Location X: May 2012 – Return to the ‘Poon’

Random thoughts running through my head create all kinds of uncertainty. Will it be as good as last year, was it really that good last year or have I built it up to mythical proportions in my subconscious, choosing to remember only the highlights? Far simpler and just as important questions start to cloud my judgment. Will the fish be there, what if the fish suddenly aren’t there, what if they never come back?

Going back to your favorite fishing destination can be intimidating, the anxiety running though your veins during the pre trip buildup can reach boiling point. Experiencing these emotions is however comforting to me; it’s a reminder that I’m still as avid a fly angler as when I first started this journey. I bet some of our regular clients will laugh at me knowing that I go through the same pre trip anxiety most of them probably go through. This time however, the proverbial shoe is on the other foot and I constantly have to calm myself down and give myself the same pep talk I give clients prior to going to one of our destinations, “don’t worry its going to be ok, the fish will be there, it’s a great time of the year…”.

No matter how many pep talks I give myself however or how I try to rationalize it in my own head, the relief of seeing the first fish is the ultimate calming factor. Yes they are here, they are swimming and they are doing exactly what I want them to do.
“Stop worrying, make sure you get the fly where it’s supposed to be and fish it well.”
When the first fish gracefully eats the fly and moments later bursts into the sky in a violent display of power and speed, the ensuing chaos creates an adrenalin rush unlike anything I have ever experience in my life. No drug can do this to me and I am reminded why I am so in love with these fish, for me they represent the ultimate challenge on fly. This is the end of the rabbit hole, there is no fish on the planet which challenges an angler on as many levels as the mighty Tarpon.

Ten days of fishing turns into a blur of jumping fish, great old fish with silver scales the size of tennis balls, delicate presentations and camaraderie all stitched together by the golden threat of some of the finest tarpon guides on the planet. In one session Corin and I jump more trophy fish than we could have hoped for during a full week of fishing. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

I am already looking forward to the next trip, the greatest challenge now being keeping my head intact until next season comes around.

Until next time

Gerhard