give me a call sometime. Let's chat

36$181%&6*%30@#19

Just texted you my info.

I just had a desk pop.


https://vimeo.com/131039286

I wanna go to Cuba.

http://vimeo.com/51347214

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I wanna go to Cuba.

http://vimeo.com/51347214

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Damn... that jump at 1:39 and 2:29.

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A Passion for Tarpon by Andy Mill

Probably the best you can buy. Expensive ($100) but well worth it. Great photos and the stories about the old timers are fabulous. You will read it over and over

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I have tried so many times to buy this book and every time I balk at that $100 and back out; but I'm getting closer to pulling the trigger. Evidence the fact I pulled up what Clark said about it as a 'review'. One thing about it - there's no way to get it without forking over the $; no digital download, no paperback, no second hand on Amazon - It's all or none. It would be the sh*tz to click the wrong button and buy the $5K presidential edition!

The East Cut was RIPPING water out yesterday evening and from almost 1.5 miles away I could see the white breakers on the horizon between the jetties - it'll be no joy until something flattens the Gulf out. So until then it'll have to be vicarious hunting, like watching the Silver Kings guys post this on FB a while ago. Dang they make it seem so easy; and in real life it is so dang hard.



I think I said it somewhere else in this thread - but those seafoam yetis DO NOT go with 'sea foam' boats (at least the mavericks).

CP, just rip the band-aid off and buy it. I promise you won't be sorry. Totally worth $100. After I got it, I would've paid $200 for it. It's BIG. Great photos, techniques, stories, etc.


BTW, the above assumes you are as addicted as I am. Which you appear to be!!!

Oh it's bad, ain't it? All consuming.

Well the wife put the kibosh on the seafoam skiff so no worries there.

Since the crowds and weather combined to make fishing less than promising today, I took the afternoon and tried some new things at the bench. I tied these on Gamakatsu SC17 Tarpons, size 2/0, because that's the most acceptable thing BassPro had today. I've bought several bunnies and toads tied on this same hook, but most are a little bigger. If these aren't suitable for tarpon they'll swim through a bait ball and catch whatever comes up. The SC17 doesn't have a long shank so it doesn't allow itself for the long streamlined nose of some flies, but I don't think it's an issue unless you are going to snell the hook.


ETA - I'm anxiously awaiting my copy of Passion for Tarpon. Cry once someone told me.

Nice flies Centerpole90. Only recently started salt flyfishing. It is a great addition to trout. Only Snook on a fly so far but that was awesome. Tight lines and gigem.

That's awesome reload. Where (geographically) did you catch the snook?? ( in the corner of the mouth protected)

I tried to see how close the tarpon were to the beach this weekend. Answer: not close at all. My wife said she saw tarpon rolling in the distance, but I never saw any. I landed some baby jacks and saw plentry of other fish. I get a lot of chasers, but few bites.



Here's my set up. Pretty cheap compared to the pros here, but it's been great so far.

Do you live in Florida Ayto? That water is beautiful wherever it is.

I was just reading through first couple pages of this thread, I'd forgotten that MFBarnes made an appearance here.

Yep. I just moved to south Florida from Houston. The water is amazing. It's so clear that I can see all of the fish that ignore my flies.

That's awesome man. We expect great things from you then, since I guess you probably have max exposure compared to most on the thread. Do you mind me asking what area that beach is?

I tied all but two of the hooks in that package. I think it's a good start for first go-round @ tarpon flies.

Cp, those look good and will catch'em. Can't tell, but hope you put foul guards on the tails.

Good luck. My week is the week of July 13th. Hope to have a bunch of photos when I get back.

Barry

Good Luck! Yes, I did put foul guards, two styles in fact. One is a simple horizontal hoop that the tail lies on, the other actually passes through an hole the zonker tail and ties back in the top of the hook. I'll see which I like better.

Where are you going? Panhandle or Keys?

Nice flies. They look bass pro worthy. The beach pics are from Caspersen beach in Venice, FL. People catch tarpon at the pier, so I know they're in the area.

I drove to Miami a few weeks ago and saw a huge tarpon in a canal while peacock bass fishing. The guide told me that there are some freshwater tarpon and jacks that live in the canal systems. I think that's my next target, since I can't cast far enough from the beach and I don't have a boat. I'm glad this thread is still alive. Can't wait to see BKC's tarpon pics.

Panhandle

There ought to be snook on those beaches! Right up close

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Panhandle

There ought to be snook on those beaches! Right up close

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Nice. Who are you fishing with?

Ayto- BK is correct, I think this is the time of year over there when the snook are thick on the beach front. Lots of guys walk the beach and sight-cast snook in the surf on both fly & conventional.

Snook from the beach

Vimeo: fly fishing for snook in Sarasota

Sun, sand, snook & surf

I'd imagine you'd want a 10wt but I can't really help on flies to throw. And those Orvis Encounter rods are an excellent deal for the money. But I'd start saving my shekels if I were you because that reel won't hold up for long, even if you baby it. Lord help you if you happen to hook up with a 30" snook or even a baby tarpon on that reel- it will smoke that drag.

Centerpole- those look great. Far better than the feathered abortions I've crafted.

Trying to get a quick day down in POC soon and I'm headed to Key West in August.

Finn,

Fishing with Christian Yergens.

Praying for sunny skies and calm seas

Luv me some laid up poon

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I tried to see how close the tarpon were to the beach this weekend. Answer: not close at all. My wife said she saw tarpon rolling in the distance, but I never saw any. I landed some baby jacks and saw plentry of other fish. I get a lot of chasers, but few bites.



Here's my set up. Pretty cheap compared to the pros here, but it's been great so far.

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One other thing- from what I've heard in terms of chasing snook in the surf, you may actually be too far out as they like to cruise right about where you're standing in the above picture.

Cool, I appreciate the snook info on a tarpon thread. I've seen my fair share of random beach snook, but they were hard to pattern. It looks like I need to get closer to a pass and wake up earlier. 2 easy fixes, thanks!

Newby issue: I never had a fish get to the drag. I just hand line small bass, etc all the way to my hand. Lately I've lost some bigger fish bc I have a bunch of slack line at my feet when they hit. Apparently a big snook can't be stripped in like a bluegill, duh. What's the best way to get a fish on the reel after stripping in 30+ feet of line?

Where you are now - don't worry about it. Just make sure and know where that 30' is and what it could be wrapped around. When the snook, tarpon, bonefish gets ahold it's going to come tight and after your strip set - when you're feeding that line to him - try to let it pass as smooth as possible through your hand. If it bounces (this is particularly true if you have the rod tip up so the line will 'spring') that dang thing will bounce up and wrap around your rod butt EVERY time. Adios *insertsportfishhere*.

ETA I think snook, tarpon, bonefish, permit, and by-catch in pursuit of those species are great topics on this tread, for my money. Extra Internet points awarded for Texas catches though.

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ETA I think snook, tarpon, bonefish, permit, and by-catch in pursuit of those species are great topics on this tread, for my money. Extra Internet points awarded for Texas catches though.

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Well, since we're expanding this a bit I'll play. These photos are from POC last summer with a fishing buddy. We went looking for tarpon but never found any. Instead we found jacks and blitzing bonita outside the jetties in clear blue water with 20 feet of visibility.

Watching a little blue-green football blast your fly and get into your backing in about 2 seconds flat was so much fun.

Calling Ayto - Bat Alert - It's go time!

I think this is in your neighborhood http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1436402167

Finn,

Met your boy Preston at dinner last night.

Nice guy

This wasn't you on his boat was it?

And...


Soon...

I know this makes me saltwater white trash, but I could get into Jacks and Bonita every day and be a happy, happy man.

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I know this makes me saltwater white trash, but I could get into Jacks and Bonita every day and be a happy, happy man.

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Not at all.

Especially among fly fishermen. Maybe with meat-haul guys but if you're after the bite and the fight then both jacks and bonita are awesome. They hit hard and run fast. Bonita are done after a run or two but jacks fight you to the end. Try catching them on the fly.

One of those bonita I caught, you can see the green popper hanging from it's mouth. We were chasing schools on the blitz and because there were so many people on the water sometimes we'd get to where they had been and they'd already go down so I decided to tie on a popper and try to call one back up. First blitz after I tied it on we drift into where they'd been and I make as long of a cast as I can...

Pop, wait, pop, wait, pop- and you see this blue-green blur streaking up from the depths to just smash the popper. Little bugger came completely out of the water and took off running into my backing in no time.

Plus, I've had multiple people tell me that if you bleed the bonita they're really good eating.

Jacks are just bullies. IMHO, if they were a little more discriminating in what/when they eat they'd be one of the most sought after fish in the salt for fly fishermen. Look at the guys who travel to the other end of the world chasing giant trevally- those are just really big jacks. Those guys are catching 60-100# GTs and it's not at all uncommon to find 25-30# jacks on the Texas coast.

What the heck!? That's motivating and frustrating... and right next door! I went out this weekend and only managed some lookers. I see why everyone else here carries a cast net.

Here's some gopro pics from Sat. I'm trying to see what the snook see, so I can get better flies.


I think I need gray fly with a heavy black eye to match these guys:


The tarpon were close to the beach as well. They made a few rolls, and something big destroyed a bait ball, but only once. The bait regathered and swam around all day long without interruption.

The only fish I caught was a small jack. They're becoming my favorite fish bc at least they participate.

I have no clue how big those pompano are but get some small copper spoons that sort of mimic a sand-flea and catch them too.

Clean, saute, and enjoy.

Silver Kings, season 2 trailer