Locations

South Pacific

It is all a mixture of good and bad news, isn’t it? It is pretty easy to focus on the bad, but don’t forget to look around in the other column ever once in a while.

Butch Leone, who guides and lives in far-flung Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, recently purchased (with his own money) supplies to start tagging bonefish on the small, South Pacific Atoll. Butch has been guiding for a long time down there and seems to be facing a bit of an up-hill battle with the locals who may, or may-not still be netting bonefish (depending on who you talk to).

I wish I could make it to Aitutaki… it looks to be a magnificent place and the fish seem to be of unusual size.

You’ll likely hear more about Aitutaki in the months to come.

Butch

Flies / Locations — 14 Comments
26
Jan 11

Flies for Andros

The folks over at Deneki Outdoors have some advice for fly selection at Andros South. This, of course, is particularly relevant to me, since I’m headed there in March.

Just a friendly reminder that big, light flies with rubber legs (OK, Sili Legs in this case) work really well for the un-pressured bonefish of South Andros Island.

I am a good listener.

Here are a few variations I’m pounding out for the trip (although I am now out of chain bead eyes and have an order in to re-supply).

Hot Nosed Bunny Rubber Legs Gotcha

Legs again, but a bit of bunny on the butt... burnt orange

Pink Gotcha with some white fox tail

Legs Legs Bunny Gotcha

Just in case... a Big Ugly for deeper water.

Once I get my big eyes, I’ll be tying a bunch more. I’m still tinkering around… playing with patterns… not really in the production mindset yet.

Fish Tails / Locations — No Comments
24
Jan 11

Bones of Costa de Cocos

This thing made the rounds, showing up on both Midcurrent and Moldy Chum… still, if you missed is somehow, here is a little vid about a couple guys getting into some pretty virgin skinny water somewhere near the Belizean/Mexican border (slightly on the Mexican side, it seems). Costa de Cocos lodge is down that way… I’m guessing it is nearby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2BQ6Rd27lM?fs=1&hl=en_US

Locations — 1 Comment
23
Jan 11

Central American Bones – Yellow Dog

With brilliant, wide-open beaches on its northern side, magnificent reefs and flats that surround the island on all sides, and a total population of less than 10,000 people (almost all of whom speak English), Guanaja in many ways is what the rest of the Caribbean must have been like before being discovered by mega-resorts, cruise ships, and aging snowbirds dressed in madras shorts.

via Honduras Bonefishing | Yellowdog Fly Fishing Trips.

A pretty good look at Guanaja from Jim over at Yellow Dog. Sounds hard to get to, largely undeveloped and like a little slice of paradise

Skinny Water Central American Bones

Conservation / Locations — 4 Comments
22
Jan 11

Good Job Puerto Rico

Got an email from Chris Goldmark over/down in Puerto Rico about recent good news for bonefish and bonefish lovers.

Great news! Puerto Rico has officially passed into law protection for Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit and Palometa. It is now a minimum of a $100 per fish penalty and possible seizure of boat and nets or other gear if found guilty of violation of this new law. Lots of credit should be given to Fernando Monnlor and Capt Pochy Rosario as well as our “guiding light”, Craig Lillistrom for all their hard work in getting protection for these valuable marine resources. I myself have been involved in this fight from the beginning and hope now with legal protection we can begin to rebuild the stocks of these fish that have been abused for so many years. Good things do happen!

That sounds like good news to me, alright. Good job guys!

Chris down in Culebra, Puerto Rico

The trick, of course… will be enforcement. A fine is all well and good and the intention is great, but if there is never a fine given and no nets ever confiscated or checked, well… like I said… enforcement is the key.

Flies / Locations — 9 Comments
19
Jan 11

Back at the Vice – Bonefish Flies for Andros

So… time to sit back down at the vice and start turning out some flies. Unlike my flies for El Pescador, this time I’ll be moving right on past those #8’s and #6’s… kind of past the #4’s and focusing on big flies… 2’s and larger with, of course, the 4’s and 6’s… just in case. Looks like not many of these patterns will need weed guards, which is nice as well.

Big Steel for Big Bones

It is nice to tie with a purpose… with a destination in mind… with a real reason to turn the bobbin.

Andros South, as you might expect, has some thoughts on flies you might want to have along. The Deneki Blog is content rich.

Compared to most in the bonefishing world, the flies that we like to fish on South Andros tend to be an unusual combination of big and light. For anglers wanting to load up a fly box before their trip, that can make it a little hard to buy commercially available flies – most widely available bonefish flies are either light enough but too small (probably designed for places like Belize and Christmas Island), or big enough but too heavy (probably designed for the Florida Keys).

via Bonefish Flies – 5 Favorites For South Andros.

Yes… I think I’m going to enjoy this…

That should work...

Fish Tails / Locations — No Comments
19
Jan 11

Andros – Bonefish Capital of the World – FLYBOX.DK

DIY Andros from Flybox.dk. A good trip with bonefish, sharks and a 12 pound lady fish. Andros… I’m coming for ya!

At the breakfast table we decide to go up the creek and target the large schools of bonefish that is gathering there. After breakfast we go to the store and buy lunch and drinks and then return to Hanks were the boat is waiting tanked and ready to go.

via ANDROS ISLAND – BONEFISH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD – FLYBOX.DK.

That's a good size Ladyfish!

Locations — 6 Comments
17
Jan 11

Harmonic Convergence – Andros 2011

A small miracle has occurred here… I’m not sure who gets the credit for it towards sainthood. I may be my wife and that would make three in her favor… the first was her marrying me, the second was her making it through a sucky pregnancy to give us our beautiful daughter and this third one involves her signing off on me going on a fishing trip, for a week, to South Andros this coming March (that’s like… only TWO MONTHS AWAY). I await word from the Catholic Church on the beatification of my wife, although we are not Catholic.

Fractional miracle credit goes to my parents, who are actually available to come down and watch our their granddaughter in my absence, and to the good folks at Deneki Outdoors, who extended the invite as part of FIBFest 2011.

Everything had to align and it did. Thanks to that, I’ll be headed to Andros Island, fabled land of incredible bonefishing, come late March.

You good folks will get to come along (not literally, of course) and I look forward to the build up. It is so nice to have something out there to look forward to, to plan, to tie for, to experience and then remember.

I’m lucky and I live with a saint.

FIBFest 2010... which I had to miss.

More details will be emerging in the days to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXVjc7Msyc?fs=1&hl=en_US

Fish Tails / Locations — 3 Comments
16
Jan 11

Mexico Bones – Paul Procter Fly Fishing

For my money, nothing beats wandering around in ankle depth water and targeting tailing Bonefish.

via Paul Procter Fly Fishing.

Mexico Bone

I must say, that fish is bigger than I thought MX bones got. I love Mexico, I really do (except when it comes to soccer). Don’t be afraid of Mexico. No one has been shot on a bonefishing flat. The drug violence is focused on the first word… “drug.” So don’t freak out.

Locations — 1 Comment
15
Jan 11

Seychelles-esque, but a bit further south and safer.

When I started wondering what was happening in the Seychelles one of the folks I contacted was Rich French of Slipstream Angling. Rich confirmed about the mother ship closures and told me he’d been booking clients a bit further south. I had just read about St. Brandons Atoll in Fly Fishing in Salt Waters (which I got on my iPad). It sounds kind of… well… amazing.

Cheap, it ain’t. A quick look at the lack of gold bullion in the home vault and it is clear I won’t be booking to St. Brandons unless/until my dog starts dropping golden craps… which would be nice on several levels. St. Brandons is about $8,600 a week and I doubt that includes you getting there or tips.

Still… it sounds really, really, really nice.

In terms of species, St Brandons offers the finest big bonefish opportunities on the planet. Fish up to 15 pounds have been caught during the last year with larger fish routinely seen and cast to. On an early incoming tide, guests can expect to see a combination of huge schools of bonefish, along with large cruising singles and doubles. This destination also holds some of the best Indo Pacific Permit opportunities found anywhere. And for guests looking to fish Giant Trevally, some absolute monsters have been landed over the past 6 months. The hard packed white sand flats offer superb visibility and anglers can see waves of bonefish and other species coming in from a great distance away.

via Slipstreamangling :: Extraordinary Waters Worldwide.

Fantastic shot... but let's see your elbows.

Here is a nice… really nice slideshow put together by the folks at Fly Water Travel, who, as I’m getting used to saying, I’ve also done an interview with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTmg6GqQ50s?fs=1&hl=en_US

Bonefish on the Brain Bonefish and all that relates (maybe a bit about tarpon too).