The Ghost Falls

Its interesting how sometimes we develop a "relationship" with certain fish, those of you that are reading can perhaps connect - the relationship is both spiritual, respectful,challenging and humbling all at the same time.

For about a year and change I've been spearfishing after a Florida Mutton snapper that I rightfully called "The Ghost". He's a willy guy that has managed to elude me for what seemed an eternity. Not particularly big by Miami standards (or any other for that matter), but quite a trophy for me, and as time passed, more so.

On some Miami Spearfishing Charters I would drop on a patch in 50' of water and do a slow stalk on some fish, and on the end of my downtime, he'd appear outa thin air to show his presence then vanish. Other times he'd come straight in, face me, head on, but just out of range. In low viz deep waters where your stalking is on the bottom....long and slow he'd flash me here, then flash me there, but never a presenting a shot that I felt comfortable with...and then vanishing. Amazing how the Ghost would appear and just as quickly disappear. Seldom was their a time when I shot a fish in his area that the Ghost would show up to tell me" nice shot, shoulda waited I was around for you", of course it was these times he'd be about 10' from me broadside sitting still,lol. How did I know it was the same fish...well he had a distinct blotch on both his sides that seemed as though he had been shot before, and survived...probably tore off using that helicopter spin Muts are famous for...and although subtle out of the water it was very distinct in the water popping as a grey blotch on both sides. I remember once throwing up a sandstorm in 70' waiting for him, till my lungs were bursting and as I was coming up seeing the red tip of his tail right in the sandstorm maybe 5 feet away, but so camo'd that I didn't see him, or even expected him to come in soooooo close. The Ghost was elusive indeed.....

It was one of those picture perfect days that screams "Go spearin'!!!" not having any clients booked for a spear fishing charter in our Florida waters- I listened and headed out....for some reason I just knew this day was gonna be epic....so off I went from Matheson Hammock to go spear fish. My first area was a shallow patch that always held fish and served as my warm-up... the area was very muttony with the sand/grass and a few patches intertwined, but further north than where the Ghost usually hangs. My first drop produced a nice hog fish snapper spearfishing in about 15' as I was stringing him up to my weightbelt, low and behold in the distance what appeared to be the Ghost, popped up and dodged behind a big coral head. Since I never saw him clear it, I figured he was still behind it so I took a lung full dropped and stalked the 50 so feet straight towards the coral head keeping it lined up perfect with my body so as to use it as cover, as I approached it I decided to come over the top, part of my was saying he's long gone, the other part was saying "surprise gotcha bud". As I cleared over with the sun on my back....I can't figure who was more surprised him or me- The Ghost was just sitting there right below me facing away from the coral head, at about 12', predator mode kicked in fast and before he could pick it up with his lateral line, I pulled the trigger on my Halfbreed speargun a 1 band 90cm speargun that is the ticket in waters where quick fish demand quick shots-POOF shaft went right through the top of his head...STONED! I hauled up for air keeping an eye on the Ghost as he laid motionless. on the sand..but

That was short lived...before you could say hi'five, the Ghost came back to life, I immediately dropped, as I struggled to tackle him, the shaft, the line and anything else I could grab, he tore off with half his head missing and swam as though he was headed to the Bahamas. My heart sank...knowing sure well this majestic fish was lost to the sea.

I returned back to the boat broken as in my heart I felt we had both lost. After a bit of "mind rerouting" I decided to move over a few 100 yards to another patch area that dropped from 15' to 40', hoping maybe the Ghost was around as that's the vicinity he headed towards. As I approached the drop off I noticed the water around the drop off was all murky in an area, this registered as a shark lookng for"something" so I followed the trail down to 40, sure enough it was a nurse shark that was determined to go inside a hole 1x1 wide...I lid up as I hoped my mut the Ghost would be in just that hole. I poked the nurse and went up for air...went back down looked in the hole-The Ghost was mine...as he laid within motionless

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers
Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com