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Leo
06-19-2005, 09:04 PM
Hey Bill
You should have been there with us, caught tarpon on flies, poppers, sliders and gurglers. Best flies seemed to be white feather tail, spun white deer hair body palmered with webby red hackle. Ditto with yellow feather tail, spun yellow deer hair body palmered with orange hackle. Yellow grizzley feather tail with either red or orange webby hackles. Poppers with 1/0 hooks in blue or green over white with almost any kind of tail. Sliders with spun white deer hair front half red or orange heads with white collars and white feather tails with some either red or orange marabou mixed in with a little flashabou. Red and white and also chartruse and white gurglers.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
06-19-2005, 10:51 PM
Thanks Leo,

Now can you talk a little more about the fishing?

What size did the tarpon run?

Did you guys catch any other kinds of fish?

Rick J
06-20-2005, 06:46 AM
I second Bill's request - plan on going there next year. Great info on the flies - so I can start tying!!

Leo
06-20-2005, 02:11 PM
Hey Bill
There were a lot more tarpon on the flats last week than there were when we went in October. Some mornings we only went out about 15 minutes before we turned into the mangroves to look for tarpon. Depending on the tide, incoming in our case the fish were out in the flats in droves. We would usually pole along to the west until they moved into the creeks and then we would go into the little bays and creeks to fish for them. The guys were doing ok the first couple of days on flies and we started using sliders and poppers. I think the first surface strike Keith got actually startled him as it was right next to the boat as he was getting ready to pick up the slider to make another cast. Dave also had never experienced the top water grab and was startled when he got a strike on my popper. We would usually fish from 6:00 to 10:00/10:30 then go in for a small snack and wait for lunch. Afer lunch it was siesta time until 3:00/3:30 depending on the guides and then we would fish until dark, usually 7:00/7:30. The break in the middle of the day was sure a help as it was hot and there was nothing doing. It also helped to rest up so that you did not feel beat up by the 4th or 5 th day. All in all it was a super trip and the best that I've had in 10 years of tarpon fishing.

Leo
06-20-2005, 02:19 PM
Hey Bill
I forgot to mention the size of the tarpon. For the most part they were anywhere from 6 to 12 lbs average, with a few in the 15 to 20 lb class. I did manage to hook and land a 30 lber and lost a 50+ lb fish because I was too lazy to change the tippet. The leader held up OK but the line broke at the bite right where the hook was tied. I guess I didn't learn my own lesson although I preach it often enough. I also should thrown away that 50 bl Flurocarbon instead of trying to use it up and save a few bucks.

Hairstacker
06-22-2005, 12:51 PM
Who would have guessed you could catch Tarpon on a red and white deerhair Tap's Bug?!? :lol: