Tarpon

Synopsis

The first of the modern fishing films, Tarpon, was shot in the wild panorama of 1970s Key West. Colorful scenes of Key West from another era—with treasure hunters, smugglers, hippies, and eccentrics—are background to stunning cinematography and tarpon fishing at its finest. Authors Richard Brautigan, Tom McGuane, and Jim Harrison join with legendary flats guides, Woody Sexton, Gil Drake, and Steve Huff as they pose questions about life, art, nature, and catch-and-release fishing. Jimmy Buffet composed original music for the film and Jim Harrison narrated his own text.

In 2008, the film was rescued from a barn in Normandy where it had been for 30 years. In 2022, the A/B negative rolls were used to create a 4K scan with image and sound restoration work by Goldcrest Post Production in NYC. The restoration premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2023.