Fishing, Flip Pallot and Bio-luminescence
Trying to figure out where to start on this report was a little challenging. It has been busy and there has been such a wide variety of things going on, I wasn't sure where to start. But, since I am a fishing guide, I will start with the latest fishing report.
It was a very busy week of fishing, as I fished with clients from Texas, Georgia and South Africa this week. One of the things I love about being a fishing guide is the variety of people you meet. I've met people from all walks of life, every corner of the earth, and every profession there is. They all have one thing in common: a love of being in the outdoors. I also love the opportunities, like I had this week, to introduce people to saltwater fishing; two of my trips this week were for people that had never spent time fishing saltwater.
The first two trips of the week were spent with a couple from Texas. We spent the first day fishing during the morning and did a night trip for the second day. Over the course of those two trips, we caught fourteen species of fish. Not a bad way to start the saltwater fishing experience! Snook, jacks, trout, redfish, black drum, flounder, snapper and more were happy to provide us with pretty much non-stop action throughout the trips. The surprise catch of the trips was 6 Tarpon Snook. This is a
species of snook that I may catch one or two in a year. We caught 6 in a single morning. While they are not as big as the Common Snook, Tarpon Snook are every bit as battle tough as their cousin. What is a Tarpon Snook? As the name implies, it looks just like you combined the shape of a tarpon with the coloration of a snook. Our night trip was made even more spectacular with the presence of Bio-luminescence taking place. This phenomenon is caused by tiny organisms that light up when they are disturbed in the water. In essence, it makes it look like you have millions of glowing, blue lights in the water. This becomes visible when a baitfish is spooked, a predator explodes on bait, the dolphins crash through the water, or while the boat is running. If you have never experience this beautiful sight, it is something you need to put on the list.
The next two days of fishing were spent with a father and son duo and a gentleman fly angler from South Africa. While the fishing wasn't quite as spectacular, we still had good days. Snook, snapper, seatrout, black drum and redfish gave us multiple bent rods and smiling faces. We had shots at some true beasts fish too, including snook over 40" and a black drum that was over 30 pounds. While the casts to these fish were off target, they still made for heart pounding action just seeing them. It can be hard for new anglers to control their "buck fever" when faced with fish such as these.
I also had a bucket list project of my own that I was able to complete this week. I spent Monday afternoon interviewing Flip Pallot. He and I sat down and discussed Walker's Cay Chronicles; the longest running outdoor show to date, which he hosted for 16 years. The interview was for a Facebook fan page of the show. It was an interview I feel very fortunate to have been able to complete, to give fans an inside understanding of how the show came to fruition, what it was like to produce the show, the work that went into the show, and what made the show so special. The interview was done in a "raw" format; no editing (except for a couple of breaks), no re-takes, no preparation; just a simple conversation between two good friends, in the natural setting. I hope everyone enjoys watching it and listening to it, as much as I did completing it.
I'll have some upcoming fly tying videos coming out over the next month, as well as plenty of fishing action too. If you are already subscribed to the website, or the YouTube channel, and enjoy what you read and see, please share with friends you think may like it. As always, if you have any questions or requests for something you would like to know or see, drop me a line. I'll do my best to answer it.
Until next time, Tight Lines and Screaming Drags to all
Captain John Tarr
