Equipment for tarpon fly fishing
Depending on the size of the fish you're after, you'll need very different equipment.
We can adapt it to take pleasure while still being able to take these fish out without tiring them too much.
- Baby tarpon fishing
Baby tarpon weigh between 2 and 30 kg. They live mainly in lagoons and on the edges of mangroves, but can also be found on the flats.
In this case, you can use lighter tackle to have fun with these "little" fish.
A rod with a power of 8 to 9 can be used to get more sensations while being able to restrain a little these fish which even of this size are very combative.
We'll be using a floating Rio Tarpon-type spindle line to propel our flies quickly and precisely onto fish that are often on the move.
A short leader mounted with shock tippet in 40 to 60 lbs will be the norm. Size 1 to 2/0 flies are commonly used.
- Big tarpon fishing
Large tarpon weighing over 40 kg and up to 100 kg are fished with much more powerful tackle to counter rushes and master these fish with their surprising endurance.
A 9-foot, 10-grain rod is suitable for fish weighing from 30 to 50 kg, but if the fish are over 50 kg, they should be fished with an 11 to 12-grain Sage R8 SALT.
A floating WF line will again be used, as they are often close to the surface or in little water. An intermediate-tipped line can also be useful in some cases.
A leader with a shock tippet of 80 to 100 lbs will be necessary to avoid being cut by the small rasping teeth of these unusual predators.
Flies should also be adapted to the size of the fish you're after, and should be mounted on hooks from size 1 to 4/0 in most cases. These hooks are ultra prickly to penetrate the cartilaginous mouth, and very strong in iron.
Tarpon fishing is mainly done from boats to cover ground and find shoals. In some cases, especially for baby tarpon, wadding can be used, particularly around islands and shallow flats.

Sight fishing on the flats
In most destinations, tarpon are caught mainly on sight in shallow water, especially on flats with translucent waters.
Whether in Florida, Cuba or any other part of the Caribbean, tarpon wander around looking for food in small groups. They're either in shallow water or close to the surface, and once spotted, you'll need to cast quickly in front of the lead fish or the one best placed to present the fly without spooking the rest of the group.
Our flies will move between the surface and a few decimeters below it. We'll animate more or less quickly depending on the mood of the fish. The guides are a great help in adapting our retrieve to their behavior. They know exactly how to lure these fish. Sometimes, very slow animation with very small pulls or twitches will pay off, while in other cases, you'll have to provoke the tarpon with longer and/or more violent pulls.
Either way, you'll see this big silver fish follow your fly until it engages, and the adrenaline rush is indescribable! To see one of these fish follow your fly, then suck it up and rip the line from your reel is unique!
However, rejections are commonplace, and you should not hesitate to change fly colors, sizes and silhouettes to find what you like on the big day.

Fishing in lagoons and mangrove swamps
Smaller specimens often live in lagoons, canals and on the edges of mangroves, where they find shelter and food.
Food is rich and varied, and prey in very high densities in this unique habitat, and tarpons like to take cover in the mangrove roots.
In the lagoons, the guide usually skirts the edges to find marauding fish. Sometimes it's possible to see the fish rolling on the surface as they come to take in a little oxygen. This allows you to spot them and then go out to tempt them.
The time of the tide should be taken into account, especially on the edges of mangrove swamps around islands, for example, as the less water there is, the more the tarpon will be outside the mangroves and therefore "vulnerable". In this case, we can present them with our flies to tempt them.
In some cases, blind casts can be made, but they rarely pay off. If there is no surface activity or marauding fish, they are either absent or well hidden in roots and vegetation and therefore inaccessible.

Blind fishing in crowded and/or deeper waters
In some cases and for several destinations, sight fishing is not possible.
When the light is very poor and the fish can't be seen because of clouds and/or strong winds, you have to fish on fish posted in deeper places. This happened to me in Cuba and all week we fished "blind" on fish rolling on the surface. Without a diving line, we would have missed our week.
In this case, a 450- to 600-grain line (very plunging) allows us to present our fly in the right layer of water. The fly is animated by a pull alternating with long pauses. The touch is not visual, but very violent. You must strike immediately, making several long pulls with the fly line without lifting the rod, with the aim of planting the fly in the tarpon's hard mouth. The first jumps are often decisive. If your tying has not been carried out correctly, the tarpon will spit out your fly during its scabrous jumps, shaking its head in all directions!
This type of fishing is also practiced in Costa Rica at the mouths, in Nicaragua (in the channels and mouths), and in Africa. At these destinations, the water is heavy, making it impossible to see the fish following and taking the fly.
In this situation, we use plunging lines to offer our flies where fish are stationary and passing by. They often roll on the surface, which makes it easier to find them and present our flies.
These big tarpon are incredibly powerful and violent. The fights put both anglers and equipment to the test, but you'll remember them for the rest of your life!