Florida Keys tarpon range in size from 20 up to 175 pounds, with the average fish weighing in the 70- to 90-pound range. Although I know anglers who fish for tarpon with 10-weight rods, you never know what size fish is going to eat your fly, and a 12-weight is recommended for all tarpon fishing unless you are specifically targeting small fish. In body construction, tarpon are somewhat like humans--some are skinny, some are fat, some are tall (long), and some are short, but more important is the fact that some are strong and some are not. Can you use a smaller rod? Sure, but with a smaller rod, you may find yourself under gunned at the most inopportune moment.
Unlike most freshwater applications where your rod is your most important piece of equipment, your reel is your most important piece of tackle when fishing in the Florida Keys. Your tarpon reel should be large--4 inches or so in diameter, and capable of holding a 12-weight fly line plus 300 yards of 30-pound backing.
Twelve-weight rods and dependable saltwater reels are required for tarpon fishing. If you don't have your own, most good guides will be able to provide you with tackle.
In recent years, manufacturers have produced fly reels much larger than 4 inches, and many anglers who fish for tarpon and other large, fast fish on a regular basis have begun using the largest diameter reels they can afford. The reasoning behind the use of these larger diameter reels is two-fold.
First, you're not casting or false casting as much for large fish as often as you might for smaller fish, so the added weight of larger reels is not as much of a factor as some anglers might think. Second, the large-diameter reels that hold 500, 600, or even 800 yards of backing are a real asset when a big fish pulls off 200 or 300 yards of backing, and you discover you still have enough spool diameter left to recover more than a couple of inches of line with each crank of the reel handle. The current trend of large arbor reels accomplishes the same result, but without the weight of the extra backing.
A smooth, strong drag should be your primary concern, and certainly will be once you realize the power, strength, and stamina of a tarpon. While there are several materials used in manufacturing fly reel drag washers, cork is the most prevalent in the high end reels due to its proven ability to resist heat, as well as compress and expand throughout the pressure range of a reel's drag setting.
There are many areas in the Florida Keys where tarpon will be in water shallow enough to use a floating fly line. When the tarpon are in water six feet deep, or deeper, you will need an intermediate sinking line. Scientific Angler's Floating Tarpon Taper, Cortland's Tropic Plus Lazerline, and Orvis's Saltwater Weight Forward are the three floating lines of choice when the poons are in shallow water, while Scientific Angler's Tarpon Taper Clear, Cortland's Tropic Plus Lazerline intermediate, and Orvis's Intermediate Sink are the choices when a fly sinking from a floating line won't reach those deeper fish.
Walt Jennings lives in Venice, Florida. He is a Fly Fisherman contributing editor.
