Walter & Group....
We've had some questions and answers on the playing and landing of large fish in both fresh water and salt.
Here is one aspect we didn't cover.... that of the unusual fish either by size or fighting ability which offers a max. challenge.
In 48 years of fly fishing for tarpon at home in the Florida Keys, at Homosassa, Central America and the Bahamas, I've learned to apply as much pressure as the tippet and tackle will bear in order to efficiently break the spirit of the fish so that a happy release is possible. Years ago, I used to take much longer to finish off a tarpon by following the fish with the skiff and indulging the lunges and runs. It wasn't unusual for me to take over an hour or even 2 using those earlier methods. Now, I can usually land one in a fraction of that time. I now use 20# class tippets rather than the lighter ones we used in the past.
Once in a great while, we'll hook a fish which is different. One which cannot be subdued expeditiously even with our modern tackle and methods.
This happened to me yesterday morning when I finally released an unusually large tarpon after a 6+ hour battle during which I applied all the pressure I possibly could. This fish didn't jump until after several long runs. The jumps were "fish efficient" in that they were always greyhound leaps in the direction of the run. Even when close, this fish didn't respond the way most do when the "down-&-dirty" and other well known techniques were used. She was not foul hooked.... the 2/0 Owner hook dead center through the bone of the upper "lip". I released her about 3 miles from the hookup point having not indulged her by running the skiff at any point. (She literally towed the skiff for a good part of the fight with me exerting all the pressure I could nuster.)
I was alone in my skiff.
This unusual fish was still spunky as I released her after quickly removing the hook with a twist of my pliers. She shot off like a missle ! I purposely didn't try to boat the creature, but made two marks on my deck from tail to jaw for length judgement... (7' 2").
All this despite my bad judgement in using a shock tippet ( 60# FC) which had already been frayed a bit by two smaller tarpon. It held, because of the position of the hook.... not by any skill on my part.
In comumunication with Lefty, he reminded me of the incredible super black bass for which he'd fished in New Guinea which were all but impossible to land on any tackle let alone fly.
Bob Andreae and I have had a similar experience with the rare King (Chinnook) salmon in Alaska which is different than the others..... very difficult to land .... booms off with one powerful run after another each time the fish's underbelly touches the gravel bar..........
And that memorable broadbill swordfish that I caught off Miami (on trolling tackle.... 50#) back in 1970 which took me 15 1/4 hrs. to land. (I had thought it might be a record during the fight, but at 506 lbs., it wasn't) With the runs and the Gulf Stream, we landed it almost 100 miles from the hookup point off Baker's Haulover.
Some fish, like humans, are ATHLETES !
Gordy
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GOOD ADVICE from Lefty:
Gordy--That sounds like one hellava fish--and isn't it amazing how different so many tarpon are in the way they fight? I don't ant to offer advice but at your age maybe you shouldn't be fighting a monster for more than 6 hours---but I am really impressed that all held together and no sharks--incredible over that long a period--and that you handled the fish so well.
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Lefty.... Even though I happen to enjoy good health, I'll be 79 this coming November. I doubt that I'll attempt that again...and in fact had made that decision a while back. Bad things can happen when seniors or even younger anglers who have health problems do things like that. Especially when fishing alone.
My hands and arms went into spasm after that caper. I foolishly got caught up in the whole thing after two incredible runs when I tried to break the tippet and couldn't ......figured it was an "omen" or something. (Hard to break a 20# tippet with the stretch of the fly line and the 30' of 40# mono that I interpose between the Spectra backing and the fly line !)
Smarter anglers than I such as Paul Dixon have taken the position that it just isn't worth it to try to land one of these. He uses light wire hooks for his tarpon flies which will straighten out when you pull hard enough. He likes to get the jumps and then go to what we call a "long line release". I like that method because nobody gets hurt and the hook doesn't remain in the fish.
Reminds me of my good friend Mel Topence of California..... a well known big game hunter who bagged lots of game on numerous safaris in Africa and writes in the hunting journals . As he aged and got smarter. He'd be satisfied with getting the beast in the cross hairs of his scope..... knew he could kill it .... so he no longer takes the shot.
I tested the leader as I usually do after the catch ....... It broke in the middle of the class tippet.
When I was young, I cared a lot about records. Not any longer.
Gordy
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