Flats Fishing with Silverking Charters - 17' Maverick

Late Winter and Spring are my favorite times of the year, as the annual migration of Tarpon takes off, and the fish start moving to the backcountry, passes, inlets and ocean side areas of the Keys. Even though Spring is when we will find the major concentrations of fish, we can find Tarpon and fish for them all year long at different locations. Tarpon fishing on the fly is very addicting. Once you see a school of Tarpon swimming over clear bottom or a fish “laid up” floating motionless right beneath the surface, you will understand what I am saying. Then, you make a cast, that fish starts tracking the fly, cracks his mouth open, sucks the fly-in, takes off jumping, cartwheeling, and ripping 150 yards off your reel. That will be it, you will be hooked for life.

First you should be a competent caster. If you have never picked up a 10wt, 11wt or 12wt please do not show up to the dock trying to learn while the fish are swimming. Even if you do it “a few times a year” it won’t be enough. Chances are that you will be wasting precious time and money. Please take plenty of time to learn how to cast months or at least weeks in advance before your trip. You should be able to double haul, develop line speed and have casting accuracy. Having a good backhand cast will also improve your chances of success. Average wind in the keys is 10 to 15 knots, with days having 15 to 20 knots winds or more being common. Since the fishing is almost always better during windy conditions, you will need to learn how to handle the wind. There are many books out there that address the aspects of fly casting and fly fishing for Tarpon. You can also find tons of info on the internet about the subject. I encourage you to document yourself as much as you can before your trip. Any money you spend with a reputable casting instructor is also money well spent. The same applies for the other “glamourous” flats species (Permit and Bonefish) which are equally--if not more--challenging and demanding.