Fly record tarpon

[Dan Hall]

I thought this would be of interest.� The holy grail of a 200 lbs tarpon on a fly was finally achieved.   Dan         Monday, May 21, 2001 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific Sideline Chatter Big one (tarpon) that didn't get away   James Holland Jr., a 24-year-old law student from Vancouver, Wash., had a whopper of a fish story to tell when he started an internship at a Seattle law firm last week. Holland took a page out of Ernest Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" while fishing off the coast of Florida last week, warding off a bull shark and, after a 110-minute battle and a 3-mile chase, landing a 202-1/2-pound tarpon to make angling history. The monster fish is the largest tarpon ever taken with fly-fishing tackle. "Everybody - the Smithsonian, the IGFA (International Game Fish Association), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (fly-fishing legend) Stu Apte - have been after him like a West-Texas dust storm," said Holland's father, who was also part of the fishing party. When the shark showed up, guide Steve Kilpatrick fired up his boat's gasoline engine to mess with the predator's sensory system. He used the boat's electric motor to chase the tarpon. The IGFA must certify the fish. Meanwhile, it's being stored at a Hernando, Fla., seafood company. The existing record, 188 pounds, has stood for 18 years. �����������