One week out of the year, you have to do this. Book your flight to Key West, and fish with the master coaches from CPC and fly guide Michael Pollack. Together, they both turn up the heat on your life, fish you out of your mind, and help find your inner soul. “Envisioning” is the key. Please let me explain.

Day 1, arrive in the evening at Key West and check in to your hotel. Immediately walk 2 blocks to the Irish pub and eat, followed by a pint or two and possibly a shot of some of the oldest Irish Whisky ever known. Rest, because you will need all the energy you can muster for the next day/week. Envision yourself on the pristine flats with some of the most incredible fish at your fingertips.

6AM, meet Capt Pollack and ride to the outer reaches of the Keys - in the distance - the mysterious and yet approachable Marcaisis. Coaching is important in this event, because you need to understand the relationship between yourself and the environment in order to be successful. In this world of predator and prey, the Keys offer us the ability to see the reality of how the life scenario plays out. If you are a baitfish, your life is wonderful until you get eaten by a Jack. If you are a Jack, you live in paradise until you get eaten by a Cuda. If you are a Cuda, you rule the world until you get eaten by a 9 foot shark. If you are a shark, you are only limited by Man. I believe we all need to understand how the world works in order to be successful, and this was a perfect way to nail down that point. I learned a lot on this trip, about fishing, guiding, coaching, and life.

 

The fishing part was easy. #1 - My fly casting is good, but needs some finesse if I am interested in catching 120 pound Tarpon!!! However, I am good enough to come close to the dream, and that just motivates me more. My casting was good enough to land numerous Jack Crevalle, Blue Runner, Barracuda, Snapper, and Shark. My goal was to land the monster Tarpon on the fly. This was no easy feat as I learned quickly. Casting distance must be pristine, and presentation is equally important.

 

Regarding the guiding, envision with me for a moment a quiet morning on the flats just outside Key West. Coffee is broiling in my stomach, Danish rolls are down, and we are approaching a sunken sailboat where the Tarpon are known to live nearby. “Be very quiet..” Mike said. “They can hear you from 1000 yards away…!!!!” Ok, now I am intrigued. So, we begin our quest to sight fish for the famous Tarpon. Hours and hours go by without a trace, until finally we see a few rolling in the distance. They look like huge prehistoric creatures luring us in with their presence. We are unable to get close enough before they sense us and all goes quiet on the flats. Then, as we are sitting quietly talking about our morning, we are surprised by a pack of 5 Tarpon approaching, the smallest is 100 pounds. “Cast 9 o’clock, NOW!!!!” Mike says. I can’t think straight, I can’t breathe, and I can’t cast. I just watch as the monsters of the flats cruise by. I desperately try to cast to the passersby at 3PM, but to no avail, they are gone. I saw the biggest fish EVER!!! Lesson number 1, listen to your guide and do not hesitate.

We went to a series of islands which create a waterway called the Basin, and came across many Tarpon opportunities. As we approached several rolling Tarpon, I made a perfect cast - two feet in front and two feet beyond the fish!!! They key to that cast was my ability to envision the perfect landing spot for the fly. The fish looked like an entire tree laying in the water. Now the strip and the wait is on. How does one capture the excitement of waiting for a 120 pound Tarpon to hit your fly….let me choose one word …unbelievable!!!! After a number of misses, this time the Tarpon chased my fly and I saw the entire chase end to end, but the smart creature saw me and the boat at the last second and tailed away from my fly. How disappointing.!!! We went on that day to catch many Jacks and Cuda, and only dreamed of nailing the monster Tarpon as the rain and wind were scheduled to pick up the rest of the week. This was sad and invigorating all at once, because I knew this would be a lifelong passion for me. The night ended with a wonderful seafood dinner and some rare bourbon, but left us wondering what would we do tomorrow..??

Six AM again, here we go. Wind and rain is predicted, no Tarpon fishing, but we did get into some monster Cuda!!! We decided to switch over to spin gear. These Cuda eat everything except the Shark, so they are one of the dominant predators of the flats. We used long red tube lures reeled very fast and were able to land 10+ huge Cuda during the day!

We also witnessed a 8 foot Lemon shark feeding aggressively on the flats in a foot of water and we kept our distance - that was so COOL!!! The next day was reserved for Snapper fishing, and we caught our limit and brought them back to the bar where they were wonderfully prepared and served with pints of beer. EXCELLENT!!!!

Final day, we went way out in to the flats, searching for the best Shark waters…We used Jacks as bait, and rigged a line with a huge hook and whole Jack. As we were able to land several more Jacks and Cuda while waiting, we were starting to get restless for the sharks to hit our bait. Finally, we locked into a 5 footer. It took an hour to bring it in, and it was the most beautiful sight ever! Pound for pound one of the most powerful fish in the sea, it was an honor to catch and release this fish.

 

Regarding the coaching, I learned that the coach and guide together are paramount and symbiotic. The coach sees the potential in people, and the guide sees potential in the environment. Combined, during any fishing experience, one finds the connection between potential in people and the possibilities offered by the environment. If those two facets of life can be optimized, one can find fishing as an avenue for personal healing, growth, and momentum towards future goals. Catch and release philosophy is a classic example of the need for synergy between man and the environment. Certainly, the majority of the time we practice catch and release because we love our sport and want it to thrive. We also love SEAFOOD!!!! Take care of the fish, let them go 99% of the time. When you want a perfect meal of the freshest seafood ever, keep a few for dinner and enjoy, that’s my policy. The relationship between the coach and guide is also important. They both feed each other with information and valuable stories with life lessons, and thus it helps the learning experience become more applicable to everyday life.

Life is interesting. When you combine the beauty of nature, the trust of a solid coach, and the skill of an accomplished fishing guide, the result is a magical level of appreciation for the simple pleasures in life. The sunrise can be overwhelming in the Keys because you are at the southern tip of North America and can enjoy the same view the early sailors witnessed. I find that fascinating and inspiring in many ways. The smell of morning coffee can be invigorating. As I reflect on this journey, my mind always drifts back to something Mike said as we were approaching the Tarpon…”You need to SEE yourself making a perfect cast.” That is the technique we should all adopt in life - using visualization (Envisioning) in order to achieve the perfect cast, the perfect job, the perfect balance, and the perfect life. Remember, we are not alone on this earth…

 

Please join us on our next adventure and envision yourself landing the big one!!!

Tom Scambilis

CPC, Leadership Development Manager