While attending a wedding in Florida this past weekend, 2nd wedding in as many weekends which hasn't helped get me out on the local water much, I was able to sneak in a flats trip out of Key Biscayne.

I've fished down there, FL, on 5 other occassions usually out of Key West and have yet to catch a Tarpon or a Permit or Bonefish for that matter. It was bad timing, weather was bad, should've been here yesterday, etc. Well this time that wasn't the case. We started out at 6am drifting crab for Tarpon (I know but I was there to catch fish!). My wife hooks up, hands me the rod and says here I know you've always wanted to catch one (talk about a masculinity check I had to make sure I didn't put her panties on that morning by accident) 30 minutes later and several jumps I land about a 70lber. Check off Tarpon on my list of must catches. We go back to drift again, we see several roll we set back up on a seam and wham another fish, guess who hooked this one, yup "the wife." This time I let her fight it till the end another 30 minutes and she has her, depending on how you look at it, first tarpon. It only weighed 103lbs!!! So 2 hook ups 2 tarpon, needless to say the guide looked 800lbs lighter with the pressure off so early. Now he takes me to the flats to look for bones. First flat first drift none sighted, on to the second flat full drift through no fish sighted. Third flat we spot fish, first chance I miss, second chance bam 4lb Bonefish that screams, my first Bonefish experience and it was everything I expected. After getting into the backing I get the fish in we tag it and put it in the well as there was a shark circling the boat after catching scent of the live well water and the commotion of the fight. After poking the shark away with the pole we slide down the flat spot some more fish and bam take a 6lber that takes me well into the backing twice. Again the guide tags it and puts it in the well. Check off Bonefish from the must catch list. After getting a shot at a 90lb single Tarpon that I got to move to a fly but couldn't get to bite we decide to move to search for Permit for the grand slam. First spot we hit we release the tagged bones and search for Permit. Spot a couple but I miss and spook them. Then we move to another spot and again nothing not even a sighting. The guide is determined to get a grand slam so time is getting close to ending the day. He decides to hit another spot. Again no permit but my wife, now referred to as the "Tarpon Hunter" spots a pod of huge Tarpon rolling. The guide stays focused on Permit as the Tarpon are kind of far away. Not seeing any Permit he decides to move again and try to hit the pod of Tarpon. We shoot by it and see them roll well back of us. He poles hard to intercept the pod. First cast to the right of the pod has me hooked up with another tarpon. The hooked fish spooks the pod and the water explodes with 80-150lb tarpon. I fight him for about 35 minutes and 6 jumps get him to the boat thinking he's finally done guide grabs the leader and snap, gone. I'll count that as caught especially after loosing 5lbs of sweat to get it that close. The guide looks at his watch and says OK let's try 2 more spots to get our Slam. We head back and hit a flat but the thin clouds are making it tough to sight fish. We see nothing. He moves to one last spot and after a 20 minute float and an 1hour late on the day he spots a rise of a permit behind us. He swings the bow around and yells "cast" I ask, "to the right or left?" He says "Just cast!" I do and land the crab imitation near the rise. I see the Permit turn and take the fly. Fish ON! what a fight. Four runs into my backing. Finally get the fish to hand, 25lbs on the Boga. Check Permit off of the must catch list!

I have not been able to fish much this spring with the exception of an excellent trip for 4 days to the Rapid in early May. It's just been a busy spring but this all but made up for it. I figure I've spent nearly $2,500 on guides trying for tarpon, bones or permit despite success with other fish never caught any of the three over the last 10 years and finally it all came together yesterday!! What a trip. I can't speak highly enough for my guide Carl Ball. He was the best Florida guide I've had worked is tail off and didn't quit until we had our Grand Slam. He also had the quote of the day while my wife was struggling to fight the 100lber. As she had the rod butt between her legs he grabbed the rod to reposition it and told her "the rod doesn't go there there's only only thing that goes there and it's not the rod!"

In one day I went 3 for 3, well 1 1/2 for 3 on Tarpon (wife hooked 2 of the 3 but let me fight one), 3 for 3 on Bones and 1 for 1 on Permit. Saw loads of sharks, rays jumping, porpoises rolling, cuda, ballyhoo jumping 3 consecutive times swimming at least 30 mph and more. One for the memory banks. Hoping to get back into the swing of things in the back home this weekend!

Thanks for the report, That sounded like an unreal trip and you got to share it with your wife. Enjoyed reading it, never caught any of those fish and can only imagine what kind of fight that must be Looked like a BLAST Congrats on a good time Take Care God Bless LOL Dave From up North

Great job on the pictures Real action for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!

C.C.

Great report and the pics are awesome!