Imagine if there was a place that combined the different aspects of the Keys, Everglades, and Homosassa into one fishery. Where 100 plus pound Tarpon cruise over sand bars on the beaches as well as in the Harbor swimming through gin clear water, that looking like a fleet of submarines coming strait at the bow of the boat. But, they also lay up in the backcountry grass flats, scratching their bellies on the turtle grass, elevated up in the water column. With their nose down tail up slowly moving through a few feet of water, the tip of their fins protruding through the surface likes a shark's fin ready to attack. You lay a long cast out to a huge fish, it lands softly a foot in front of his nose, you strip in the slack, take two slow making the fly dance in the water, the fish lights up, lunges at the fly, you see the gigantic mouth inhale the fly, the line comes tight in your hands, you tense up as the line slowly starts to burn through your fingers. It's the best feeling in the world. You are carefully as you clear the line to the reel; take a deep breath, now come the hard part. Then it starts, depending on the brand your reel can make a variety of sounds but the music of each is just as sweet as the other. You can't help but to yell in triumph as the tarpon launches itself heavenward, the first jump is a headshake, as she slices through the water tail-walking. After the first jump all you can think about is what a massive fish she is. Several more jumps follow, after all you hooked the tarpon in only thirty inches of water, and she had no where else to go but up. Your forearms start to burn as you come with in feet of the leader; then you hear it. She pops up to the surface, taking a gulp of air back down with her, you try to force it out of her pulling the opposite way, trying to change the angle of the rod in hopes of burping the air back out of her. That just makes her angry. She rips line of your reel again taking all the way to the backing, you go back to work. Finally you pull her boat side and after one more headshake, that was close enough it got you wet, the orange gloves come out. Game over, you have boated a huge tarpon on fly in a few feet of water, out of breath you gaze into her eyes, this is what you came for, as you watch her swim away, the words are spoken "lets go get another one." And it all starts over. Welcome to Charlotte Harbor. In the waters that surround Boca Grande and Captiva is some of the best Tarpon fishing in the world because of the fact that our fishery combines all the different types of shallow water / sight fishing that the others areas boast which truly makes tarpon fishing around Boca Grande such an amazing endeavor.

Capt. Chase R. Wise
Southern Fly Charters
Hudson's Grocery