flyfishsalt
11-22-2007, 10:16 AM
Headed out of Everglades City today with Bill Blanton. It was our goal to reach an area very remote in the Everglades where I have found the Tarpon at this time of year before. We left the boat ramp as the sun came up at 6:45 am. After we cleared the 10,000 islands and headed south it took us quite a while to get there and we shut down the E-tec and started using the trolling motor to look for Tarpon around 8:15 am. We saw some free jumping tarpon in the mouth of the rivers and worked our way into the rivers mouth to get some shots at them. They were difficult and we only got a couple shots in the morning. We found several Tarpon in the area but could not get them to eat so we headed back into the backcountry to look for some Snook with the spinning rods in the middle of the day. After some success (Snook, Trout, Ladyfish, Jacks) we decided to head back out and try for the larger tarpon again. It was a slow pick in the hot afternoon sun but we were able to get very close to Tarpon 20-100 lbs. and Bill finally went tight on a fly that I decided not to use around 3:00 pm. as the tide was dropping. He quickly bounced that fish off and used an explative. We worked them for another hour and then Bill went tight again (same fly). Now this time he sends the tarpon launching into the air and skipping down the river, headed towards key west. I finally decide to tie on one of these flies, but the activity slowed to nothing and we decided to head home. On the way back we found huge schools of bluefish working under birds. I need more bluefish like I need a hole in my head. We reached the boatramp back in Everglades City just as it was getting dark 6:15 pm. another long day in the glades, what a beautiful place it is.