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looking for older video

4K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Permit Rat 
#1 ·
hey guys i'm looking for an older video of 2 guys following the migration down the Florida coast. I believe they had a yellow lab in the SUV with them.
 
#6 ·
For those of you who are older (like me) .....or just curious as to what fly fishing for tarpon was like in the "old days," there is another video, named, Tarpon!, that was filmed in the early 70's, just before my permanent move to Key West. Fortunately, I was able to experience a few years of this spectacular fishing myself, before the weather changed and the sport exploded in popularity.

In this video you will see Fin Nor #3 wedding cakes used by all; fiberglass rods that were custom made, except for 1 Fenwick F1112....the old fiberglass rod with a fighting grip and a stiffener that was inserted after the fish was hooked. I think there is an old Scientific Angler's "Great Equalizer," in there too.

The skiff used was a Maverick prototype and does not have a poling platform, because they had not been invented yet. There were 3 of these skiffs built and 2 of them resided at my marina at one time. Jimmy Buffet owned one of them and I have guided him from it, but after the poling platform was added. I also guided my clients from it for 3 days when my skiff was down for repairs.

Then there are (were) the tarpon. Scads of them in schools of 20-50 fish and oftentimes more. Sure there were the 2's and 3's, but there were also schools of 100+ and they all hit flies presented with floating fly lines; no need for a full intermediate and in fact, those lines weren't commonly available back then. We used sinking shooting heads in the early Spring when the fish were in the shallow channels (8-10 ft. deep). There were only 4 patterns used back in those days; the Apte; Cockroach; an all purple fly; and a chartreuse/yellow fly that was purportedly good over solid grass. All were tied on 4/0 hooks, Eagle Claw 254-N's. Incidentally, this hook had characteristics that are still favored today and I would still use this hook if I had to.

I knew all of the guides featured.....some sadly have since passed. But watching that film for the first time, now about 40 years later, brought tears to my eyes.

Oh....the video was authored by Guy de la Valdene...
 
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