Tapam Special

I developed the Tapam Special for the tarpon fishing in Nicaragua's Rio Grande. One of the main food sources for the giant tarpon that roam this estuary is mullet. To imitate the mullet I needed a big baitfish pattern that I could cast long distances, all day long. I used Snow Runner because it tends to keep a very nice profile in the water, yet flattens to a very aerodynamic profile for easy casting. The fly worked very well, it did the things I needed it to do and the tarpon loved it. Many of the early tarpon at the lodge were caught on this pattern. An article on the early stages of the pattern can be found here. Over time I changed the pattern to a tube fly. The main reason was to improve hook holds. The change to a tube brought some new challenges, the main one being the balance of the fly. After many trials we settled on our specially developed predator cones as a weight behind the Snow Runner brush, and a long over-wing. This adds just the right amount of weight for a balanced cast, and keeps the fly tracking correctly in the water.

For the eyes I have settled on tab eyes that are glued on. They are very durable.

The Tapam Special is the predecessor of the King's Candy. The King's Candy is basically a smaller version of the this fishing fly. Both patterns are great for any saltwater or freshwater baitfish imitation (Pike, Peacock Bass, Jacks, Tuna, Snappers, Golden Dorado, Rooster Fish, etc.). They are easy to cast, track great, virtually indestructible and can be fished with the appropriate hook for the target species.

The Tapam Special is approximately 8-9" long. They are packaged individually. They come with a piece of junction tubing for those who like to connect the fly to the tube. The fly does not come with a hook. We suggest to fish it with hooks varying in size between 2/0 and 8/0, depending on the target species.

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IMPORTANT:
All our flies are Custom Hand Tied here in Smithers, BC, Canada by Jaap Kalkman. With a broad experience in commercial fly production, fly design, guiding and destination travel, Jaap will be able to help you with fly selection and tie the perfect flies for your next fly fishing adventure.

We have a selection of fly designs that you can choose from, or you can completely custom design your flies. Either way the flies will be tied for you by Jaap. To facilitate the ordering process you can simply order the flies that we have in our design selection from the site. Using our standard shopping experience with basket and secure checkout. If you want a customized design that is not in our selection simply contact Jaap: jaap@skeenariverflysupply.com

Custom fly production takes time; we suggest to order your flies at least 2-3 months prior to your trip in order to make sure that your flies can be produced on time. When you place your order we will let you know when you can expect your flies to be ready. Waiting times most commonly vary between 2 weeks and 3 months. For big orders from Lodges and Guides and Outfitters we suggest to order your fly selections for the next season just after the current season.

In order to make custom fly production feasable and cost-effective there is a minimum order quantity of 6 per fly pattern.

The difference between a good angler and a great angler lies in the details. This goes also for fly designs. Attention to detail is what we do, from hook or tube selection to materials to the way the material are tied in to make them move the best. The end result is a fly that produces more strikes, the landing part is up to you!