For decades, the unreleased documentary Tarpon remained somewhat of a myth. Some were lucky to get a bootlegged copy, but for most, the film was urban legend.   

The film was born from a 1972 visit to the Florida Keys by French filmmaker, Christian Odasso. Enraptured by the aesthetics and ethics of catch-and-release tarpon fishing, Odasso paired with his brother-in-law, Guy de la Valdene, to co-direct this film about fishing, fishermen, authors, and nature lovers. De la Valdene was an avid angler who had already been fishing the area for several years.   

With a mostly French crew, the shoot took approximately 7 weeks and was edited in Paris. The film was shot in the cinema verité style on Kodak 16 mm Ektachrome. Jimmy Buffet composed original music for the film and Jim Harrison narrated his own text. With appearances by authors Richard Brautigan, Thomas McGuane, and Jim Harrison. The film reveals some of the only extant video footage of Richard Brautigan, the cult 60s poet and novelist.  

The film follows several important fishing guides—Gil Drake, Steve Huff, and Woody Sexton—pioneers and legends of a bygone era of Florida fishing. Also appearing the film are Page Brown, an early Keys angler and prominent fishing conservationist; Ray Donnersberger, an angler and saltwater fly tyer; and Bob Montgomery, an early Lower Keys guide who guided into the 1990s.