Walter & Group....
This from Rene Hesse as he took lessons from Tarpon in the Florida Keys...... Some of you who may be planning a trip for tarpon fishing might consider archiving his message.
Gordy
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6/09
MY SALT WATER EXPERIENCE WITH PETER LAMI AND GORDY HILL
I am writing this as a reminder for my self and an exercise in the journey to becoming a MCCI. This is a bit of a compare/ contrast to the type of fishing that I do most often which is bass, carp, trout and pan fish while fly fishing from a canoe.
The first thing I would recommend for some one that is taking a tarpon trip is to read the book TARPON ON FLY. This is very comprehensive and an enjoyable read- really gets you in the mood to catch a tarpon.
When going with a guide on their boat be a minimalist. Here is my list that I took on the boat;
Sun gloves, stripping guard for finger, rain jacket (they made me leave rain pants on dock), light amber polarized glasses, small sunscreen 45+, snack (no bananas) and wear shoes that have a sole that is flat on the deck at the toe with no laces. The shoes may sound picky, but when a tarpon runs, the line will catch on anything that is not flat to the deck. I kept everything in my rain coat pocket unless I was using it. Oh, keep a pliers and knife on the back of your belt or in a pocket for emergency.
This was a half day trip where Peter and Gordy already had the rods, reels, lines, leaders and flies. That my friends is a a story for another time. These guys can make a leader!
Now we are getting on the boat. Ask what the captain wants you to do. It may be nothing other than, ‘Sit here’. Then sit. Always try to sit in the center of the boat.
Know the ‘boat terms’ –Bow is the front of the boat. Aft is the back or toward the Stern. Starboard is.the right side of the boat facing forward, and Port is the left. (my Dad taught me an easy way to remember ‘port’…”It is a wine and it should be “LEFT alone”.
You may be asked to drop the anchor. Be familiar with the boat cleat and how to put the anchor rope loop through the bottom center of the open base cleat and then split and go around the outside of each post. Gordy taught me a method called snubbing the anchor. That is when there is slack line in the anchor rope----pull in the excess and tie off to the cleat. Old concept, new term for me.
Another trick that Gordy taught me was how to increase the anchor efficiency by 3X.
To secure for a storm and increase the holding strength of the anchor, slide a down rigger ball (10 pound for this task) on a carabineer clip down to the anchor. He said that method
Is utilized in the Navy handbooks.
Here is one that is different for me and it makes a lot of sense; When you bring the anchor on deck do not put it in the hatch until it can be washed off back at the dock with fresh water. That will keep the salt and slime out of the inside of the boat hatches.
I got to pole the boat for a period of time and learned a lot. Remember I use a canoe for most of my fishing. Paddle on the right.and you go to the left. Not so when polling. If you want to go to the left (port side) you need to put the pole on the port - aft side. When you push off the stern will go the opposite way of the pole and the bow will go to the side of the pole. That took a few min. to correct and go forward.
If you want to correct the direction after the push on the pole, you can use the pole as a rudder to ease the bow around a bit or slide the stern over.
Now this technique shows how creative Gordy is….When we were too deep to pole and couldn’t start the engine for fear of chasing off the tarpon as we tried to cross a channel….He used the pole as a kayak paddle. He sat down on the poling platform and eased us over the deep water---priceless.
Be aware of rings on your fingers tapping the push pole. Sound travels down that pole as our hands slide alone it..
Peter and Gordy would stake out the boat with the push pole. It is kind of like watching a pole vault in action when the guide plants the pole firmly in the sand. They will use this technique to tie off the boat rather than anchor. The force they use to plant the pole makes it difficult to remove when it is time to pick up and move. Gordy showed me a technique to remove the pole easily by twisting the pole back and forth rather than pulling it straight out to break the hold of the sand and mud.
I have spoken of all this and we haven’t even talked of making a cast!
Here is something similar to fresh water fishing, don’t rock the boat! It is critical in a canoe when casting and often forgotten when there is plenty of foot room on a casting deck. To over come the rocking, keep your feet close together and along the center line of the hull. Remember you may have a person on a polling platform and a simple movement can toss them. The water disturbance from him falling can kill the fishing.
If you have been up on the deck casting and it is time to switch out with your partner or switch from bow to stern, make a cast to clear the line from the deck THEN switch positions or hand off the rod. Don’t drag all the line across the deck.
Now to the fishing part of the experience. Take turns, the other caster may not say anything but I’m sure they are thinking about being on deck just like you would be.
All the great anglers have written books on how to catch tarpon so I will leave that for them. I will share some of the things they may not talk about. Learn to fight all fish as if it were a 80lb tarpon so when you get your shot you can be a natural at it. I take a pride in being able to break a fishes spirit quickly by using a down and dirty…even a 2lb bass.
Speaking of bass- when they take a fly they close their mouth right after they inhale.
Tarpon will inhale and NOT close their mouth. So do not strike until the fish has turned and the rod is bent over. Don’t jerk.
It may not occur to a freshwater fisherman that we don’t fight a fish while we are in the backing because it is rare that we are. Gather line back while in the backing, fight the fish when you get back to the fly line.
I saw first hand why we ‘bow to the king’
If a fish is in the water and shakes his head, the water will slow the head jerk and protect the leader some what.
If the fish jumps and there is no water resistance, he can snap the leader with a quick head shake.
I watched as a huge tarpon jumped 15ft from me and as he came down he was facing away from me. The line ran under him the full length of his body, and the line was tight- I bowed and gave as much slack as I could---thank goodness for the great leaders.
Keep the rod tip to the tail of the fish and break his spirit with the down and dirty.
That rod is water proof so go ahead and stick it under the water to get a better angle.
Always try to fight the fish from the bow. There are too many things in the way on the stern of the boat.
Here is one I bet no writer have ever told the story of; When in the heat of a battle and the rod butt jammed in to my left hip (I’m left handed- reeling with my right hand)- doing a down and dirty he turned and the tarpon bolted to the left…I then had to sweep the rod over to the right and release the palming action on the reel….at that point I had a reel handle spinning and thwacking in a dangerous place….I believe it was thwacking the tune ‘The Nut Cracker’.
The saltwater fly fishing experience with Gordy Hill and Peter Lami was one of the greatest experiences in my life. To say ‘I’ caught a tarpon would be a lie.
On the boat ride back Gordy turned on the 90hp air conditioner and with the sun on my face and the wind drying out my sweat soaked shirt, I ran through the emotions of being as happy as kissing my first girl friend, to the deep felt belief that my Dad was watching over us and he was proud that I was in the company of true Gentlemen. Thank you Both for the experience of a life time.
Regards,
Rene J. Hesse CCI
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