There are few people who know tarpon as well as Andy Mill. Widely considered the greatest tarpon tournament angler of all time, he has more major tarpon tournaments than anyone else, including five Gold Cups. Doing so took decades of fishing and hard work, and with that comes a lifetime of tarpon fishing knowledge. This spring, we were fortunate enough to join Andy and Nicky Mill of the Mill House Podcast in the Florida Keys for Tarpon Week. Andy generously shared with us how he targets and catches tarpon. These are seven tarpon tips with Andy Mill.
1. Stretch Your Fly Line
As fly line sits on a reel, it develops a memory, or coils from the reel. When casting at a fish, these coils can tangle, leaving you with a bird’s nest. Before every day of fishing, Andy Mill starts by stretching his entire fly line and laying it in the boat for casting. Straightening the fly line ensures that when fish show up, you will be ready to make the shot.
2. Double Haul
Most trout fishermen rarely have to double haul. If you’re new to saltwater fly fishing, practicing and learning how to double haul in advance is a must. The technique of double hauling, manipulating your fly line with your other hand, drastically improves line speed. For far shots or stiff winds, the double haul is the only thing that will get your cast where it needs to be.
3. Set an Anchor
Fishing in the wind or in low light conditions is less than ideal for spotting tarpon. For these instances, Andy Mill uses an anchor system with a quick-release clip. This allows him to anchor his boat in position, wait for better conditions, and look for fish from a distance rather than constantly poling. When he sees fish nearby, he can unclip from the anchor with the quick release and pole after them for better shots.
4. Finding the Line
To get the most shots at tarpon throughout the day, you have to find the line they are traveling on. If you see multiple groups of fish passing through a particular area, position the boat to cut these fish off as they pass by. Once you find the line, it’s important to keep an eye out for where other fish are moving. As tides rise and fall, the line the fish take will also shift.
5. Choosing the Right Fly
An important part of tarpon fishing is choosing the right fly. You may think these large fish would eat just about anything, but that is not the case. In low-light scenarios, Andy Mill likes to start with flies that have a bigger profile, like a shrimp fly. As the sun gets higher, he switches to worm flies for oceanside tarpon fishing.
6. Waiting for Light
As the sun comes up, different areas around the boat have better visibility than others. Playing to the visibility is ideal, which means fishing on the side where you can see the best. This allows you to see fish from further away and get better shots. As you’re still gaining light, Andy believes that staying on the platform is key to making the most out of your day fishing, especially when fish can appear at a moment’s notice.
7. Feed the Fish Over Dark Bottom
While sand spots are great for getting an eye on tarpon, they rarely eat over this light colored bottom. Andy is a firm believer in fishing for tarpon over dark bottom. This is where the grass is, and this is where the food sources are. By casting to fish over this dark bottom, you have a better shot at getting an eat from a fish.
