return… …….that is the grasp of the glades in the winter
Adios river of grass…………..
Good luck to all the folks fishing the Saltyfly…………
15% off any Hell’s Bay skiff……….(update)
Guys I just wanted to update this post as I have fielded alot of questions regarding it. The coupon is 100% transferable to anyone of my choice, however it cannot be used on top of a HB guide discount. Would love to see it get used by someone that shares the same passion for getting skinny. It is obviously still available.
Well with the recent tournament win we were lucky enough to get 15% off coupon for a new Hell’s Bay skiff as a prize. Seeing that I just bought a new 17.8 but over 12 months ago (could have used this then!!!) I unfortunately have no use for this coupon.
The coupon can be applied to ANY skiff of your choice and provides roughly $5,000 off a new Gladeskiff to $8,500 off a new Neptune.
I would love to get the coupon in someone’s hand that is serious about purchasing a new skiff. This is a good opportunity for someone that has been sitting on the fence about one of these skiffs, god knows I love mine like one of my own children.
Heck if you know someone or find anyone that would like to use this discount I am willing to pay a finder’s fee.
Coupon expires 3/31/12
Just shoot me an email collin_ross@hotmail.com or have Sam get in touch with me.
in the cone of death………..
With the hurricane season officially behind us and the more common northerly winds filling our days I had a chance to reflect on a few memorable afternoons back in September. I reckon as we get older those days where school is called off because the prospect of an approaching storm are simply no longer welcomed. Hell, many of us Floridians burdened by excessive windstorm premiums feel blessed another season flew by unscathed. These parts ain’t a cheap place to call home and that is with certainty I say this.
While we avoided the cone of death (which can be defined as the only justification necessary for Miami TV stations to go into non-stop hurricane coverage and scare the crap out of South Florida residents) and the general BS media hype associated to it, the repercussions of nearby misses did have some effects. Typically the late summer months into October are characterized by extreme high water on the flats. Combine this with a near miss swell or surge and what we have is extremely high water, i.e. zero tailing fish for days.
I suppose every once in a while those days that you expect the least are the ones that end up surprising you the most and on one particular day this would prove quite true. When your day starts with doubled over fly rods, a pair of nice bones and an old friend…………it’s hard to get better but it did.
And while we barely saw any water low enough for tailing fish it did prevent our common late afternoon boiling water temps and the fish were on the feed……………and we gladly welcomed them
fish kept coming to hand……………..
we were damn blessed and we knew it………….
by day’s end we had tagged 8 fish for Bonefish & Tarpon Trust http://www.tarbone.org/ after nearly a dozen bites.
Needless to state a good day of fishing always provides some motivation at the vice……….
Somethings never get old or ever lose their luster, particularly bonefish with a fly rod…………………..guess when that happens time to take up golf
Back to regularly scheduled wintertime exploring I guess.
Happy Thanksgiving……………lots to be thankful for that is for sure.
blue-collar bonefish
While I do not consider myself, by any stretch if the imagination, a “red fisherman”. There is a time and place during the year to yank on a few of these fish when the opportunity presents itself. I have minimal experience hunting these fish beyond the Florida Bay and over the last many years, for the most part, avoided fishing them religiously. Most of the “channel drum” in the Florida Bay take the fly with ease and then typically just roll in the mud. Hell if they even clear your stripping line it calls for a celebration. Probably a function of warmer water temps who knows they are simply lazy bastards. I would guess it to be comparable to snagging a nurse shark just ask Honson.
I would have liked to think that once you caught one redfish you have caught them all but with a range from Massachusetts to Northern Mehico redfish are simply not created equal. Even in the Glades they can simply just turn their nose on just about everything you put in front of them, I suppose this is fishing and to be expected but getting refusals from a fucking brainless redfish can perplex even the most seasoned of anglers.
Don’t get me wrong about these “spottail bass”, I do enjoy catching them, from aggressive bites, to occasional table fair, to sometimes forgiving the worst of casts, they are good fun to hunt. I am told that they can even live to be 60 years old……….pretty incredible if you ask me.
On a recent family adventure I had the chance to fish out of my old skiff (no floor original Hells Bay Waterman made when Tom Gordon had a full head of hair, simply a badass poling skiff) in the low country for the first time, not sure what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of these grassy mud flats………………….
While I say the derogatory “blue-collar bonefish” stuff the fishery could not be farther from the truth. The Charleston fishery is legit and the numerous estuaries could keep the most local of folks hitting a new area every outing. Hell the 50 or so free local ramps in enough to make anyone happy. Needless to say the flooded spartina grass was a welcomed change of pace.
I can see how this wading to fish in the grass can get addicting………….
fish kept coming to hand……………….
And on the last afternoon with a long drive ahead of me with crying babies and all, we saw one last fish tailing hard in the grass, deep in the thick shit. Feeding them deep in the grass is not done with ease and definitely takes some experience but the fish came up and moved across some open water and I laid the fly out in front of her. It was a nice sized fish and as I stripped the fly in position the damn thing got stuck on a heavy blade of grass. In attempt to not spook the fish I lightly jiggled the fly when all of the sudden the 32inch fish blew up and ripped the fly from the grass…….I am told this is called the “dangler”
apparently this is all the rage in these parts (fish takes you into your backing)
one of the better reds I have seen in a long long time….
definitely hope to be back soon just not in the cold………………….
15% off any new Hell’s Bay of your choice
Guys I just wanted to update this post as I have fielded alot of questions regarding it. The coupon is 100% transferable to anyone of my choice, however it cannot be used on top of a HB guide discount. Would love to see it get used by someone that shares the same passion for getting skinny. It is obviously still available.
Well with the recent tournament win we were lucky enough to get 15% off coupon for a new Hell’s Bay skiff as a prize. Seeing that I just bought a new 17.8 but over 12 months ago (could have used this then!!!) I unfortunately have no use for this coupon.
The coupon can be applied to ANY skiff of your choice and provides roughly $5,000 off a new Gladeskiff to $8,500 off a new Neptune.
I would love to get the coupon in someone’s hand that is serious about purchasing a new skiff. This is a good opportunity for someone that has been sitting on the fence about one of these skiffs, god knows I love mine like one of my own children.
Heck if you know someone or find anyone that would like to use this discount I am willing to pay a finder’s fee.
Coupon expires 3/31/12
Just shoot me an email collin_ross@hotmail.com or have Sam get in touch with me.
better to be lucky than good………
While it does not come as a surprise to most of my fishing peers, I have remained pretty local the last many months which did not bode well for my uneasy feeling of fishing this year’s Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Championship . I did no partaking in the epic redfishing Flamingo had this summer and on the few rather infrequent visits I made over the last 6 months nearly all were in search of big tarpon. I suppose I was having trouble adjusting to the summer/early fall fishing pattern, which mind you can be incredible in the Park. Maybe the prospect of 3.5 hours on the road on my only given fishing day just was not in the cards this summer, maybe I was just being lazy. Regardless when the time came to start thinking about this tournament that we have added to our annual calendar of must do’s, I was concerned.
Everglades National Park can be spectacular this time of year, from slick winds and cloudy ornately ominous sunrises, to sights of early migratory birds, to cool mornings………….needless to say this is typically my favorite time to fish the here.
Those unfamiliar with the format of this tournament (concocted by Dr. Lloyd Wruble & Capt. Rick Murphy) there is a lot of strategy that goes into planning your day. Which of course can be and usually is influenced by tides, weather, recent fishing experiences, and in our case shots in the dark.
It is a two day event where anglers must fish within the Everglades National Park Boundaries and attempt to catch seven species on fly, spin, or general (bait) divisions. The total inches are then added up and the folks with the largest total inch count wins. However total species supersedes total inches, for instance you could have caught the largest fish but if someone happened to catch one more species than you, well you’re out of luck. The eligible species include bonefish, tarpon, snook, black drum, redfish, trout, and mangrove snapper. Fish caught on spin get an additional 25% total inches, and fish caught on fly get an additional 50% total inches. Naturally the rules lend themselves to the fly fisherman but on most cases the tournament is won by lure chuckers & bait fisherman.
While I choose to spend little to no time pre-fishing I did spend a few evenings at the vice relaxing wondering where we might look to fish and what the past many years of fishing the park could be drawn upon to formulate our strategy………………………
for da blackies……………
world famous mad mike golden crab….
another cool fly I used to use often on cruising fish in the skinny (has a strip of foam under the rabbit)…….
And on the morning of the tournament we found ourselves deep in the glades after a long run to areas we had not fished since high school. You see, the Park is a magical place that captures even the most subtle of observers. Areas that have only remained a burned image in the back your mind for the past many years are somehow still how you left them. This is the lure of a place like this. Of course this is attributable to the hard work by the underpaid pupils of mother nature, formally known the National Park Service.
Our day started much like I expected losing a few little tarpon on fly (little bastards never stay glued I swear), then my 8wt. snapped in two, and shortly after that our 9wt. splintered into pieces. Given the fact we were intending on fly fishing the whole day I was really setback. This type of stuff can only happen in a tournament, I swear to god. While I was shaking my head in discontent the humid morning blur of mosquitoes buzzing in what felt like the inside of my head sharply stopped in time, the undeniable slurp of a top water plug is enough to make anyone weak in the knees. Soon a oversized snook erupted from the surface with the text book “hey fellas watch me throw this plug” head shake………….our disappointment eroded immediately to pure panic which quickly lead to some serious high fives. With a big snook in the net we knew one of the hardest of the seven species was on paper for the team.
To be honest the rest of the tournament was a blur unfortunately with minimal pictures taken. Everywhere we looked fish swam to our bow and I’ll be damned if we did not immediately stick some steal in them……………beyond the first morning debacle everything seemed to go our way. While I cannot typically be overjoyed by our fish finding ability in the Park given our everly decreasing visits, I can tell you we are simply some very fishy folks. I have literally been fishing with my best bud Ross Reeder one day a week for over 18 years if not more and typically if we can see the fish there is a damn good chance we are slipping a hook in its mouth.
The 17.8 Pro still keeps me guessing, 30 gallons of gas, full livewell, more tackle than I can to reveal, three guys, basically a full tournament load………….and still has the ability to chase black drum with their backs out of the water. Captured on our new half 8wt half 9wt shoved together buggy whip….
the weather was not always perfect……….
While we didn’t need another tarpon on fly, It was hard to ignore a few large laid up fish…………
And on the last day after missing what I felt was going to be our only shot at a bonefish at 8:15AM (I was quite verbally abusive shortly thereafter)…………our Charleston native Chris Wilson spotted a huge plume of mud at 1:30PM which was made by one of the largest bonefish I have seen in the last few years. Lucky for us the big girl had a few smaller followers that want to play.
We immediately made our way to closest bar for a few rumski’s……
Tourney tally…..
Grand Champion Angler ( Tim Borski original)
Largest Snook
Largest Bonefish
Hell’s Bay Top Skiff & Angler (15% off coupon on our next skiff & cool fish hook mount)
Team Grand Champions with 221 total inches and the only team to get all 7 species……………..
I highly recommend anyone looking to fish this tournament do so. The event is truly top notch as Linda Denkert literally spends the ENITRE year rounding up sponsors and silent auction items (which are incredible and all proceeds are given back to the park, from half off guided trips with some of the area’s best captains to paddleboards to anything you can imagine). In terms of what I got for a $350 entry fee, two full meals for me and wife at the Islamorada Fish Company, two evenings of top shelf open bar (I am a pretty thirsty dude), a angler bag that included a high quality lightweight fishing shirt, grubs of all makes, sunscreen, and more stuff that I can even recall. There are awards for EVERYTHING, from the guy that had the most cast in the trees to junior anglers to amateur anglers to professional anglers. You compare this to any other Keys tournament and you would agree for many of the $1,000 plus entry fees something just ain’t right.
maybe I will give the Park a few more shots before the cooler weather moves in……..
in a state of mental disrepair……..(Del Brown recap)
It is hard to truly delineate how challenging permit fishing can be to someone that has not endured the trials and tribulations associated to this devilish creature.
Of course on many occasions these creatures are easily persuaded “reef donkey style” over a wreck or even on the flats with a few congreho’s…………………however the trials and tribulations I speak of above are associated with those that have chosen to pursue these fish with a fly rod. Inevitably long term mental anguish is a direct result of such pursuits .
Clearly there are many more accomplished and knowledgeable anglers/guides that have addressed the subject, however oddly enough most observations are similar. These fish can be near impossible with certain weather conditions and when water temps are right, the stars are aligned, fly choice is matching the hatch, casting is on point……………….this list could go on forever and assuming all that is a given, you still have to find the right fish. With permit fishing perfect shots on most occasions are greeted with middle fingers and exploding terrified fish.
case and point………………………
A few months back buddy Capt. Don Gable started concocting a plan to fish the Del. I attempted to persuade him differently but those suggestions were left ignored. However at the end of the day like him, I am a permit junky.
Like early Fall, favorable weather windows truly dictate good permit fishing. The discouraging northerly high winds and cooler water temps of the Fall are replaced with calm seas and unbearable heat in the Summer, generally both can turn permit fishing to shit instantly. Again might I warn you, permit fishing with a fly rod is highly addictive, those in compromised states of mental stability should undoubtedly steer clear……..WAY freaking clear.
Pre-fishing is always a prerequisite as permit fishing is extremely team oriented, from finding fish, positioning the skiff, to casting……teamwork is a must for success.
With increased regulations in Monroe County (Florida Keys) and the Costa tagging program, this fishery has solidified support for their permit fishery. Without the hard work of local officials and hardworking guides, commercial takes of this gamefish were taking their tolls. Definitely positive steps towards a teetering fishery abused by many experienced by few. For those that have hit fishing right, Key West is arguably the best permit fishery in the world. Days of 15-35 shots are common when things align. If you claim to be a fly fisherman KW better be on the bucket list.
Hopefully these future fly eaters recognize all the hard work….
There are so many techniques seasoned permit fisherman attempt to implement during summer conditions which are often quite difficult. When oil slick, zero wind, conditions arise these fish are often near impossible to approach, 80 foot cast are the norm. In most cases you cannot even speak or get within 200 feet of these fish. It is impossible to explain the difficulty presented in calm conditions catching these fish………….as if they were not hard enough.
Some pre-fishing positive reinforcement…..
Confirmed they were hungry…..
Verified zero wind strategy could be pulled off……
And as the tournament began 14 skiffs were met with some of the most difficult fishing conditions possible and lucky for us these conditions would continue throughout the tournament. Slicked and 95 degrees by 10AM. It was stifling hot, cases of water were drank each day, I think we were even sweating while running the skiff. Even early morning water temps were through the roof. When there was any wind, complete cloud cover was the norm…….
Day One- Had a very large group of floaters push on the fly but never could get one to commit and a few other less memorable shots. 14 skiffs zero fish caught.
eerie start to the day as the moon set and a looming storm pressed closer……
Day Two- Hooked micro sized perm off a ray and the hook pulled, quite typical with these fish. Now 28 days of guided fishing among the fleet zero fish caught.
Day Three- Needless to say everyone was somewhat shattered. I truly expected heat strokes to occur. Again we had our shots, had a sizable fish bolt on the fly even proceeded to track it a bit but never committed. Upon our return to the dock we found that in 42 guided fishing days only one permit was caught. The magicians that beat all odds were Justin Rea and Greg Vincent. The tournament results alone give testament to how well deserved this win was.
We were really close but that’s permit fishing……you live and you learn
prescribed force feeding……………….
As our summer drags on and the days continue to get longer the fish seem to get less and less of a break. Further complicating this issue was the general consensus of a very mediocre tarpon season which pushed many elsewhere to bend a rod. Add warmer than normal water temps, additional fishing pressure, and this throws fishing off.
It is this time of year that your simple shots are yet ignored by wary fish who have recently seen it all. Of course some shots result in unexpected hard luck bites but generally, June is the time that our quarry requires unequivocal angler finessing. Great casting is simply not enough, you gotta hit ‘em between the eyes and shove the feathers down their throats.
This photo epitomizes my tarpon season this year……..(I am selecting a fly while fish are swimming by)
In attempt to salvage some of my tarpon season I headed to the west coast…………to a place that the joy of catching some silver has on some occasions been replaced by the entertainment of feeding the sharks. I am not a “shove it up your ass” fly fisherman supremacist. I enjoy bending a rod as much as the next guy, bait, lure, bait caster, whatever; but hooking fish that are over 50 years old in deep water near aggressive sharks just ain’t my bag.
Signs of the modern day tarpon concentration camp was unmistakable………
However in due time those familiar brownish silhouettes did appear high in the water column in what seemed to be happy post spawn activity. While presumably happy they were, the shear thought of chewing on some feathers was not on their agenda these few days. Yet with as many shots as we had a few fish ended up making some bad decisions……..
While on my home waters the fish continued in the early summer pattern of universal ignorance of well placed casts. I have a grown up with many of these fish and while their feeding patterns change one thing remains constant, they have to eat to survive. Key is being around when it happens……
afternoon reflections……..
‘ol faithful…………..
Yet on some occasions fish act like fish and after countless attempts throughout years of pursuit sometimes they surprise you…..even the saltiest of old bastards never comprehend ‘ol mother ocean and her occupants sometimes jaded ways.
And after an entirely sleepless night with the baby I had to take breather, even if that meant for only a few hours. Tides and winds were right to give ‘ol rubber lips a shot and we figured “what the hell”. We immediately found a few fish and after a few subpar shots I finally got a real nice fish to react to the fly in what was to be longest 15 seconds of my life.
“2 o’clock facing away, got him?” Given the angle of the glare I could not see the fish. My buddy on the tower repeated in an escalated pace “Got him?????” 2’ clock 20 feet!!! Got him?” No I don’t, I repeated. So I started to put the fly in the air towards that general direction when a big plume of mud shot off the bottom. “Got him I whispered”.……holy shit the fish was close.
As I laid the fly slightly up current of the fish it immediately swept by him and with one gentle bump the fish spun on the fly, then a big bump and the fish rises on the fly, then a long strip and the fish sinks fading off, another big bump and fish slides in hot back on the fly, then I let the fly suspend in the current and the fish is literally feather sniffing, yet another big bump and the fish shows less interest, and with 4 feet of fly line out my rod tip and knees shaking beyond controllable levels I had no choice but to let the fly sink, slowly the fish tips up on the fly another huge plume of mud shoots through its gills………….game on, HELL YES!!
welcomed seasonable shift……..
For myself, as opposed to previous years, it has been a rather lengthy transition from the fading winter winds to the commonly temperate south florida spring. By all accounts it has been a mild spring weather pattern and the fish have shown their appreciation by flooding the flats. Thoughts of sailfish have since long been replaced with oversized tarpon and the migratory waterfowl have been swapped with the hopes of spotting a few thunder chickens in the bush.
Typically springtime presents some amazing fish opportunities before the bull rush of the clinically insane tarpon fanatics plague the shallows and screw up fishing altogether, including myself.
A few nice days in the slash pine forests yield many gobblers found …………………….zero in range for a reasonable shot. I swear god created these creatures to inflict mental anguish on poor mindless rednecks, including myself.
Generally the quest for oversized sardines has been persistent since January, some days better than others, but the fish showed up early and have been giving most of South Florida heartburn since late winter. Most of the early season fishery is completely hit or miss but its certainly worth putting your chips in the game.
Sometimes secluded lagoons require early morning runs………..
But the rewards of being by your lonesome can be worth the effort…………………
On one occasion a fellow came tight on what presumably would have been the largest tarpon ever caught on my skiff. It was one of those bites that provide a nice tug then nothing, no jump, no drag screaming, nothing. The thoughts of catfish, snagged on the bottom or possibly a tarpon float in the back of your mind. Then like piano dropped from a 747, this fish (aptly now named Shamu) exploded off the bow. It was enormous and as I threw my sandwich to the ground to grab the camera. I calmly told my buddy to relax …..go easy on this fish. This conversation quickly accelerated to “holy shits” don’t screw this up. Pretty much the natural progression of any good monster fish on the line. Before the reality of what we really had on the line set in the fish aired out 50 feet from the skiff and my buddy cupped the spool and then the echoed sound similar to Indiana Jones bull whip was heard long and far. This is a direct result of what I like to call “buck fever”. Literally not a word was spoken for 15 minutes………………….I later learned that Capt. Andy Thompson had girthed two fish near the 185lb mark two days earlier in the same area.
Shamu as she left giving us the middle finger………………
On many instances we fell back on the old faithfuls that are willfully here year round for our enjoyment……………………….some of the fish were belly crawling ridiculously shallow.
That afternoon I was able to connect with an old friend from the Miami Beach Rod & Reel club days. At its heyday that club had the best group of anglers in the country every Wednesday night for dinner. It was a breeding ground of good fisherman and even larger fabricated fishing stories.
But nearly on all occasions when the weather is fair you are inevitably drawn to the tarpon fishing. And why the hell not…………..
filling the box is half the fun, right? (fly was compliments of Hon’s brainwork)
we got ‘em laid up………..
we got ‘em swimming in the skinny…….
we got ‘em hauling ass…………..
we got ‘em shaking their heads…………
we got ‘em doing some head stands………
and on some occasions we got ‘em shaking our hands…………
(buddy who lost Shamu had some redemption)
Something special about coming tight on a completely motionless, suspended 100lb fish………….the first glimpse
Even made it down south with the family for the Easter Holiday as we do every year…….windy as hell which didn’t bode well for tarpon fishing but the permit gave my old man some love. As if F18’s buzzing us all day wasn’t enough for an old fighter pilot to have a good enough time……………..
even got a chance to say hello to a few old friends…………………
Those humid hot sunrises are soon to be the norm………………………my favorite time of year
