Costa Rica Tarpon Fishing

[qpassage]

So today I went fishing.

Hook up time!




80 Pounds, caught on a fly, 30 pound test, took an hour and a half to land. Times that baby by 5 for today's total catch. It has been a phenomenal trip this time I sure hate to head home tomorrow.
qp

 

[Kayak Jack]

As Crocodile Dundee would say, "Now.....THAT'S a fish! :wink:

 

[oldsparkey]

They don't call them the Silver Kings for nothing , five total , you had your hands full.

 

[catfish]

looks like I should have been there. looks like a lot of fun I know you had a good time. thanks for pics

 

[qpassage]

Yes 5 in an afternoon is a handful. My shoulders are still sore as heck!
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Got back State side late last night. Heading to Cumberland to trout fish in a few weeks when my boy is home on leave. It will be fun, but I suspect difficult pulling in those little Brown's and Rainbows in comparison to the big Kings. But hey that's fishing! Till then I'll just keep tying, and that other thing called work . I will post a few more pics as I get settled in and readjusted to the climate.
Thanks Bo

 

[makenmend]

Used to love fishing for them when living in the Cayman Islands, my catch to strike ratio on them was pretty much 5 to 1, got good at dodging flying hooks. Not this one though

Hooked up

 

[qpassage]

OUCH! The hook removal was our guides other service. By the last day I was taping up my fingers I set the hook twice on a big one just about the same time he decided to run. That line will burn right through the skin.
That ratio is about right. It's all about not having slack in the line when hooking them and keeping the line straight with the rod.
It was an expensive trip when it cam to equipment. Broke to Sage rods, one reel went down and 6 lines broke. Rod are under warranty thank God, still $75 bucks a line hurts. But hey that's fishing.

 

[makenmend]

That hook popped right out with some 30lb test at the hook bend and a quick whack, mind you the skin there's no where near as tough as the top of one's head ( expierience speaking) :roll:

MM

 

[oldsparkey]

If the truth was to be known I am sure there is no one out there who fly fishes and has not been struck with the fly , sometime , especially on a forward cast. I know a lot of fly fishermen who believe in the catch and release program and they pinch the barbs down on there hooks , myself being one of them .
I also enjoy a good fresh fish dinner and as far as the catch and release program it is good for the fish and even the angler when he hooks himself.

Fishing by your self in some open water it really pays to have the barb on the hook pinched down , especially on a windy day. :roll:

Chuck.
PS. Sometimes the catch of the day is not a fish.

 

[qpassage]

Couldn't agree more with you Chuck.
We catch and release all the tarpon we catch, I understand they are not that good to eat anyway.
A few facts on tarpon, the main reason you mostly catch tarpon that are around the 80 pound range is because that is as big as the male tarpon gets. The females however get huge. My buddy hooked a 225 pound (a very fat 6 footer) female and we estimated the fish to be almost 50 years old. That said, one day while we were fishing a small boat of locals sped out with 7 or 8 guys in it. They had hooked a 180-200 pound tarpon. As soon as they had it along the side of the boat one guy proceeds to beat it to death with a club. It saddened me knowing a 50 year old fish was no longer in the sport of catch and release. I guess they were hungry!
As to getting hooked. I've learned quickly to not watch what I'm doing when casting, but what my partner or guide is doing while casting. There were a few very close calls. I figured if I hooked one of them then I would get me pay back soon enough. Once you've heard the whiz of a fly singing inches from your ear you start learning the native tongues for certain words rather quickly.