Magazine Confluenze | fly fishing experience Number 8 Year 2 | Page 62

Casting precision is very important, especially
when we will have to cast near the mangroves.
Sometimes, being able to skip our fly into recessed shady areas within the mangroves increases our catching chances. Tarpons indeed
prefer sun protected areas and therefore in
bright sunny days it will be easier to find them
hidden among the mangroves or in deeper water.
Even though we can practically fish for tarpon all
the hours of the day, early morning is certainly a

62 Confluenze Salt

prime time, when sun rays are still faint and do
not penetrate the water column vertically.
Early in the morning the fish are normally outside the mangroves, looking for baitfish, and
consequently easily detectable thanks to their
rolling behaviour or clearly visible attacks.
When you see a school of tarpon moving in open
areas (flats or lagoons) you will have first to understand their direction, so that to cast your fly a
meter or more in front of them and then wait
that the school comes closer to your fly, in order
to begin stripping it.
It is also important to watch how the fish behave
and their speed in the water. When they move
slowly, a more relaxed retrieve and lighter flies
will be better, whereas with quicker moving fish
it will be possible to use heavier flies and more
positive retrieve.