Florida Keys May 7-18th 2001
A truly different season with the weather, but considering the poor conditions we still jumped a lot of Tarpon. I headed back to Key West and hooked up with my dear friend Rodger Glaspey. We had scheduled 5 days of Tarpon fishing with Captain Bruce Chard. (Bruce is pictured on the cover of the May/June issue of Fly Fishing in Salt Water Magazine) This marks my 5th year in a row fishing with Bruce and I continue to think that he is an excellent guide and spotter of fish. We have a lot of fun together during our time on and off the water.
The first week of this trip was like the one I took in April with Kelly Galloup, very windy! So windy in fact that Rodger exited a few days early and went home to spend some time with his family. I did hook and land a 120 + pound fish that Rodger watched from beginning to end, this fish has him planning for next season! He will be meeting up with Bruce for Tarpon in 2002 for sure.
The day after Rodger left the weather started to improve, 27 days of blowing winds were finally calming down. At this point my friend Gonzalo from Chile, arrived to fish with Bruce and I. We rocked them! With the improved weather we were able to fish our favorite areas. As best as we can estimate, with day and night fishing we had more than 50 Tarpon take our flies. Of these fish only 8 made it to the boat. The biggest one I got to the boat was estimated to be 140 plus pounds. We broke no rods and only lost three fly lines to some very strong fish and bridges. This is by far the most exciting fly fishing I have ever done.
Thanks to Billy Pate back in 1981, my fishing life has forever been changed. I've often said that if I could only take one more fishing trip in my life, it would be for Tarpon! Bruce Chard is an exceptional Guide, person, and friend, if looking to go after some Tarpon you would be wise to give him a call at 305-872-4996. We stayed at the Dolphin Resort and Marina on Little Torch Key for the second season. It is a very nice place and close to good fishing. The staff are excellent and your not far from Key West, Marathon, or Islamorada. Next year we will also stay at Dolphin Resort because it is where Bruce Chard launches his boat from most of the time. Contact them at 800-553-0308 or 305-872-2685. I did all my Tarpon fishing with my new Jim Teeny Signature Fly Rod by Lamiglas. I used the 12/13 weight and it handled very well and was quite strong for fighting those big fish. The rod is also light in weight so it makes casting much easier. Our new signature Series rods are all 9 foot 4 piece and range from a 4 weight to a 10 weight, and the 12/13. We fished with our Flip Pallot and Lefty Kreh lines, which are the best saltwater lines I have ever used. What I learned from this past Tarpon season is that you are truly at the mercy of the weather. Even as bad as it was weather wise, Bruce could still find some fish for us to cast to. On the other side I hope never to see such wind in Florida during Tarpon season again!
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