Snuck back down this week to chase Tarpon in SW Florida on Fly. 2 out of the 3 days fished were pretty epic. Day 1 we started out in the backcountry of the 10,000 Islands area looking for early slow rolling or laid up tarpon. Tide was pushing back out so we focused on Lee side of bays with still some current and found plenty of laid up or rolling fish. The rolling fish just didn't see interested in eating as they were constantly on the move but the laid up fish ate every single time if you got the fly placement just right. A foot past their mouth and a foot in front of them. The idea is to cast past the fish by a couple feet and then slowly strip the fly right in front of them about a foot away. Less than a foot away could and does spook them and more than a foot away they are just too damn lazy to move to get it. I had about 11-12 really good shots and got 7 to eat and 4 landed. The highlight of this day was seeing a giant fish laid up in about 2' of water, her back was nearly sticking out of water and laying motionless practically under a mangrove with her head just poking out enough to have a shot. Problem was I had 1 chance and 1 chance only. We "poled" over to her as quiet as we could and got about a 30' cast with her facing away (very hard fly cast). I landed it perfectly and 2-3 strips and she inhaled it! Set the hook like a champ as she turned her head and within seconds she's pulled off all my fly line and deep into my backing. Halfway across the bay she comes out of the water and then we really noticed how big she was. All of 160#..she cut around the corner of bay and out into the channel and eventually we had to chase her. She was heading out to sea…no doubt about it. At times it was as if she wasn't even hooked..just swimming and showing us who was boss. I wasn't having it! Put some serious heat on her and got her back to the boat within 20 mins. Too big to do anything with her as she still was full of piss and vinegar. Popped the fly boatside and now my PB on fly. All of a safe 160#. The rest of fish that day were in the 65# to 100#. By 10am we headed out into the salt and chased migrating fish cruising high in water column or laid up. A couple fish I hooked out in the salt i ended up breaking leader or hooks halfway through the fight. Day 2, was awesome! Fished all day in the salt and had a good 20-30 shots at fish. I ended up with 7 fish that day, hooked 13 and had another 2-3 fish eat but fly never stayed stuck. Had seversl fish hooked I had to break off on purpose a few minutes into the fight cause the 14' hammerhead was on to us and me constantly hooking fish every half hour of the day. He hung around the boat all day. It was crazy. He just knew…I'd hook a fish, jump in 1-2 times and here comes this giant hammerhead after my Tarpon. So as soon as we saw him starting to chase my fish I'd lock down on fly reel with my hand and break them off. It sucked! I could have landed so many more fish if that damn shark stayed away! I've been chasing Tarpon on fly many years but this trip I really learned to zero in my skills and learn how to really fight wind and fly casting. It can get so frustrating trying to punch a fly into a stiff 15 mph wind and be dead accurate or make a nice 30-50' back cast with wind and fish moving faster than you think. I certainly blew plenty of chances and all these fish a 1000% would eat every single fly if it was placed just right. They all wanted to eat! It's just so damn hard in this saltwater fly game to be perfect. Add in wind, tide and fly line management in big wind and it can get stressful! If I was perfect I would have hooked over 40-50 fish. Nobody is perfect. Not even the best salt tarpon fly casters but each trip I keep improving and my odds improve. So many things can go wrong. I even had 100# tarpon chase fly boatside like a Muskie and eat, only to not be able to strip set at such a close angle and get tight to fish at your feet. Tarpon would miss the fly, not once, not twice but three times trying to eat it and then just give up because it's too much work or they are on to you and know your there. When they are migrating at times you swear they are moving so slow and have all day to make the perfect cast. Then you cast trying to lead the fish and by the time your fly lands it's on its back or behind the fish. Then quickly water haul and recast only to be too late. You've got to be so fast and accurate in this game at all times. Ready at all times or you lose! Starring into the water all day looking for laid up or moving fish can play tricks on your mind. You stare into the water all the time looking for Tarpon. It's all sight casting. No blind casting. You have to see the fish to make a cast. By the end of the day your eyes are done…fried…starring into the water column with bright sun trying to find a laid up or moving fish or strings of moving fish. Day 3 sucked! The wind picked up out of the south and the salt became all mud. So we tucked into the backcountry but that south wind brought southern heat and the water temps spiked so much in the backcountry and the fish all wanted to be in the salt. So we saw maybe 3 fish all day…I made 1 cast. All day. That's what can get ya as a fly caster for these fish. 2 days great and last day you stand on a raised platform on bow all day with rod and fly in had awaiting a fish close enough to cast to. I made 1 cast to a rolling fish and it was good cast. She either didn't see the fly or wasn't in the mood. All in all a stellar fly trip. I got again more saltwater fly casting experience in 2 days than most guys get in weeks down there. I became a much better fly caster, learned to cast in big wind and learned from all my mistakes. I made many! Once I corrected the mistake I became deadly with a fly rod for Tarpon and it's good feeling to bust your ass all day in 90+ weather and hot sun, covered head to toe for protection, sweating your ass off and making the right casts. You walk away knowing you "earned" that bite and that fish! The addiction to catch these fish on fly is so bad my wife said I was mumbling about laid up fish in my sleep last night and strip setting the "dreamed tarpon" I was fighting. I love most fishing techniques and species but truly sight fishing the saltwater for Tarpon or Permit is so damn exciting and fun. Every tarpon hooked on fly feels like the very first time. I've now hooked well over 100 Tarpon in my lifetime and I swear every eat feels like the first time. It's truly a special game to play!