"Samurai" Fly Shop

I know my friends want to hear about my tarpon trip last week, but it was not much to write home about. I knew it could be hit or miss when I booked it, but Apalachicola was the closest place I might still find some tarpon in August. The tarpon population starts to get thin in August, but Apalachicola does apparently have some local tarpon that hang around. Luckily I did manage to see some of local tarpon and I did get three shots, one of those shots produced a take.

The tarpon fishing was a little different from what I have experienced in the past. We steadily trolled watching for “rollers”. The water was dirty due the river system and prevented us from seeing the fish after a roll. We did get some clearer water out around the beaches but it still wasn’t as clear as my guide and I would have liked.

The first day, fishing began just a couple of minutes out of the Eastpoint when a tarpon rolled as we were headed out. The guide hit the brakes and I made a toss into the vacant hole, but the fish was gone. And so it began, waiting for a “roller” close enough for a cast and then making a blind cast at the disturbed water. This process was depending on a lucky cast because without being able to see the fish, I couldn’t place the fly in fish’s strike zone and work him to get a take. The fish were also far and few between and only a few desperate casts were made to unseen fish.

The next day was much better as we headed out to a pass between St. George Island and Little St. Vincent. Once through the pass we looked for rollers near the shore. There was little or no wind so there were no breakers to contend with, only some swells. Finally a fish swam by close and I made a cast to his left just as he turned right. I made another cast to his right but a little behind his head and he didn’t react. The fish disappeared into the depths before I could make another cast.

As we alternated drifting and running the trolling motor, we would occasionally see a roller in the much clearer water off the beach, but too far to cast and the fish were able to disappear quickly after they rolled. Finally, off to my right I saw something in my peripheral vision and it was a tarpon as it rose to take a gulp of air only about 50 feet away. He was moving parallel to the boat but in the opposite direction. I was in my saltwater quick cast position so I dropped the tether and made one back cast and then made my forward cast. Considering the movement of the boat and the fish, I placed the cast about fifteen feet in front of where I saw the fish. I thought it was perfect. The cast had only taken a couple of seconds, but it must not have been in the right place. I didn’t get a take and the fish was gone.

As my final fishing day wore on, we ran up and down the beaches and went all the way to the end of the big St. Vincent Island and back. It wasn’t for lack of trying, the guide was giving his all. Our lack of success was due to the fact there were not many fish and the water could have been clearer. When the guide turned the boat and headed back to the bay after lunch I figured he was winding the trip down. When he put the boat in the river right in front of my room at the Waterfront hotel on the river around 2:00, I knew my trip was almost over. I figured there were no tarpon in the river and he was just getting me close in order to drop me off.

The tide was pushing into the river and the river was running hard against it. The wind was helping to confuse the water more by blowing hard and making a heavy chop. The saltwater was clearer and the river current seemed to be against the bank. The guide eased us along the seam between the chop and the smooth river water. Apparently these conditions were attracting fish. The gar were coming up everywhere, taking a gulf of air and hurriedly heading back down. I decided I didn’t want to end my trip without a single fish so I started trying to pick off gar as they popped up.

Suddenly I saw a roll that made a bright glint when it turned over. It looked like a tarpon and I said so to the guide. He quickly advised me to end the gar rodeo and get ready, adding “these prehistoric fish like to stick together”.

After I got in the ready position I noticed a tarpon rise with his head facing me, directly in front of the boat at about 100 feet. The boat was moving to him and he was moving toward us so I just threw halfway in between. Well the movement of the boat was putting slack in the line and I was trying to strip it up and make it tight when I saw the lightbulb flash of a tarpon turning on his side to eat my fly. I had no choice but to use the rod in a trout set to to get the line tight and I felt him just for an instant and then nothing.

I think the fish chomped down on the purple and black bunny strip fly, only getting the bunny strip and no hook. The bunny strip just slid out of his mouth. I was heartbroken of course and when I looked up I could see my hotel room only a few hundred yards away and it was time to go. How many places can you go and have a tarpon take a fly in front of your room!

Previously, with my son, we did a June trip to an undisclosed location where I hooked and jumped tarpon who easily shredded my heavy leaders. I didn’t land one but my son Chris got two tarpon to the boat, to my great envy. So I guess that was my last chance for 2023. Until next year… by n’ by tarpon!