We know outdoorsmen can have a tendency to stretch the truth, and some stories we hear just truly do sound "unbelievable". Needless to say, if there weren't photos of this one then we wouldn't blame you for rolling your eyes.
This past weekend we headed to an undisclosed location in FL for the kickoff of duck season, at a good buddy's property that spans miles of untouched Old Florida. It's one of the most pristine pieces of land we've ever set foot on, a place where you can truly get lost and forget all the worries of the world back home. To say we're grateful for the invite would be a strong understatement.
We spent the first day of early Teal watching endless batches of non-Teal fly into our decoys. A beautiful sight nonetheless, and a great sign for the main season right around the corner. Luckily we managed a few, and remained hopeful for the following morning hunt. The one thing we didn't expect was sitting in the blind and watching tarpon roll endlessly in the creek only steps away. We were nowhere near the coast, but there they were. One roll after the next, all morning long. Needless to say we were in an internal battle. There's no way we're not making a cast at one of these tarpon tomorrow.
The next morning sun rose as we were back in the blind. A rocket launch appeared from the horizon line. The sound of ducks filled the air. We remained focused on the target species, but damn did those tarpon continue to offer quite the distraction. Around 8:30am, after a few Teal had found their way to the floor of the blind, we just couldn't take it anymore. "Hey y'all, I'm going to go catch one of these tarpon real quick," erupted from our buddy, Drake. He was out of the blind with fly rod in hand before we could get a full laugh out. Second cast, there he was. Tight on a creek tarpon, flipping and flopping against the misty morning sun. And just like that, the tarpon popped off, and stole the fly in the process. Defeated would be the wrong word. Drake was equal parts thrilled and crushed. And there was no backup fly waiting to tie back onto the line.
Sitting back in the blind, he suddenly realized there was a tiny treble hook lure lodged in one of the pop-up chair's cup holder. What are the chances? When in Rome. It was tied onto the fly line in no time, and back to the creek Drake went. One cast. Tight. And within a minute he walked towards the blind with his prized possession in tow. We all stood there, jaw in hand, watching the unthinkable unfold. Some photos were shot, and the tarpon was released to swim away through our field of decoys. A sight burned into the brain for years to come.
The hunt, be it by rod or gun, is what we all live for. That brief moment in time where time stands still, and the stories that get to live on and be passed down, are what make it all worth it. This one was hard to believe, even in the moment. But good thing we keep a snazzy camera nearby. Just in case.
Cheers. To the hunt. To the stories. And to the friends we share it all with along the way.
Follow along with Capt. Drake Hollander for more ridiculous moments: @captdrizzy4
