# Tarpon fly patterens...



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

The Cockroach and the Tarpon Toad are both deadly in South Florida and they're super fun to tie.


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Second the toad. Google gink and gasoline and their is a tutorial by Gary Merriman. It is how a tarpon toad is tied,since he came up with it.


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

I like the toad for bigger fish, Black Death for smaller ones, and a super small glass minnow made out of whatever ep brush I have laying around for the micro tarpon in canals.


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## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Thanks fella's! This is a great start 

Lou


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Oldie but goodie...


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

I think the toad and ep baitfish in various sizes and colors will probably cover most of your needs. you can play with the weight/density of the individual flies to cover different depths, and colors to cover different lighting and clarity situations. if Andy Mill is to be believed in his book then the toad is pretty much the only fly you need.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)




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## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Oh man, that makes me miss my pooch!

Lou


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

I personally can't get into the 100% ep baitfish for tarpon flies. 

I want a tarpon fly that the materials move well and breathe life even when almost setting still. I.e. Fox, marabou, rabbit etc.

I know the ep flies do alright but I can't make myself throw them. I do use ep for the heads on some though.


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## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

My first attempt at The Cockroach...

Lou


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

At one time or another I've tied may be forty different patterns for big tarpon - and that's just filling orders for one shop or other... I'm also lucky enough to still be drawing royalties for some of my tarpon patterns from Umpqua Feather Merchants (the biggest outfit around...).

If anyone asked for a "best" tarpon bug I'd be hard pressed to come up with a single pattern since it's all situational (and I mean the where, when, under what conditions, etc). Today with customers aboard (neither were anglers -we were only sight seeing, if you can believe it...) I found hundreds of fish in one river on the Gulf coast of the 'Glades... The fish were as small as fifty pounds and as big as well over 100... I know the exact pattern needed for those fish at that moment - but otherwise it's pretty much up to each angler for what works... and if anyone asked me whether the big fish would be in that particular river at the end of December I would have said - no (but that's tarpon...).


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## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

That's fishing in general, lol. I dig it brother, tight lines.

Lou


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

texasag07 said:


> I personally can't get into the 100% ep baitfish for tarpon flies.
> 
> I want a tarpon fly that the materials move well and breathe life even when almost setting still. I.e. Fox, marabou, rabbit etc.
> 
> I know the ep flies do alright but I can't make myself throw them. I do use ep for the heads on some though.


I got to agree with you on the EP materials. I like a fly that comes alive in the water.


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## RobA (Aug 21, 2015)

I think that if you bar the tail on a sparsely tied EP baitfish, there are very few flies that simulate the subtle movements of a minnow better.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

RobA said:


> I think that if you bar the tail on a sparsely tied EP baitfish, there are very few flies that simulate the subtle movements of a minnow better.


I am sure you are right, but I just don't like the way they look so I rarely tie them on the end of my fly line. I will grab a seducer just because I have caught so many fish on them.

Edit: I got a little off topic, I was not addressing tarpon flies as much as my dislike of EP fiber for baitfish imitations.


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

In addition to selecting the 'right' fly (as this thread illustrates, there are quite a few) it's important not to overlook what I guess could be boiled down to confidence. what I mean is you need to be sure that you can get the fly in the zone of awareness and make it behave the way you need it to in order to entice the eat. To paraphrase Bill Bishop's High Rollers, a person giving a public speech carefully selects his clothing so he won't look out of place on stage but if he trips over the microphone cord his clothes don't matter. I like the flies I mentioned because they've worked for me. It was a mistake to insinuate they're all anyone would need.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Backwater said:


>


So is this you after a 6 pack or is that your pup. And how does this relate to Tarpon flies


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

permitchaser said:


> So is this you after a 6 pack or is that your pup. And how does this relate to Tarpon flies


That's me, being in a state of boredom (but respectfully). 

All those flies above are old and used up... basically boring. If I had to use either of them, they wouldn't be the classic patterns of those, but variations, leaning towards what I think they might be eating now. I know that might sound a little confusing.

Juvanile poons are somewhat nieve to a certain extent, but they do learn quick. What fooled one or two of those juvies may not fool the next one. Large tarpon are educated fish, and depending on where you are, can be a very intelligent fish (especially on fly), not dumb fish like some people think they might be. They wise up to flies, lures, etc., especially in places where they are hammered. The most current fly from the list above is the ep and even that one is getting over-used.

Hot, current flies that the fish are "currently" on and eating are kept pretty much hush, hushed around tight circles and are not very publicized.

It's funny how I see so many guys and fly tiers from up north, that think they are an authority on the subject, but haven't a clue for the most part about which flies they are on, in which areas, especially since they are not out there fishing for them and seeing what they are doing "1st hand." Trust me when I say one fly doesn't work in all areas.

You can be nailing them today on one fly, and tomorrow with the same conditions, they are turned off on that same fly. But throw them a different variation on one side (maybe a color change or size, etc), then they will look at it, but not eat it. But throw them something different you tied up the night before and they may love that.

If I'm on a 2-3 day poon trip, I'm usually packing a vise and trying different variations of the fly they either looked at but didn't eat or variations of the fly they ate that day or the day before. If I'm on the fish and I know conditions are right, but they are not eating my fly, then I'm changing it out and riffling thru flies until I find one they can dial into.

What your buddy caught them on 2 years ago, may not work for you today.

It's like lures... What worked good 20 or even 10yrs ago many not work today. Stu Aptes Cockroach pattern is over 36yrs old. The Black Death is like 25yrs old. These are "classic" tarpon flies. The Toad is over 18yrs old now.... The Ep is now about 10-12yrs old. Good starting points, but.....

Ted Haas


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Backwater said:


> That's me, being in a state of boredom (but respectfully).
> 
> All those flies above are old and used up... basically boring. If I had to use either of them, they wouldn't be the classic patterns of those, but variations, leaning towards what I think they might be eating now. I know that might sound a little confusing.
> 
> ...


Give Stu Apt a $100 fiberglass fly rod and and a Cockroach pattern and he will out fish 90% of the fisherman day in day out... Just read a great an interview with Flip where he states the most important thing about fly fishing is the last 40 feet...fishermen he guides show up with the newest and best clothes, rods, reels, flies etc... that money can buy, but they can't buy the skills it takes to properly deliver the fly that last 40 feet. I have limited tarpon experience, but fish are fish, I know fish get educated, but proper presentation trumps every time in my honest opinion.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Both the Cockroach and the Black Death have been around for a lot longer than you'd think... The Black was old when I started tying -forty years ago.... The Cockroach was just coming into use then as well. I was told it was a John Emery pattern... Both are still in wide use today - In the right circumstances... they're deadly. Where we found all of those tarpon (In a small river 10ft deep) neither one would work....


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Steve_Mevers said:


> Give Stu Apt a $100 fiberglass fly rod and and a Cockroach pattern and he will out fish 90% of the fisherman day in day out... Just read a great an interview with Flip where he states the most important thing about fly fishing is the last 40 feet...fishermen he guides show up with the newest and best clothes, rods, reels, flies etc... that money can buy, but they can't buy the skills it takes to properly deliver the fly that last 40 feet. I have limited tarpon experience, but fish are fish, I know fish get educated, but proper presentation trumps every time in my honest opinion.


Stu is a smart man and many times will look towards the guide to see what they've been on. I have a friend that fished him last year. Glades.... No cockroach involved.

Steve, you are right tho, you can have the best candy possible, but without proper placement of the fly and the right action, everything else is all for not!


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