Lesson Plans / Tarpon fishing

My apologies on the fact that I lost the important attachment which was to go with Ally Gowans' note on lessons. I'll try to get him to send it again so you won't miss it.

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A lot of great info on lesson planning. I couple years ago I made up a "lesson planner". I use it as a guide to design a specific lesson plan. It was primarily designed for group lessons/schools/workshops/clinics/demos etc. for all aspects of flyfishing - although it also works for private lessons with just a little tweeking. I had been getting calls from a variety of groups with different needs and objectives and sometimes found it difficult to decide what exactly the lesson should be about and what I should do. Anyway the attached spreadsheet is the fruits of my labor!! I realize for reviewers it may create more questions than answers because of definitions and understanding what the words mean but I designed it for myself and have not written it up for public consumption. However, I think the concept is valid and may help someone else design their own.

Basically, I teach all aspects of fly fishing. So on the left side of the chart I have divided flyfishing into 6 categories of Abilities and Knowledge one must aquire to be a complete fly fisher. Then I have a list of subjects within each category at various skill levels (subjective) that would be possible to address in a lesson. Across the top I have the student & instructor objective, with appropriate Instructor Student Ratios, and average time per student needed for casting instruction.

From there for a specific request or proposal I fill in the blanks with notes on subject and time alotted focusing on meeting the objectives. The attached lesson planner is filled out for a specific example I described in the upper left corner. After working with the lesson planner until I'm fairly satisfied with results, I make up the class outline & schedule to include Intro and Wrap-up as well as breaks and lunch. I also have a check list for facilities and accomodations and usually get that info before I make up a specific lesson plan. (It is important to know if you can go outside to cast or whether room design allows for fly-o etc. )

I then develop instructor note cards, props, and handouts as appropriate for each teaching segement. I have generic instructor note cards for many subjects (i.e. rods, reels, 4Part/Overhead cast, roll cast, casting weighted flys and lines, Leaders & tippets, Knots ), that provides enough info to achieve the first three objectives. I have many props from slides, pictures, & equipment to live aquatic insects. I have handouts made up as well. Of course I'm always updating or tailoring the note cards, props and handouts to the group I'm addressing and also add new ones as needed. This way I build a file of notes, props and handouts that can be used in the future. It gets easier and easier to get ready for a class. I always practice at least the more difficult or important teaching segments and especially if I have changed the notes or am trying a new approach.

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Gordy just to change the topic . I have a question about large tarpon techniques.

I have spent some time studying Stu Apt, Billy Pate , and others on bringing in large Tarpon quickly.

About a year ago I hooked and fought a large Tarpon and brought the leader to hand .

1) In deeper water 30' to 50 ' can one expect the fight to last longer than in shallow water say 15'. I have been told my lengthy fight was because of the deeper water. I am wondering if another technique would of made a difference . By the way, I pulled as hard as I felt would be appropriate without breaking the line.

2) I have heard that some use the strip strike to set the hook for Tarpon . I have always been told to use the scissor strike. I have also been told that it is superior in driving in the hook into the boney plates in their mouths.

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Main reason is that you are pulling the fish in an upward direction wheneve he's deep to the skiff. You can't exert anywhere near the pressure on the critter compared to pressuring him on the surfact with your rod tip low to the water.

In Australia, I was able to land tuna on fly in water only about 6' to 10' deep ...... large enough fish that I know I'd have had no chance of landing in deep water. Same reason.

Another reason, is that in deep water, the tarpon may not expend energy by leaping as often as in shallow water. Then, you may not be able to break his spirit. I, once, hooked a huge tarpon at 6:30 pm on a flat. This fish jumped only once, then got out into deeper water. I didn't land him until 1:10 am the next morning !!!

I've since learned some tricks to help bring the critter to the surface ..... has to do with how the skiff is positioned. Doesn't always work.

A shark is much more likely to devour your tarpon when fighting deep. Years ago, I brought a tarpon to the skiff in deep Gulf water after the fish left the flat. My brother, Mack, held the bite tippet and was within seconds of lip gaffing the fish with a hand gaff when a large tiger shark came from under the skiff and took the head off the tarpon. Mack would have lost his hand if he'd sunk that gaff.

2.) By pointing the rod at the fish and using a brisk strip strike, I can gain more strike force than with the scissors strike. Try that with a scale which has a, "stop" indicator and you will agree. Note that I said, "pointing the rod at the fish". Now, in the event that you don't do that, or if there is not great tension on the line before the strike, then the scisssors strike will be better.

A simpler method to prove the point: Tie your tippet to a tree trunk. Back off about 60'. Now, try to break it by using various strike methods. You'll find that if you come tight first, rod pointed at the tree ...... THEN use a powerful and crisp strip strike you will break it most easily. Anything you do with the rod will be less effective.

I will often see the tarpon inhale the fly. If I strike at that point, I always lose the fish .... because the tarpon will take that fly and not close his big bucket sized mouth until he turns away from me. He won't let it go, however .... so you can wait and often must wait until he's no longer facing you. Even then, I teach my anglers to let the rod bend way down with lots of pressure before striking. Failure to do that is the primo reason that most trout and salmon fishermen lose many tarpon on the strike.

This is so great a problem, that I, now, have the first time tarpon fisherman use a two handed slow retrieve with the fly rod under the arm. The fish takes the fly, then it takes so long for the excited angler to get control of the rod, that the fish can come tight and the strike be effective.

A related fish story: Last evening we all had dinner at Gordon Baggett's lodge on Cudjoe Key. One of his guides and his angler were there. They had hooked a big poon which had run straight out into the Ocean.

The guide followed the visable fly line and grabbed it. Still moving toward the fish, they knotted it back together, reeled it up, and then fought and landed the critter !!!!!

The honored guest of the evening was Laurence Baggett .... his birthday. The real honored guest, however, turned out to be a Palola worm in a bottle of sea water. It was passed around the table as it swam in circles in the bottle...... just as it would at sea hoping not to be inhaled by a tarpon !

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I could bore you all to death with many tarpon stories. Mercifully, I'll show restraint. G.

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