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ONE
CAST, TWO NIGHT-TIME TARPON
Details of Rich Hosley’s late eve
tarpon at north Long Cay channel, Belize – Rich
hooks up a 40# tarpon about 15 minutes before dark,
makes 4 spectacular jumps and takes off on a great
run. On for about 10 minutes and hook pulls loose.
Rich is reeling his line in and has most of it
retrieved when the line tightens up and someone
yells, “the fish is still on!” Then about 50 feet
to the left of the boat, a great tarpon comes flying
out of the water and continues to make two more
jumps. All of us realize that this fish is about
twice as big as the first one – there is no doubt
that this new fish on Rich’s line is in the 80#
range and that somehow, Rich traded in his smaller
tarpon for this new one. Line is screaming off the
reel and we realize that the backing is almost
gone. Dean fires up the motor and closes distance
on the fish while Rich retrieves line. We’re now
running parallel to Long Cay, pursuing the fish.
The fish is running strong and taking line – Rich’s
reel is screaming with resistance and all of a
sudden the spool spins off the reel and lands 8 feet
left of the boat in the water. Rich yells, “my reel
is overboard.” Don grabs the line and starts
pulling in the reel. Soon the reel comes into the
beam of the headlamp and we see that the backing is
entirely gone and the line is tied to the spool.
There is nothing left if the fish makes another
run. Quickly, Dean speeds up to try to keep the
tarpon from taking any line while the reel is
reassembled. Soon everything is back together, but
still not operating right – the spool still wants to
come off. Realizing we’re never going to land the
fish with this reel, Dean and Don begin preparing to
switch the line to a new reel. Just then, Rich
says, “he’s gone.” The line is slack – the backing
had separated, probably some slack line allowed it
to hit a coral head.
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Fly Fishing Adventures
888-347-4896
flyfish@napanet.net
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