Gary Meyer | Tuesday, 24 December 2019
Well, it’s the holiday season so my free time has mostly been diverted into non-fishing endeavors, but the weather hasn’t been very inviting either. It has been damp, grey and windy for some time now. The air temperature hasn’t been all that bad though, even for South Florida standards, so its still better here than in most places. Most of my fishing- oriented time has been spent on tying flies and prepping gear.
So, with little to report, instead, I’ll link some recent videos that have come to my attention, and hope they are worth thousands of words.
Both videos offer a glimpse into the Everglades tarpon fishery. The first one is a synopsis of a trip some anglers took with a Florida guide. It is a well-done video of a camping trip out near Whitewater Bay although the beginning parts are somewhat fictionalized. The angling parts are accurate though, and if you watch closely, amongst the fish porn, you will get a glimpse of the specialized boats used for targeting large tarpon on fly. Also, there are some brief shots of the isolated platforms called “chickees” that are available for camping in this watery wonderland.
The second video is based on the same fishery and in essentially the same location, although in this case the anglers are a pair of Canadian ladies who are touring to fish and record videos. It too, pretty accurately depicts some aspects of the fishery. I like it particularly because it shows the reality of the “What do I do now?” after a big tarpon eats your fly. BTW… their approach to this question is pretty standard for beginners, but not necessarily the best.
But, be forewarned, lest you think that anyone can come down here and easily hook up a large poon on fly. A friend of mine, who I have written about before and called him TA for Tarpon Addict, had a lot to do with the action the ladies enjoyed. He met them at the dock one day and found their enthusiasm worthy of mentoring. He spent many hours with them and even took them out on his boat to show them the ropes. I believe they credit him at the end, but I don’t speak French so I can’t be sure.
One issue that I have with both videos is that Rock music does not magically start playing when you fight one of these fine fish. I believe it is dubbed into these videos to drown out the moaning and cursing that commonly ensues.
I hope you enjoy the videos.
Y’all have a happy holiday season!