Lip gaffing is a safe way to control a big fish for hook removal and release.

North of there, unfortunately, opportunities for fly devotees to target tarpon get a little scarce, with only a few areas affording anglers reliable action.

Florida's East Central area of Brevard and Indian River counties is perhaps one of the top options, as every spring and summer pods of tarpon in the 20- to 60-pound class cruise the stretch between Melbourne and Vero Beach, often congregating in fairly large numbers in the Sebastian River. Shallower and lined by mangrove shorelines, the South Fork of the Sebastian is perfect for stalking fish by poling. The North Fork, however, has been dredged and channeled for flood control, therefore, the fish must be targeted by drifting or the use of trolling motors.

Despite the diversity of terrain where tarpon are found throughout the state, one bait seems almost universal: crabs. Not surprisingly, most successful fly patterns resemble crabs, if only remotely.

When it comes to colors, a good rule of thumb is to choose dark flies. Black, purple and red combined with each other, or with a bit of chartreuse, orange or yellow for contrast, are the top choices during low-light hours. The Purple People Eater, Bloody Mary, Black Death and the Scarlet Pimpernel are some of the more popular examples.

When the water is murky or muddy, bright colors like orange, yellow, hot pink or chartreuse add visibility to the flies, so flies like the Original Apte, Chartreuse Caboose, Golden Rita and the Tangerine Dream pay off then.

When the water is clear and visibility is good, it's time to go with natural browns and tans, perhaps with a bit of blue, orange or yellow for accent. The infamous Cockroach heads a lineup of popular natural patterns that also include the Orange Grizzly, Apte Too, Tarpon Bunny and Lenny's Tarpon Shrimp, among others.

Keep in mind, however, that when tarpon are actively feeding on baitfish or worms, the flies of choice are those which imitate specific natural food.

Ordinarily tarpon are opportunistic feeders, but during worm hatches or baitfish runs they may turn selective. And you won't hang too many fish if you can offer them what they want.

Weighted flies, like the Whistlers, come in handy in deep water such as the passes and the beaches, where the fish may break the surface but immediately go back down eight or 10 feet to rejoin the school.

When it comes to tackle, a 12-weight fly rod with matching reel is the standard, though anglers chasing the giants of Homosassa or fishing in deep water sometimes opt for the extra backbone of a 13-weight.

For plenty of tarpon fishermen in Biscayne Bay, the Upper Keys and the Everglades, a lighter 11-weight outfit is the weapon of choice. Regardless of the outfit you select to tackle tarpon, your fly lines and leaders remain critical and deserve close attention.

Quick casts are a must, so weight-forward fly lines with their weight spread along a short 30- to 38-foot head will allow fast deliveries with minimal false casting. Overloading the rod slightly with a line one weight heavier than it calls for can launch quick casts with a minimum of false casting.

West coast fly rodders rely on a full fast-sink or sink-tip line to deliver flies to the fish along the beaches and in the passes. With sinking lines, leaders should be fairly short--five to seven feet depending on the sink rate of the line and fly. This keeps the fly from riding higher than the line, which creates a pronounced belly in the line.

In the Ten Thousand Islands and the Keys, anglers often carry a second rig with sinking line just in case the fish are running deep in rivers or channels, but they use floating line setups primarily, typically with longer leaders.

Most start with a standard 9-footer but, under clear and still conditions, leaders as long as 12 or 13 feet could be necessary for softer presentations and to keep the fish from seeing the fly line. Yes, long leaders are tougher to cast--but a soft nylon butt section making up at least 60 percent of the total leader, transfers energy from the line smoothly and turns over amazingly well.

Wind is a constant on the flats, and one way to combat it is by using monocore lines. They are smaller in diameter and cut the wind well. Because they are clear, they also permit you to shorten the leader a bit, as they are fairly invisible in the water.

Until recently, all monocores were intermediate sink lines, so they were used over deeper flats and in instances when floating grass interfered with floating lines.

Because you lose the fast pick-ups possible only with floating lines, I fashion a clear, sink-tip line by splicing the front 15 feet of a 12-weight monocore to an 11-weight floating tarpon taper (minus the front 15 feet) to give me the best of both worlds.

However, recently on the market is the Monic line, a floating version of monocore, that offers the stealth of a monocore with the attributes of a floater.

Considering that most tarpon anglers are fairly well equipped, the difference between success and uneventful outings usually comes from the casters ability to deliver the fly, set the hook, and fight the fish properly. While there are many variations, usually dictated by the behavior of the fish, there are guidelines that can help you increase your catch ratio. Your presentations, for starters, should be on target. Tarpon hardly ever stray out of their path to take a fly, so the fly must be in front of the fish when the tarpon meets up with it.

The fly also needs to be at the right depth, either level with the fish or slightly above him, since tarpon are physically better equipped--and more willing--to rise to a fly than they are to dive for one.

Given enough time to react, you can strip the fly into position without disturbing the fish, should you overshoot your cast. But remember that the worst thing you can do is strip the fly toward the fish. Tarpon are not used to being attacked by small critters and will clear the area in a hurry when a fly comes at them.

Take into account the speed at which the fish are traveling to figure out how far you need to lead them, and consider the direction and speed of the current and the wind before you cast. Not only will these things affect the direction of your shot, they'll also affect your drift and the speed of your retrieve.

You'll have to strip pretty fast to impart any action on the fly if you are drifting toward it, but you may need to do little if you are being pushed away from the fly. If the fish are rolling in a pass or channel, the way they flip their tails will tell you whether they are staying near the surface or going down immediately after they gulp air. If they kick their tails high, be sure to use a sinking line, a weighted fly, or both to get down to the fish.

When it comes to setting the hook, don't let your eyes fool you into striking early. Too many fish are lost because the fly is pulled out of their mouths. Tarpon often turn after the take, so capitalize on that and set the hook when the fish turns.

Pick up the slack in the line, and continue stripping until you come tight, then sweep the rod back parallel to the water. If you strike upward, you'll yank the fly out of the water if you miss the hookset, and there will be no second chances. Believe it or not, tarpon will sometimes take a fly two or three times before the hook sticks or the fish spooks. And once you set the hook, forget about everything and concentrate on clearing the line.

You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the fight once the fish is on the reel. Should you get a knot in the fly line at that critical moment, point the rod at the fish and turn the guides upward. That allows the line to slide down the blank and the knot often goes through without catching on the snake guides. You've probably heard the expression, "bow to the king." It's a common one used by guides to remind their anglers to stab their rods at the fish when it jumps. This creates slack and prevents the fish falling on a tight line, which snaps the leader.

When a fish is getting tired, it usually begins to circle the boat, coming up for gulps of air every so often. Keep him from gulping that precious air and you'll win the battle much faster. Dip the rod in the water and pull down to keep the fish from breaking the surface. That move is known as the "down and dirty" and it's very effective in the late stages of the fight when the fish is close.

Loosen the drag a bit as the fish nears the boat. A lot of fish are lost at this time, so be ready for a surge and a short run.

Too many things to remember? Maybe, but when they all come together there are few experiences in fly fishing that match tarpon fishing. The basics are the same, and so is the thrill, no matter where you pursue them. And just about anywhere around the state right now, there's a tarpon waiting for you to pick a fight with a fly rod.