After days of driving threw record breaking snow storms doing 500 miles in 4

wheel drive with my hands gripped so tight to the wheel that it hurt to stretch

them out after. Thinking what i left behind my friends,family the most beautiful

girl i ever laid eyes on to go to a place i knew nobody had no place to stay but

did know it was home to one of the most challenging fish on fly so with

a truck packed with rods, reels, clothes and after a long guide season in New

York the Florida keys was going to be home for the winter months and tarpon

was on the menu.

When first rolling into key largo i decided then to make the drive straight to key

west so i would have an idea on where to set up shop and after a full day of

cruising back and fourth on US1 Islamorada was definitely the place for me.

Doing my research before i left i knew daytime tarpon are just about

nonexistent in January but at night these resident fish group up between the

pilings at all the bridges that separate these small islands and wait for mullet

and shrimp to be swept out from the gulf side into the ocean. When the sun sets

and night fall hits the dinner bell starts ringing so for me it couldn't get dark fast

enough...

I arrived at the channel 2 bridge a little after 10pm and started suiting up for the

outgoing tide, checking all me gear to make sure my knots were strong and i had

everything i needed in my chest pouch. I strapped on my stripping basket and

started making my descend down a small hill that led underneath the north side

of the bridge. The shoreline was very rocky and the water from the gulf swept

threw making its way into the ocean at a rapid pace causing big swirls and rips

behind each piling. As i tried to pic out a good rock to stand on where there were

no obstacle's in the way of my backcast and had access to land a fish if i hooked

up i was suddenly startled by the first fish of the night smashing the surface.

My heart started to pound and i proceeded to get my footing and strip out my fly

line into the basket that hung around my waist. I remember thinking "this is it

your finally here after that nightmare of a drive leaving everything you know

back home your gonna cast to your first tarpon" The fish that lured me

hundred's of miles south for the winter.

The first cast of the night was a little short of where i wanted to put the fly, as i

made long strips with the fly line it felt good to be finally casting a rod. My

second cast was right on the mark laying out in the rip where that fish surfaced

a little earlier but stripped it in without a touch. As i started to make my next

cast another fish busted the surface right in front of me and it was large the

sound echoed under the bridge!

Tens casts in without so much as a sniff stripping threw feeding fish somthing

had to be switched up so before tying on a new fly i figured let me try a different

retrieve and instead of stripping the fly in i'll fish it by using a technique called

"swinging" which is pretty much just keeping contact with the line but letting

the current give the fly action as it gets swept down and within 10 seconds of

that cast BOOM I CAME TIGHT! The sudden jerk of line got my attention

immediately and as the line shot threw my hands taking the first layer of skin

along with it the fish went air born tumblesaulting 5ft off the water! I watched

the silhouette of him spit my fly out of his mouth and knew right away what

tarpon fever meant.

So thats how the night went on my next 5 fish taught me a lesson in man against

beast and frustration was really starting to settle in. I decided a 5 minute break

was in order so i sat back on a rock behind me put the rod down and stretched

out my back while taking in the night so far. Regaining my composer i took one

last drag of my smoke and was eager to start casting again.

When i felt the take of what i think was the 7th fish of night i stuck him reel solid.

As i leaned my rod back to the right parallel with the water the fish gave me

enough time before realizing he was hooked to pump my rod back and fourth

couple of times embedding the fly in its mouth. The first jump was epic and when

the fish landed it sounded like a truck just accidently drove off the top of the

bridge into water. The backing on my reel ripped threw the guides and it was

off the races!The fish was starting to get tuff to see but i can still feel and hear

every jump as he ran down current into the ocean. This was so far the longest

iv'e been able to keep a fish on without him spitting the hook on me and Being

told by a good friend of mine that tarpon fishes often if you get past the first 5

jumps you usually own em so at this point i was feeling confident.

I kept pressure on the fish as i felt every head shake and swipe of the tail and

the fight started to change over the course of time she was getting tired.

I was gaining lots of line and the fish

seemed close enough that i turned my light on to get a first glance at what iv'e

been battling all night. The size of the fish threw me off at first without a doubt

the biggest fish iv'e ever landed from the shore on fly! I could see the fish was

ready so i slipped on my glove and eased her between an opening that was in

front me along the shore. I popped the fly out of her mouth examined the

remarkable fish for minute and then began the reviving process with one hand

under the tail and other under the belly rocking the fish back fourth to get water

threw its gills. The fish was regaining her strength and suddenly gave a big kick

of the tail and off she went disappearing into the darkness of the water.

"I want to thank Marvin, a homeless guy

that set up camp from time to time under the channel 2

bridge and that i was lucky enough to have him

watch this night unfold and take this photo for

me. Hope you enjoyed those mangrove snapper

fillets i gave ya over your fire"

Throughout my fishing career there are lots of memorable catches that stick out

in my mind and my first tarpon is definitely on the top of the list. I can't wait to

make my next journey back to the keys and visit my giant silver friends.

this story was inspired by the ocean giver.