Then I raised the rod slightly above horizontal, and quickly checked the slack line for interferences, preparing for the run to come.
Part 3b: At first, the dorado just stopped in his > tracks and shook his head. I reset the hook and applied tension. Now he > knew something was really amiss. He bolted for the open ocean like a > greyhound, my drag screaming as he pulled off all the fly line within a few > seconds. The clear tarpon line changed to orange backing and the reel was > still screaming. I was using my 12wt Winston XTR with the Billy Pate Tarpon > AR reel, and I reached down to tighten the drag to slow down the run. It > worked almost immediately. The bull decided running wasn't the same as > escaping, so he decided to do aerial gymnastics to throw the hook. Up he > came to the surface and beyond, clearing 8 feet and doing a double gainer > with one-and-a-half twists. Again and again, about 75 yards out, he did > his level best to throw the hook, jumping probably a half-dozen times. But > the 3/0 Eagle Claw held, and he finally gave up jumping and sounded. Now > this what saltwater rods are built for, with boron butt ends- for lifting > and tiring sounded fish. He headed down until the line was straight down, > turned sideways and downward, and started pumping that sickle tail. I could > not visually see this, of course, but seeing many near the surface had shown > me how they 'turn their shoulder' to you, much like a Jack does. > We have only been linked together for a few minutes now, as the 1st part > happens so quickly, but it is filled with excitement. Now, with the fish > sounded, comes the work. It is important to keep the rod low to force the > stress into the butt section. If the tip is raised, like one does with a > trout to protect the tippet, the rod may explode from the stress in the > mid-section, as many have. Now is the time to lean into the fish and make > him work, and that means I work too. The next hour was spent in a > give-and-take tug-of-war that does both fish and fisherman justice. I was > on the flyline 3 more times, which meant he took me to the backing 3 more > times. He had the tip of my 12wt underwater many times as I tried to > low-haul him and lost ground. Finally I got him up to the surface for phase > 4 tactic, which is to circle the boat over and over again. This took about > 10 minutes as I closed the circle ever tighter and tighter, only to have him > turn and run out another 30' and start over. Now he sees the net as Chencho > tries to scoop him, turning his head at the last moment. Try three more > times before he is netted. Dorado landed!!! By this time, Jim is on with > one of the amigos. So as soon as Chencho unhooks the dorado, I check the > fly out and toss it back in to another circling dorado and BAM! I'm on > again! Wow, muscles still burning from the first one, and I'm on a second. > Fights range from 20 minutes for juvies to well over an hour for a big bull > caught on light weight outfits. My last big bull of the trip took an hour > to land on the 14wt! > > Each day seemed to change the fish about as much as they varied themselves > in genetic diversity. More on that in part 4. > > DonO > >
