| July 15- The pre-dusk sky was painted many hues of red and orange. It was clearing and some blue sky could be seen. Looking to the west along Florida’s Big Bend, many clouds are between the viewer and the sun. The red sky was truly a fisherman’s delight knowing that the sun would shine for the first time in many days. |
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July 16- The shallow water shoal had cleared. My client was a 78-year old doctor from Tennessee who is in great shape other than a bad knee. Back in ’91, our first day together in Homosassa, when we met; he said to me, I want to catch about a dozen tarpon. I thought he was crazy; but I held my tongue. |
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As fate would have it, he fed 14 tarpon using the fly rod. All the tarpon were in pairs or were by themselves. It was June 28 and all the other anglers had packed up and gone home. We had the entire gulf to ourselves. Of those 14 eaters, he landed 4 tarpon and got tight on a total of 9. It was a truly remarkable day and our best ever to date on the fly rod. |
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Today’s trip was a make-up from a nasty storm that moved into Homosassa on June 18 that sent the entire poon fleet to the hill for a few days. This has been a very wet year. |
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Only 3 boats were bobbing up and down in the slow rolling sea besides us. One was an acquaintance, who sunk two weeks ago while being stern anchored and fly fishing for tarpon. A large wave came over the cut-out of the transom. To make matters worse, the float switch did not activate. A friend came over and helped bail with a fly-line tamer and then he got the bilge pump running. Even though the motor was partly submerged; he got it running after draining the carburetors. An A for making it back in on his own power. He gets an F for stern anchoring in a heavy sea. |
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While waiting for the sun to rise enough to see the tarpon coming, a school of 150 bluefish were circling each other. I quickly gave the good doctor an 8 weight. There were a dozen fish fighting over the popper. Quickly he landed a 3 pound bluefish. |
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Later, 2 spotted eagle rays swam by with 3 cobia following, one of which was perhaps 40 pounds. After some work with the push pole; we intercepted them and Doc made a cast and hooked up. It was the middle sized fish that ate, about 12 pounds and not quite 37 inches we guessed. So after an easy fight on the 12 weight, he was quickly released. |
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The next day we returned and saw many schools of ladyfish and bluefish. The good doctor landed about a dozen and that was the replacement for catching big tarpon. I joked to him about the poor man’s tarpon, a nickname for ladyfish. He was not amused. There is always next year. |
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About Capt. Locklear
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