Preventing rust and corrosion on tarpon flies comes down to one habit, drying your flies completely before you put them away, because saltwater left on a sharp hook is what rusts the point and ruins the fly. After a day of throwing flies at tarpon, a wet fly box is a recipe for orange, pitted hooks and dull points that will not stick a fish. In this How 2 Tuesday I show you exactly how I keep my tarpon flies, the simple drying routine that saves them, and the small gear and storage choices that keep a fly sharp and ready for the next shot.
Watch and listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
The single most important thing is to dry your flies completely before you close them up in a box. Saltwater sitting on a steel hook is what corrodes the point and the bend, so after a day on the water I lay my used flies out to air dry before they ever go back into a sealed box. A quick rinse in fresh water to pull the salt off, then a thorough drying, prevents almost all of the rust you would otherwise see on a tarpon fly.
Tarpon flies live in a brutal environment for steel. They are tied on big, strong saltwater hooks, they get soaked in saltwater all day, and then they often get shut wet into a closed fly box where the salt and moisture have nowhere to go. That combination of salt, water, and no airflow is exactly what causes corrosion. The hook point and the bend, the parts you most need sharp, are the first places to pit and rust.
A light fresh-water rinse helps because it carries the salt off the hook and the materials before you store the fly. The key is what you do next, you have to dry the fly thoroughly after rinsing, not seal it away damp. Rinsing without drying can be worse than doing nothing, because you have just added more water. Rinse to remove salt, then dry completely, and your hooks last far longer.
Store them dry and give them airflow. I let used flies dry fully before they go back in the box, and I keep a way to separate the wet, just-fished flies from my clean, dry ones so the salt and moisture do not spread. A box that breathes or a system where used flies dry out before being filed away beats jamming a soaking-wet fly back into a sealed slot every time.
Sharpness and rust are the same fight, because a corroded point is a dull point. Keep the hooks dry and clean so they do not pit, check the point on flies you have already fished, and touch up or retire any hook that has lost its edge. A tarpon’s mouth is hard and bony, so a sharp, rust-free point is the difference between a hookup that holds and a fish that comes off.
It depends on how far it has gone. Light surface rust on the shank can sometimes be cleaned up, but once the point or the bend is pitted, that fly has lost the reliability you need for tarpon and it is better retired. The whole point of the drying routine is to never get there, because prevention is far easier than trying to rescue a corroded hook you are about to bet a big fish on.
Tarpon flies are expensive, time-consuming to tie, and they live in the harshest possible environment for a steel hook. I have opened too many fly boxes to find a beautiful fly with an orange, pitted point that will never stick a fish again. This is the kind of small habit that separates anglers who are ready for every shot from anglers fighting their own gear. I get into why it matters so much in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is the simple routine I use to keep my tarpon flies sharp and corrosion-free. I walk through it in the episode.
I show exactly how I do each step in the episode, so press play in the player above and watch along.
The mistake almost everyone makes is shutting wet, salty flies into a sealed box at the end of the day. The salt and moisture have nowhere to go, and the hook point, the one part you cannot afford to lose, is the first thing to corrode. I explain how I keep my used flies separated and drying so they never sit in that trap, in the episode, so press play in the player above.
A corroded point is a dull point, and a tarpon’s mouth is hard and bony enough to punish any softness in your hook. Keeping flies dry is not just about making them last, it is about making sure the fly you tie on for the fish of the trip actually does its job. I tie the corrosion problem back to real hookups in the episode, so press play in the player above.
This is one of those tiny disciplines that pays off the day it matters most. Rinse the salt, dry the fly completely, keep your wet ones separated, and check your points.
Do that and you will open your tarpon box to sharp, clean hooks every single time instead of a graveyard of rusted points. Press play in the player above and I will show you exactly how I keep mine.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
tarpon · tarpon flies · fly fishing · saltwater hooks · hook corrosion · hook sharpening · fly storage · fly box · Florida Keys · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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