# My First and Second Tarpon!



## 737flynfish (May 1, 2007)

First, Sorry It not a Texas story , But a Florida Story, But I may have A Texas story next week after a trip down to Port A! 
Anyways, It's two months after the event and I'm finally getting around to sharing some pictures. I fished with my friend (Gump) and a guide for 2 days around Lower Matecumbe key. Day one was mostly practice. Practice seeing the fish, practice casting to the fish, and practice not hitting them in the head with the fly. Well day 2, We saw lots of big (80-120lb) fish and Gump and I had a few shots, and follows, then Bammm. I hooked my FIRST Tarpon on an 11WT flyrod. She was certainly over 100Lbs and made a Top-fuel run shooting backing off the reel, then I slowly worked her back to the boat were she jumped a few times and broke off about 10 feet from the boat. But not before Gump got this picture of her! 
Day 3 and 4 we took Gumps boat and moved south to Big Pine Key, and stayed at a lodge near the No Name Pub. We had heard about the Worm hatch and were on the lookout around Bahia Honda Key. Day 3, around dusk, we saw a few worms and saw 20-30 Tarpon rolling around the the bridges. We wanted to fish, but a huge thunderstorm was bearing down on us so we raced back to the camp and watched it rain sideways for half and hour. Day 4 we fished the evening with live crabs and hooked two more Tarpon in the 100+lb range. Again we got some great shots.


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## flynut (Jun 30, 2009)

*tarpon*

thanks for sharing. i want to fish that area real bad. what did the guide run you?


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## 737flynfish (May 1, 2007)

My bud is friends with the guide who lives around Melbourn beach. Frank rents a house every year for 2 months in the keys and has standing reservations from repeat clients. He had a cancelation for 2 days that he offered to us. We stayed at his house 2 nights and fished 2 days. I think it was 5-600 a piece include a good tip.
Frank is a great guide, has 3 boats to suite the situation. Mosquito lagoon would also be a great trip! Here is his info. 

Frank Catino
Fly Fishing Guide
(321) 223-7700


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

Excellent e Pics.. I have seen similar in that hole. Wish we could feech it sometime. Thanks for sharing


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## conk jr (Jun 11, 2010)

awesome pics


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## TopAholic (Mar 11, 2005)

very nice!!! Thanks for sharing!


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## 2catsfishin (Jun 27, 2010)

nice fish you got there


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## REELING 65 (Aug 18, 2009)

Real nice Tarpon pic's. Congrats!


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## mozingo1952 (Sep 29, 2004)

I have fished the Bahia Honda area several times. It is cool to be
fishing 5 minutes from the dock. One night, just outside that missing 
bridge span in your picture , the tarpon were busting all over the 
surface, not rolling , but busting bait like crazy . It lasted long enough 
for us to catch a couple, then shut down.

MO


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## 737flynfish (May 1, 2007)

Just finalized plans to spend 6 days fishing the keys next May. 2 days with the guide Frank in _Islamorada_ , 2 or 3 on my friends boat, around Bahia Honda, and maybe a day fishing the reefs and wrecks for dinner fish! Cant wait to get a **** stuck to the end on a loomis 11wt.​


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## promark03 (Dec 17, 2010)

Cool stuff. I need to go out with a guide one day. I still haven't caught a Tarpon.


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