# Tarpon on the fly rod



## SiteCast

Hey fellas...looking forward to my first trip of the season pretty soon, how about y'all? Have a little insomnia, figured I would post some **** stuff and hopefully get some of y'all jazzed about trying it with stick and feather.

Really, I just wanted to raise the topic of fly fishing for tarpon here in TX, and ask why more people in our state don't seem to pursue them this way? I see a lot of people that post here who seem to have caught their fair share of tarpon, but who don't seem to have considered doing it on a fly rod...or maybe aren't interested in it. For me, it's the only way I have ever fished for them, whether in the Caribbean, FL, or here in TX. Although I throw both lures and flys on our inshore fish, and have no aversion to bait offshore, as dictated by conditions, I am a purist when it comes to poons. 

I do admit that, at least in TX, being a fly purist cuts down on the number of fishable days...and possibly the number of fish jumped, and in general, greatly raises the degree of difficulty on an already very difficult endeavor. In Florida, I think the fly is actually an advantage more often than not...and there is no doubt that the best tarpon guides in FL are fly guides. However, jumping them and catching them on fly here in TX is still extremely feasible, especially on the mid and lower coasts.

I promise you, the degree of excitement associated with watching a tarpon inhale a fly at close range, often within mere feet of the boat, and the first phase of the battle when initiated at close range on the fly, is night and day relative to most conventional tackle hookups.

Don't get me wrong, a jumped tarpon is exciting no matter the method, and I certainly don't look down my long purist nose at people using lures, because again, I throw lures regularly at other species, but jumping a tarpon on a fly rod is easily the most exciting fishing experience known to man....at least this man, LOL.

For those of you who have already landed a tarpon or two on conventional gear, I'd highly recommend you set your sights on the next level. AND - not just so you can say "I did it on the fly" and pretend that's somehow superior, but because it really is way, WAY more heart-stopping, knee shaking, hand clenching AWESOMENESS! 

Aside from the obvious visual aspect of sight casting to large fish, the "hunting" aspect of spotting the fish and making a good "shot", seeing that huge mouth open, trying desperately to remember to avoid the long ingrained lure fishing habit of "trout striking", then the strip strike connection where you are literally connected to the fish for a moment or two via only the string and sans the rod, the pandemonium of trying to clear the line, the fact that the initial jumps are literally in your face and not 60 yards out, it all adds up to a very, very different experience than jumping a fish on a spinning or baitcast setup.

To this day, my most vivid tarpon memory is not one of the fish I have landed, it was a 150+ lb. fish that I hooked and lost after about 10 seconds. This fish was spotted way under the mangroves (obviously in FL), and followed the fly out, right towards the boat. When he ate, he was facing us head on (as most fly rod tarpon hookups happen), and from less than a rod length away, it looked like you could have fit a basketball in his mouth. On the first strip strike, this mammoth fish literally almost jumped into the trees. I repeatedly strip set as he tailwalked down the tree line and the guide frantically tried to pole the stern of the boat away from the trees to give the fish room and keep it out of the boat. Lost that fish on his 3rd jump, but man what a memory.

My next favorite memory happened here in TX just last year, as I hooked up on a 60lb fish maybe 3 feet from the starboard side of the boat. The fish did something really weird on being hooked, which was to head straight down to the bottom at full speed....then the line went slack...and I thought I had busted him off...and I lowered my rod in disgust...only to be amazed when 2 seconds later the fish rocketed straight up into the air about 6 feet away at a perfect 90 degree, straight up, angle. I realized the fish's initial dive was made to gain room and momentum and acceleration for the jump. I don't know what the record height a tarpon can jump to is, but I bet this fish was close! I was standing on the casting platform on the bow of our skiff, and I was looking UP at the tail of this fish. Like, way up. For a second, I thought he was coming down on me. My buddy standing on the poling platform said the head of the fish was way over his head. Meanwhile I am standing there on the platform, rod in lowered hand at an angle parallel to the sea, as if I was just carrying it in the parking lot (because I thought the fish had busted off), and I bet you could have fit a basketball in MY mouth as I stated wide eyed at this fish sailing over my head. Managed to land that one. 

Anyway, sorry so long a post, hopefully it gets the blood pumping for some of y'all in the morning ...and hopefully at least one of y'all goes out to buy a 12 weight rod tomorrow.

Peace!


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## Capt. Lowtide

WOW, you are awesome!


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## BrandonFox

Heck yeah!

Plenty of us chase TX poons with fly rods... Most keep quiet about where/when though.
Head to the flyfishing forum and you'll see more of it.


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## Bill C

It's not uncommon to see flyrodders working the Port Aransas and Port Isabel jetties. I imagine they're plenty elsewhere too. 

Good luck to all this year.


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## Trouthappy

These guys were hitting it pretty hard last summer, not sure if they are 2Coolers. Anyway jetty walker can get really close to tarpon rolling along the rocks.


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## karstopo

I've jumped 2 and brought to hand one Texas tarpon on lures. I'll be on the look out this year for opportunities to cast fly patterns at them. Did a couple of nearshore Tarpon cruises last year with fly rod in hand on a friend's boat, but we never saw any. I don't see tarpon chasing here on the upper coast as my full time fishing obsession...too many other more reliable fish to target...I like to make more casts and have my line get tight a little more frequently that the Tarpon seem to provide. But if some low hanging fruit comes my way...


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## BATWING

I had my 1st trip last year and fished out of Homosassa Fl. The 1st day I fished with spinning reel and we jumped two in the 100-200lb class. The next trip we fished with fly gear and I must say I had a hard time picking it up.

I now prefer to sight cast fish no matter what species. I loved it!


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## Worm Drowner

I have a brand new 12 wt. that is begging me to take it out for silver kings!! Unfortunately, my tarpon knowledge currently is that of a neophyte at best.... I hope to remedy that before too terribly long.


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## noise.boy

8weight, that sure looks Captain Ben Paschal. Laguna Madre Outfitters


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## sea hunt 202

that is the bomb


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## CoveredUp

I just recently had a taste of Tarpon on the fly. I've done some cool things with a fly rod, or at least I thought I did, but the **** is another level.


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## Fishsurfer

Texas, at one time was a major destination for tarpon fishing, especially around Port Aransas. Sometime in the late 50s and early 60s Tarpon began moving away from the central and northern Texas coast. Most likely due to pollution. When the government started regulating industries along the Texas coast about their discharges and banning DDT, then the water began to clean up and the birds of prey and Mexican pelicans began to come back along with tarpon and snook a little later. Unless you grew up along the Texas coast you probably wouldn't realize it. I did and I have seen it. Tarpon are an excellent type of fish for fairly light tackle due to the fact that they do not usually make long runs and strip out all your line, instead for our enjoyment they try to get off the line by spitting the hook and jumping. Since fly tackle is really made for this type of fishing it really works great on this species.


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## 8weight

noise.boy said:


> 8weight, that sure looks Captain Ben Paschal. Laguna Madre Outfitters


Yep, that's Capt. Paschal!

He's on them this year too.


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## Duckboys42

What kind of flys are using to catch tarpon on?


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## Scott A

Duckboys42 said:


> What kind of flys are using to catch tarpon on?


Check out the International Tarpon Conservation Association magazine which has an article on Texas Fly fishing for tarpon. It's free.

https://www.joomag.com/magazine/megalops-volume-1-issue-1/0598560001454218054?short


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## POCsaltdog

Duckboys42 said:


> What kind of flys are using to catch tarpon on?


Haines Pilchard is my go to fly. Secondary would be Tarpon Bunnies. If the poons are deeper I'll go to 2/0 Lead-Eye Clouser.


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## Mizpah

*Purple Demon*



Duckboys42 said:


> What kind of flys are using to catch tarpon on?


I don't know squat about fly fishing but I know this one works. Animal Chris has caught several Tarpon on this fly, including a 100# fish.


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## Meadowlark

SiteCast said:


> ...I just wanted to raise the topic of fly fishing for tarpon here in TX, and ask why more people in our state don't seem to pursue them this way? ...


Its interesting to speculate about why fly fishing for Tarpon has never really caught on here. The obvious reason would be environmental conditionsâ€¦and by that I mean generally less than clear water conditions inshore dominate most of the time making sight casting for Tarpon a very ineffective technique, again most of the time.

In addition, along much of the Texas coast the Tarpon are often found in relatively deep water from 1 to about 7 miles off the coast in the summer months. These conditions generally dictate the use of heavy sinking lines and â€œdredgingâ€ techniques and offers relatively few sight casting opportunities. Throwing sinking lines on 12 wt rigs all day at unseen targets just isnâ€™t all that much fun for many of us.

The environmental conditions have also enabled a cultural factor here in Texas where many consider fly fishing to be a novelty. In his book â€œFishing Yesterdayâ€™s Gulf Coastâ€, legendary guide Barney Farley describes fly fishing in terms of catching a fish on a fly rod and fails to recognize the act of stalking, presenting a fly, enticing a take, and finally the battle....all of which is an integral part of saltwater fly fishing.

The fly rod is itself, although fun to fight fish on, actually only arguably a small part of what we call fly fishing . Barney and his fellow guides, back in 1932, suggested that fly fishing for Tarpon in Texas could be fun if â€œwe could put a star drag reel on the fly rodâ€.

They, as many others still do today, failed to appreciate that the essence of Tarpon fly fishing (and really all saltwater fly fishing) to a lot of us that do it, is all about the whole dealâ€¦the stalk, the presentation, the enticement to fool the fish with the strip, and the ensuing battle. It would always remain a novelty if it were just strapping a star drag reel on a whippy rod.

For me, when Tarpon fishing in Texas I use conventional gear, but I will travel great distances to far away locations to experience the entire package of saltwater fly fishing for this great fish.


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## karstopo

One of my fly fishing desires is to get a take from a local waters Texas Tarpon. I've jumped 2 and put one in hand here in Brazoria county. Both were sight casted, but that was when I casted only plugs at the silver kings. 

My bud's boat is on the fritz, but if the opportunity comes again, I have some flies ready. I'm not really into dredging them up from the deep. They will have to show themselves before I sling the whip at them.


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## Meadowlark

Scott A said:


> Check out the International Tarpon Conservation Association magazine which has an article on Texas Fly fishing for tarpon. It's free.
> 
> http://www.joomag.com/magazine/megalops-volume-1-issue-1/0598560001454218054?short


That's an excellent read....and I signed up for subscription. Thanks for posting the link.


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## driller4664

*Port A Jetties*

Thinking about heading out and trying Friday, weather permitting.


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## Don Thomas

I have a new Ovis rod. And 11/12 wt Albright Tempest IV. If you have a buddy I need. New and to sale. 830-481-3678.


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