by Tom Berg
The Florida Keys are well-known for the excellent fishing that can be found there year-round. Whether you like inshore fishing or prefer to head offshore, there is always something biting. Tarpon are at the top of many anglers’ wish lists, and although I’ve caught a few tarpon in Florida waters over the years, I have never fished for them in the Keys and never with a fly rod, either. That was about to change!
My brother Mike and I were staying on Marathon Key, one of the hottest locations in the Florida Keys for fishing, and we had booked an early morning fishing charter trip with tarpon as our prime target. Our guide for the day was Capt. Scott Collins (305-304-5965), is one of the most knowledgeable and successful tarpon guides around.
It was still dark when we met Capt. Scott in the parking lot at the Seven Mile Fly Shop near the west end of Marathon. We wanted to get an early start before the heat of the day set in, and as an added benefit Capt. Scott said the tarpon would likely be more active before the sun got too high in the sky anyway. Mike and I hopped in Scott’s truck, and we headed for the boat ramp.
Once the boat was in the water, Capt. Scott headed for some of the small backcountry islands dotting the shallow waters nearby. Some of the islands we passed were just tiny stands of mangroves clustered together, while others were expansive islands with a mixture of mangroves and larger hardwood trees.
As we approached one of the larger backcountry islands, Capt. Scott cut the engine and let the boat drift as he scanned the water for tarpon. He told us to keep an eye out for porpoising or tailing tarpon, too. We were searching for small pods of active fish where we could present a fly to them, but we would have to act fast because these fish would be cruising and not sitting still.
The boat drifted to within several feet of the island’s southernmost point, and suddenly Capt. Scott yelled and grabbed the fly rod lying beside him. A small pod of three or four tarpon had suddenly appeared at the surface, and there was no time to hand the rod to either me or Mike. Capt. Scott made a very short cast, and as soon as the yellow fly hit the water – just 10 feet from the boat – the water erupted as a tarpon engulfed the bait!
Capt. Scott set the hook with a quick strip of the line, and the fish took off like a freight train! He handed the rod to Mike, and Mike held on as the tarpon sped away. He really had his hands full! The fish was swimming full speed, and before Mike could get all of the fly line back on the reel his fish was airborne!
The fish landed with a big splash and then went airborne again! Mike got control of the reel and started playing the fish, but the tarpon was not interested in slowing down. After two more tremendous leaps, though, the fish began to tire. Mike started gaining line and soon the tarpon was only a few feet from the boat.
Capt. Scott leaned out over the water and was able to grab the fish by its bottom jaw. Success! And Mike’s first tarpon on a fly! These fish are not the 100-pound adults that appear in Boca Grande Pass and other places in the early summertime. These tarpon are juveniles for the most part (two or three feet long), but they still fight like crazy and leap clear out of the water several times before you can get them to the boat.
Capt. Scott released Mike’s fish and then it was my turn. The small pod of tarpon that Mike’s fish came from was long gone, so we started looking for new fish. It didn’t take Capt. Scott long to spot a new group of fish, but they were a little too far away for me to get a fly in front of them. They were gone before we could get close.
We continued moving along slowly as Capt. Scott silently poled us forward, scanning the water all around us. Suddenly he hissed “Fish – almost straight ahead! Cast to eleven o-clock!” I looked forward and slightly left and saw the dorsal fin of a tarpon break the surface, followed by the tail of another fish right behind it. They were moving fast, so I knew I only had a couple of seconds to get the bait to them.
I tried to cast the fly a couple feet in front of the moving pod of fish, but it landed about three feet short and near the center of the pod rather than in front of it. I groaned and thought I would need to re-cast, when the water unexpectedly boiled as a hungry tarpon grabbed the fly! I swept the rod back to set the hook, and the tarpon took off like greased lightning!
It immediately jumped and cleared the water by three or four feet, then landed in a shower of water. I bowed to the fish as it jumped again, and my adrenaline was really pumping! When it jumped for the third time, I saw the fly shake loose as the fish went the other way. It was gone! Arrrrggghhhhh!
I wondered how the hook came loose, and Capt. Scott told me not to set the hook with the rod – it was too limber. He told me to do a “strip-set” instead. “Point the rod at the fish and strip the line towards you right when the fish grabs the bait,” he said. “That will give you a solid hookset. Don’t worry, you will get a chance to redeem yourself.”
He was right. Just a few minutes later another pod of fish cruised within casting range and this time I placed the fly more accurately. The lead fish instantly saw the fly when it hit the water and slammed it! I pointed the rod at the fish and stripped the line to set the hook, and the tarpon screamed away on a powerful run. Fish on! Almost immediately the tarpon leaped clear out of the water, and as soon as it landed it jumped again. I held on as it continued jumping – three times – four – five times! Wow, these fish can jump!
After its fifth jump I could tell the tarpon was beginning to tire. I fought it closer to the boat and marveled at its strength and beauty. Suddenly it came up to the surface and rolled, and I could see its bright silver scales shimmering in the sunlight. Capt. Scott lipped it as it came to the side of the boat and handed it to me for a photo. What a beautiful fish!
Mike and Capt. Scott snapped a couple quick photos, and then I gently released it. It swam away strongly and I hoped it would bring another angler the same joy it brought me when I caught it. Our trip wasn’t over yet, and Mike and I were both lucky enough to hook more fish before calling it quits for the day.
Capt. Scott Collins fishes the productive waters of the Florida Keys year-round, from Key Largo to Key West. Our trip was in mid-September, but the fishing here is great throughout the fall and all winter for various species. Tarpon, permit, bonefish, sharks, and other species are happy to come out and play!
The next time you go to the Florida Keys, get in touch with Capt. Scott Collins for a great day on the water. Visit his website for more info (www.captscottcollins.com) or call or text him (305-304-5965). He can also be found on the website for the Lower Keys Guides Association at www.LKGA.org.
While fishing in the Florida Keys, we stayed at the beautiful Faro Blanco Resort on Marathon Key (www.faroblancoresort.com). The accommodations were perfect and the staff was absolutely top-notch. We had dinner at the Lighthouse Kitchen & Bar restaurant at Faro Blanco and it was fantastic, too. Besides world-class fishing, check out some of the other fun things to do at: www.fla-keys.com. There is so much to do in the Florida Keys, I think I need to make a return trip!
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