Laid-up tarpon are a different beast compared to aggressive, migrating fish. If they’re refusing, it’s not about the fly—it’s about presentation, angle, and reaction timing. Here’s how to dial in your approach:

• Don’t cast directly at the fish: If you put the fly too close, they’ll ignore it or spook. Instead, cast 4-6 feet beyond and slightly behind their head so that the fly enters their field of vision naturally.
• Slow, twitchy strips—not steady retrieves: A laid-up tarpon isn’t hunting, it’s conserving energy. The best way to trigger a bite is with short, erratic twitches, mimicking a wounded baitfish.
• Get the sink rate right: If your fly is sinking too fast or hovering too high, it won’t look natural. Try a neutral buoyancy pattern that suspends just right (e.g., a lightly weighted toad fly).
• Watch for the “interest tell”: If a tarpon flinches slightly, raises its pectoral fins, or moves toward the fly, it’s considering eating. The mistake many anglers make? They keep stripping. If you see that behavior, STOP—let the fly hover for a second, then barely twitch it. That’s when they eat.
• Change angles when needed: If a tarpon has refused a fly once, don’t recast from the same direction. Adjust your position and make the next presentation from a different angle, keeping the fish’s natural movement in mind.

Final Thought

When tarpon refuse, it’s rarely about the fly pattern—it’s about timing, reaction, and angle of approach. Pay attention to subtle body language cues, and you’ll start converting those looks into eats.