This is our third trip down and will be trying tarpon as well as bonefish. My question is which flyrod would be more appropriate for the tarpon?
Personally, I'm bringing only an 8wt and 10wt to cover everything from Bones to Permit and Tarpon. I've contemplated bringing an 11 or 12 as well, but since I was going in mid-April I will not. From what I hear, the large 100lb+ migratory Tarpon really don't start to move in until late April or May. A 12 is a lot of rod to be out there all day long with, at least it is for me. I feel comfortable taking a 30-90lb resident Tarpon on a 10. However, if I was going late Spring or Summer, then I would probably consider having at least an 11 with me. I figure if I run into a large Tarpon up to 115lbs, then I can probably take it on a 10, although we'd probably be wrestling for an hour or so; a very careful and well-played hour that is. I was at an international fly show in New Brunswick, NJ a few months back and ran into a guide from Belize River Lodge and he said that I should be OK with a 10 at that time of year. You should ask your guide, as he knows the fish better than anyone.
Angelo-- Thanks for the info. I took my 8wt. last time but only tried for bones. We are going down late May and figured why not go after a tarpon. A 60-90lbs. tarpon would be all I would/could ask for, so a 10wt. should be fine for me.
I hear ya. Enough to paint a smile ear-to-ear isn't it? The only other thing that I could hope for is that any Permit that I should come upon can see itself clear to take that tuft of deer hair and epoxy that I so foolishly tried to make look like a crab.