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OK - no pic, but a good story.
The fellows that I took bonefishing on Tuesday (Jack and Jeff) are leaving on tomorrow morning's ferry. They have been here with their wives for three weeks, staying in a couple of cottages on the west end of the island. When we got in on Tuesday afternoon, they asked me if we would take their leftover food. I told them heck yes, that's how the island works. When you leave, you pass along your leftovers to a friend. They said that they would drop by today with their leftovers - but did not say when they might be dropping by.
My wife and I went out for a couple of hours in the early afternoon. When we returned, It was as if Santa Claus had been here. Jack and Jeff had come by while we were out, and the front porch had all sorts of good stuff, including a 6 foot cast net, a couple of portable crab traps, about a dozen of their "fuzzy" flies, and a few other items.
Inside, on our kitchen table, we found three boxes full of grocery supplies and an unopened gallon of vegetable oil, plus more goodies in the refrigerator.
We HAD to drive down and thank them!
We hopped in the truck and drove down to their cottages to tell them how much we appreciated all of the good stuff that they were leaving with us. Well, of course, they asked if we would help them finish off their beer.
So - we are sitting on their porch having some cold Heineken, and watching a bait ball coming down the beach. The bait ball was being pounded by tarpon. I asked them why they were not down there throwing flies at them, and they said that they had tried many afternoons, but just could not get the tarpon to take.
I could not resist - and said "I'll be right back".
I hopped into my truck, flew to our cottage and picked up my fly rod (10 wt TFO Axiom) and my box of tarpon flies that I tied last year but had yet to try. Unfortunately, I did not pick up a camera.
When I got back, I picked a fly out, handed it to Jack, and said "Go try this".
Jack tied it on, walked down, waded about 10 feet out, and hooked up on about the third cast. I just watched Jack having a blast with his tarpon. They are leaving tomorrow, and we will still be here. Jeff was videoing Jacks fight.
Jack said to me to go get my rod - maybe we could double. I ran back to my truck, got my rod out, and tied a fly on. As I walked down to the beach, Jack walked up empty handed. He had almost landed his tarpon - he had the leader in his hand when his knot failed.
He went and got another fly, while I watched the school of tarpon and waited for them - standing on the beach. I quickly hooked up, got about 8 good jumps and landed my first tarpon on the fly. I backed the tarpon up on to the sand and lifted it while they took photos. They promised to email the pics to me when they get back to Denver. Jeff also videoed my entire fight and landing. I hope to also get a copy of that.
I have had tarpon hookups on fly before, but until today had never landed one. It wasn't huge - only about 36 inches, but it was terrific.
It was now just about dark and the mosquitoes were coming out full force, so much so that even though the poons were still there, I could not take it. We said we had to get back home.
So - as we were leaving, Jeff said he had something he wanted to ask me - would we like to have their electric deep fryer! They had brought one down from Denver, but did not feel like cleaning it up enough to pack in their luggage to take back. I said "SURE!". Jeff brought out an almost brand-new deep fryer and another half gallon of oil and gave them to us.
Is this place cool or what?
The fellows that I took bonefishing on Tuesday (Jack and Jeff) are leaving on tomorrow morning's ferry. They have been here with their wives for three weeks, staying in a couple of cottages on the west end of the island. When we got in on Tuesday afternoon, they asked me if we would take their leftover food. I told them heck yes, that's how the island works. When you leave, you pass along your leftovers to a friend. They said that they would drop by today with their leftovers - but did not say when they might be dropping by.
My wife and I went out for a couple of hours in the early afternoon. When we returned, It was as if Santa Claus had been here. Jack and Jeff had come by while we were out, and the front porch had all sorts of good stuff, including a 6 foot cast net, a couple of portable crab traps, about a dozen of their "fuzzy" flies, and a few other items.
Inside, on our kitchen table, we found three boxes full of grocery supplies and an unopened gallon of vegetable oil, plus more goodies in the refrigerator.
We HAD to drive down and thank them!
We hopped in the truck and drove down to their cottages to tell them how much we appreciated all of the good stuff that they were leaving with us. Well, of course, they asked if we would help them finish off their beer.
So - we are sitting on their porch having some cold Heineken, and watching a bait ball coming down the beach. The bait ball was being pounded by tarpon. I asked them why they were not down there throwing flies at them, and they said that they had tried many afternoons, but just could not get the tarpon to take.
I could not resist - and said "I'll be right back".
I hopped into my truck, flew to our cottage and picked up my fly rod (10 wt TFO Axiom) and my box of tarpon flies that I tied last year but had yet to try. Unfortunately, I did not pick up a camera.
When I got back, I picked a fly out, handed it to Jack, and said "Go try this".
Jack tied it on, walked down, waded about 10 feet out, and hooked up on about the third cast. I just watched Jack having a blast with his tarpon. They are leaving tomorrow, and we will still be here. Jeff was videoing Jacks fight.
Jack said to me to go get my rod - maybe we could double. I ran back to my truck, got my rod out, and tied a fly on. As I walked down to the beach, Jack walked up empty handed. He had almost landed his tarpon - he had the leader in his hand when his knot failed.
He went and got another fly, while I watched the school of tarpon and waited for them - standing on the beach. I quickly hooked up, got about 8 good jumps and landed my first tarpon on the fly. I backed the tarpon up on to the sand and lifted it while they took photos. They promised to email the pics to me when they get back to Denver. Jeff also videoed my entire fight and landing. I hope to also get a copy of that.
I have had tarpon hookups on fly before, but until today had never landed one. It wasn't huge - only about 36 inches, but it was terrific.
It was now just about dark and the mosquitoes were coming out full force, so much so that even though the poons were still there, I could not take it. We said we had to get back home.
So - as we were leaving, Jeff said he had something he wanted to ask me - would we like to have their electric deep fryer! They had brought one down from Denver, but did not feel like cleaning it up enough to pack in their luggage to take back. I said "SURE!". Jeff brought out an almost brand-new deep fryer and another half gallon of oil and gave them to us.
Is this place cool or what?
COMMUNITY WITH A LARGE
PROBLEM AND A 
PROBLEM.
LIVIN THE SALT LIFE 
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