If getting a tarpon to eat a fly wasn’t demanding enough, once a fish opens its mouth the real test of an angler’s mettle is revealed.
Tarpon are not trout, and attempting to raise the rod to set the hook is a serious misstep. Fortunately, once a tarpon decides to eat a fly there’s no need to make a lightning-fast hook set. A “strip strike,” as the name implies, involves letting the line come tight and immediately setting the hook with a combination of the line hand (the strip) and the rod, while being ready for the tarpon to bolt away from the boat.
An angler’s attention must go immediately to clearing loose line from the deck as the tarpon departs the zip code. Loose line can easily foul on the angler, the rod or the reel. The drill is to take your attention from the fish to the line at your feet. Hold the rod away from your body and let the excess line pass through your stripping hand within a circle made with the thumb and the forefinger. Once the line is on the reel, set the hook with several more strip strikes, using the rod.
If this wasn’t enough to remember, it’s critical to apply maximum pressure to the tarpon during the fight, yielding only on jumps when the angler thrusts the rod forward to relieve pressure on the line. This prevents the tarpon from breaking off if it lands on a taught line. This maneuver is known as “bowing to the king.”
It’s customary to start the engine and get as close to the tarpon as possible after the initial and subsequent long runs. This allows the angler to apply maximum pressure. If a tarpon is a hundred yards from the boat, the stretch of the line makes it impossible to apply any real pressure.
If you’re looking for a good tarpon jumping photo, when a tarpon makes any long run, motor to it, applying only enough pressure to make sure the hook doesn’t dislodge. As soon as you are in place, frame the shot you want and then have the angler apply maximum pressure. Most times, the tarpon will make a jump that’s close enough to the boat to get the angler and the fish in the shot. It’s not a sure thing, but when it works it can present an awesome photographic opportunity.
Finally, don’t try and rush the tarpon when it gets near the end of the fight. Keep the pressure on but don’t clamp down and try to force the fish to the boat. Never try and bring a tarpon into the boat. It’s illegal and dangerous for the tarpon and anyone in the boat. When releasing a large fish like a tarpon, put the motor in gear and slowly let water pass through their gills. They will let you know when they’re ready. Tarpon on the fly is a challenging endeavor, but it’s well worth the effort when you finally get that first fish boat-side for a photograph. Then you’ll understand why it’s referred to as “the apex of angling.”
Note – This story was previously published in 2025.
