The tarpon game is different from bonefishing. It isn’t just that the fish are bigger or that they are often harder to find, it is that they are just more difficult. That is why you actually talk about the fractions of success you have. How many fish you fed, how many you jumped, statistics that would be ridiculous in most other settings.
While you count the fractions, all those fractions, no matter how many there are, they never add up to one. Only landed fish count as One.
I fed a few tarpon down in Belize while on the honeymoon at El Pescador. I had two days that I got to cast at those magnificent fish.
That said, sometimes feeding tarpon is really just about as good as it gets… like hand feeding the tarpon at the Sunset Grill in San Pedro.
The Mrs. and I headed into town for lunch and to seek out the tarpon. We found them. They request that you actually pay for a meal to feed the tarpon. We would have done, but we had just eaten. They were kind enough to let us do it anyway, but I’d suggest you do try to give them some business if you head there.
They got out some false sardines and I got to hand feed tarpon… big tarpon… it was simply awesome.
Right. From. Your. Hand.
OK, I would like to get a black death on one of these, but this was still awesome.
Happy Camper
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- Unique Post
that is crazy ! do you still have all your fingers?
A risky practice that injured many a tourist.
They have it figured out. You hold the fish between your fingers with your hand held flat. The fish hits your open hand and doesn’t put your hand in the sandpaper mouth of the fish. Brilliant.
Bjorn,
You think tarpon are tough? Just wait until the Permit bug bites you…that’s when you’ll realize that catching bonefish is like stomping on ants with your shoe, catching tarpon is like grabbing a mosquito out of mid air, and landing a permit on the fly is like hitting a bat as it zooms by with a rubber band
Oh, I know permit are hard. I’m likely not to get bit by that bug though… damn things are just too hard to catch! I’m a bit too impatient for permit, I think.
Bjorn, you will. Wait until you encounter that sickle above water or have one flash before your eyes.
Mmmm… permit.
I’ve fed those monsters at the Sunset Grill, and I still have all my fingers too. I thought it was funny how they all appeared out of nowhere when they rang the feeding bell. Very Pavlovian.
It is pure fun.