I saw this posted up by the This River is Wild guys on Facebook and I made a comment about “bonefishing doesn’t have this kind of drama.”
Turns out there might actually be this kind of drama in bonefishing. I guess I can understand that. Your guide sets you up in the perfect position for a school of bones and then some a-hole motors by, putting down the whole school, or, worse, drops in in front of you. Yeah, that would get me going a bit I suppose.
Have you encountered any ugliness out there in your fishing?
—
- If you liked the story above, check out these stories below
- To Strip or Not to Strip (1.000)
- Providenciales Fly Fishing (self guided) Video (1.000)
- Charlie + Bones + Video = Ruling (1.000)
Tags: bonefishing, combat fishing, flyfishing
The bonefish wars in the Florida Keys were once waged between Jet ski tour operators and guides. When jet skis were outlawed in the backcountry along the entire Key’s chain the war ended. The unwritten law among guides on S. Florida flats is; If you can hear the conversation on another boat, you’re too close. Problems due occure occationally- usually between weekend visitors in their ouw boats.
I was poling my buddy up a mangrove line looking for redfish in the north end of Mosquito Lagoon. As we were just getting to a cove that had been holding a school of fish, a guy blows past me with his motor on, cuts in front, powers down, and chucks an anchor out. I was livid! I poled so close to him that I could have (and wanted to) hit him with my push pole. As I poled by him, he slung a big white bait across the cove into a pocket where the redfish were. WIthout saying a word to the jerk, I instructed my buddy to cast his qwan style fly into the same pocket. Instantly he was hooked up and I staked out and landed the fish 20 yards from the guy who cut me off. Karma! His face was bright red due to anger and mine was bright red due to laughter. I couldn’t have been happier.
Mosquito Lagoon must have more than its share of people who truly don’t know the proper etiquette or assholes. Twice I’ve been there fishing with the same guide (I’ll not mention his name because I think he prefers to stay low key) and we had idiots motor right up to a school of tailing reds my guide had just spent 15 minutes quietly poling into position. One time the other guy was even tearing up grass beds and bottom and he still didn’t seem to care. Blew the fish out both times. My guide was livid but didn’t want to make a scene with me in the boat. I said if we don’t say something the guy will just keep doing it. So we did. Both times the other guide acted like he didn’t know he’d done anything wrong. His client just sat there staring at the deck. I told him I hope you don’t tip that dickhead.
WOW… I would just leave and find another place to fish. Really?!!… Those guys must have had some cold ones prior. Just thinking…
To me fishing = fun, relaxing. amazing.. not a beatdown on the water. 🙂