Tarpon on Fly [Hardcover]

Donald Larmouth (Author), Rob Fordyce (Author), Flip Pallot (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2002

"There is nothing that you need to know about tarpon and pursuing them with flies that is not contained in this book."
-Flip Pallot, in the Foreword
Tarpon On Fly draws from two primary sources-the observations and knowledge that come with Rob's nearly 20 years' experience as a professional tarpon fishing guide, and the journals and the curiosity of lifelong fly fisherman Donald who came late to tarpon fishing but has savored every hour of it. The knowledge and experience of these two men has led to the definitive book on fly-fishing for the Silver King. Tarpon On Fly includes: in-depth coverage of tarpon biology and behavior; tackle; rigging up; flies for tarpon; setting up to cast; aiming and casting; retrieving; striking; fighting; guides and anglers; tournaments; references; and so much more. Clear illustrations and photography further enhance this classic. We couldn't have said it any better than Flip.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Donald Larmouth began fly-fishing in saltwater after half a lifetime of freshwater fishing. A typical “tourist angler” in many respects, his saltwater fishing experience began with Flip Pallot in 1985, and he has fished with Rob Fordyce yearly since 1991. Though chronically infested with tarpon fever, he also fishes for snook, redfish, bonefish, jacks, and other saltwater game fish—as well as for trout, steelhead, salmon, small mouth bass, and many other freshwater species in the continental United States, Alaska, British Columbia, Ontario, Labrador, England, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas. He has also published articles in Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine and wrote a biweekly fishing column in Wisconsin’s Great Outdoors, drawing stories and anecdotes from outdoor journals he has kept since childhood. A former Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Graduate Programs, he retired in August 2000 as Professor Emeritus in linguistics and scientific & technical communication at the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay.

Captain Rob Fordyce is a professional saltwater guide with nearly 20 years’ experience guiding anglers for big tarpon as well as permit, bonefish, snook, and many other saltwater gamefish. He grew up fishing in South Florida and the Everglades and won a Master Angler Award while still in high school. Widely regarded as one of the best tarpon guides in the Florida Keys, he has won or placed among the top three finishers in more than 20 premier tarpon fly tournaments, including the prestigious Gold Cup Tarpon Fly Fishing Tournament, the Don Hawley Invitational Tarpon Release Fly Tournament, and the Yamaha Outboards Women’s World Tarpon Fly Championship, most recently winning the Hawley tournament in June 2001 with angler John Tebbetts. He guides 300 days a year in a typical season and often presents seminars on saltwater fishing to sportsmen’s clubs. He is also a consultant for several boat and tackle manufacturers and recently produced a knot-tying videotape, No Wimp Knots, especially for saltwater fly-anglers. He has appeared frequently as a guide in saltwater fishing television shows, including Captain Rick Murphy’s Sportsmen’s Adventures on the Sunshine Cable Network, Shaw Grigsby’s One More Cast on TNN, and Flip Pallot’s Walker’s Cay Chronicles on ESPN.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Frank Amato Publications (March 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571882723
• ISBN-13: 978-1571882721
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,170,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All You Need to Know, January 12, 2003

By 

Steve Krystyniak (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tarpon on Fly (Paperback)

As Flip Pallot says in the books' introduction, "...there is nothing that you need to know about tarpon and pursuing them with flies that is not contained in this book...".

The information that Larmouth and Fordyce share within this book is simple, concise and as complete as it gets. Add to that Larmouth's wonderful narratives that preceede each chapter, and you feel like you are on the casting platform of the guide's skiff! I found the book both entertaining and instructional and the photography is superb. A must read for anyone who is serious about fishing for tarpon on fly!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Tarpon Book Ever!!!, January 21, 2008

By 

M. Larkin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarpon on Fly (Paperback)

As a collector of tarpon books I know that this is the best tarpon book ever written. The book covers all you need to know about tarpon fishing (rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies, ect.). It even goes over a "stealth" leader which is much easier to tie than traditional tarpon leaders and does not contain the bulky fish spooking knots. The book tells you where to place the fly in specific tarpon fishing situations which is not only helpful for fly fishermen but also extremely useful for spin and plug fishermen. I have read this book from cover to cover and I review it ever April before tarpon season because it has so much useful information. This book has helped me catch more tarpon and will continue to help me in the future.

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed Full of Information, but Concise, and Fun to Read, December 7, 2011

By 

Bobandy "Mr. Lahey's Pool Boy" (Sunnyvale Trailer Park) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tarpon on Fly (Paperback)

There's how to books, and there's training manuals. This book is a no-nonsense, to the point training manual that manages to still have enough of a conversational tone to remain engaging and utterly enthralling. Each chapter starts with a story from the authors' journal that highlights the content of that section. Then we jump into the information-packed text and large, crystal clear figures that explain the best equipment and why it's the best, the most failsafe method to hook, play, land, and handle a tarpon, and techniques that will ensure your time on the water is best spent. Like other books written by guides who make their living putting anglers into fish, this book doesn't dwell on the infinite variety of flies, lines, rods, reels, and knots available to confuse and confound a saltwater angler. Instead, the "workhorse" patterns and equipment are presented and discussed. You only need a handful of flies and some well-chosen tackle to put you into the fish of a lifetime. Of course, there's an infinite variety of other options available, and that's what makes fishing fun, but day in, day out, if you want to pull in fish consistently like the guides who make their living doing this, all the tools you'll need are in this book. Highly recommended.