Early December of 2021, with all of the COVID testing going on, we managed a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands, via San Juan Puerto Rico, with many thanks to my brother and his wife who are the sailboat owners. On the first night of the sail from Tortola, we moored in a protected bay at Norman Island. Once dark, we turned on the underwater lights which attracted tarpon. Fortunately, this night, they also attracted a school of needle fish and the feeding frenzy was on.
I rigged my 9wt Scott Meridian with my tarpon leader with a 40lb bite tippet and tied on the only floating fly I had. You see the needle fish were skittering across the surface and the tarpon were shredding them. Unfortunately, this fly was not a tarpon fly, meaning small (size 4), not so sharp hook. Anyway I made a 30′ cast to a feeding fish from the small platform on the transom. I made two quick strips and the tarpon pounced on my fly, I strip set and the fish was on. He swam away at breakneck speed and I’m looking down at my line making sure it wasn’t wrapped around anything, including my feet! 60′ feet out he made his first jump! So exciting! Except of course he threw the hook. Probably should have bowed to the king, but it has been a few years since I had a tarpon on and I’ve never landed one. I guess I just need more practice.
Regardless, there are few fly experiences that match the thrill of jumping a tarpon. Wow! Can’t wait to do it again!
Crazy, but we had tarpon under the boat every night. The difference was, they weren’t on a school of bait. I did not get a tarpon eat the rest of the trip. I did manage a mahi-mahi trolling under sail however. (Note: Since I have yet to land a tarpon, the picture above is a snook caught under the dock lights at night near Boca Grande Florida)
#tarpon_jumping, #Fly_Fishing_BVIs, #Scott_Meridian,
