Tarpon toad
Also called Tarpon Toad, Toad fly, Tarpon toad fly
A Tarpon Toad is a small tarpon fly with a flat, wide head and a rabbit or marabou tail, built to be neutrally buoyant so it hovers and swims level in front of the fish.
- Group
- Saltwater patterns
- Category
- Flies & fly types
- Level
- Intermediate
- Water
- Saltwater
Last updated
What Tarpon toad means
Built to hover, the tarpon Toad has a broad, flat head and a tail that breathes on the strip and on the pause. The head is usually trimmed poly yarn or EP fibers, with rabbit strip or marabou for the tail.
Black and purple are common in tannic backcountry water, while chartreuse, yellow, and tan show up in clearer water.
A common retrieve is strip-strip-pause in front of the fish, so the fly hovers at eye level instead of dropping away. It is a top choice for laid-up tarpon, fish suspended near the surface that will not chase an aggressive presentation.
Why it matters on the water
The buoyant head and breathing tail help with pace control. It is easier to fish slow without the pattern going dead, which helps when tarpon are following but not eating, or when the fish want a fly that hangs in their face for an extra beat.
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Read next
- StreamerA streamer is a fly meant to be moved to imitate a baitfish, leech, sculpin, or crayfish. It is often fished with strips, swings, or a steady retrieve, but it can also be dead-drifted.
- Strip setA strip set is a hook set made by pulling the fly line hard with the line hand while keeping the rod low, instead of lifting the rod tip.
- TarponA tarpon is a large, air-breathing saltwater fish found in warm coastal waters and on flats. It is famous for long runs and jumps after the hook set.
- TippetTippet is the thin, level line tied to the end of your leader. It’s the section you cut back and replace as you change flies and re-tie knots.