Barracuda

As i'm sure you've read in a previous post, Mama and i are leaving for the Keys ugly early Sunday morning.....camping and fishing (or is that fishing or camping?).

i know, i know..... everyone always has visions of 200 lb tarpon rocketing skyward or 10 lb bonefish introducing you to the backing on your fly reel during a screaming run. i'm no different, but i'm realistic.

One oft overlooked fish in the Keys is the lowly barracuda. These toothy predators are more than willing to take a bait, lure or fly and can be found quite frequently just about everywhere except dry land in the Keys. i've caught them on previous trips on live bait but have never tried for one with a long stick.....let me tell you, they go on a drag testing run and take to the air with the crashing, reckless abandon of any tarpon and aren't afraid of you or the boat....(one of my fishing buddies woke up on the deck thinking he went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson while fighting one.....but that's for another story)

So, as i've stated previous, i've been tying bonefish and tarpon flies (i'm not seriously pursuing them as i'm only taking an 8 weight) but i've also been throwing in the bulky deceivers with lots of krystal flash and some crease flies for the 'cudas while filling my big flybox (i have a big flybox and i pick and choose to fill my small flybox that goes in my chest pack right before i step into the water) AND, i've built some "'cuda leaders" which consist of an 8 ft section of 20 lb Trilene Big Game and a 80 lb bite tippet made of tyable coated wire. They seem to cast well and should hold up to the teeth these things have, even though i've seen them go through the same stuff on spinning gear.....and even puncture a Mirrolure.

The gear that i wade with( and i don't do boats) is a small Cabella's chest pack with a surprising amount of pockets for it's size (even has a wallet/cellphone/camera pocket), a William Joseph wading belt/stripping basket (this piece of gear is so cool....has a daisy chain on it to hold tools too) and if it's shallow enough or i'm fishing from shore, a Kelty Kestral which is a large lumbar pack that i take hiking. It's pretty much my entire tackle box and has everything from scissors, pliers and gloves as well as extra leaders and the always popular headlamp and first aid kit.

i hope my rig holds up....i Clousered the rod the other day....and i don't think a spare will show up in time.....if i get back to town with a swizzle stick, you'll know the reason why....