If I had a dollar for every tarpon that followed but didn’t eat, I’d own my own island by now. The good news? You’re getting the right reactions—tarpon are noticing your fly, tracking it, and showing interest. That means you’re in the ballpark. Now it’s time to fine-tune the details that turn a follow into an eat.

• Strip speed and cadence matter more than you think. A lot of anglers think a tarpon follows because it’s curious, but what’s really happening is that the fish is analyzing your fly’s movement. If the cadence is too steady, too erratic, or speeds up at the wrong moment, it can break the illusion of real prey. Try a consistent two-beat strip, and when the fish locks in, slow it down slightly instead of speeding up.
• Your angle of presentation is everything. A fly presented head-on or from behind doesn’t give a tarpon the best look. The best shots come quartering in front of the fish so it sees the fly in its periphery and has to move toward it to eat.
• If a fish tracks the fly but doesn’t eat, don’t strip again. This is counterintuitive, but a lot of times a tarpon wants to see if the prey will make a final escape move. A long pause, or even just keeping the fly suspended, can be the last trigger they need.
• Color and contrast can make or break the eat. If the water is clear and the sky is bright, go lighter with tans, yellows, and whites. If there’s cloud cover or the water is murky, switch to darker colors like black, purple, or dark olive. Sometimes all it takes is a minor adjustment in tone.
• Don’t trout set. This one’s obvious but still ruins plenty of eats. The moment you feel weight, strip-set hard and keep stripping until the hook drives in deep.

Final Thought

If tarpon are following your fly but not eating, you’re already 90% there. The last 10% is all about reading the fish, adjusting your angle, and controlling your strip cadence. When everything lines up, and that fish finally commits, you’ll never forget it.