Sometime in April, when the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys warm to a certain triggering temperature, thousands of prehistoric-looking fish called tarpon appear in schools on the shallow-water flats of Florida Bay. Soon after, they begin an annual circular migration on the Atlantic Ocean side from the middle Keys around Islamorada to Key West and back. Their backs are green. Their sides are covered in bright silvery scales the size of a half-dollar. They are muscular. And they are huge–fish six feet long and weighing more than 100 pounds are common.
Incredibly, these monsters with bucket-size mouths can be fooled into taking a comparatively tiny artificial “fly” that’s two or three inches long. It’s a team effort: An experienced guide stands on the poling platform at the stern of an ultralight skiff and an angler perches on the bow in anticipation, fly line draped in careful coils for a quick cast. The very best tarpon anglers talk about “feeding” a fish rather than simply casting to it. As large as the quarry is, it’s a game of finesse. Once one of these leviathans actually inhales your offering–if you aren’t crying for your cardiologist–get ready for some of the most spectacular, head-shaking leaps and reel-screaming runs in fly fishing.
