top 5 tarpon flies

[Mat M]

What are your favorite Tarpon flies?

I need to start tying for a trip to Mexico.

Mat

[Bender]

For ocean fish i suggest you to bring White lighen'in (3/0-4/0) ,black death(bunny and marabou style),cocker smoker,some baitfish patterns(puglisi for ex. or gummy minnow mixed with DNA fibers),red and white and obviously the toad.
I hope this helps!

[Shadowcast]

Toad, Malzone's Black Death, Cockroach, EP Peanut Butter (Black/Purple), and ......oh yes TOADS!

[Capt. Ted Lund]

1. The Toad is a killer. I like the traditional chartruese, but also browns, oranges, blacks and greys. Don't be afraid to experiment with scaling them up or down on different sizes to throw at anything from giants to babies.
2. Marbou Baby Tarpon Fly - This is a simple splayed-hackle streamer tied with a grizzly color. Cockroach with white marbou on a No. 2 hook is a KILLER pattern for fish up to about 20 pounds, which you'll likely encounter in mexico.
3. Dahlberg Diver type flies - These work very well for laidup fish or when blind casting. The blooping action is irresistable. I prefer muted colors, browns, rusts or greys which imitate mullet and smaller baitfish.
4. Puglisi Flies - His peanut bunkers or mullet flies in a variety of sizes are killer. Again, I prefer natural type colors, but some brighter schemes like chartrues over white or blue over white can work well at times.
5. Half-and-Half - this is an often overlooked fly for tarpon. i tie them longer and bulkier than normal. With its weighted head, it is a great fly for dredgining in channels or on the edges of flats for tarpon and other species. If using them for dredging, try dark colors like black or dark brown that will silloutte well.

Regardless of what type flies you decide to go with, I can't reiterate: bring a variety of sizes. I often carry little teeny size 6 flies that i can throw at fish less than 8 inches in length in mangrove dens... on up to normal and even supersize versions for the big boys.
Good luck and let us know how you do!

[Steve Gibson]

It's funny how tarpon flies have evolved over the years. Patterns that were effective a decade ago often aren't included in some fly boxes.

I fished with former Keys guide Nat Ragland last year and he told me that traditional Keys-style tarpon flies aren't used very much any more.

"But they've probably caught more tarpon than any of the new patterns," Ragland said.

I'll bet you could go out and cast Cockroaches, Black Deaths, etc. and do well.

Hungry fish and a good cast usually will pay dividends.

[Seth]

The aforementioned toad is a must. I am in Central America, so the flies used here may be somewhat different.
Kime's Fly
Palolo Worm
Whistler
Marabou Deceivers
Tarpon Snake

[Twitchtwitchreel]

http://www.flyfishusa.com/newsletter/052106/06654.jpg

http://www.talkflyfishing.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1061

[mro]

Tarpon plus

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i110/mrobas/100_1718.jpg

Top right, I fooled my last 100+ pound tarpon on in Belize.
Third from top left is a "rattle" deciver.

On the right are my "Verne" flies.
For decades my father almost allways out fished me in the Sacramento Delta for strippers....until the "Verne" fly.
Last two years we fished together I caught bigger and more fish every time out.
No other streamer has the life-like action of one of these.
I've yet to fish em in warm salt, but
have caught stripers, salmon, black bass, steelhead and my biggest dolly varden on em.

Some day would like to move back to Florida so I can fish in my own back yard.

Mike
BTW, My fathers name was Verne :thumb: