Eyes focused on the water 50 yards in front of me. Squinting in the low light of early morning, I’m searching for telltale signs of movement. My calves flex and release in order to maintain balance on my perch, a platform step buckled to the front deck of a 1998 Maverick flats skiff. I can sense, as much as I hear the sand grinding as my guide’s pole softly impacts and engages with the sandy bottom, propelling the boat forward. To the east, the sun paints a brilliant red hue as it hangs just above the horizon. The mixture of fire red, blaze orange, and pale yellow perfectly captures the warmth I can feel as the humid, tropical air settles on my face and exposed skin. An eerie, almost unnatural, silence envelops this flat punctuated only by the soft low crunch as my guide sets his pole again. From a nearby mangrove island, a large Blue Heron suddenly takes flight. The wind rushing through his wing feathers makes a low rumbling sound, disturbing the morning’s stillness. Usually noisy on take-off, this bird does not make a peep, as if he too senses the intensity of the moment and the need for stealth on this hunt.
This morning I’m fly fishing for tarpon. In my opinion, the pinnacle of species you can take on a fly rod. My guide chose the backcountry north of Key West as our hunting grounds for the Silver King. Otherwise known as the Gulf side of the Florida Keys. We’re fishing a basin where tarpon push out of deeper water nearby onto the flats with the flood tide. I’ve caught fish near this spot in the past. Which makes this hallowed ground for me. My focus is intense. My predatory instinct is in charge.
This type of moment punctuates life. No matter how many times I fish for tarpon every day is unique; every experience is exquisite.
I close my eyes to get the full sense of everything around me and say a quick prayer of thanks for the opportunity to be here in this moment.
I feel a subtle weight shift in the boat as I open my eyes and hear my guide whisper “I’ve got a roller. 11 o’clock. 90 feet.” We’ve danced this dance before, many times. Immediately I respond back “got him,” as I spy the ring and bubble he left behind. Silent as a specter I shift my feet picking them up and putting them down softly one at a time so as not to make a noise or create any wake that would alert this tarpon to intruders in his neighborhood.
Hand over hand I can hear my guide reset his pole and give a firm but silent push propelling the boat on a line that will intersect with this potential player. “He’s moving left to right,” my guide whispers, giving me direction from his perch on the polling platform in the back. “Roger that,” I respond. One more lift and push with the pole and the skiff is on the perfect course to intersect what I hope will be my dance partner for this morning.
I can feel the weight of the fly in my left hand as I sweep my rod from left to right in preparation to make my first cast. At 70 feet my guide says “Go.” I drop my fly in the water and make a quick roll cast to get my fly line tight. I hall with my left hand as a make my first back cast with my right and shoot 15 feet of line. The gentle tug on my rod as my line reaches its apex tells me to start my forward stroke. Once again I hall as I finish and shoot 30 more feet of line. I grab my line again with my left hand as I bring both hands together and finish of my forward stroke. As I flex my rod rearward, I hall again to generate maximum line-speed. The sound of the fly ripping through the air makes a subtle hiss as it passes 10 feet to my right. I shoot a little more line in the back cast as I pause to let physics play out. My left and right hand come together one final time, in preparation for delivery. I start the forward stroke and just as my right wrist turns over I hall with my left hand forming a sweet tight loop directly on target for my prey. Forming a circle with my left pointer finger and thumb, I let the remaining line shoot through my fingers and the guides. Just prior reaching its apex I stop my fly and let it fall gently to the water’s surface as I assume the stripping position.
“Perfect,” my guide whispers as my fly makes a dainty splashdown 10 feet in front of my target. I pause for a beat to let my fly gain depth. Every neuron firing, my instinct tells me go, go, go… but experience has taught me smooth is fast. 1 second passes….2 seconds pass… I strip... From the back, I can hear my guide whisper in a slow steady rhythm, “Strip… Strip… Strip…” He’s fishing this fly with me but he’s doing it from the polling platform by proxy. Together we’re a team working to contact a silver rocket.
I strip one more time and I see the water bulge 2 feet from my fly as my tarpon lunges for a mouthful of fur and feathers. I reach forward to grab my line with my left hand and I can feel it at the same time I hear it from the platform, “he ate it!” I come tight to the fish and give a violent strip-set with my left hand, attempting to bury my hook point in his bony mouth. Immediately the silence of this flat is obliterated as my fish makes a gravity-defying leap, shattering the glass surface of the water into a million pieces. The sound of gill plates slapping together punctuates the moment just before my tarpon splashes down like a watermelon dropped into a swimming pool from a 20-story building. I let out a whoop and my guide congratulates me “Yes! Nice job Mike.”
I survived the first jump. Now it’s time to settle in for the fight.
Everybody has their own reasons to go fly fishing for tarpon. I’m not going to presume to tell you yours. But we all have basic biological instincts. One of them is to overcome challenges. Without that drive our species never would have survived. Anglers constantly challenge themselves to catch bigger fish and more fish using different techniques. If it weren’t part of our nature, we wouldn’t keep track of world records. In my opinion there is no more challenging fish on a fly rod than tarpon. A good guide can put you on fish, but when you’re fly fishing for tarpon you need a particular set of skills (as Liam Neeson would say) in order to execute the cast and presentation that will make a tarpon eat. Figuring out how to win the fight with a tarpon is an entirely different story. Learning new skills and figuring out presentations will get your juices flowing as an angler.
The setting for tarpon fishing oftentimes comes directly out of a Jimmy Buffett or Bob Marley song. You only find poons in tropical and subtropical waters in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic coast of the Southern US. Often you’ll be fishing along white-sand beaches studded with coastal eelgrass on the inner rim of tropical reefs. If you’re backcountry fishing you have a constant view of mottled bottoms alternating between sand and grass punctuated by the contrast between mangrove islands and a horizon as far as you can see.
Tarpon are broadcast spawners. They do their mating dance in a couple hundred to a couple of thousand feet of water during the full moon then let the consistent storm surge from tropical depressions and hurricanes wash their eggs into backwater estuaries in truly wild places. Here, away from big water predators, baby megalops stands the best chance of growing and thriving in sheltered water. South of the US border, they call these areas Lagunas. Here in the States, we have several names for them including lagoons, bayous, backcountry, and rivers. The Florida Everglades, Isla Holbox Mexico, and Ascension Bay are exactly the type of wild places where baby tarpon thrive.
Fly fishing for tarpon is unlike anything else you’ll do with a fly rod in your hand. When you’re fly fishing for tarpon it’s more like a hunt since you must locate the fish first. Then, you’re casting at targets. Very big targets at that. Rarely have I seen anyone randomly cast a fly rod and hook up with the silver King. As you stand on the casting platform you’re targeting particular fish and working them with your retrieve. Once you get that fish to eat you’re connected to the angriest fish on earth. The sheer force of a bone-shaking first explosion of 100 pound poon getting airborne can rattle you to your core. Their relentless power punctuated by several aerial maneuvers will wear you out and exhilarate you at the same time.
Tarpon fight so violently and suddenly that landing 25% of the fish you feed is a great day. Once you’ve cast to, fed, jumped, fought, and landed a couple of tarpon, there is no other fish species on earth that will intimidate you with a fly rod in your hand. Learning how to catch tarpon will make you a better, more confident, and more competent angler no matter what species you fish for.
Trout gear won’t do on a hunt for the Silver King. Flyfishing for tarpon takes specialized tackle.
When your fly fishing for tarpon a fast action rod with a powerful butt section is essential. Oftentimes you’ll have to make casts into and through the wind. A fly rod with a responsive tip that can throw tight loops while carrying big flies is key. Once you deliver the fly and get a tarpon to eat, you’ll have to apply steady force in a battle of wills against a powerful, angry fish. Having the right tool for the job will make life much easier from the casting platform.
A good tarpon rod will be anywhere from a 10 weight to a 12 weight. Heavy winds and bigger fish may make the 12 weight more appropriate. Flat calm waters and spooky fish may call for the delicate presentation of a 10 weight. Recent trends over the past decade have seen anglers opting for the compromise of an 11 weight which I think is a good choice for any angler taking their first shot at Tarpon.
When you’re fly fishing for tarpon your choice of fly reel is key as well. Tarpon are powerful fish that can cover 10 feet in an instant with one flick of the tail. Add to that, you’ll be consistently fishing to fish over 100 pounds and you need a fly reel with serious drag to help apply pressure during your fight.
When I started fly fishing for tarpon there weren’t many good choices. Anglers were using reels with cork drags and small arbors. That meant you had to apply drag with your off-hand. It was common to come home with bruised knuckles after fighting a few of these heavyweights. The engineering of big game tarpon reels has come a long way since then.
The key to a good tarpon real is a smooth, consistent, powerful drag system with the ability to apply stopping torque to the line. You also want to take up as much line as possible on every turn of the handle. Nowadays you be hard-pressed to find an established reel-maker who doesn’t offer a large arbor saltwater reel. The larger arbor means every time you turn the reel handle you take up more line which is important when trying to keep up with a saltwater rocket. While old drag systems were made of cork. New drag systems are designed from Rulon and other nylon materials which create more consistency and the ability to apply more torque for longer periods. That means there’s less likelihood of a reel blowing up on you when a big Poon goes on a hot hundred-yard run after 20 minutes embroiled in battle with the Silver King.
There are several features that can make a tarpon reel more effective for fighting fish. Click here for our tarpon reel review.
It goes without saying that your fly line should match the weight of your rod. That said many companies offer different tapers for delivering large flies in the wind. That’s key when you’re tarpon fishing in windy marine environments. The ability to deliver accurate shots with big flies on a moment’s notice will make or break your day when you’re flyfishing for tarpon.
You’ll see names like triangle taper, grand slam taper, flats taper etc. These are all designed to throw saltwater flies at saltwater fish. They’re a good place to start when selecting a fly line for tarpon.
Another huge consideration is how a line handles tropical heat. I have tested quite a few prototype lines on my show, Familiar Waters. Most times these lines were fantastic. On one occasion though, I received a line from a company that focused most of their attention on saltwater fishing in the Northeast. These lines cast like a dream in the early morning hours, but as the day heated up, they turned into limp noodles. A soft fly line that wilts in the heat is a train-wreck to cast and tends to tangle a lot more on the deck. A tangled line can be tragic if you’re get dialed in on a massive tarpon. It also makes it harder to manipulate and manage your line in the boat. Using a wilted fly line as you face the Silver King is a miserable experience. Most line companies have figured it out by now. But do your research before you buy your first tarpon line.
Believe it or not the choice of leaders can be a controversial topic. The basics are you want anywhere from 9 to 15 feet of leader. Tarpon leaders generally consist of 3 sections, butt section, class tippet, and shock or bite tippet. If you are fishing in hopes of catching a world-record there are certain parameters that you have to meet to qualify through the IGFA (International Game Fish Association). Your shock tippet or bite tippet has to be a maximum of 12 inches. Your class tippet (the weakest point that establishes the overall leader strength) must be a minimum of 15 inches and your butt section can be as long as you want. Don’t get caught up in this if you’re fishing for personal reasons. Tie a longer bite tippet and save yourself some headaches every time you need to tie on a new fly.
All that said, many guides just tie a section of 40 to 60lb. fluorocarbon directly to the fly line and fish it full length. It’s effective and I’ve had many guides use that technique while shooting my shows.
I changed my mind on leader design after a battle I had with a beautiful poon while fishing in Key West. During the morning hours we couldn’t feed a fish to save our lives. We decided to fish oceanside for cruising tarpon on their migration in the afternoon. I got a shot at a school of 20 tarpon cruising from north to south and convinced the lead fish to eat. It was a huge relief because the morning’s fishing had been frustrating. I put this fish in the air a couple of times in the first three minutes. It was exhilarating.
A hooked tarpon puts on quite a show and makes a lot of noise. This fish was no different. His first couple jumps cleared the area of any other poons. A couple of minutes into this fight what looked to be the same school headed right back in front of the boat this time from south to north at a pretty good clip. They looked panicked. Which made sense because my tarpon and I were making a ruckus. However, 30 seconds later we saw 14’ hammerhead shark hot in pursuit. Obviously, my tarpon was making the sound of a fish in distress. That’s when this hammerhead turned his attention to my dance partner.
Immediately I backed off the drag and let my tarpon run to escape this massive predator. Initially, my fish made a beeline to the north but then doubled back and headed directly at the boat. I reeled as fast as I could, trying to take up line on the water. I was hoping my fish would lose the hook so he could get free. As my tarpon drew closer, we could see this hammerhead was still in hot pursuit. My fish actually came back directly under the boat, trying to use us for cover. As the shark came at us my guide tried to shoo him off with a swift jab of the pole. The shark turned away for a moment and I tried to wrap my line around my hand to break the leader and let my fish swim free. However, because I was tied directly to 50 lb. fluorocarbon I couldn’t get the leader to break. So once again I backed off my drag in the hope this fish would spit the hook.
The next two minutes was an epic game of cat and mouse around the boat. The tarpon would run, the shark would chase and my guide would try to defend the tarpon with his pole. Finally, the tarpon made a run under the boat diagonally from left to right, bow to stern which set the shark up for a good stiff shot in the face with the pole. That was enough to convince him that this fish wasn’t worth the effort.
As the shark headed north it was quick work the land my tarpon. I thoroughly revived him with my guide standing guard duty the whole time in case the shark decided to make a return. I released him and he swam out of my sight, educated but unharmed.
That episode taught me a lesson about leader design that I haven’t forgotten. While it is a battle of life or death out there on the flats our intent as anglers should always be to release these incredible fish unharmed. If I tie straight 50lb. fluorocarbon leaders right to my fly line it makes it impossible for me to break off a fish if I need to. Nowadays I tie a class-action tippet that’s strong enough for me to flight fight fish but weak enough for me to break it off in case my tarpon needs to make a quick getaway. Anything from 16 to 25lb. pound class tippet will do the trick. Most saltwater fly lines have a breaking strength of around 35lbs. So giving up 33% difference does the trick and I don’t lose many fish as a result.
Accessories for tarpon fishing can entail everything from fly boxes to sunscreen. However, there are a couple of things that you will never find me on the deck of a flats skiff without.
Fly fishing for tarpon is a visual game. In order to see these fish polarized sunglasses are a must. But not all polarized sunglasses are the same. Bluewater fishermen love gray lenses because they cut more light which makes it easier on your eyes. When your flats fishing though, you need contrast to visually separate these fish from their natural surroundings. You’d be amazed at how effective the camouflage of a tarpon can be. Even though they can weigh over 100 pounds consistently I’ve had giant tarpon sneak up on both me and my guide that we didn’t see until they were 20 feet from the boat. That said, being able to see them early is the key to getting the right shot. Copper, bronze or amber lenses provide better contrast than gray lenses on the flat. I also prefer glass over plastic in my lens design. They are a bit heavier but glass is more scratch resistant and provides better clarity. (I’ve tried every brand of flyfishing glass made here are my suggestions when you decide to buy polarized glasses for tarpon fishing.)
A good set of saltwater pliers make everything from cutting line to removing the fly from the tarpon’s bony mouth easier. I use them in knot tying and leader stretching, and I never fish without them. There are a couple of brands made specifically for fly fishing. (Check out my review of fly fishing pliers here.)
We call them flies even though they imitate fish, shrimp, and worms. Semantics aside, tarpon flies come in different flavors. I prefer to call them flavors rather than patterns because my intent is to feed them to tarpon. I’ll break them down into three categories here.
The first and most obvious category are the baitfish. These flies imitate different species of baitfish that tarpon generally pursue. For the most part, tarpon are feeders of opportunity. You can generally get them to eat a well-presented baitfish pattern. Flies that fall into this category include Lefty’s Deceiver, the cockroach, and the EP Baitfish. There are tons of other varieties in this category, each tied with their own flair based on the original tires experience.
The next style of fly also imitates baitfish but has a unique approach. These are the toads. Tarpon Toads generally have a flat broad head tied with synthetic fibers and a tail that can consist of marabou, rabbit fur, or splayed saddle hackle tied in the cockroach style. The flat broad head means that toads are great hovering flies. As you strip them they hold their place in the water column rather than sinking between strips. That eliminates the jigging action of many flies and creates a more natural presentation. If you want a fly for a slow retrieve that’s going to hang in the strike zone the Tarpon Toad is the fly for you. They come in multiple colors which I’ll discuss later.
Finally, you have specialty flies. These consist of worms, shrimp, eels, and various other items in a tarpon’s diet that aren’t baitfish. There are times when tarpon will key in to a specific “hatch”. The Palolo Worm hatch in the Florida Keys and the hill-tide at the Boca Grande pass that flushes crabs by the ton are examples of this. Like a trout sipping size 18 PMDs, when tarpon are on worms that’s what they want to eat and it pays to have them in your fly box.(For a deeper discussion on the best tarpon flies click here)
Just like flavors, you also have a variety of colors to choose from when you’re flyfishing for tarpon. Here’s how to select the right color for your fly.
You’ll hear me say this time and again whenever you read about fly selection. The darker the water the darker the fly. Early morning you want a fly that casts a strong silhouette. Since light doesn’t penetrate the water when the sun is at a low angle the water is darker. Darker flies cast a better silhouette than lighter flies. The same goes for fishing stained or off-color waters. The Florida Everglades is among my favorite places in the world when I’m flyfishing for tarpon. The water in the Everglades is stained tannic and brown, the color of weak coffee. Whenever I fish the Glades I’m throwing darker flies including black, purple, and red for contrast.
The lighter the water the brighter the fly. As the sun gets higher in the sky you get better light penetration. Which means the entire underwater environment is brighter. That’s when it’s time to switch to a lighter-colored fly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve caught midday tarpon in Key West on black and purple flies. But a dark fly looks out of place in a super bright environment. Most baitfish adapt to the color of their surroundings. That’s part of the camouflage that helps them survive. So having a fly that doesn’t look out of place will help you keep tarpon at ease. Which is exactly what you want when you’re looking to feed them.
Sometimes we make flyfishing for tarpon more complicated than it needs to be. Just like you would throw a salmonfly during the salmonfly hatch on the South Fork of the Snake River for trout. During a worm hatch, you want to throw a worm for tarpon. Match the species that tarpon are feeding on when selecting your fly. If you know they are on pilchards or greenbacks, you throw a fly that imitates pilchards or greenbacks. If they are cruising and randomly feeding on the flats it’s dealer’s choice. Throw the fly that gives you the most confidence.
Finally, tarpon have a biological visual acuity built into the system. In taxonomic nomenclature, the tarpon is known as megalops because of its giant eye. Understand the biology and you’ll understand fly color better.
I had the opportunity to speak with Jerry Ault, the preeminent fisheries biologist when it comes to tarpon. He explained tarpon’s visual acuity means they can see purple, red, chartreuse and yellow better than they can see other colors. Those colors will be a trigger when they’re built into your fly patterns. Use that to your advantage when you’re fly fishing for tarpon.
There are several aspects to cover when it comes to tarpon. I get into them more here. For now, let’s talk about working your fly. Remember, when you’re flyfishing for tarpon you’re streamer fishing. It’s your job to impart life to whatever fly you choose. This might consist of long slow strips, fast choppy strips, or erratic jigging strips. You need to the biological cue that triggers their predatory instinct.
If you watch fish closely as they react to your fly they’ll tell you what they’re looking for. Are they gliding slowly and trailing your fly? Then longer strips may be in order. Are they feeding aggressively? Then short choppy strips imitating an injured or spooked baitfish might be just the ticket. Are they showing interest but being reluctant to close the deal? Then long strips to lead them in followed by short choppy strips to trigger the strike might be the answer. Their reaction to your presentation will tell you how you need to work your fly.
The most important factor when you’re flyfishing for tarpon is to make your fly come alive.
This is where teamwork with your guide is paramount. As a former professional quarterback, I love the idea of working as a team to accomplish a goal. From atop their perch on the casting platform, your guide has a much better view of what the fish is doing. Not to mention, they’ve probably done it a few more times than you have. A good guide will coach you from the back on how you should work your fly. Listen to their cadence and try to make it happen. Once you have some experience, there may be times when your opinion differs on what you think the fish needs to trigger the eat. Once you have some experience, by all means, go with your gut. You’re the angler. But more times than not, your guide will have his finger on the pulse of what that fish wants.
Tarpon guides in the Florida Keys are infamous for being rough on their clients. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great guides who provide excellent customer service. But having been a guide myself, I understand that they are fishing right along with you. They worked hard to put you on fish. When a fish doesn’t eat it’s frustrating for both you and your guide. I’ve had guides scream at me from the back of the boat when I missed a cast. At which point I politely (or maybe not so politely) reminded them that I was the customer and I hadn’t decided on a tip yet….
When choosing a guide you want to consider their temperament. As a former athlete, I can take a lot of pressure while I’m on the casting platform. I want short concise instruction and I don’t need you to hold my hand. That said I don’t want you to call me a M-F’er for missing a hookset either.
Flyfishing for tarpon can be a high-pressure situation. You need to make the cast on time and on target as these fish cruise by the boat from different angles. If this is your first time fly fishing for tarpon and you want somebody with a little gentler nature then do your research and find somebody who will coach you the way you want to be coached.
Most Keys guides are in high demand but they’re always looking for new clients to replace the ones who have stopped fishing for whatever reason. If they get offended that you ask for a couple of their customers’ emails to get a reference they may not be the right guide for you anyway.
Once you’ve selected a guide and you’re on the water communication is key. Get clear with your guide beforehand on how they will identify where fish are coming from. Most guides use the hands-of-the-clock method. “Tarpon 2 o’clock 60 feet.” You’ll need to be familiar with that system. Oddly enough, clock design varies from guide to guide. You need to get a feel for your guide’s clock as quickly as possible if you want to be on time.
Finally, as I said this is teamwork. You need to do your part before you make the trip. If the majority of your fly fishing has been casting 5wt. rods at altitude for trout you’re gonna need to pick up an 11 or 12wt rod and cast it a lot before you go. You’ll be standing on a moving platform casting at moving fish, most likely in the wind, throwing heavy flies. Practice, practice, practice, before you board the plane to your final destination. Your first shot is almost always your best shot when you’re flyfishing for tarpon. You want to be ready when the time comes.
You may already have a fly fishing destination in mind for tarpon. Let me throw out a couple of considerations. If this is your first time, you’ll want a guide that communicates well who’s also a good teacher. Traveling overseas you may find some incredible Tarpon fishing and guides that know their water as well as anyone but it’s likely they won’t be able to communicate well enough to coach you for your first experience.
If you’re just getting into tarpon fishing you may want to try your hand at baby tarpon. In the right spot like Isla Holbox, Mexico you’ll get multiple shots during the day and you can practice your skills for saltwater fly fishing while you get a sense for the species. They also offer fly fishing for adult tarpon so you can try your hand after a couple of days on babies.
You can catch tarpon on the fly from South Carolina to Texas but the most consistent tarpon destination for fly fishing in the US is Florida. More specifically, the Florida Keys and the Everglades. It is a phenomenal trip and I highly recommend it but do your homework.
Every angler who wants a challenge should try their hand at fly fishing for tarpon. It’s the pinnacle of our sport. Building the skills to catch tarpon consistently on the fly is a challenge well worth undertaking. I love it so much I have a tarpon tattoo on my left triceps. I consider them my spirit fish. Once you’ve danced with the Silver King it will get in your blood. It is a life-changing experience. Next time you have a hankering to travel somewhere exotic try your hand at fly fishing for tarpon and experience the pure power of the world’s angriest fish!
