On Friday I was directed to the Delph Fishing Instagram page, where several images caught my eye and where three things quickly stood out:
1) William Delph’s clients catch a stunning array of massive and brilliantly colored game fish in Dry Tortugas National Park, Fla.
2) Because some fish are so powerful they take a long time to reel up and become susceptible to shark predation.
3) The regional shark population appears robust enough to cause frustration among clients hoping to reel entire catches to the boat, and crewmen wanting to send clients home with fillets.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvXo_2ALn5a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The image atop this post is that of a red snapper that Delph Fishing estimated to weigh 45 to 50 pounds – about the same weight as the current world record (50 pounds, 4 ounces).
But as viewers can see, only the head made it to the surface.
Delph Fishing complained via Instagram:
“Well over 45-50 lbs this was one of the biggest American true red snappers we’ve ever taken only to lose it to the tax man in the end.
“Where do we go from here with these sharks? What’s really the next most effective move on how to fix this problem? It’s definitely gotten out of control don’t you think?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwkyXaaRr9a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The catch occurred several weeks ago. Other recent images showed anglers posing with half of a large grouper, a portion of another large snapper, and the head of another huge grouper.
One of those posts included a description borne of frustration: “Dear National Marine Fisheries, please focus on the balance of our fisheries instead of the over-protection of our Apex predators. The damage already done to our fisheries is out of control.”
So it seems that while fishing at Dry Tortugas can be productive, anglers who can’t land their catches quickly enough might have to contend with the tax man.