Fishing for Florida tarpon is a bit like chasing the Holy Grail: catching a fish almost as big as a calf, which jumps and bucks with the sole aim of dislodging the fly from its mouth! But be careful, you need to have well-curved and, above all, well-sharpened hooks, and you need to know when to pull the line three times so that it goes right into the cartilage, because the mouth of a tarpon is a bit like the feet of a sheep… First, you hook it once, not too hard, just enough to anchor your fly, and then it starts trying to spit out that damn fly. You let it jump (several times, my Cuban guide Mario always told me) to make sure the fly stays on, and once it starts to take off, you hook it three times, going for it! But a good movie is better than a long speech!
For those who are not into it, please note that Tatum Monod is not just anyone, the Canadian is simply one of the best cross-country skiers in the world, but she also fly fishes, and not just a little! The two days with David Mangum (one of the top tarpon fishing guides) in the Florida Panhandle. You’re going to cry.