Tarpon Fly Fishing In Apalachicola, FL

A day of tarpon fishing typically starts early. Boat rides in the dark are the norm, as tarpon feed heavily at sunrise, and the need to beat other anglers to tarpon spots routinely exists. As the sun begins to rise, tarpon can be spotted rolling on the surface while gulping air, which makes audible sounds and disturbs the water surface. Rolling tarpon give clues to there behavior and movement that both guide and angler must note. As the guide quietly poles the boat towards the fish’s whereabouts, the angler is at the ready to make a cast at the guides discretion. Most shots at rolling tarpon are of the longer variety with shots over 80 feet in the wind being common. The objective is to get the fly as close to the fish’s face as possible with a subtle presentation, and stripped in a way that the fly is convenient enough for the fish to grab it. A well fished fly gets bit more often than not, and prepared anglers have a legitimate shot at jumping multiple tarpon per day.

As the sun rises and morning turns into day, tarpon rolling usually subsides, and when the conditions are right, the rest of the day is spent looking for laid up fish, or fishing swimming fish on the Gulf banks. Laid up fishing is classic tarpon fly fishing and the thing that many fly anglers dream of. Usually earlier in the season (May-June) tarpon can be found in the Gulfside basins floating motionless in 6+ feet of water, many times right below the surface. Sneaking up to and presenting a fly quietly in the fish’s face will frequently result in utter chaos and a battle with a fish that is unmatched in the fly fishing world. If the laid up fish aren’t happening, migrating fish start to show up in late May or early June and sometime last through August. Groups of fish, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, make their way from pass to pass on their annual migration. Swimming tarpon fishing is a spectacle, and prepared anglers can routinely hook them with a presentation that makes the fly naturally appear in the fish’s path.

A typical day of tarpon fishing is relatively exhausting and most days conclude between 1:00 and 3:00PM, depending on how early the start was. Not all tarpon fly fishing days are filled with perfect conditions and willing tarpon, and when conditions are not right for fly fishing for tarpon, time might be spent chasing redfish for a welcomed change of pace.