Ken and Andrew Florida Keys with Dave Plummer Day 4

This morning both Ken and Andy fancied having a go at Tarpon fishing on the fly, as you well know this is not for the faint hearted. Watching 100lb plus Tarpon engulf your fly, before launching clean out of the water turn and spinning in every attempt at rejecting your fly. We found a nice pod of Tarpon (As there is hundreds of them now come in) On the edge of a flat moving on to the flats, they both had several cast at fish all of which looked as if they would eat the fly, a few misses from over excitement strikes but eventually two fish were hooked up. It was a shame that both times the fish managed to jump the hooks, it takes time and practice for anglers to get used to big Tarpon on the fly. First it is setting to hook hard, very hard and the only way to do that is strip strike, never lifting the rod. Then release all the spare line keeping a constant pressure on will ensure the hook is well in. Then there the dreaded jumps, the Tarpons number one defense of being hooked. The trick is to always be aware of what the fish is doing. Watch the line in the water so you get an early warning that it is rising up ready to lunge and jump. It is these jumps that change the angle of the line and the drag of the fly line pulls the hook backwards turning and assisting it in coming lose. The best way to prevent this is to throw the Tarpon line by pointing the rod at the fish at arms length, throwing him slack line reduces the drag and therefore lessons the effect on your important hook hold.

Latter in the afternoon we returned but this time using crab, it did not long for Andy to hook up with a nice beast of a Tarpon which was duly landed and estimated at around 150lb.

Weather is great hardly any wind and hot temperatures, this is more like the Florida Keys we know and have come to love over the years.

Regards Dave Plummer