Species: Tarpon
Tarpon are considered by many people to be the ultimate fly rod target. It is as if they were made for fly anglers. They have no edible quality, which means there are plenty of them, and they are allowed to grow to massive proportions. They are aggressive toward flies when they see them, and they are well known for their aerial, acrobatic displays once they are hooked.
Tarpon are a migratory species that occur around coastal and inshore waters of the western Atlantic. They range from Virginia to Brazil, along the coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic, and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea.
Tarpon will travel extensive amounts of coast line, and will go considerable distances up rivers during their spawning period, which peaks in June and July.
Tarpon are able to gulp air, which allow them to travel in and through oxygen depleted areas, namely brackish and estuarine waters. They are normally found and fished to in a variety of shallow water environments. They may be found cruising a reef, or chasing mullet in a fresh water lake, twenty miles from the salt water. Once found, anglers chances of drawing strikes on the fly are generally very good. Fighting them to the boat is another story.
Much like a bonefish, Tarpon have mirrored sides and can be hard to see underwater despite their size. Luckily for fly anglers, Tarpon tend to roll across the surface when they travel. This can be a heart stopping moment when an angler sees this for the first time.
The Baby Tarpon is also considered many anglers favorite sport fish. Tarpon under fifty pounds are usually considered babies, but are thought of in many instances as more fun to catch than the adults. They give the same aerial display, without having to fight the fish for an hour or more, which can happen with the adult fish. Baby Tarpon on the other hand can be caught and released with more frequency and increase the fishing time instead of the fighting time.
Currently the Men's fly rod record stands at 202 pounds and 8 ounces. The ladies record is 99 pounds 6 ounces. Tarpon max out near 300 pounds and 8 feet and may live to be over 50 years old. They have been swimming in tropical waters since prehistoric times. Over and over the Tarpon has been described as the most fun a person can have with a fly rod.
Baby Tarpon Equipment
- 8-10 Weight Saltwater Fly Rods
- What we use: Sage TCR, Sage Xi2, Winston Boron IIX
- 8-10 Weight Saltwater Fly Reels
- What we use: Tibor Riptide, Abel Super 8-10
- Floating Saltwater Fly Line
- What we use:
- Short Leader connected to 60-80 Pound Shock Tippet
- What we use: Seaguar Flourocarbon
- High quality polarized sunglasses
- What we use: Action Optics
- Flies
- Flies for Tarpon are generally tied in the, non-fouling, flared tail style, with numerous color variations. Anglers should carry both light and dark patterns. Standard saltwater streamers work well in brackish water and for Baby Tarpon.
Technique
Many Tarpon are caught as a bi-product of flats fishing. Anglers lucky enough to see these fish on the flats stand a great chance of hooking them as long as they are pre-rigged and ready for these brutes. Local anglers will "Stake Out" edges of flats they know migrating Tarpon will pass by and wait for them, casting when the fish get to them. Tarpon migration patterns are truly that consistent. Baby Tarpon are often found at river mouths and in backcountry rivers and bays.
Anglers cast at Tarpon and strip the fly quickly away, making the fly seemingly flee the Tarpons area. A Tarpon will never eat a fly that is swimming toward it, as no bait would ever swim toward these bucket mouth, eating machines.
Once the Tarpon's attention is caught, it is a matter of then setting the hook with a lot of power, clearing the loose line to the reel, and remembering to bow toward the Tarpon every time they jump. The rest is a matter of muscle and luck.