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SAFish like this don't eat a fly. It just doesn't happen.
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We were on a tarpon flat and it had been a few minutes since we had seen a fish and to make conversation - I began asking James,"if he had ever seen any permit on this flat." No sooner had "flat" slid off my tongue, did he respond with,"I see a school of tarpon." I began looking for the fish. They were easy to spot because they were gigantic, swimming high in the water column, slow and right towards us. "I've got em," I said. "Are you sure those are tarpon?" I asked after one tailed. He said, "Nope-those are PERMIT. Get the permit rod." The fish were 200ft out.
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I scrambled quietly to grab the 10wt and stealthy climbed back on the bow. It was a perfect setup. I began stripping out line as fast as I could....
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The fish were 100ft down and crosswind. I began to cast. Fish are now at 90ft. I let my cast go. It was windy and I let go thinking it would blow my fly the rest of the way but I was SHORT by about 10ft. I thought I blew it but I stripped in and let another cast sail. BOOM...right on top of the school. I expected them to spook but I felt a soft pull so I set the hook, but then nothing. James told me to keep stripping because the fish was swimming towards us. I got tight and finally felt the fish again but it wouldn't run. He had noooo idea he was hooked. 😂
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As I was fumbling around with the fish trying to get it on the reel, another school swam in and joined my fish. James grabbed our other permit rod and hopped out of the boat, hoping to double up.
My fish suddenly came alive and it was GAME ON. I was floating away from the fish as James pursued the school..I waited as long as I could, but I had to start the motor out of fear of getting spooled. I couldn't slow him down. Just as James had gotten set up and was ready to cast, I yelled at him that I had to start the motor (I'm still so sorry, babe!). The flat is completely mud...mud to your waist. So as I idled around chasing my permit, James slowly made his way towards me. By the time he made it to the boat, he tailed my fish. I still don't believe it. You never, ever know what's gonna happen when you're fishing!
📷 @jamezjohnson
@sageindendi
