Silver Kings 2019 – Tarpon Fly Fishing Guides In The Florida Keys

 

It’s mid November, and every day more emails are coming in. The phone has began to ring more often than it has the past few months, and tarpon season is right around the corner. My fly tying desk looks like a tornado hit it. I just finished the busiest season of my career and it’s time to prepare for next year. It’s hard to prepare for tarpon season 2019 when you are still catching tarpon every day. First world problems indeed.

This past tarpon season in the Keys started out tough with lots of wind and what felt like biblical amounts of rain. Fortunately the last week in May, the wind died and God turned the sprinklers off. From that point on it was sheer insanity. I didn’t keep count, but I know for a fact my anglers jumped, fought, and landed more tarpon this season than any other season to date. I know big migratory tarpon stayed later this year in great numbers. I know I had the absolute time of my life.

 

Tarpon Season 2019 – What you should know

 

Let’s start by saying that i hate the term “tarpon season”. To most people that conjures up images of fly fishing on ocean side flats during May and June. We definitely do that, but it is a truly inaccurate picture of “tarpon season.” The truth is if the weather is right you can catch an adult tarpon on fly any month of the year here in the Florida Keys. That being said your best chance of the right weather and lots of big tarpon around is March through September.

March and April, weather permitting can be nothing short of phenomenal. Migratory tarpon flood the Florida Keys and lay up on banks and in the back country basins. These fish are fresh and eat flies readily and with heart. If they get a look at the fly more often than not they will crush it. This also coincides with some of the best permit fly fishing of the year. For the sake of time and sanity I won’t say any more about permit for the time being.

Fly fishing for tarpon in early spring is best suited for those with some saltwater fly fishing experience. It can be windy and often is. If the fish are laid up on calm days it requires accurate casting and some patience. I will say this though, when it’s on, it will knock your f’n socks off.

May and June Tarpon Fly Fishing

 

Folks this is when the circus comes to town. If you want to see insane amounts of fish this is the time to be here. Tarpon are everywhere. This also brings in lots of anglers from around the world, especially those who watch way too many episodes of the Silver Kings television show. Fortunately due to the vastness of the Florida Keys, and the areas I fish crowding isn’t an issue for me or my anglers.

May and June are the busiest months of the year, and days get booked up quickly. If you want to fish in these months you need to call as soon as you finish this sentence. Seriously do it. I still have some availability in May but it will be booked out in the very near future. If I can’t take you personally I can point you in the direction of good guide who can.

 

Tarpon Fly Fishing The Florida Keys in Summer

 

This could be referred to as the “good stuff.” So many great things happen in July, August and September. The weather gets incredible. Keep in mind, to a fly fishing guide in the Keys this means glass calm, humid, and hot. Guess what kind of weather big tarpon like? Bingo. There are days in the summer where we jump 10, 15, or even 20 tarpon in a day. Magic happens on slick calm mornings in the Florida Keys pursing tarpon on fly.

Expect lots of tarpon, hot weather, and dodging thunderstorms. You can also expect quiet and solitude that only summer in paradise can provide. Watching big tarpon roll around in the glass calm conditions, stirs feelings inside me that are hard to put into words. The nervous excitement knowing that you are going to send them flying is incredible. This time of year is as close to a sure thing as you will ever find in the world of fly fishing for tarpon on the flats.

Visit my page on fly fishing seasons in the Florida Keys for a complete synopsis of fishing opportunities by month.

Silver Kings 2019 – What To Do Next

 

If you have decided fly fishing for tarpon in the Florida Keys is something you would like to try, then you need to start preparing now. First I recommend booking as soon as possible. This ensures good dates as far as tides, moon phases etc. go. It also gives you the needed time to obsess about every detail of your upcoming tarpon trip. Going into a trip well prepared makes all the difference. I wrote a short article on tarpon fly fishing 101 you can check out if you like.

Practice as often as you can. I can’t stress this enough. This is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful. Learn to cast in the wind, with the wind at your back and right into it. Learn to cast backhand. Tarpon fly fishing is very exciting and shots happen quickly. Nerves can get the best of any tarpon angler, so your best friend is muscle memory. You want it to be automatic. If you obsess about one thing, make it practice. When we are both dripping with sweat, exhausted and smiling after you release the tarpon of your dreams, you will thank me.

For travel planning in the Florida Keys click the link or give me a call at 305-340-9863.

See you soon,

Capt. Brandon Henley