Rick Ruoff's Keys Style Tarpon Fly - Tan - 1

This fly is not so much an individual pattern as it is a method of tying. This style has become very popular in the Florida Keys and there are a variety of color combinations favored by different anglers and guides. I think the most interesting parts of this style of fly are the foul guard and the small overall size of the fly. An ingenious tail support of bucktail prevents the tails from fouling around the hook point on an errant cast. This can prove invaluable, as it is well known that a tarpon will eat a lot of things, but not a fly with a fouled tail. The small pattern size is a product of increased pressure on the migratory fish that run the gauntlet from the keys north. The small profile doesn’t “splat” when it hits the water and is a bit less intrusive. The soft marabou collar breathes life into the pattern while the light colored face hackle makes the fly a bit more visible to the angler and slows the descent of the fly.