Tune in on Channel 2 for Tarpon, Florida Keys Style

By Greg Poland

Greg & Harry looking for Kings

At Mile marker 73, is the famed Channel 2 Bridge, as one from atop can claim everything from Yellowtail Snapper to the famed Silver Giants of Florida, the Tarpon. If on the other hand you happen to be in a boat, your chances of big Tarpon increase with your hours out on the water, understanding the tides and knowing the fish, the baits, their habits and the best way to hook'er up! Added to this, you acquire a guide, who has this knowledge and has lived there, most his life, your in for a rocking good time out on the water with a hook set guarantee, if its Greg Poland at the helm! 

 

Harry & Cristy Kirk from Austin, Texas chartered me out in finding him the biggest fish he could muster, in saltwater and one to which he could not only have bragging rights on but be proud to have caught too. Christy was along for the ride, moral encouragement and to take the pictures of our prized catch of the day. We set out for the historical old Flagler bridge or as us locals call it, the channel 2 bridge which offers some great catches from tarpon, snook, snapper, permit, shark and numerous other types of creatures with fins. 

Live-well with Mullet

Our quarry; the Silver King, our Famed Florida Tarpon. The Channel 2 bridge is an older structure and as such offers vertical structure, along with an accumulation of bottom debris over the years, giving the area not only a hiding place for baits but ambush predators, like tarpon on the outflow can take up position behind anything that blocks the current. Armed with all our equipment, compliments of OHERO, we fished free-lined mullet on circle hooks attached to OHERO 50 pound Fluorocarbon attached to OHERO Blue Braid in a true complement to any hook up from sharks to the Silver Giant. Upon the first cast, the mullet changed its direction in swimming up, against the current, behind a block of the bridge and in a beeline to the structure below when that all too familiar sucking sound echoed from under the bridge and this silver streaking locomotive of pure energy exploded next to the boat in the first of many a run to safety. A good twenty to thirty minutes of to and fro as Harry played the game of Fish on! 

Harry Fights the Tarpon As Cristy shoots the shot!

Harry, stated it was the time of his life and he was happy to have shared it with his wife Cristy and Greg, stating it was the biggest saltwater fish he had ever caught and impressive it was too, I exclaimed at about one hundred and twenty-five pounds is nothing to sneeze about for a first timer or pro alike! Later, that evening, celebrations were in order at Ziggie's, where it was martini's and the best steak in town, along with pictures and a fish story to die for. 

Practicing CPR on this 125 pound Silver King

 

 

Greg Poland, "Come fish the Keys with me!"

State of NC Stops Trout Fishing because of Cold

A ban, lasting until at least Feb. 11, when the Marine Fisheries Commission will consider opening the closure at its meeting in Pine Knoll Shores, went into effect, today at noon, 01/14/2011, for all speckled trout to protect fish stocks, from being easily caught from the cold. The trout, just like our Snook here in Florida become lethargic, come to the surface to warm up. The State of North Carolina Fish & Game now sound like NOAA in that they too are of putting themselves into a lie. Lethargic fish do not bite, so how are they an easier catch, unless one is scooping them up with a dip net, which is already illegal? Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman Rob Bizzell says “the decision comes after 'cold stun' events in rivers, bays and creeks along the coast. When the trout are stunned by cold temperatures, they come to the surface to warm up, making them easy to catch.” I wonder what is really behind this ban, any thoughts?

Tied Flies

And we do not mean a pesky little fly caught in the act of eating my sandwich, arrested and tied up for execution.



We mean Hand Tied Fishing Flies for catching Fish. For a number of years I spent time in Central and South America, then later all over Africa. There wasn't much to do out there, besides my work, so I gathered hairs to feathers and tied flies to pass the time away.



Later on, when living here in Florida, I found a couple of my Tupper-ware containers, to which contained all these insects I had tied many moons past.



Some, the hooks had rusted away and I had, Ha-Ha-Ha, barbed-less hooks on rather beautiful flies with an eye to tie but no hook. I put them aside until of late, as I pulled out my late father’s old Cortland center pin reel with its St. Regis Bamboo fly rod. Together, I was matched to catch fish, saltwater to freshwater.



Being older now and my fingers are not as limber, not to mention I can spot a pod of Tarpon at 200 yards away but cannot for the life of me see what I am writing without my glasses; hence, no more new flies.



Here are but a few more unnamed little guys you might like to see, that is if you too are into tied flies.




These others were tied while attending University at USF in Tampa; making them a bit newer:
















There are a bunch more, but I have not the time to show, I got to Fly.

"FISH ON!"