Description
We had it in our heads that we needed a slim rabbit tailed tarpon fly but with some micro movement in the body. Tim has a passion for the Sparrow, a Jack Gartside trout fly. He suggested a Sparrow for tarpon. I smiled and nodded, the fluffy pheasant filoplume wasn’t going to work on a tarpon hook.
A little bit later I walked by the trash can that had a bunch of discarded tan and orange marabou fluff. I grabbed a handful, chopped it up with a little sparkle and lashed it on a hook – tarpon sized Sparrow fluff!
The Sparrow inspiration can only go so far. Shooting for a slim soft landing tarpon fly the Duke of Poons has an upside down rabbit strip tail with a wispy Bird Fur collar in back of our Trash Can Special Dub head. The Duke of Poons has a moderate sink rate and a slim profile. Keys captains often want a skinny fly, a lot of the available bait is pretty small. The Duke matches the profile perfectly, suspends better than many skinny flies and has all kinds of movement. The “worm” color is perfect for palolo worm hatch! The Duke is tied on the Gamakatsu sl12 1/0 hook, we can add a weed guard if you like.
