I recently had the pleasure of traveling to the beautiful Isla Holbox in Mexico for some baby Tarpon fishing and relaxation. Not having ever fished for the prehistoric looking Tarpon I was quickly humbled when I learned that everything that I know about hooking fish would not work for them. The traditional act of lifting the rod when a fish hits will pull the fly out of a Tarpons mouth nearly every time. Instead, the angler needs to keep the rod down and with the hand that is stripping the line instantly grab the line a haul straight back to set the hook when a Tarpon hits. It’s almost an exaggerated strip of the line but it must be hard and quick in order to properly hook the fish. It sounds very simple but trying to get out of the habit of raising the rod that is so ingrained in your head is not an easy task. I suggest anyone traveling to the tropics to fish for Tarpon for the first time head to a local lake and practice this technique and you’ll be a step ahead when you see the silver flash of a Tarpon hitting your fly.