Laid-Up Tarpon Fly Small Tan

Overview

The Laid-Up Tarpon is built for tarpon that lie still near the surface, one of the most exciting and demanding shots on the flats.

Most traditional tarpon flies are sparse, so they have to be stripped fast or they sink below a laid-up fish's view. This fly is tied bushy and heavily hackled on a light 2/0 Owner AKI hook, so it lands softly, sinks slowly and keeps moving on a very slow strip. That lets you keep it in front of the fish long enough to get eaten. Tan is a natural color that tarpon often take for a shrimp.

How to Fish It

• Slow strip: use long, very slow strips so the hackle keeps breathing while the fly stays high.
• Placement: land it a few feet ahead and beyond a laid-up fish, then bring it across its path, moving away from the fish.
• Floating line: fish it on a floating or clear intermediate line in shallow water.
• Other species: the same fly works for snook and stripers.

Choosing Color and Size

This is the Small Tan version on a 2/0 hook. Tan reads as a shrimp in clear water and suits bright days and educated fish that spook from flashy flies.