Tarpon

Tarpon are one of fly-fishing's top prizes! These fish are huge, hard to catch and fight like the dickens. Nearly all anglers need to purchase specialty gear to chase them, as well as needing to hire a guide as it is very difficult for an angler to walk onto a random sand flat and catch a big tarpon.

Their habitat ranges from Argentina up the Eastern seaboard. They have been caught around Boston and New York in the past, but Florida is ground zero for tarpon fishing.

Tarpon are migratory fish and are not available year-round in most areas, although fishing for "baby" tarpon can be done all-year in the right areas. They reach Florida usually in May and can be found throughout the rest of the summer months in the tropics.

Costa Rica, Belize and Mexico are all popular destinations to catch tarpon as well, and can provide cheaper options at different times of year if Florida in the summer does not sound appealing.

Gear: A 10wt to 12wt rod is necessary to catch a full-sized adult tarpon. The world record is something like 286 pounds and 7.5' long, so please do not think that you can take your 8wt to the Florida Keys and come back with a photo of an adult tarpon...

A large arbor, high-end sealed drag reel is highly preferred. These fish pull hard and require the most finely-tuned reels to get them to the boat. Lastly, tropical floating lines are most common, but there are popular sink-tip lines for some situations where tarpon are a little deeper.