Best Fishing Line For Tarpon

Page 1

Best Fishing Line For Tarpon

Now that you have decided on a kayak for fly fishing, it's time to outfit it with some essentials. One of the most important components on any angler's gear list is his or her line. If your only fishing experience has been on the shore or in a canoe, you might never have given much thought to fly line weight and types. But if you're planning to kayak-fish, it's something you will need to give some serious consideration.

Tarpon Fly Line Tippet and Leaders

I enjoy fishing for tarpon in South Florida because they are a blast on light tackle: I use 11-foot, 5/16-inch G Loomis IMX tarpon rods and a Shimano Stradic 8000 reel spooled with 30-pound Spiderwire Stealth braid. I use a simple 10-foot leader made up of 20-pound monofilament to which is attached an unweighted, size 6/0 Owner Mutu Circle hook (this one item is indispensable; it makes the perfect loop every time). I also carry a few extra leaders of varying lengths.

What Fly Line Should You Choose?

Choosing the right fly line for your kayak fishing needs is critical to success on the water. The biggest factor in fly line choice is load strength, which refers to the maximum amount of weight you can cast with a line.

Remember that fly line weight is the actual weight of the first 30 feet, so a WF4F is actually 4-weight and will cast much easier than a 12-weight fly line . The lighter the line weight , the more rod flex you'll need in order to load your rod correctly. So if you're planning to cast big streamers in the wind, you'll need stouter rods than if you're only fishing for trout.

You can choose between floating and sinking fly lines . A sink-tip line is a popular choice because it allows you to add or remove water from your line. The line itself is usually WF5F or 6F, which means it floats at rest and sinks when it's weighted down with a fly.

I use sinking lines primarily for drift-fishing but they're also useful when fishing deep, stained water or dirty water that you don't want to get on your line.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.