I wanted to catch my first Tarpon on the fly this year, but never imagined that it would pan out the way it did. Boz and I spent a couple days and nights fly fishing around the clock in the Everglades. We fly fished from flats boats, docks and on foot; chasing anything that would eat our flies. We caught Snook, Jacks And Redfish and had a blast taking in the sights, sun and tropical breezes. We caught a bunch of fish in the Everglades but the Tarpon eluded us. We saw them, but they just were not eating. So, we stuck to the plan and headed down to the Florida Keys. Everything was too good to be true. The weather was perfect with bright sun, warm flats and absolutely no wind. We knew it was not going to last because a cold front was scheduled to come through in two days. So, we had 2 full days to get the job done. We pounded miles and miles of flats in search of Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon. I got a solid shot at casting to a happy tailing Bonefish but I blew it. Boz got a shot a casting to a tailing Permit and he blew it. We did dial into some nice Barracuda spots and I love catching Barracuda. They are so aggressive and they really rip across the flat when they are hooked. But, the clock was ticking and we were watching the cold front on the radar get closer and closer. We knew that once the cold front arrived, much of the bait and fish on the flats would head for deeper water. We had one full day left and decided to use one of the 13 foot Boston Whaler’s that came with our motel room to get us out to an offshore flat. This was a great idea, until the motor conked out. So, we sat there drifting in the Gulf Of Mexico for 4 hours waiting for a tow. Then the tow burned up another 2 hours. So, it was now late in the day and the cold front was creeping closer. We were really grasping for straws and bouncing around to all sorts of different flats hoping to find one good fish. The sun was low in the sky, we had exhausted our options and we were driving to one last “Hail Mary” spot. Boz was driving and I was looking out at the glass calm water from the passenger seat. That is when I saw the 3 sets of Tarpon fins cutting through the glassy water. “Boz, pull over! I just saw some Tarpon!” Boz could tell that I was serious. He cut the wheel put the car on the grass and we were both out of the car in seconds flat with fly rods in hand. There they were! Tarpon, chasing and eating bait right in front of our eyes! I was rigged up with a Bonefish setup but Boz had a Tarpon setup ready to go. So, he threw out a cast. Strip, strip … Bang! Tarpon on! Big Jump! Tarpon off! We were so amped up! I yelled, “Boz, get it out there again!” Boz throws out another long cast. Strip, strip, Wham! Tarpon on! Big Jump! Tarpon Off! My hands were shaking with anticipation as I watched all of this going on, making it hard to tie my knots. But, somehow I got it done and I was in the game. I waded out a bit and threw out a long cast. Strip, strip … “There he is!” My first ever Tarpon soared through the air and I was in heaven. I set the hook hard a few times and kept side pressure on the fish. The jumps and runs were epic and even more than I imagined they would be. I just could not believe I had a Silver King on my line. It was not a giant, but it was mine and it was one of the best moments in my fly fishing career. I managed to land my first Tarpon and I was so happy when Boz snapped the photo. We released him to the sea and Boz was up again. This time, when the Tarpon took, Boz set the hook with authority. The sun was all the way down at this point but we could tell that he had a bigger fish hooked. Boz battled the tarpon under the moonlight and after an epic battle Boz came out on top. I snapped some photos of Boz’s first ever Tarpon and we then released his Silver King back into the sea where he belongs. The trip was made and Boz and I went out to some dive to celebrate over a crab leg dinner. We were on cloud 9 until the clouds and the cold front blew threw and the magical fishing came to an end. As I sit here in Maine, I just can’t believe that my first Tarpon was caught under such cool circumstances. I like fly fishing from Boat as much as anyone. But, there is something pure about fly fishing on foot. And, I always prefer chasing and catching any species of fish on foot rather than boat. I guess it has to do with looking back on my youth when all I ever had was a fishing pole, my decisions and my own two feet. Those were the purest, simplest and most memorable years of my fishing life and I enjoy staying connected to that level of purity and simplicity. So, I truly enjoy anytime I can chase and catch fish without the use of boats or modern technologies. But, don’t get me wrong. If the game needs to be played with a boat and loran and fish finders and all that stuff, I can play and enjoy that game too.
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
I have never been so humbled by a video !!
I litterally left the day you showed and fished the same spots and did zip, obviously I have had my Butt handed to me.
The video will live on my desktop for a year or so.
Awesome story jeremy!!! You sure went through a lot for that fish but I know it was all worth it!
sounds like a great trip. I know you really must have missed the 2 degree maine weather though and couldn;t wait to get home!!! hahaha
Congrats to you both, well done!!!
Now, please share the name of that motel that includes a whaler with your room.
congradgulations jeremy and boz that is a HUGE fish to knock off the lifetime list. the video was unbelievable and very well put together…i loved the shots of the tarpon tearing through the air, and am glad that this moment came to you both!
Austin
wish you coulda been there with us austin … you would have been out of your mind amped up .. just like us … ……… so, haven’t heard from you in some time .. been tying up some flies for us or what? we’ll need alot of the dura-buggers … we’ll hit the same stomping grounds as last spring .. with a few new spots too … can’t wait ..
WOW! What a trip you guys had! I’m having an extreme attach of fish envy and trip envy! (I was shoving snow repeatedly the week you were chasing your silver!)
rainbow bend resort … just google it … yah no kidding … we had no rooms booked or nothing and just swung into the first place we saw and then woke up in the morning to see 12 boston whalers lined up waiting … boz and i were like “are you kidding me?” … of course .. to some degree it was too good to be true and our boat conked out … but we used a few others and they were fine … the little whalers are a good tool to get to some of the off shore flats that are not accessible by foot … but, ironically, we found the tarpon on the inside flats … so, the boat was a good tool .. but in the end, our feet were good too …
kodiak …. you ain’t kidding .. if i learned anything at all from this trip it’s ..,.. never quit …. keep pushing on … broken boats, bad tides, lifeless flats .. and just when we were about to throw in the towel … we found the tarpon in a spot that we weren’t even looking for …. that is what i love sooo much about fly fishing … persistence pays off … and charging on and never quiting are often the very things that bear fruit …. and i am constantly surprised when experiences like this happen …. so, whether its fly fishing or anything else … never quit and never lose hope .. cuz silver might be just around the corner:)
yah, it was getting too hot after a while and the sun and all those fish on the flats … i was really missing the northeast and was dreaming of ice and windchill:) .. YAH RIGHT!… but, we are rounding a corner now man !!!! things will be firing up here in the northeast before we know STEELHEAD, trout, salmon, stripers, bluefish, bluefin, bonito, albies … all within sight now! …
norm .. common man … shoveling snow is sweet too in its own way .. ok, you’re right it’s not……. i tried:):) …
Never to be out done Jeremy. I knew I would open up F&F sometime this week and see those pics. Sounds like it was a challenge, but I knew it would go down. Nice job on the Poon!
Keith
Condradulations, seems like a million miles away from the frigid northeat. Gets me pumped up for warmer weather.
I have said it once and I’ll say it again….Jeremy you are one lucky sob. Glad ya’ll had a great time!! Looks like you made it back just in time for our thaw out coming up.. Congrats again!!
Rock & Roll man!!! Talk about putting the cork to ’em. That was all business. Way to go fellas…on foot no less!
Jeremy,
As my friend Robbo and I say; Any one can catch em from a boat. Nice job.
Legend
well that was worth the wait, just wish i was there to see it in person.
oh you will see me soon …. those tarpon are something else, ADDICTIVE for sure! …. i wanna come back down and get another shot at them when they are layed up in your neck of the woods (the everglades) … i am thinking a little split trip … couple days chasing tarpon in the everglades … then bonefish over with you and bernard in the bahamas … got room for me on your floor? i can crash under the pool table:) … when do the tarpon really make a good appearance in the everglades? april? …. i really can’t imagine what a 60-120 pounder would feel like … must be insane … i can totally appreciate your tarpon video from last year now … you should rerun that on ffsouth soon .. that was some sick stuff..
COOL story and fantastic video!!!
I am leaving for florida in a week and i would love to cross the tarpon of the list.. I will have your video in my mind on the whole trip..
Thank you Jeremy.
That is the best video I have seen since I have joined the site!
Mike
Sweet video. Those are the kind of trips- the ones where you just wing it and hope to find fish, and do- that I like hearing about. It doesn’t help the preseason shakes any, but I’m hoping to wet a line tomorrow (provided the ice is out of the spot I’m heading to).
happy you finally gotter done and played a Tarpon…I was hoping it would come when you were fishing with me, but I’m glad the monkee is off.
yes, sleep on the floor if you must, jeremy, the bones will get you excited beyond what you’d imagine. ….so will the big Tarpon.
You and Boz sure surprised me on the trail!!!
Sweet……..
awesome story and video…loved the shots of the jumpers
Great story, what flies were you using, i’ll be in the keys in 3 weeks and need some advice..
bonefisher
Sweet! Tarpon and Cudas!