Grand Slam On The Fly
The month of June has consistently brought great weather to the Florida Keys attracting anglers such as 'Paul' down to its flats in search of some of the best experiences that can be had with a fly rod. This particular day was during a new moon when the tides are at their most extreme and the fish seem to be most active.
The wind was coming out of the east at about 15 knots making it perfect to drive down to the west of Key West flats in search of some permit shots. These flats have the highest concentration of permit that can be found in the entire Keys, but bonefish are rarely seen. Permit are the most difficult fish to catch on the fly due to their sharp eyesight and spooky nature. Some anglers pursue them on wrecks during their spawning times when they become more aggressive and tend to strike mostly at anything.
The challenge that brought Paul this June, however, was one of hooking a permit on a flat after stalking and placing a perfect cast in front of it. This conquest is regarded by experienced anglers as the pinnacle of fly angling. Our sights were set, and we were off.
Paul did not waste any time. By midday the right cast under the nose of a permit and we had landed the first successful hunt of the day. As fate would have it, we happened to come upon a school of rare bonefish while looking for the permit. Paul only had a couple of opportunities at hooking one and did not fail--a cast, a hook, a fantastic fight, and finally a perfect release.
We discussed the possibility of looking for a tarpon and getting the Grand Slam, but with all the permit around, we had a hard time making up our minds. About an hour later and a few shots had, Paul's fly brought his third conquest of the day onto my boat. And what a beauty that 16 lb permit was!
The afternoon was waning, and I knew the current was going to slow down due to the upcoming change of tide. We spoke about our chances of getting a Tarpon in the near-by migration spots, but opted to pull the boat out of the water and head back towards a spot near the middle Keys where I had been hooking tarpon consistently in the previous weeks.
It took an hour to get back to the ramp, and another thirty minutes to re-launch the boat at the next spot. The wind had died down to 5 knots by this time. Paul and I were hopeful of our success, but kept our focus strong. We waited 20 minutes before a pod of tarpon came swimming towards my skiff. I positioned Paul and held steady. The fly went into the air. He handled the line in perfect rhythm--steady and sure; back and forth--landing the fly right in front of the fish.
A tarpon broke from the school and came rushing like a torpedo directly for the fly. Paul felt the line go tight and he set the hook hard causing the tarpon to jump up and shake his massive body in an attempt to free his lip of the sting. The line went slack as the fish won the fight and the fly went free. We both exhaled, realizing it was safe to now breathe again and knowing that it was almost a done deal. We just had to re-group and try again, stay focused.
After waiting another twenty minutes we started to loose a little hope, but we stayed put and held strong. Forty-five minutes passed before the next school of tarpon came swimming by, and by then Paul had run the drill in his head and set his resolve about what he was to do. His next opportunity rewarded him with a tremendous strike, and this time he let the fish know his intention. In minutes he had him next to the boat for me to grab his mouth and pull him on the boat for the final picture of the day.
The tarpon swam away, and we sat on the boat in awe of our day. It wasn't easy, but the reward was well worth the effort. Other tarpon came by rolling along side the boat, but we just sat and enjoyed their company without the need to cast to them. The fish had done their part that day, and Paul had out done himself. Until an angler is put into such a position, he or she can't really understand the level of focus it takes to overcome the stress of having to hook the next fish that could get you the Grand Slam.
Day Stories
Lower Keys winter offshore fishing
By eight o'clock the boat was loaded with four light spinning rods and a couple of heavier ones for possible deep dropping. The bait wells were filled with a mix of large and medium sized Pilchards...
read more >>
Grand slam on the fly!
The month of June has consistently brought great weather to the Florida Keys attracting anglers such as 'Paul' down to its flats in search of some of the best experiences that can be had with a fly rod...
read more>>
