Whoa, I've never seen that before. 'Where is my mind' on piano was a nice touch. 120 days seems kinda easy though. 365 is the real struggle.

Ayto Siks said:

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Whoa, I've never seen that before. 'Where is my mind' on piano was a nice touch. 120 days seems kinda easy though. 365 is the real struggle.

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The 120 days is the easy part for me, its the 245 days in between where I day dream about casting into rolling fish that is harder for me.

Saw this at the F3T Austin event on Thursday.

Since I'm in Atlanta, I'm still considering making the 45 minute drive to Cartersville, GA to go see it again this Thursday.

Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

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I've been looking at doing one in Florida for June. After F3T, wife made the same comment. Kind of got me apprehensive about it.

At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

rather be fishing said:

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AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

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At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

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****in' keeper!

RickSawyer said:

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rather be fishing said:

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AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

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At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

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****in' keeper!

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The term "better half" has never had a more accurate definition.

rather be fishing said:

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AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

---

I've been looking at doing one in Florida for June. After F3T, wife made the same comment. Kind of got me apprehensive about it.

At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

---

Be up front with the guide that you're a relative noob and do your best to listen to instructions. Most of them aren't really a-holes but they're pretty intense and want for you to jump a tarpon even more than you do.

They're not going to be total ***** because they want repeat clients. But I do think a lot have had clients who were downright terrible, that refuse to listen and take direction and then blame the guide when they don't catch a tarpon when in reality you could be a badass tarpon dude and do everything right and get embarrassed by the fish.

Don't be apprehensive about doing a tarpon trip but don't expect you're gonna land a 100# poon right off the bat. Some guys will say that a big tarpon is a fish of 10,000 casts. It took me a bunch of dedicated tarpon trips over about 5 years before I jumped my first poon.

In other words, just go for it because big tarpon on the fly will change your life man.

So I'm lost but lurk on this thread. I'm a freshwater fly guy being just outside of Austin. Now I need some help....my wife's work is taking us to just outside ascension bay in Mexico she surprised me with chasing some bucket list fish. Any advice? Her boss is booking he has been a bunch. I'm a novice in the fly game, never fished on a bow always been a river/creek wader. Likelyhood I make a fool of myself is pretty high isn't it?

Anybody familiar with the Chittum skiff guys. They come across my IG feed and a lot of smack talk come with them.

Jrod, I was in the same boat about 5 years ago, just told the guide up front that all my casting experiece was from the Mt. Fork river in OK. He did a great job of putting the boat in the right spot and even gave me a few pointers that really helped.

Quote:

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So I'm lost but lurk on this thread. I'm a freshwater fly guy being just outside of Austin. Now I need some help....my wife's work is taking us to just outside ascension bay in Mexico she surprised me with chasing some bucket list fish. Any advice? Her boss is booking he has been a bunch. I'm a novice in the fly game, never fished on a bow always been a river/creek wader. Likelyhood I make a fool of myself is pretty high isn't it?

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If you want to scrub for freshwater fly fishing in Travis or Williamson Counties before you move, let me know.

Finn Maccumhail said:

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rather be fishing said:

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AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

---

I've been looking at doing one in Florida for June. After F3T, wife made the same comment. Kind of got me apprehensive about it.

At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

---

Be up front with the guide that you're a relative noob and do your best to listen to instructions. Most of them aren't really a-holes but they're pretty intense and want for you to jump a tarpon even more than you do.

They're not going to be total ***** because they want repeat clients. But I do think a lot have had clients who were downright terrible, that refuse to listen and take direction and then blame the guide when they don't catch a tarpon when in reality you could be a badass tarpon dude and do everything right and get embarrassed by the fish.

Don't be apprehensive about doing a tarpon trip but don't expect you're gonna land a 100# poon right off the bat. Some guys will say that a big tarpon is a fish of 10,000 casts. It took me a bunch of dedicated tarpon trips over about 5 years before I jumped my first poon.

In other words, just go for it because big tarpon on the fly will change your life man.

---

It's highly likely that I'll make the decision to do a tarpon trip, but I sure as hell won't make it known on TexAgs until/unless I have a catch picture to post.

Jrod05 said:

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So I'm lost but lurk on this thread. I'm a freshwater fly guy being just outside of Austin. Now I need some help....my wife's work is taking us to just outside ascension bay in Mexico she surprised me with chasing some bucket list fish. Any advice? Her boss is booking he has been a bunch. I'm a novice in the fly game, never fished on a bow always been a river/creek wader. Likelyhood I make a fool of myself is pretty high isn't it?

---

Learn to double haul and to be able to present the fly on your back cast. Also learn how to present the fly to a fish 60 feet away with no more than 2-3 false casts. Make sure you've got some good polarized specs and work on seeing fish in the water.

I like to go to a local baseball diamond and stand on the pitchers mound and practice hitting the bases with casts because the dimensions and distances are known quantities. Or go to a field and lay out a hula hoop and measure off some distances then practice laying the fly into the hoop. Don't just use a bare leader either; I use a busted old crab fly with the hook clipped off at the curve.

Personally, I think I'm only a mediocre caster. I can't bomb out 100' or more casts like some guys. 85' is about my consistent limit unless it's absolutely perfect situation and I get lucky. But what I can to is pretty consistently hit a dinner plate at about 60' even into a 15mph wind. And I can see fish pretty well.

But even then I can get the yips. Last year, my first day of tarpon fishing I could have easily had 100+ shots. The fish just did not stop coming. And they were all happy fish but I found every way imagininable to screw up. I mean I made crappy casts, tailing loops, tangles for days. Just an absolute ****-show. I was so far in my head it was ridiculous; my guide who I'd fished with several times was like "dude, I've seen you make that shot 100 times just relax." Had some beers and oysters that night and cleared my head, the next day I only had 3 shots but I was dead solid perfect each time and landed a 130-class poon. La cabeza man, it's important.

rather be fishing said:

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Finn Maccumhail said:

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rather be fishing said:

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AGricola08 said:

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Would love to do a Tarpon trip, but honestly kinda intimidated by how hardcore the guides are after watching this and Silver Kings, etc. haha. I don't mind getting bossed around and I definitely don't get butt hurt, just don't want to get thrown off the boat or blacklisted! ha

---

I've been looking at doing one in Florida for June. After F3T, wife made the same comment. Kind of got me apprehensive about it.

At the very least, I think we've at least agreed that she'll hold up a stereo and play death metal while I surf fish with frozen shrimp.

---

Be up front with the guide that you're a relative noob and do your best to listen to instructions. Most of them aren't really a-holes but they're pretty intense and want for you to jump a tarpon even more than you do.

They're not going to be total ***** because they want repeat clients. But I do think a lot have had clients who were downright terrible, that refuse to listen and take direction and then blame the guide when they don't catch a tarpon when in reality you could be a badass tarpon dude and do everything right and get embarrassed by the fish.

Don't be apprehensive about doing a tarpon trip but don't expect you're gonna land a 100# poon right off the bat. Some guys will say that a big tarpon is a fish of 10,000 casts. It took me a bunch of dedicated tarpon trips over about 5 years before I jumped my first poon.

In other words, just go for it because big tarpon on the fly will change your life man.

---

It's highly likely that I'll make the decision to do a tarpon trip, but I sure as hell won't make it known on TexAgs until/unless I have a catch picture to post.

---

Nah man, gotta share the highs and lows. Tarpon will make a fool of the most accomplished fly fisherman at times.

I've said it 1,000 times but the first time you jump a big poon on the fly is like the first time you have sex. And I'm not remotely exaggerating. You know it's gonna be awesome but you're not fully prepared for just how awesome it really is. It's over way to quickly and when it's over you're left with your heart racing and weak in the knees. And all you know is that you want to do it again and again and again.

I can't add anything else to what Finn said, he covered everything. I will reiterate what he said about the mental side. I like to think I'm a good caster, but when you have a school of 20+lb permit cruising by you at 40' all hell breaks loose and casting technique and presentation go out the window! Or at least that's what happened to me when I was in the Keys. It's a rush that's hard to find anywhere else but it what keeps us all going back.
Like some on this board that have been chasing a poon of a lifetime, it's the permit of a lifetime that I'm chasing.

TxAG-010 said:

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Like some on this board that have been chasing a poon of a lifetime, it's the permit of a lifetime that I'm chasing.

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Punta Allen and Ascension Bay gets all the permit love but I've got my eye on a trip to Punta Herrero and Bahia Espiritu Santo someday.

Call it bull feaver. Spend all spring, summer and fall casting at slot reds with pin point precision, drive to Louisiana, see a 20# fish floating 35' away and your brain auto-deletes muscle memory immediately.

Permit is my next bucket list species. Not shaping up like I will get a good look in '17, but hopefully in '18.

Cool thanks guys. I'm going to hope for the best but not expecting too much execpt now to get hooked on salt.....

Ratherbefishing im not moving just going on vacation, but I'm down to hit some fresh water spots. I live in Leander and fish the San Gabriel off 2243 a fair amount.

Jrod05 said:

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So I'm lost but lurk on this thread. I'm a freshwater fly guy being just outside of Austin. Now I need some help....my wife's work is taking us to just outside ascension bay in Mexico she surprised me with chasing some bucket list fish. Any advice? Her boss is booking he has been a bunch. I'm a novice in the fly game, never fished on a bow always been a river/creek wader. Likelyhood I make a fool of myself is pretty high isn't it?

---

I would get your double haul down and be able to cast in wind. Practice practice practice before the trip. You don't want your exotic guided trip to turn into casting lessons. What Finn said about practicing at a park and getting your accuracy down is spot on.

Dang, one day off TA and this thread blew up!

Congrats Jrod on your Mexico trip; my fly fishing experience started right there. I learned to fly fish for a trip a friend and I bought to Ascension Bay and now fishing will never be the same. You said you'll be chasing some bucket list fish and unless you are planning something offshore that will include: bones, barracuda, snook, tarpon, & permit. Finn was spot on with his casting advice. There can be wind down there, but a good double haul will get you in casting distance of what you will be seeing there. Those 80 foot + casts to Florida tarpon aren't really necessary, IMHO, in Mexico for Trip #1. The fish aren't under THAT much pressure and, at least on my trip, it was mainly bonefish with occasional shots at the others. I got tight on some resident tarpon there, but they were pretty wise and I was 100% green, just getting one to stay on long enough to jump was a miracle. Bones are excellent saltwater fish to fly cast for. They are very visual, they are wary and spooky, yes; but they will also run a mile to hit a fly is they are hungry. Sometimes they'll feed and kick up mud - when they're doing that the guide can nose the boat up close and things will be a lot easier.

Welcome to the suck.

I'm not remotely experienced with bonefish and I've only landed one- that was last fall down out of Key West. I landed one in the 3# range but I had a bigger one, probably in the 8# range break me off on a lobster trap. Anyway, I've had a couple guides there tell me that it's not so much that bonefish are spooky, they're more schizo than anything.

Unlike feeding reds who generally sort of plow along a generally predictable course bonefish zig-zag all over hell's half-acre and they do it at warp speed. You can spook them if you line the fish but mostly they've got no clue themselves where they're going and as long as you put the fly where they can see it and move it pretty fast they will zoom over from 20 feet away to eat it. The problem is that if you're on the bow and a school of bones is moving from left to right (say 9 o'clock towards 12 o'clock) at 60 feet out, in the time it takes you to make a cast out to 60' at 12 to try and intercept the school they've decided "Oh look! SQUIRREL!" and change course so they're now headed to the rear of the boat at your 6 while still going 300 miles per hour.

So it's a matter of luck, hoping that the school doesn't change course out of nowhere and managing to put the fly where they can see it.

Permit on the other hand are spooky as hell. They've got insane vision.

Permit in the Keys (Drake Mag)

Finn Maccumhail said:

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I've said it 1,000 times but the first time you jump a big poon on the fly is like the first time you have sex. And I'm not remotely exaggerating. You know it's gonna be awesome but you're not fully prepared for just how awesome it really is. It's over way to quickly and when it's over you're left with your heart racing and weak in the knees. And all you know is that you want to do it again and again and again.

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Thank you for this.

One of you lurkers has a pretty dog.

ETA. Oh snap. Not hard to figure that out. Not a lurker.

so from what I was told the reels the guides have are trash? if true do I need to go buy one? or since I will probably fall in the water and not catch anything don't worry about it?

Actually most guides I've fished with have top notch gear. Usually the only problem is which hand you reel with

Tarpon fishing is 7 hours and 45 minutes of boredom wrapped around 15 minutes of WOW.

Totally rocks off. It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on

Someone on here has redfish fever. Not mentioning any names

BKClark said:

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Someone on here has redfish fever. Not mentioning any names

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There is only one cure... and its only temporary.

Let's just say it's not me. He knows who he is

Good article. I went to the Keys late last year to chase permit and just haven't made the time to to write up a very good report for TA. It's been crazy busy lately. Bottom line I got skunked, but had a great time doing it. I fished with Simon Becker and that guy is a permit whiz! I learned more about permit in 3 days than I ever imagined. One day i'll get around to posting some pictures.

RickSawyer said:

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BKClark said:

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Someone on here has redfish fever. Not mentioning any names

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There is only one cure... and its only temporary.

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More cowbell?

TxAG-010 said:

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Good article. I went to the Keys late last year to chase permit and just haven't made the time to to write up a very good report for TA. It's been crazy busy lately. Bottom line I got skunked, but had a great time doing it. I fished with Simon Becker and that guy is a permit whiz! I learned more about permit in 3 days than I ever imagined. One day i'll get around to posting some pictures.

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I've only really gone after permit once and that was last fall. I fished with John O'Hearn who is in this video: t. falcatus

I had tarpon fished with him in the past based on BKClark's rec and he's a great dude. He knows all about the TexAgs saltwater fly fishing cabal. Especially those of us who chase tarpon as he's guided another poster on here, @tedmargo for years.

Anyway, O'Hearn is a little anal about his permit flies. When he opened his box every permit fly had a little tag with the precise weight down to the tenth of an ounce written on it because of their different sink rates. One of the things he taught me is that permit eat best when the fly is on the fall, so you tick the fly up towards the surface and let it flutter back down to the grass and that's when they eat.

I had 2 legit shots that one day I chased permit but no hookups.

The first was a couple of permit tailing at the edge of a flat working away from us. They were about 70 feet out going away but they were downwind. Anyway, it was a little windy so I didn't want to have too much line out getting tangled. I bombed out what should have been a perfect cast only I didn't have enough line out- I shot every bit of the 60-70 feet I had pulled out and when my cast turned over I got the old spring-back and my cast fell short, directly behind the fish by a few feet and they never saw the fly. By the time I was able to get reset for another cast they'd dropped off the edge of the flat and we lost them.

The second shot was not 10 seconds after we got up onto a new flat. I had just gotten on the bow and gotten set when a nice permit came sort of lazing along towards us without a care in the world. I made a perfect shot at about 40 feet and dragged it across his face. He turned and followed the fly, went nose down to eat, and we even saw the pink when he opened his mouth- probably 20 feet from the boat and then we could literally see those big old eyes turn up towards us, see the boat, and bug the eff out.

Didn't see another permit but I'm definitely going back.

Funny you mention that, I met John one day after we had gotten off of the water. I actually fished with some of John's flies my entire trip. He's a good dude. Their permit flies are simply amazing, they have those flies down to a science. He was fishing with Nathaniel Linville who owns The Angling Company, the local fly shop in Key West. I still keep in touch with Nathaniel regularly and follow him on Instagram he is always posting pictures of permit he catches and tarpon they jump. They have posted some pretty awesome videos of tarpon recently!

https://instagr.am/p/BS_GX6VlxLc

Centerpole90 said:

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One of you lurkers has a pretty dog.

ETA. Oh snap. Not hard to figure that out. Not a lurker.

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Someone have a skiff dog?

I don't know if it's because of a couple photos I liked or what, but now my instafeed has been full of skiff dogs (and that's perfectly fine).