Filming in the Keys (3/21 - 3/26)
Well what can I say . . . mixing film with fish can sometimes cause issues. This time around Mother Nature was really hard on us. Sustained winds of 20-25MPH and gusting to 30 sure made casting challenging every day. Not to mention the waves and water clarity issues. Since we were in Key West we gave it the old college try and made the best of it.
The first day we fished the Marquesas as Plan B since we could not reach Plan A in the high seas. We managed a few Barracuda and a good shark on the fly. Day two had us rocking and rolling offshore of Key West in search of bluewater species. Filming was near impossible in the BIG seas but I did manage to get 3 Sailfish to eat flies but none resulted in the solid hook up we needed : (
Got some nice Tarpon shots with the camera though
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/120978.jpg
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/120979.jpg
Day 3 was cancelled due to the high winds : (
Fished the last 2 days in gentle breezes (well not exactly) with Capt. Justin Rea (www.stingreacharters.com). While I've known him for a couple years now and have heard plenty of great things this was my first time on the water with him. His good friend Capt. Kyle Giampaoli (www.marcoislandflyfishing.com) who guides out of Naples came down to help out as a camera boat. He was a huge help and I can't wait to chase some Snook and Tarpon with him in his neck of the woods.
The conditions continue to be far less than stellar down here with sustained winds of 20-25MPH, gusting to 30. Not exactly perfect fly-fishing weather. We were here to film some shows and did what we could to go with the flow.
Day one with Justin had us fishing around Sugarloaf Key in search of Barracuda. Casting and sight-fishing was challenging but Justin knew where the fish were and we had fun getting some great strikes from the 'Cuda's but only one managed to get the hook end of the fly in the right place. Making the best of things we did have a blast catching plenty of Bonnethead's on the fly. He gave me the "secret" Bonnethead fly and WOW was it ever. I have never had Bonnethead's absolutely pounce on flies like these fish did. It was a lot of fun on an otherwise nasty weather day.
You never know what you are going to see so you need to be ready for anything
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/121259.jpg
Day 2 with Justin had us fishing west of Key West in search of Permit. No sooner did we cut the engine and before I knew it I had shots at three different Permit.
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Two of the three fish charged the fly and tried to eat. A combination of wind, waves and dusty water made it tough for them to keep on the fly. What a rush to watch these fish get fired up and figure 8 looking for it. We continued on and over the course of the afternoon we had MANY good shots at the Permit. The howling wind made it a real challenge getting the fly to exactly where it needed to be. It was blowing so hard that the stripping basket was being bent over sideways and the line was getting sucked out. . I'm going to guess we had somewhere between 12 - 14 decent shots with at least half of the fish reacting positively to the fly and 3 really wanting to eat. That being said we never got a solid hook up but it was still very exciting. My Permit skills are lacking though so I'll take much of the blame for no hook ups. . Justin did a great job coaching me on the presentation. Aside from the Permit we had fun catching some nice Jack Crevalle off the backs of mudding Rays.
Flat sure looked pretty in the sun but the wind was evil
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One of the larger Jacks got blindsided by a Lemon that came out of nowhere .
One real bummer today was that we found a real good school of very respectable Redfish and when I tossed a crab at them they rushed the fly only for a tiny Jack to beat them to it and steal it . The Reds were all solid 10-15 pound fish and they were hungry. OUCH!
Late in the day we found some nice 'Cuda's and managed to get a few great strikes on film. We then got into some real nice Lemon's and I hooked 2 on the fly. The first was around 5' and as I got him near the boat he tail-whipped the leader and off he went. The second time around I had 2 coming by and when the fly hit the water and I stripped it, a nice 6' Lemon exploded o the fly and it was game on. After some nice runs we had the fish boatside for some quick pics and a good release.
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We called it a day and took a long lumpy ride back to the barn. All in all a couple great days considering the terrible conditions. Can't wait to come back and hit it again with Justin. He's a fantastic guide and a lot of fun to spend a day on the water with.
Re: Filming in the Keys (3/21 - 3/26)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Fish
Got some nice Tarpon shots with the camera though.
Where did the Tarpon shots come from ... "Robbie's"? :wink:
Re: Filming in the Keys (3/21 - 3/26)
Where did the Tarpon shots come from ... "Robbie's"? :wink:[/quote]
No although that would be a good spot as well. I took them around a guide's sailboat (Gary / Fishing Magician) off Stock Island (next island up from Key West) as he has several "pets." They will eat right out of your hands just like they do at Robbie's. You must have a strap on your camera though as these guys sure try and eat it. My high end digital was nearly eaten 4 times in about 2 minutes and the camera housing has the bite marks to prove it. Gary told me they have eaten their share of cameras : )
