It all started years ago when I was asked the simple question “How do you spot bonefish?” Simple enough question, but a really complicated answer. Particularly when you fish the way I do (wading) and in the places I fish (creek systems and small flats) that are accessible by car, bicycle, foot or kayak. Inevitably the locations are anything but large white expanses of sand. The standard answer is “look for movement, different colours, tails, nervous water, etc” but I have realized it is much more complex than that. I have given the standard answer to countless anglers and it has not helped them in the least. The real answer involves many variables and has as much to do with an individuals wading style and rhythm then it does “sighting” ability. What I can tell you is “spotting fish” can be learned and your ability to see fish can be improved. In preparation for an upcoming engagement as a Keynote Speaker I developed the graphic below to help explain to the audience “How to see bonefish.” In essence it is designed to talk about each individuals Personal Spotting Zone (that area in which you can actually identify fish), how much time you should spend scanning for fish in the Spotting Zone and by extension, what affect walking speed has on an individuals ability to see fish before they sense you. Later this week I’ll talk about how and why you need to get real about your Personal Spotting Zone (spoiler alert: it’s closer to fifty feet than eighty) the correlation between walking speed and the Personal Spotting Zone and then “how to scan”.
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