My fishing stories don’t normally start out this way but…………. I was off exploring Little Exuma when I met three girls in a bar. My opening line ” what are you three doing on Exuma?” lame I know but the answer was very titillating…………….we are here with our husbands who are bonefishing. Eureka!! The answer any man is looking for when talking with three gals at a bar. I had just found three new fishing buddies. As with all of my fishing stories, most of the tale is true, with a dash of literary license thrown in. So to be a little more factual, I was with my wife, she was the one talking with the girls and the most enlightened thing I said was , hello. It took about thirty seconds (you have to know my wife) and the conversation had turned from isn’t it nice to be drinking Kalik at 11:00 a.m. to a discussion of how their husbands (they were all from Minnesota) happened to be bonefishing on Exuma. One thing led to another and that night Bryan, Tim and Dave had emailed me to set up a time and to go fishing the next day. Since it was on the way to the flat, I picked them up at their rented beach front home on Tar Bay and the four of us drove to the north end of Exuma to fish the incoming tide. As all fishermen do, the talk quickly turned to where they had fished, what they like to fish for, etc. Turns out they were relatively new to bonefishing and to make it even more exciting, Bryan was also new to fly fishing. At the flat, I gave them a rundown of what I knew about the area and the most likely spot to intercept fish. We split up with Tim and Dave heading off in one direction while I partnered with Bryan. Though an experienced fisherman, he was just at the very early stages of learning how to cast a fly. After fifteen minutes of instruction he was casting a fly, downwind thirty feet, good enough for where we were fishing. It wasn’t long before the first fish showed up, but as we have all experienced, that perfect thirty foot cast five minutes ago (with no fish around) turned into a………..less than a perfect presentation. Welcome to bonefishing. Took a few schools of fish but he got it out in front of a nice group, started his six-inch strips, heard me say in his ear “he has it, he has it.” But the long strip set never happened. “I never felt the fish?” Which of course he hadn’t, since there was no long strip to feel resistance and Mr. Bone simply spit out the fly. I showed him the twisted bead chain, proof the fly had been crushed. Then explained again about setting the hook, one of the thousand things we all eventually learn. He didn’t actually hook one on his own that morning, though he had plenty of shots. But I took a couple of casts and hooked up and handed him the rod. He landed the fish, we got some great pictures and he was able to experience 3/4′s of why we all love to bonefish. I did hear from them later, telling me that the next day the three of them had gone out and all landed bonefish. It was a total blast for me. At this stage of my flats career, there is nothing more fun then to find new fishing buddies. And who knows, maybe we have turned three more fishermen from Minnesota to the dark side!!!!! So what’s the moral of this story? Whenever you see three girls sitting in a bar……………………….
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Three Girls In A Bar
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The Girls vs. Mr. Bonefish – Abaco
I’m in the fortunate position of being able to talk “fishing” everyday with people from all around the world. So I have a fairly decent feeling for the demographics of our sport. I don’t see a lot of women on the flats, but certainly am encountering more. At this point most that I know of use the services of a guide, but walking the flat on their own is starting to creep into their fishing days. I heard from Julia Wheeler and Mary Eastburn from Delaware who were recently fishing in Abaco. As with most DIY’ers they divided up their days between a guide (Buddy Pinder) and wading on their own around Casuarina Point. What follows is the guest blog, that Julia agreed to write. The pictures were taken with Buddy, with whom they were quite successful, but they did catch fish on their own, just didn’t get any pictures. I look forward to seeing them on the flat one day. “Fly fishing started for me in high school, with a beautiful blue rod and reel combo from Roses Department store in Aiken, SC – a Martin fiberglass rod, automatic reel, with fly lines that required wax to float well. I learned to roll cast in the back yard following the diagrams that came with the rod. Fly fishing wasn’t so popular in my neighborhood in the ’70’s! Small pieces of wood became little poppers, with a Dremel motor tool, rubber bands, blue jay feathers and airplane paint. After college, graduate school, jobs and travel, I picked up that rod again 20 years later and got serious about learning the sport, including fly tying. Trips to grand places like New Zealand, Mexico, Idaho and Montana helped! This past January, my friend Mary and I spent two glorious weeks at Casuarina Point on Great Abaco island in the Bahamas, fishing for bonefish on the fly. I had heard of Casuarina Point from my friend Lisa, who has been fishing there for bones for several years. Having just retired after 29 years, I was ready to find a place where I could return to my “next career” – a love of fishing, unplanned adventures, beautiful places, and the quiet calm that nature gives. It was a wonderful trip! I learned a lot about flats fishing, casting in the wind, sighting skittish bonefish, and keeping it all together when the fish were closing in and everything seemed to go wrong! I met some wonderful people, including my new fishing buddy Ben from Paris. My favorite moment was the last morning walking the flats, sun high, no wind, when we each hooked a nice bone on small tan and white Clousers I had tied! It doesn’t get much better than that.” Thanks Julia, you have captured the essence of bonefishing in very few words. Wading on a beautiful morning and catching them with your own fly. What a wonderful memory to take back home. Thanks for sharing.
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Inagua Bonefishing – Guest Blog
I got this great report from Jeff Miller on his recent stay on Inagua. I will let the report speak for itself since it is very well written, but thought I would add my two cents worth (double the value of my opinions) on Inagua and the fishing opportunities. First, of all it is one of my favorite places to fish on the planet. I love Great Inagua. For the last twenty five years virtually all of the fishing was done with guide, Ezzard Cartwright. Until five years ago, if you were not booked with Ezzard you didn’t fish on Inagua. I stayed in his duplex two years ago, but unfortunately he was booked so I couldn’t actually fish with him. I know plenty of people who have and they book him year after year, so I think that speaks volumes. I spoke with him every night when he returned and we compared notes. Obviously he is a professional who knows the island like the back of his hand. To be honest, he is not a fan of DIY fishing, so we remain on opposite sides of that fence, but he is a nice individual and a gentleman. From what I hear you have to book one year in advance, but well worth it. Second, Inagua (again my humble opinion) ranks very low on the old ” Spousal Rating.” My wife will go almost any where with me, I have not invited her to Inagua. Third, because of the island’s poor road system, limited number of accessible flats and current infrastructure it can only support a very small number of anglers. Seems weird for an island this size but I see the number at around 6 – 8 for the entire island for a week. Ezzard has two, Henry’s (the new place) has a couple that leaves space for a few more staying somewhere in town. Now let’s get on with Jeff’s report. “Go ahead…mention Inagua to your non-fishing friends. I bet they’ll wrinkle a brow and say they’ve never heard of it, or they’ll ask if it’s somewhere around Africa. Even most fishermen don’t know it is the southern-most and third largest bahama island…about 45 miles east of Cuba. I suspect it won’t be long before serious flyfishermen find it among the their preferred bonefish destinations. It’s probably an acquired taste and a tougher do it yourself venue than most other islands simply because of its rugged and primitive road system that makes travel slow going and a bit jarring. Still, on the whole, the bonefish are larger and more plentiful than I encountered on either Acklins or South Andros. I traveled alone to Inagua in February, accepting the suggestion of Vince Tobia. owner and operator of Cattaraugus Creek Outfitters, that I would like the fishing there. Vince has been fishing in the islands for a good while. I trust his advice, as I do Rod’s…so I gave it a go for 10 days. He didn’t steer me wrong. ACCOMMODATIONS: I stayed at Henry Hugh’s Inagua Outback Lodge. Very comfortable accommodations in a beautiful setting. Oceanfront and just spectacular for those who enjoy solitude. Literally, it’s at the end of the road and there are no neighbors. The location on the southeast coast is about an hour drive from the only town on the island, so there are no quick runs to the beer store. The drive is over the worst road I have encountered in the islands. unpaved, sandy, rocky, bumpy, potholed, twisting. a bit tiring after the first few times of traveling any distance. Power at Henry’s place is supplied by a generator from evening to morning. The inverter on the solar and wind power system was out while I was there, but that wasn’t a problem as I was gone fishing everyday all day. The one cabin will sleep two comfortably, but you can fit in three. It has air conditioning, wi-fi, and a satellite tv. Henry says he is building a second cabin, but he intends to stop there as he likes the small, intimate atmosphere unencumbered by too many demands on him as a host. Henry is a splendid host and cook, and he goes out of his way to insure his guests are well cared for. He provides three good meals a day, and he doesn’t skimp on portions or variety. He also pours a decent drink! Bacardi Anejo is his favorite. Vince was candid about the place…it’s not for everyone, especially those needing the “ambiance” of the typical upscale flyfish lodges. Frankly, I found it a fresh and charming place…very relaxing and easy to settle in to once there. well…the cool cistern water showers (no hot water) take a bit of getting used to, but even that became refreshing after a day of fishing. They are planning to add hot water soon. FISHING: The bonefishing was outstanding. The best I’ve had anywhere yet (“anywhere” is Acklins and South Andros). Lots of fish – singles, triples, and schools. I poached on one school for over an hour, picking off fish after fish. Very few of the fish were under 5 pounds. Not your typical schoolies! I never encountered another fisherman in any of the spots I ventured to from Lantern Head on the southeast coast (accessible only by boat) to the Lagoon at roads end on the northeast coast.. One of the unique aspects of Inagua is the huge interior lake system, connected to the Morton Salt Company canals. pumps, and pond operations. The lake and its canals hold ladyfish, snapper, tarpon, barracuda, snook, and bones. The winds kept the lake in a froth while i was there, but I jumped one tarpon and had several others whoosh at the fly. I think a better knowledge of the winds and pumping schedules will make a big difference in location selections and success with the tarpon…but it was fun riding the dike-like roads around the lake looking for rolling fish. did i […]
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Is It The Arrow Or The Indian?
I fall into the camp that fishing success depends 90% on the indian and 10% on the arrow. What do I mean by that? The ability to catch bonefish comes down to the skill of the angler rather than the fly that they select. That being said there are certainly times when the proper fly is critical. For instance occasionally bonefish simply prefer a crab pattern over a shrimp. Or you have the colour wrong, instead of matching the bottom you’re throwing a fly that is too dark. But where I most often see fly selection making a difference is when casting to those super sensitive, pressured, tailing fish. I had another blog ready to go this morning before reading Louis Cahill’s piece on the Chard Snapping Shrimp. It reminded of those times when the Snapping Shrimp style patterns have worked for me. They have been around for a long time and I’ve carried them for years. I don’t use Snapping Shrimp (prefer the Mantis style) patterns often in a normal setting but when the fish are tailing in really shallow water, I will often go to this style of fly. I tie it using black plastic eyes (could probably just use a black marking pen) so as not to add weight with either tan craft fur or Polar Fibre with a body of pearl Diamond Braid. I don’t like flash for spooky fish so I only have two strands of pearl flash, colour the fur with a couple bands of orange and tie off with orange thread. The key is to tie a fly that lands very softly but provides a reasonably large profile. I can tie this fly on a hook as small as #10 then enlarge the profile by extending the craft fur wing. If you tie it on a #4 or #6, the hook weighs enough to “plop” when it hits the water. And last, make sure you have one in your box with a weed guard. Nothing I like more than casting to tailing fish rooting around in the turtle grass and nothing more frustrating than have them dash away in fear as you snag up.
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Noise On The Flats
I don’t see this topic discussed much in magazines, forums or around the lodge, but in certain situations, bonefish are hyper sensitive to strange noises. I have met a great many anglers who don’t prescribe to my thoughts and theories about noise and bonefish. When wading they walk loudly, talk louder and generally react as if fish don’t have “ears.” My guess is that type of behaviour is a carry over from what they have experienced on a boat. When fishing from a skiff you can get away with normal discussions between the angler and the guide, conversation between the fisherman on the deck and the one sitting down. Seldom, have I seen a fish dart away from a boat because of sound (with the exception of a scrapping push pole on the bottom). But I see fish reacting violently to unnatural noises over and over again when anglers are wading. What you can do on a boat, you can’t do while your legs are in the water with your feet connected to the bottom. You need to be in a hunting and stalking mode and aware of the noise your movements are making. The only noise I want to hear are bonefish splashing. I have dozens of anecdotal stories where noise/vibration have alerted bonefish. Who has ever seen fish take off from the sound of line being stripped off a reel? Doesn’t happen on a boat, but sure as heck happens when wading. That’s a discussion for another day, but when buying a reel strip the line off aggressively to hear the sound. Quiet is better. Talking is a pet peeve and why I like to fish separated from others. Whispering is fine, talking is not. I assure you, even if the fish don’t dart away they are aware of your presence. Those “happy” fish you were stalking just went “on the alert.” My wife walks the flats with me hour after hour, day after day and is acutely aware of my aversion to noise. This winter we were fishing with some friends, fish were everywhere and the catching was fantastic. We were far enough away from the others to be considered “on our own” and the fish were happy. But I could still hear the others talking to each other as if they were in the gym playing basketball. Double digit day for me, one fish a piece for the others. Listen, I get it. Not everyone has the skill, physical dexterity or experience to walk quietly. Sometimes the wading conditions are so poor, you can’t be as quiet as you would like. Whatever the issue, slow down, until you are quiet. We carry radios with us on the flats, primarily for safety reasons. Everyone of my gang can tell you an instance when the radio went off and the fish spooked. Much like when the push pole scrapes on a rock or coral and the fish bolt, the same holds true for your boots in the water. Scraping across coral, limestone, etc. in the water is just not natural and carries a long way. There is something about the intimacy when wading on your own. Relax, enjoy the solitude, walk quietly enough to become part of the environment, not to disrupt it.
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Biscayne Bay Bonefish and the Bonefish Whisperer
Here is a great guest blog written by Kevin Becker who I met at the Naples Backcountry Fly Fishers annual banquet. Our discussion quickly turned to unique fishing opportunities, one of which we had both done. Fishing Biscayne Bay from the front of a canoe with the Bonefish Whisper, Cordell Baum. I had a thoroughly enjoyable day with Cordell, stood up in the front of a canoe for seven hours (who knew?) and cast to some truly magnificent bonefish. As happens on Biscayne Bay the fishing was wonderful, the catching, not so much. I used Cordell’s fly, the Electric Dread, which is without a doubt the craziest bonefish fly I have ever seen. I carry it with me wherever I go, because one day, it’s going to be the “secret” fly. Here is what Kevin has to say: The Biggest Bonefish Of Your Life That is what Biscayne Bay in Florida has to offer. You don’t go bonefishing in Biscayne Bay for numbers of Bonefish. I have never heard of anyone having a ’20 fish day’ there. You go there to get humiliated mostly and for a chance to catch the smartest double digit bonefish on the planet. I first heard of Biscayne Bay bonefish from the tarpon guides I used over in the Everglades about 20 years ago. These guides would talk about ‘getting humiliated on a regular basis by these bonefish. And of course how big they were there. I never entertained going there then, as I was getting plenty of humiliation everywhere I went. About 10 years ago, I started frequenting a saltwater fishing forum on the internet and ‘met’ another guy from Alaska on there, named Cordell Baum, who was now living in Miami. Cordell was posting pictures of the biggest bonefish I had seen anywhere. He was catching them just off the coast of downtown Miami in a Canoe. He was also using the strangest bonefish flies I had ever seen. They looked as big and gaudy as silver salmon flies. They were bright orange shrimp patterns that were 2 inches long. Cordell called this fly his ‘Electric Dread’. Cordell’s moniker on that saltwater forum was the “BonefishWhisperer’. He was catching trophy bonefish over 10 lbs. on a regular basis and posting pictures of them. He was just starting to guide people then by polling them in a canoe. Since I had caught a lot of bonefish over the years in places like the Bahamas, Christmas Island, Belize and Honduras, I was interested in catching a big bonefish. And Cordell seemed like the perfect guide to do this with. I eventually had a phone conversation with him. The first question that Cordell asked me was “Can you stand up in a Canoe?”. After my fishing credentials were discussed, I made arrangements to fish with Cordell in Miami for 3 days in mid May 2007. I also made arrangements to stay in a motel near Cordell in ‘Little Havana’ that usually rented rooms ‘By the Hour’. Cordell offered to pick me up at the Miami Airport as it was only a couple miles from where he lived and it would save me from renting a car. He would pick me up at the motel each morning for fishing also. I was usually the only ‘Overnight Guest’ there, so the motel was all mine until the next afternoon and early evening. Cordell’s fishing day always begins with Cuban Coffee at around 5:30 am and he arrives at the boat launch just before Sunrise. The first day we hit the flats after driving through urban Miami and launching at a public boat ramp surrounded by a couple million people in one of the largest cities in the U.S. In the fishing world, this had all the ingredients of a ‘Hopeless situation’ to catch a trophy fish of a lifetime. I remember that morning well, as the first day I fish with a new guide, I arrive with only a Butt Section and no leader. I usually let the guide recommend his favorite leader. They usually never like your leader or flies anyway, so I save them the time of cutting off my leader and fly, so that they can tie theirs on. So there we were; standing at the launch with Cordell tying his leader for me and getting eaten alive by No-seeums and biting gnats. Makes tying a leader and fly on extra hard. Soon, we had the canoe launched and almost immediately we were spotting huge Bonefish Tails in inches of water. They were only lit up by the moon and the urban lights of Miami. I started flailing away at them, but was always coming up about 5 feet short of them. They were feeding and moving across the flat at a speed that I could not cast to, or Cordell could not pole fast enough to keep up with them. I had not experienced anything like this before. Never had I seen such a school of large bonefish or seen them moving so fast, while they were still feeding. As we poled around, the sun came up and then the ‘humiliation conditions’ were now upon us. Glass calm water and merely raising the rod to cast would send the bonefish into panic. I was scaring the living daylights out of them. Cordell admitted that they were ‘extra spooky’. I did manage to make several good casts, but could not get the fish to eat that morning. I was using Cordell’s Electric Dread, and I was now starting to lose confidence in it. It did not look like any bonefish fly I had ever seen. The next morning was a carbon copy of the first and now I was ready for them. We launched again from the same spot and within 15 minutes we were in range again of tailing fish. I had settled down, was making good casts and able to concentrate on working the fly. We approached a school of about a […]
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Badfish Stand Up Paddleboard
The Badfish Stand Up Paddleboard begins a series I’m doing over the next few days on boats, kayaks and SUP’s available for the DIY tropical angler. Over the years my friends and I have transported a variety of inflatable watercraft in an effort to find the perfect solution for getting from the shore, where the car is parked, to that flat on the other side of a deep channel or back into the heart of a hidden Mexican lagoon. Last year my inflatable kayak went on 26 flights. For those doing the math, that is an extra baggage charge on every flight. I’m still looking for the perfect DIY fishing craft, but clearly the manufacturers are taking notice and producing high functioning, quality products . I know it is not fair to lump all rafts, kayaks and SUP’s together, so for my purposes I’m dividing them into hard shells which are perfect if you don’t need to transport them other than by car and inflatable’s which can be checked in at the airline counter. The advent of “stand up” watercraft offers a different dimension all together. Previously our kayaks were used only as transportation, to get from point A to point B. The stand up kayak and SUP are now actual fishing machines. Where you can see fish off in the distance, stop or anchor and then cast or wade. A fantastic advantage in some situations. So lets start this series off. The Badfish Stand Up Paddleboard by Boardworks was given a real try out by my friend Rhett Schober of Akumal Villas and he loved it. Below are his comments from his first two outings. “The challenge that many travelling DIY fly fishers face is the ability to carry along some type of watercraft that would make fishing the flats or deep waters simpler. That challenge is now easier to overcome with the advent of the SUP or Stand Up Paddleboard. I have tried many traditional options like the folding Kayak by Folbot and the blowup Sevylor Kayaks. However, we all know that elevation is key and those options actually put you into a lower position and view angle. My choice, this time, is the inflatable Badfish Stand Up Paddleboard from Boardworks SUP out of Encinitas, CA. Great name but after experiencing the fantastic fish ability of this craft, I would change the name to BadASSfisher. This SUP is especially perfect for the travelling fly fisher person. At around 35 pounds it comes in a very easily packable open burrito folding type bag. We all know that when something like this comes from the manufacturer, it fits perfectly in the packaging. However, after a few uses, it is almost impossible to get it back in the original bag. Not in this case (pun intended)! The Badfish comes with a double hand pump as well but you want to get the additional pressure gauge so you don’t over fill it. Additionally,they also included 3 Scotty Paddle Sports accessory mounts, one at the bow and two on both sides of the stern. I have decided to get the anchor lock, the fly rod holder and, of course, the Scotty drink holder for the occasional frosty Pacifico that might happen to be in the cooler. Cooler you say? Yes, the Badfisher is 39 inches wide and has a pre-mounted D-ring configuration at the bow and the stern to strap down equipment. In my case, I removed the bungee cord from the front of the two back D-rings and strapped down my Coleman cooler. Can you say poling platform? I can, and it is the perfect setup. Although it might seem unstable, it is not. I used an older Coleman cooler that is a little shorter but I am sure that one of the newer Yeti type coolers would also be perfect and even more stable. It took me only a few minutes to get my sea legs up there and soon I felt very comfortable. The next consideration is a paddle and/or sectional push pole. In my case, I purchased a 3 piece carbon bladed SUP paddle from Boardworks. Luckily, for me, several years ago I purchased two sectional push poles called the Stealth Stick from Cataract Oars. Boy, that was a good decision. The anchor is also important to have as more often than not, the flats can be too hard to jam in your push pole or paddle. If that is the case a small folding 4 prong drop anchor will do the trick and will usually grab enough to either slow you down or stop you entirely so you can make a cast. Now, back to the fact that the Badfish is extremely stable because of the side sponsons, which you blow up separately and makes the SUP even more stable. After you blow up the main center section, attach your cooler and any other accessories, you are good to go. Being very fortunate and living down in Mexico on the Riviera Maya in Akumal, I have some of the best DIY fly fishing around at Boca Paila. My first trial was very good and I could see Bones up to 150 feet away. Although I didn’t see any Permit, I know that I will the next time. My second trial was down in Xcalak and I fished two mangrove lagoons with several chances at Tarpon but the best day was fishing in one of the ocean side bays for Bonefish. Even when the tide went out, the Badfisher quietly cruised over the shallow grass flats allowing me to creep up unannounced and make a cast. The reason for this silent approach is the fact that the Badfisher comes with two small low profile fins on the bottom with the option of including a larger removable fin for deeper water. Obviously you wouldn’t install the larger fin for very shallow conditions and keep it for better tracking in deeper water and windier days. In conclusion, the Badfisher is a perfect set up for fly fishing traveller, period.”
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DIY On Grand Bahama
Grand Bahamas doesn’t get a lot of attention from DIY’ers because of its fantastic lodges and guided fishing. However there are plenty of places to fish on your own. Here is a nice guest blog from Dr. Allan Walls and his brother Ian. Ian has a fasinating website called River & Green that designs terrific fishing, hunting, golf and leisure trips in Scotland. I’ve fished all of the spots Allan has mentioned and there are plenty more than that to explore on Grand Bahama. From Allan: “It is hard coming back to a cold and wet Alabama after my second trip to Grand Bahama in three months. My brother (the good looking one!) has been looking hard for a winter home on GB for some time. Over a period of five weeks between January and the end of March we looked at too many houses and explored as many DIY flats as we could get to. We stayed in a nice rental condo near Port Lucaya and Coral Beach. Nothing fancy but perfect for what we were doing. Good access to the entire island by rental car. Weather conditions varied between perfect (calm and sunny) and awful (heavy overcast with 25+ winds). As this was an exploratory trip, we tried to hit all the accessible flats for DIY fisherman. A few of the high points (in no particular order): Crabbing Bay at low tide on a sunny afternoon. Big bones tailing everywhere! These are some very spooky fish. We had a few takes on very small, drab shrimp patterns. North Riding Point on a cloudy and windy day with an ebbing tide. A long drive over some rough terrain to get there but well worth it. There is a lot of water to wade in this remote stretch of the north shore. We saw a huge number of fish, some in shoals, but couldn’t get them interested. Barbary Beach (south shore) on a windy but sunny afternoon at high tide. The conditions were really tough with the wind coming out of the southeast. Nevertheless, we saw plenty of fish and lost a couple. Be careful in this water. It is full of stingrays and, unless the conditions are perfect, they can be hard to spot right under your feet. The beach just east of the Statoil plant on two sunny and breezy afternoons on an ebbing tide. This place is a real gem! Fish everywhere. This was the first place that we were both into fish at the same time. We were both using gotchas with a little sparkle and fishing with a pretty fast strip. This is just a small sample of our GB DIY experience. It is a wonderful location and well worth the effort if you are looking for a remarkable DIY bonefishing experience. See you there!”
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Bonefishing Tips
I had to laugh at this story. Of course it’s distressing at the time and you can just imagine the chaos on the flat. But it’s one of those stories that I’m sure they will tell over and over as the Kalik’s come out. This comes from George Brayfield, a DIY subscriber, the “friends” name will remain anonymous: “While telling you about the friend who spent a week with me on Grand Bahamas it might be worth relating one incident to you which took place on the one half day guided trip that we took out of Macleans Town on a fairly blustery morning. My friend had purchased an 8wt rod and a reel loaded with backing and a tropical fly line especially for our trip. Initially we had very little sight of Bones but finally the guide stopped the boat and asked us to get out in order to meet up with a line of bones coming towards us in a sheltered bay. I was the first to hook up and just as I was landing my fish my friend hooked his first Bone only to see the fly line part from the backing and everything went slack. He then proceeded to wade around looking for the end of the fly line to which I shouted that it would probably be somewhere off Florida. Then miracles of miracles he found it and grabbed the fly line minus the bone. Shortly after we located another line of bones and he hooked up again but I could hear the guide asking him what he was doing as he was hand lining the fish like he would a trout. My friend replied and the handle on his new reel had fallen off so he couldn’t grip it to reel in properly. He did manage to land that fish and one or two others during our stay. Needless to say, the supplier of the reel was taken to task over the poor service.” His friend then chipped in with a few more details: “George that’s fine … But you forgot that when the line went the top of the rod flew off as well….. Only to be found sticking up out of the water like a reed… And the size of the bone ….. With the guide calling “it’s a good fish” ….. And compared to the second fish it felt twice as big… The point being the poor set up didn’t lose me my first bone it lost me a good bone:” So here are two tips: As I mention in my website and in the book, amongst the many things to do when getting ready for a trip, make sure to always check the connection between your fly line and backing. Personally, nobody but me ties that knot. Second go out into the street or park and run your line and backing out 100 yards. Then reel the backing onto the reel carefully making sure it goes on level without bunching up on one side or the other. The last thing you want to happen (and it happens a lot) is for the backing to go ripping out on your first fish of a trip and the backing pinching on itself breaking off the fish. It usually only happens on the first fish which is always the largest fish of the trip. Thanks George & Friend!!!!!
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Inflatables For DIY Bonefishing
I have yet to find a perfect inflatable for the DIY fisherman, but happy to say that the manufacturers are taking notice and there have been some remarkable improvements in watercraft over the last few years. I can tell you there are some destinations where a boat just makes all the difference in the world. For the sake of the extra $80 in baggage fees you can get across channels that are too deep to wade, paddle out to that flat you saw on Google Earth or make your way up the labyrinth of mangroves to find yourself at the top end of a creek system that has only one way in and out. So, what are we looking for in an inflatable? They have to be portable enough to check on a plane as an extra bag. They need to be safe and stable in the water, row or paddle reasonably well, simple to repair and hold up to the rigours of the environment that bonefish live in. Most inflatable’s are best used purely for transportation, getting the angler from Point A to Point B. However the advent of the inflatable SUP’s have begun to change the landscape of how they can be used. It’s hard to believe but now you can pack a “fishing platform” on the plane and use it to fish those areas that are too soft to wade. And for those anglers that have difficulty seeing fish, there is nothing better than to spot fish from an elevated platform. There are a lot of inflatable’s on the market today, here are a few to choose from Dick Swan Of Airborn Boats has developed a unique craft that is really two boats in one. The main boat is an inflatable that can be rowed or poled and easily holds two people. One can row, while the other stands in the bow ready to cast. The bottom of the boat converts into an inflatable SUP that can be removed an fished from on its own. The Badfisher is one cool fishing machine. I have not tried it yet, but will figure out how to get one to the Bahamas to give it a good test. It’s hard to argue with the advantages of a good sturdy SUP. First of all the visibility from that vantage point is fantastic and it provides and are easy to cast from. If there is a downside to an SUP I would say they are not as good for pure transportation as a well constructed kayak. If I need to paddle a couple of miles into a wind I prefer a sit down kayak. The picture here is my Advanced Element kayak that must be close to five years old. It’s been a work horse for me and traveled the world. It’s light, packs well, is really easy to paddle and best of all, it has never had a leak. It has an outer shell that protects the bladder from being punctured. I’ve tried a lot of inflatable kayaks and for durability, travel and pure transportation, I have never found anything I liked better. I have used the Airis kayaks by Walker Bay a fair amount. They have a wide open seating platform that makes getting in and out easy. They are great for carrying gear, and paddle really well. The larger kayak tracks well and is one of the best if you intend on paddling longer distances. Most of you have probably heard of Sea Eagle, who make a wide variety of inflatable watercraft. I have tried a number of their boats and find them fine for those easy transportation legs. I would stick to the one man boats and make your buddy buy his own. It’s wise to be super careful getting them in and out of the water as they don’t have an exterior skin making them vulnerable to the limestone, coral and mangrove roots that always appear from nowhere. I have to laugh at this last one, the Water Master. Between my group of regular fishermen I think we have five of these boats (if not more). They are the best one man small river fishing boat I have seen. We use them constantly through the summer and have floated all kinds of rivers. Yet we have never taken one with us on a tropical trip. They are a little heavy to travel with, but what the heck, you have to pay for the extra bag anyway whether it weighs twenty pounds or forty. You row not paddle, but half of the floor is gone, so when you see a fish, you just stop step through the bottom of the boat and your casting. I never thought of using it until recently when a new acquaintance says he has been taking it bonefishing for fifteen years. You learn something everyday. I know I don’t have to tell you this, but……………….. you get what you pay for. Inflatables fit this rule to a tea. If you want to fish where others can’t, pack an inflatable with you.
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Hard Shelled Watercraft
Finishing up this series on watercraft for the DIY angler let’s take a look at some of the hard bodied boats that are out there. I’ve had the pleasure of fishing out of a number of them and without question they are better for both transportation and fishing than any inflatable I have used. The problem of course is they can’t be transported on a plane and are seldom available at the locations where I stay. If I’m paddling long distances there is no comparison between a rigid kayak and an inflatable and for the Stand Up models the kayaks and SUP’s are more stable. My advice when booking your accommodation is to find out if the owners have kayaks available? Will they allow you to transport them in/on your rental car? Do they have racks or tie downs or do you need to bring your own? Here are a few of the boats I have tried: Who knew you could stand up in a canoe for seven hours? That is exactly what you do with Cordell Baum, the “Bonefish Whisperer”. As an independent guide fishing Biscayne Bay, Cordell offers one of the more interesting days on the water you will ever have. With the skyline of Miami in the background, he poles his canoe across the flats searching for some of the largest bones on the planet. I can honestly say, I had no trouble staying upright in his canoe and casting wasn’t a problem. So there you go, certain canoes offer a great means of transportation while providing a reasonably stable casting platform. The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 12 is built for fishing. A reasonably heavy boat it offers the benefit of Hobie’s patented MirageDrive making it effortless to spend a day on the water. It is the most comfortable kayak I have been in with a fantastic seat arrangement and is ultra stable when standing and casting. The Native Watercraft Versa board is one of the better combination stand up kayaks I have been on. It paddles very well when sitting down and is great to cast from when standing up. I spent the day on one in Bottle Creek on North Caicos, provided by Howard of The Great Bonefishing Company. Here is a great day’s itinerary if you are staying on Providenciales. Catch the ferry over to North Caicos, meet up with Howard, rent a Native Craft Versa board and spend the day on one of the tropics most beautiful flats and creek systems. Howard will pick you and your kayak up at the end of the day, then back on the ferry and you are having dinner on Provo with your family by 7:00 p.m. One of the first stand up kayaks I tried was the Diablo from Diablo Paddlesports with Captain Rich Smith. The Diablo is still one of my favorite boats and their new Adios boat is a great combination of sit down kayak and stand-up paddleboard. They are simple by design, light and easy to cart around, really stable to cast from and a pleasure to paddle. For the price, their products are hard to beat. There is nothing more exciting than to identify a terrific looking flat on Google Earth, paddle the two miles necessary to get there, and find schools of bonefish ready to eat your fly. That’s DIY!
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The Do It Yourself Bonefishing Sweepstakes
Lets Go fishing in the Bahamas!!!! Now is your chance to win all kinds of great prizes from Sage, Rio, Redington, Costa, Discount Flies and much more. The Grand Prize is a one week bonefishing trip with me, courtesy of the Long Island Bonefishing Lodge. To enter the draw, simply click on the link below to go directly to the Bonefishing Sweepstakes entry form: www.woobox.com/wu86xm There are more than fifty other weekly prizes including: Redington 8 weight Vapen Red bonefish rod Sage 2200 Series reel Beautiful pair of Costa sunglasses Two – RIO QuickShooter bonefish lines Fifteen – one dozen sets of Hamilton Signature Bonefish Flies from Discount Flies Online Books, buffs and much more Get your entry in early to qualify for the first weekly prize of the Redington Vapen rod to be drawn on April 21st. The Grand Prize will be drawn on June 2nd with the winner notified by email. The trip takes place the week of November 16 – 23 and includes everything except air fare and gratuities. (The grand prize is non-transferable and you must be able to make the designated dates to qualify). There are more than fifty other prizes including bonefish rods, reels, lines, flies, clothing and I may even through in a few Do It Yourself Bonefishing books. Good luck and hope to see you in the Bahamas!!!!!
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DIY Bonefishing Sweepstakes -Week #1 Winner
Just a quick note. The draw for the Week #1 winner was made last night at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. And the Winner is: GERALD WOLOSHYN Gerald is from Saskatchewan, Canada and has an extensive bonefishing background, having fished the Keys, Belize, Long Island and Hawaii. Congrats Gerald The week #1 prize was courtesy of Redington who kindly donated a beautiful Vapen Red eight weight rod, perfect for bonefishing. I expect a full report Gerald on the first bonefish you catch with it!!!!! Once again congratulations. Remember there are fifty more prizes to win between now and June 2nd when the Grand Prize will be drawn for a one week bonefishing trip to the Long Island Bonefishing Lodge. So get your entries in: www.woobox.com/wu86xm
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DIY Bonefishing – Cat Island
I love Cat Island in the Bahamas. It’s quiet, has beautiful beaches, the people are really friendly and there are enough places to walk and wade to have a memorable fishing trip. If your non-fishing spouse is happy to lay on white crystal sand on a classically beautiful beach and read a book or snorkel, Cat Island may be the place for you. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention a couple of great places to stay run by the nicest owners you will find. Halvorson House on the north end of the island and Island Hoppinn located on picturesque Fernandez Bay. It was my good fortune to meet and fish with Lane Luck and his wife Jo-Ann last year on North Caicos. They have just returned from Cat Island and thought the subscribers to DIY Bonefishing might enjoy an update. Below is the Guest Blog written by Lane. “Thought you might like to share this experience with the rest of your followers….. My wife and I spent a number of weeks fishing Cat Island, Bahamas and found the fishing to be pretty spectacular, once you know where to fish. There are a number of great creek systems that are easily wadable with firm footing (for those of you who hate slopping around in 4-10 inches of mud give or take half a foot and possibly your wading boot). We fished a number of days and only on one occasion was I looking at another fisherman other than my wife, who I might add, is not a man so therefore fisher person may be more appropriate. Having access to kayaks only enhanced our ability to get deep into the creeks where not to many people go, so fish-on was quite the common expression deep in Bennets Creek. We have fished many Bahamian islands and we have our favourites….Cat Island has just made that list. With the use of Rod’s book and a little local knowledge Cat was a successful DIY destination. As mentioned earlier my wife and I have been travelling the Bahamas extensively over the years and have had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Rod on North Caicos island in 2012. He really knows his stuff and is quite the intrepid fisherman. So when you read of a location in his book know this that he has been to that exact location, covered the flat in its entirety and in all likelihood caught more than a few fish at all of these locales. The book is a great resource.If you already have one and have used it in the Bahamas you already know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t bought it……what are you waiting for. So in future, if you are content with only your company and the people you are there with keep Cat Island on your radar for great fishing. Bone fishing that is………….fish-on.”
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Disney’s Castaway Cay Bonefishing Excursion
Thought this might be of interest to those of you trying to combine a family friendly vacation with the chance to connect with a bonefish. I mean there isn’t anything wrong with throwing your eight weight in while packing ……….. is there?? Dr. Eric English was kind enough to tell me about his bonefishing experience while on a Disney Cruise. “Sometimes you have to grab any chance to bonefish! This was a spouse friendly venue. Rod thought it might to be worth it to write a guest blog. My wife and I took a Western Caribbean 7 day cruise this April on the Disney Cruise Line ship “Fantasy!” The kids were in college and we had Disney vacation club points to use. We visited Grand Cayman and the Yucatan making our last day ashore on Castaway Key, Abaco, the Bahamas. Formerly Gorda Key, Castaway Key has a reputation for excellent bone fishing and drug smuggling on the now defunct airstrip. Online, prior to the trip I found a back country fishing excursion for $150 for three hours which offered fishing for bones, tarpon, permit, barracuda, etc. I wrote the cruise lines with questions about fly fishing but the lubbers told me not to bring any fishing tackle on the cruise ship and told me to talk with the excursion office once afloat. Once aboard the shore excursion desk staff assured me I could fly fish if the captain allowed it. I brought my Mickey Mouse wading kit: boots, rods, flies, chest pack, etc. The captain and crew were guides from South Abaco and had made the 8 nm run from Sandy Point in moderate chop that morning. They were able to accommodate my desire to wade and fly fish, and the mate was happy to wade with me. The weather was perfect: sunny and breezy about 10-15 kt from the SE. We left the dock around 10 AM for a 15 minute run around the SW point we found some flats along the south shore. The mate and I waded while the others (fathers and sons) spin fished with conch meat. We saw about a dozen bones and I had one poorly executed shot but couldn’t get a bite: I passed left while the bone jogged right! We had two adverse conditions, primarily high tide and the guide was “depth-charging” the circling sharks with conch about every fifteen minutes! What bones we saw were above average size, half in singles. Wading conditions varied from extremely slippery coral slabs, nice hard yellow and white sand, medium soft moguls and some mangrove shoot areas. Some birds were also resting on the mangroves and we had to get away from them because their flight was right over the flat! I had about 2 hours of wading and the captain picked me up; they had some snappers but no bones. I had an excellent time even though I didn’t get a hookup. It’s all about the flats and the encounters with the magnificent creatures that inhabit them! Google Earth shows some great flats on the north side but it could be reserved for visiting guests or the captain was warned off but I did see some jet skiers in that area. As to spousal enjoyment, my wife rented a bike and explored the island and had a great time. I was able to join up with her for some beach lounging and nice lunch. I can’t wait to try to fish the entire West Caribbean on a real fishing trip! I have one lined up next February. I suppose one can arrange to fish any location the ship stopped at: Grand Cayman and Cozumel harbors didn’t have wadable beaches but you can hire a guide “off the reservation.” Porta Maya in the southern Yucatan, Mexico has excellent wadable beaches: Rod sent me a picture of a huge permit caught near the cruise line dock! In Porta Maya my wife and I went on an ATV excursion and it was the highlight of her whole trip! What can I say?” Thanks Eric
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Bonefishing Out Of Akumal, Mexico
Bob Poole of Atlanta has sent in a report on a trip that he took with Pesca Maya while staying in Akumal, Mexico. This is a great way to augment a DIY trip, by booking a guide for a day or two. There is some excellent DIY fishing in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere that can be reached on your own driving south from Tulum. “I booked with Pesca Maya mistakenly believing that they were much closer to where I was staying near Akumal (about an hour’s drive south of Cancun) than another recommended guide service in Cancun. One of the selling points with Pesca Maya was the included transportation, which was not included in the Cancun service. The day began with the Pesca Maya driver, Felipe, picking me up on time at my resort, El Dorado Seaside Suites. Felipe, as I discovered, had the reputation of being “the fastest driver in the Sian Ka’an”. This was just as well, as the road in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere can accurately be described as The Worst Road Ever. The trip down from my resort (along with two other parties from two nearby resorts) consisted of a half hour drive on a paved road to Tulum and then an hour and a half trip each way on the Sian Ka’an road. So figure 2 hours each way to and from Pesca Maya if you are staying near Akumal. We were dropped off beside the water in the Sian Ka’an, where a waiting boatman took us to the island where Pesca Maya is located in Ascencion Bay. There they fed us a good hot breakfast in the open air lodge, sold us one day fishing licenses for $5, and rigged up our rods for us. I had taken an 8 wt. rod and saltwater reel along with leaders and crab flies recommended by Orvis Atlanta, and my guide Isa agreed with those selections. The Pesca Maya service advertised that they would supply one rod and reel, and you could purchase leaders and flies there as needed. Isa took along a second rig “if needed”, but we exclusively used my gear, and there was no additional charge. Isa was a friendly guide who spoke excellent English. He poled our boat and directed my casts in several locations–it was windy, and unfortunately we had to remain close to shore most of the day, which Isa said negatively impacted the fishing as we usually would be wading further out from land (and also the wind caused the fish to be more jumpy). In spite of this, I caught about 15 bonefish, mostly small, and one accidental jack. We saw plenty of wildlife, from barracuda, snapper, and stingrays in the water to spoonbills and herons in the air. My lack of fly-fishing experience was responsible for not having a bigger day–several times I cast to large bonefish and only managed to drop the fly directly on their heads. Pesca Maya is locally owned and flexible to meet your needs–one person from Canada who shuttled down with me fished primarily for snook and tarpon. They provided a good box lunch for while you were fishing with water and two beers per person. The guides were friendly, local, and at least in my case, very knowledgeable. Pesca Maya has a good website with tackle and equipment lists and all the information you need to book a trip of one day or longer. Of course, we had to return on The Worst Road Ever, but at least then we were prepared for it.” Bob put the price of his day at $513 which included pick up and drop off at his hotel in Akumal. I can tell you from personal experience that Bob is not exaggerating when he says it is a rough road. It can be a bone jarring trip. I heard recently that the road has been graded and right now is very good. That of course changes as it gets used and the rains come.
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Do It Yourself Bonefishing Sweepstakes
Thanks for all those who have entered the Do It Yourself Bonefishing Sweepstakes, there have been thousands of entries and it is great to see the enthusiasm. The winner of Week #2″s draw is: Chris Hunt Chris, I will send out your beautiful Sage 2280 reel this week. It’s perfect to hold an eight weight RIO QuickShooter bonefish line and will be perfect to take along if you happen to win the Grand Prize of a one week stay at the Long Island Bonefishing Lodge. Good Luck to everyone.
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Some Memorable Bonefish
To end the week I thought I would put up pics of three of memorable bonefish from this past season. They rank up there not because they are the largest I’ve ever caught or seen but because of the circumstances and the people I shared the experience with. My wife Kim, holding a beautiful fish. Really a classic Bahamian bonefish. What makes it special? Because this year after following me around for so many years, walking with me on a million flats, she started to catch fish on her own. My buddy John casting to a nice fish. This was special because we worked for three days to figure out how to get into this creek system. It was worth the effort. A nice fish from Acklins I caught this winter. Just one of those days. I was on camera duty all day filming Davin Ebanks (well known guide from Grand Cayman) and got him on film landing thirty fish. I put down the camera a couple of times and this is one of the fish I got. What a day!!!!
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Which Knot. Surgeons vs. Blood
In the past I have been asked which knot I prefer to tie for homemade leaders and adding tippet? The Double Surgeons or a Blood Knot? The answer isn’t as straight forward as you might think. For me it depends on what the conditions are like when I’m tying the knot. To back up for a minute, both knots test about the same when properly tied, with the Double Surgeons knot testing slightly stronger under ideal laboratory conditions. That means your hands are warm and nimble, there is lots of lubrication available and the knots are properly seated. If I’m at home, watching T.V and conditions are perfect, I know I can tie a good knot. I can inspect it, seat it correctly and then test its strength. Under those conditions, I use a Blood Knot. I tie my own leaders and connect the sections with a Blood Knot. Each section and knot is inspected when tied and I’ve never had a failure. But, the light is good, my hands are warm and working properly, there is lots of lubrication available, I have on 3x glasses to see that the knot is tied properly, I’m not in a hurry and I can be careful to seat and tighten the knot properly. But……………for whatever reason I find the Double Surgeons easier to tie. So, when I am surrounded by fish, in a hurry, have poor light, tired or my feet are stuck 12 inches in the muck, I tie the knot I have the most confidence in under less than ideal conditions, the Double Surgeon. Because the reality of knot tying is, any knot properly tied is better than a knot which isn’t. In Lefty Kreh’s video on tying knots he does a demonstration of line breakage when a knot is not tightened properly. In his estimation it loses about 40% of its strength compared to a knot seated correctly. So my answer when asked is, if I have all the time in the world and conditions are good, I go with a Blood Knot. When conditions are less than ideal, I feel more confident that I will tie a good Double Surgeons so I use that.
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Long Island Bonefishing Lodge
There has been a great response to the Do It Yourself Bonefishing Sweepstakes, with thousands of entries. Since we are approaching the halfway point in the contest I thought this would be a good time to tell everyone a little more about what to expect if you win the Grand Prize…………..a one week bonefishing trip to the Long Island Bonefishing Lodge (air fare not included). The lodge is owned and operated by Nevin (Pinky) Knowles and his sister Darlene. Located at Deadman’s Cay it is the perfect jumping off point to fish the abandoned salt ponds and spectacular ocean flats. There are more places to fish here then you can cover in a lifetime. The Long Island Bonefish Lodge’s facilities are some of the best on the island offering spacious and well equipped duplex style bungalows only steps away from the main lodge building. Located right beside the water, there is nothing finer than wondering out onto the deck with a cold drink and gazing across the water to the flat you are going to fish the next day. The meals are spectacular (speaking from experience) with plenty of local delicacies like conch, grouper, snapper and lobster throughout the week. The style of fishing can be whatever you want it to be. The lodge offers fully guided weeks, a simple DIY experience or what Long Island Bonefishing Lodge is famous for, the Assisted DIY Program. With the “Assisted” program each angler rides out to a pre-selected flat by boat with a guide. The guide drops you off and instructs you on how to fish the location, which direction to walk, where the fish will likely be, all based on the tide and conditions at the time. At noon, the anglers are picked up, brought lunch and moved to a different area for the afternoon fish. The magic of the Assisted DIY Program is you have the mobility of a boat, the experience of a guide and the freedom to fish on your own. The perfect combination for those fishermen interested in trying DIY fishing. Additionally, during the week (Nov 16 – 23) I will lead a discussion each evening on different elements of DIY fishing. The subjects will include equipment and setup, flies, knots, stalking and wading, “How To See Bonefish” and tactics. It promises to be a great week and I look forward to fishing with the Grand Prize winner!
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