In Part 1, Doug sent me photos of his fly box for our upcoming trip to Tarpon Cay. Then I got this e-mail last night and now I feel really unprepared!
In any case (and regardless of my feelings of FLY BOX INFERIORITY), Doug's additions to his Tarpon Cay box are beautiful and have applications not just for tarpon, but for all sorts of saltwater species including giant trevally, snook, jacks etc.
Here is Doug's e-mail from last night:
I lied….
A few more ideas popped into my head last night:
FLOATING MANGROVE SHRIMP:
Last time in Campeche, we ran into a situation I didn't have a fly for. Heavy outgoing tide, big current from the rio. Tarpon were rising and feeding big time and we couldn't get an eat with typical flies. Finally figured out they were eating floating shrimp and crabs being carried out by the current. This floating shrimp should fill that void.
Here's the recipe for that shrimp:
Gamakatsu SC15 1/0
Thread: orange, 3/0 or Big Fly
Mouth parts: 10 - 12 strands of tannish biucktail, about hook length or slightly longer; two strands copper Krystal flash each side
Eyes: burned mono, dipped in black acrylic, then coated with Hard-As-Nails
Legs: Targus SST dubbing, cinnamon; put in dubbing loop. make about 4 turns, stroke fur toward hook point
Body: small tan Cactus chenille; wrap thread toward hook eye, tie in Cactus chenille, then run thread back to leg dubbing; wrap Cactus chenille back to thread, then tie off and clip chenille
Shell back: extra small Gurgler foam; or slide a regular Gurgler foam in half and then trim to size; leave a pointy end for the rostrum and carapace and leave opposite end wider for the tail; make several thread wraps right above the hook bend taking care not to wrap down the leg dubbing, advance the thread 1/4 the way to the hook eye and make several more wraps, repeat at 1/2 way and 3/4 way, essentially making three body segments plus a carapace.
Tie off under the tail and clip the thread. Put a drop of super glue on the foam side of each of the body thread wraps.
If you want the shrimp to dive when stripped, poke a hole in the tail right above the hook eye and pull the tail down until the hook eye pierces through that hole (the tail will now extend downward below the eye, rather than above the eye as shown). Place a drop of super glue on the penetration point to hold the tail in that position.
NEEDLEFISH GRIZZLY TARPON:
This one pretty sparse with a grizzly hackle.
These last two I think will work really well. They're an "airhead" style. You tie in synthetic material at the hook eye. Tie it in the middle of the strand of material so half points backward to the hook point and half points forward past the eye. After tying off the thread, fold the forward part of the material back making sure it surrounds the hook (or if you put white on the bottom and a color on top that they keep that position). Thin some Goop with xylene or toluol and then smooth it into the head portion of the synthetic material, forming the desired head shape as the Goop dries. I tried for a rounded, mullet sort of shape. The synthetic material shrouds a grizzly hackle, some flash and some red stuff for gills. These look really fishy, will push a little water due to the shape, but are light weight. My only concern is that the first fish may tear the Goop and the head will lose its shape. We'll see.
AIRHEAD MULLET:
AIRHEAD SARDINA:
and an old favorite…
TARPON CAY LODGE SPECIAL:
And Doug concluded his e-mail with this thought, "Never show them all your tricks and secrets at one time."
I don't know whether he meant the fish or other fishermen!
