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By Capt. Tony Petrella
Seven of us were motoring across The Tongue of the Ocean, crossing from Biscayne Bay to Bimini, on a Morgan 41. Since I never have been much of a blue water sailor, I was content to troll a fly off the stern while a couple of the other guys “helped” the Captain.
The sun was hot, the winds were mild. We had boated a smallish tuna and several barracuda, and life was good. Until my reel started a crazy falsetto and my under-gunned rod throbbed violently.
“Oops,” I immediately told myself. “This feels like trouble in one very large and unmanageable package.” I was right.
“Back it down,” I yelled to the skipper. “Something big and ugly ate my fly.” Two things then happened simultaneously. The boat slowed, and my rod quit pumping like a piston.
“Never mind. I guess it broke off,” I yelled again. The Captain engaged the throttle and I figured I’d reel in and tie on a fresh fly. Except there still was something wobbly going on at the end of my line.
“Wait a minute,” I yelled yet again. And I could guess the Captain was getting a bit disgusted with his “angler.”
“Must have hooked something smaller when I started reeling in,” I said to Dan Smith, who’d sidled up to see what was happening. Then I got real confused. “What the heck is THAT?” I asked. Dan shrugged.
It turned out THAT was the head of a barracuda. A very, very large barracuda. We stood there, quietly thinking about what ate the rest of that fish, and all of a sudden that 41-foot boat seemed very small and very vulnerable.
Maybe that’s why I’m quite content these days to stay within hailing distance of Casey Key. Even though migrating tarpon can be big and bullish, I know that I’m still at the top of the food chain. I like that feeling.
There is an incredibly mysterious attraction to catching super-sized fish with a fly rod in deep water, however. Tuna, billfish, wahoo and all the rest of the “Pelagic species” bring a massive adrenalin rush to the man or woman holding a flimsy stick of carbon fiber.
So, if you fall into that category of angler, here are some tips, techniques, and suggestions that undoubtedly will make your quest less frustrating.
The first one seems mighty simple. But since common sense is in short supply these days, take careful note of this. Because it comes from a fellow named Stu Apte, who at one time or another has held at least 44 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world records.
“It actually might be more than that ,” Stu said the other day, “but I found the certificates for those 44.”
So listen-up, everybody!
“The most important thing an angler must do before going after big-game fish is to borrow a 12-weight or 13-weight rod from a fly shop or a friend and find out if he or she can cast it,” Stu said. “You won’t have to cast very far, but if you can’t get the fly out at least 30 feet, it’s not gonna happen.
“Next,” he continued, “have a friend hold a BogaGrip 30 feet away. Tie your leader to it, and see if you can pull hard enough to register 12 pounds on that Boga.
“If you can’t, you’d better strengthen your arms and chest before getting onto a boat. Casting isn’t important, but fighting the fish IS.”
Pretty basic advice, eh?
Well, you’d be absolutely shocked at the number of trout and smallmouth anglers who head south in search big-game fish who’ve never even touched a 12-weight rod.
Believe me, the difference between a 4-weight and a 12 is like going from a Volvo to driving an 18-wheeler. “Practice, practice, practice,” Stu repeated.
The inevitable question that pops up at this point is: “Which rod should I buy?”
During the 20 years I was a manufacturer’s representative in the fly fishing industry, I always simply replied: “The one you can cast the best.” Go to your local fly shop, or one of the myriad consumer shows, and cast every 12-weight you can get your hands on.
One of them will feel like a magic wand in your hand. Buy it. Then practice, practice, practice. Of course, depending upon which species you plan to target, you might need to raise the bar even higher. Black marlin more than 1,000 pounds (nicknamed “Granders”), for instance, will put even a 16-weight rod to the test.
In Florida waters, your most notable antagonists (in order of the current state record weights for fly-caught fish) are bull shark (389lb 4oz), lemon shark (288lb 8oz), and tarpon (202lb 8oz).
Toss in amberjack (103lb 12oz), cobia (83lb 4oz), white marlin (68lb), Atlantic sailfish (55lb 8oz), and king mackerel (55lb) and you’ve got a lot of ferocity to contend with.
Take your time. Cast all of the rods that are out there. And remember that price doesn’t automatically mean best—best for YOU, or best, period!
Once that business has been settled, next comes that little round thing attached to the end of the rod. You know, the thing that spins around madly when a fish of substance sucks down a fly.
Obviously, a high-quality reel with a train-stopping drag is essential. As with fly rods, the list of choices is long and the names are legendary, going all the way back to when Seamaster and Fin-Nor fly reels essentially created the sport of saltwater fly fishing in the mid-1950s.
Of course, I have a video of the estimable Lee Wulff (whose first saltwater guide was a skinny kid named Stu Apte), catching an enormous tuna with a one-piece rod and a Pflueger Medalist reel. So, does angler skill surpass tackle?
Well, when you’re talking about Lee Wulff and fly fishing, it’s like Ted Williams and hitting a baseball.
In any event, what Seamaster and Fin-Nor created ultimately spawned such notable reel makers as Ted Jurasik (Pate/Tibor), Steve Able, and lately Terry Hayden.
What all of their reels have in common is a disc drag system that eliminates breakaway torque, also known as startup drag. That smooth transition from the immediate jolt, followed by a searing run, to a consistent tension on the fish without “grab” is why you pay the big bucks for these names.
Can you get by with lesser quality? Go back and read the part about Lee Wulff again. If you’re in a class with guys like him, or Stu, or Lefty Kreh, or Flip Pallot, maybe you can.
Personally, I’ll opt for the better gear. Every time! Don’t skip your mortgage payment, but buy the best equipment you can comfortably afford. Because you’ll only have to buy it ONCE.
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