Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2014 This past month has been frustrating mostly with few fly anglers and fish (particularly tarpon) that ate lures and bait -but didn't want any of our flies.... When the big fish were on the feed they ate everything we showed them... as long as there wasn't a fly angler aboard... NO, not what I expected -but by now I shouldn't be surprised, still we did have a few good moments. Here's a pic or two of when the fish were co-operating.... This first series is right at dawn, just a few minutes from Chokoloskee island... Just a small jack crevalle - but any fish on your first cast as the sun is coming up.... well, you get the idea. A few hours later we found a large school of redfish in about four feet of water that were so hungry that at times a half dozen fish came up after our flies... Here's Kyle Savage with his first one... Note the fly in use, a Whitewater Clouser in size 2/0... Here's Kyle's wife Denay with a bigger one - also on fly Lastly, here's a pic of the fly those fish couldn't get enough of.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mudskimmer 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2014 Always enjoy your reports Capt. with or without tarpon. I do wonder how tarpon get so big being as finicky as they are. Maybe its laziness and opportunistic feeding that's to blame. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaFly 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2014 Those first two photos are great enough to put on a magazine cover! Totch Brown would be proud of you. I noticed the clouser appears to be weedless... do you have trouble snagging non-weedless clousers in and around the mangroves? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted October 30, 2014 Just about every bug I do (with the exception of poppers) is built to be weedless (or more appropriately snag-less...) from the moment it leaves the vise. So many of our retrieves start out in the jungle (either mangrove roots, oyster bars, downed trees, or a mix of all three...) that they're almost mandatory. Yes, you can find great fishing spots when you're snagged up as big fish scoot out from under one form of cover or other as you approach to retrieve your gear -but that's the hard way to do things. If you figure that maybe 10 to 20% of your casts or retrieves will foul it just pays to prevent it if at all possible. The fish don't seem to notice the weedguards we use at all and the guard, itself, is just one more component in the tying process - and very quick to do. Remember as well - all the guard has to do is move the fly away from something it might hang up on.... The first pic is weedguards ready to go (just #5 trolling wire clipped to length with a tiny hook bent into one end). The other pics show a few different types of bugs with those same wire weedguards (I use mono for bonefish and permit flies). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ditz2 0 Report post Posted October 31, 2014 another great report........I gotta get down there Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
