Key West Trip

[T. Wiles]

Back in the saddle again!

We’re back from vacation, my laptop is finally up and running after landing that Nasty FBI virus (thanks PC!), and now my house is stripped down to baseboards with contractors/plumbers/ and tile-layers giving it an overhaul. Living at the dental practice for now, digging in packed boxes and suitcases. This finally gave me some time to upload some photos.

Key West Wedding Trip—My best buddy got married, and Crystal and I got to take Breelyn on her first vacation. It was a great time. More focused on the family and friends, but I did have the chance to chase some of the migratory tarpon—with many good encounters.

We are some SERIOUS overpackers!—Every outfit, outdoor gear, breast pump parts, baby gismo, frozen puree’d homemade baby food… Breelyn did awesome on the flight to Ft Lauderdale and the drive in, too.

The weather stayed perfect the entire week. The water was gin clear, and the winds stayed low… the gulping tarpon by every major dock were painful reminders that fishing was not priority #1 on this trip.
Stopped at Robbie’s on the way in:

Video of Breelyn’s first Tarpon Encounter:

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO:

Ate some great food, lounged by the pool, and endulged in a little bit of night life for my buddy’s “bachelor party” hangout. The beachside wedding and reception was perfect. Everyone had a wonderful time.

After the wedding, I had my chance to getaway early Monday morning to fish with Captain Zach Stellls. This guy was great. He put me on fish all day. The early AM waking and rolling fish were more responsive, with several long follow/chasedowns and a couple fumbled hookups. Mid Afternoon was greeted with long chains of 4 to 20 fish at a time streaming down these white sand “highways”.

These fish were in active breeding mode and weren’t eating or even noticing the flies. It was still quite a spectacle to have fish swim by the boat from all angles. Just like the videos, saw fish daisychaining in circles several times. Even saw a big hammerhead and a big permit cruise by the boat. The water was so nice, it looked as if the fish were floating in air.

After visiting a local flyshop the day after my tarpon trip…I felt a little bit better about getting skunked. “They’re stroking!” said the shop owner. Several of the local flyfishing celebrities had struggled like me.
“Everyone’s seeing thousands fish, and they’re not eating!”
One reputable guide couldn’t get them to eat live crabs; and another filming a show, left the tarpon to chum for sharks to salvage the show.
Still sucks when you blow several chances by stripping too fast, or fouling the hookset.

Highlights:
Restaurants:
HOGFISH—a dive for the locals outside Key West. By far the best seafood we found. Excellent! We ate yellowfin tuna, snapper, scallops, Unbelievable Lobster bisque, and coconut fried mahi mahi that was out of this world. We only ate there twice. Will be back.

Watching some big tarpon roll beside the restaurant:

R&R and seeing the sites:

Paddleboarding: best $25 I spent down there.
This was a blast. Had some nice juvenile tarpon chasing my fly in pairs right off the bat. Just about to get a 20-40 lb fish to feed any cast…then a pontoon boat comes through the canal and puts them down.
Scooted around some mangrove channels and flats, catching numerous barracudas and mangrove snappers. Stalked down a couple active bonnethead sharks, but they weren’t interested in the fly.
Wishing I could have got an earlier start at the rolling baby tarpon. 9:30 open time was at the close of the feeding window.

Stuck the paddle in the mud, wrapped the T-bar, and the staked-out board held well, so I could cast into the mangrove channels:

Caught a bunch of these guys:

And several more of these:

Chased down this little creek, and it opened up into a gorgeous flat:

The final morning, I scurried down the bank to get a shot at those tarpon again. Wouldn’t you know it…got some nice fish gulping. I strip out a bunch of line and land a few casts in some nervous water. Then BAM! A skiff comes racing by and puts the darned fish down. Darn!
Looked at my feet, and saw these two spiny lobsters: I had the big one pinned, but he thumped away, and I broke off a piece of his antennae.

I then hit some pilings with a zara spook, and I had a tarpon absolutely annihilate my topwater plug. He hit it so hard , and blasted a hole in the water that sprayed 2 feet high. Didn’t stick him, but man what a crash. I then sprayed off the gear, and went to the Post office to ship it back to the house.
Got the tarpon bug worse than ever now. Next time I return, I’ll be ready for these fish, and I’ll definitely be focused more on the fishing.
It’s good to be back

[Zach Matthews]

Great trip report, Travis! Your daughter is cute.

another filming a show, left the tarpon to chum for sharks to salvage the show.

That’s hilarious.

Zach

[Tim Angeli]

Good stuff Travis! Glad to see that you got into some fish while you were down there.

[Author]

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