Going For It!

Report Date: February 10, 2004

Going For It!

Sight fishing for giant tarpon with a fly rod is the ultimate challenge. Ask just about anyone who has done it and they will most likely agree. Now reduce your tippet to 6 lb. test and the challenge becomes way more interesting, if not somewhat impossible. Well, that is exactly what Andy Mill did last week. The goal was to break Stu Apte?s 82 lb 8 oz. 6 lb tippet record from June 1977. Now I know why that record has stood for so long.

Andy Mill, ex-Olympic skier and major tarpon tournament winner, has been throwing flies at tarpon for years with the help of some of the greatest guides in the Florida Keys. With his combined skill and experience, Mill is one of the most qualified anglers to meet this challenge. Last week he came about as close to breaking the record as you can get. So where does little ole? me fit into this picture?

Well, I met Andy while providing camera boat services for his TV fishing show a few years back. We regularly talk about tarpon fishing and once in a while get to fish together. The night before Andy calls and asked if I would go with him to Flamingo and be his gaff man. Luckily, I had no charters booked for that day, as this would be an unbelievable opportunity and learning experience for me. That it was.

Andy Thompson was the guide. He is one of those big time Keys guides and just a really great guy. Fishes all the big tournaments. So, he put us on the tarpon right away. They were rolling everywhere. However, they had lock jaw. Mill got one to eat a blind cast fly and I got a great shot of it with my new high speed digital camera before it threw the fly. Thompson poled us down the way a little to where there were some tarpon lying on the bottom in about 4 feet of water. Mill had three or four more shots and broke one off and pulled the hook on another.

The wind was blowing a little hard for the tarpons liking and they didn?t seem to want to float on the surface very well. That didn?t help us with the - seeing them - part of it. We tried a few more spots without much luck and it was now getting close to the end of the day. We were in this spot where the tarpon were rolling occasionally and saw one with its tail out of the water. Mill took the shot and got the bite but didn?t come tight. We kept our cool and continued to look hard.

All of a sudden, there she was, one o?clock about 40?. The fish was floating up there just as pretty as could be. Mill back cast to the fish and the fly landed perfect as usual, just like it knew where to go. With a couple bumps of the fly the fish turned and faded away. Knowing how tarpon are, Mill continued his presentation and it paid off. The fish came back and ate. It looked like a good one. The fished raced off jumping and just going ballistic like tarpon do. When the dust settled we were still on. I told Mill you just let me know, if and when, and I will stick the fish.

Now the pressure is on me. I can?t screw this up. I was thinking of every possible scenario of which I was sure none would happen. Of course, Mill has the gaff from hell, custom with handles and 8? long. It is a converted marlin gaff.

After 27 minutes of total finesse fighting the fish was finally getting into range. Just a little closer. I knew if I missed there would be a chance of breaking it off and/or prolonging the fight. The fish, swimming away from us and just off the bow, came to the surface. Just like a choreographed dance Mill eased back and I moved up. Then on Mill?s cue, I reached out and stuck the fish. When I felt the weight of the fish I just kept pulling. This all took about 2 seconds. None of my scenarios came true. It was relatively easy. Thompson helped me pull the fish over the side and into the boat.

We did it, and it was a big one. The fish looked to me to be at least 90 lbs. There was high fives all the way around. We all thought Mill had a real good shot at the record. We took some photos, got squared away and headed for the ramp.

The next challenge was to find a scale big enough and certified. Flamingo didn?t have one so it was off to Florida City, 40 miles away. The anticipation was killing us. Andy Mill called the IGFA to get the exact weight of the record. The cell phone was ringing off the hook. Word traveled fast. Finally, we made it to a local tackle store and to an old rusty scale. We hung the fish and the best we could get it to weigh was 82.5 lbs. The scale hadn?t been certified in ages. It was just so close. We put the fish back in the boat. Cell phones wide open and down the road to the next tackle shop with a scale. Now, about two and a half hours after landing the fish we still have a chance. The next shop had a digital scale; we put the fish in a bin and set it on the scale. We zeroed out the scale and the weight popped up. You could hear a pin drop on a cushion in the next county. We just sat there looking at that scale in silence with our jaws on the floor. It was just a couple pounds shy.

We just couldn?t believe it. What a heart breaker! Sooo close. I just knew we had it. I still can?t believe it.

To make a long story end. Andy Thompson brought the fish to Andy Mill?s and I met them for a little photo session.
The taxidermist put the fish in a big black bag to be mounted. All in all, the experience was just phenomenal. I thank Andy Mill for having me be a part of it. I would gladly be his gaff man anytime.

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