bonefish | Bonefish on the Brain

Aquarium Day

Today I went to the aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences with my folks, my daughter, a friend of mine and the little boy she nannies for. Kids at the aquarium… always fun.

One of my favorite areas is right inside the aquarium… it is a shallow, white sand enclosure that has rays, black tip sharks and a few small tarpon, mixed in with other fish. The small tarpon are really small… maybe 20″ or so. On my last trip there were three. Today… well… they said there were 2, but I think they double counted. I saw one. I asked what had happened and they suspect one of the black tips was doing a little pantry raiding at night. I’m suspecting that the small tarpon they said “must be hiding” was an encore pantry raid.

Feeding time... the official feeding time, that is.

Down below, in the main aquarium, you can also see another tarpon, but this one isn’t small… it’s a pretty nice fish, actually.

Mr. T

While we were there I thought I’d check to see if I might be able to actually see the bonefish they have in their collection… caught in 1918 off Sausalito. I didn’t get a call back until we got home, but I was told that “Sure,” I could set up a time to take a picture of the Bonefish of the SF Bay.

I asked about the size of the fish… turns out it is about 11 inches… a juvenile. That does explain a bit. As I understand it, the juveniles have a much higher tolerance to low temperatures than do the adults. It does make you wonder what was happening with the ocean conditions around 1918.

Marquesas video

More mining from Youtube found this recent post from the Keys of Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ztN9Y-Qus?fs=1&hl=en_US

Fish Tails / Locations — 2 Comments
08
Aug 10

Aussie Bone Vid

Everything sounds a bit more interesting with an Aussie accent, mate. This is with True Blue Bones out of Exmouth in Western Australia. It is the show’s host’s first bonefish and he’s pretty excited about it, which I like. He had that fish out of water for a hell of a long time, which I didn’t like (air exposure = bad news for bonefish). Everyone has to learn at some point, I guess. I didn’t know my first trip out either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT2chkSa0FM&hl=en_US&fs=1

I doubt I’ll ever get there. The cost is prohibitive both in terms of travel and guiding. The fishing looks kind of amazing with the possibility of crossing off several pretty interesting species if you have one of those lists.

Locations — No Comments
07
Aug 10

Playing Tour Guide: Aitutaki

I thought I’d look around and see what I could find on the intertubes about Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, home of Butch Leone, our interview from this last week.

Here’s one of the clips I found. It isn’t about bonefish, but it is about where they are found… a beautiful place in the middle of the South Pacific.

Fish Tails / Locations — No Comments
06
Aug 10

Fly Angler’s OnLine Bahamas 1998

Retro for the Friday, a story about Grand Bahama from 1998

Our site this week features fishing the Bahamas for bonefish. Or as the terrific G Loomis advertisement a while back said, “And you have an appointment with Mr. Bonefish.” Remember the ad? It had a line of guys in 3-piece suits at an airline terminal and one guy in a tropic shirt and shorts? We have an appointment with Mr. Bonefish. The first week in February, 1998.

via Fly Angler’s OnLine “World Wide Fishing, “Bahamas – Bonefish”.

Fish Tails / Locations — 2 Comments
05
Aug 10

Long Beach Bonefish from gazettes.com

California has a lot going for it… Disneyland, Tahoe, gay marriage, wine, Hollywood and more. Bonefish, however, are a little scarce. Many have heard about bonefish in San Diego Bay even sometimes north of there (although not in San Francisco Bay). A kids fishing event in Long Beach has, in past years, turned up bonefish. I’m guessing they were not record-setting bones, but still good to know.

About 30 different species of fish were snagged during the catch-and-release event last year, Scott said, and the battle for most strange or unusual fish always turns up some oddities. In years past he said he’d seen a lobster, starfish, bonefish, midshipman and even a barnacle-clad fishing pole “some angler must have lost years ago,” be unearthed from the sea.

via Fishing Rodeo Reels In Youngsters – gazettes.com: Lifestyle.

You could bonefish and hit Disneyland in the same day!

Yeah, that's California there.

Locations — No Comments
05
Aug 10

Blackfly Bonefish Club via the Miami Herald

SCHOONER BAY, GREAT ABACO ISLAND, BAHAMAS — After nearly 20 years as a founding pastor of the 500-member New Providence Community Church in Nassau, Clint Kemp was starting to burn out. So he took three months off and went fly fishing. After praying, casting, and catching and releasing many fish, he decided it was time for a new career.

“Instead of a pulpit, I have a poling platform,” Kemp, 45, said.

via A new fishing haven found and created in Bahama Islands – Outdoors – MiamiHerald.com.

Sue Cocking (yes, unfortunate) writes up another bonefishing story for the Miami Herald focused on the Blackfly Bonefish Club. Doesn’t sound like she had totally awesome fishing, but such is life and fishing.

The club even has a facebook page. The club is an extension of Black Fly Outfitter out of Jacksonville, FL.

looks nice. find more pics on their facebook pag.

Locations — No Comments
04
Aug 10

Even the Huffington Post digs bonefish

The Huffington Post just posted the “10 Best Undiscovered Paradises.” On the list was Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, partly because of the “significant bonefish population.” The British Virgin Islands are in much better bonefishing shape than the US Virgin Islands, which had netting and overfishing that pretty much FUBARed the bonefish stocks.

There are at least two more islands on the list that probably have bonefish. The rest… what point is an island if it doesn’t have bonefish? We should probably store nuclear waste there or put terrorists there or something. Just say’n.

The slideshow is kind of annoying, at least on my little netb0ok.

A small airport and ferry service makes getting here fairly easy, but Anegada still feels a world away. The only coral island in the volcanic BVI chain, this island is a haven for beach bums, fly-fishermen, and wildlife enthusiasts alike. The island boasts white-sand beaches, a significant bonefish population, and large salt ponds and exotic birds.

via 10 Best Undiscovered Island Paradises (PHOTOS, POLL).

Thanks to all my new subscribers. If you are just in this for the potential schwag, you can find out exactly who I am and why I’m doing this here.

If you are not a subscriber, consider becoming one for a chance to win a new pair of Costa Del Mar shades.

All the other stuff — 3 Comments
04
Aug 10

I don’t think bonefish french kiss

Owner of Nautilus Reels, Kristen Mustad sent me a couple of pictures of a bonefish tongue. This particular fish fell victim to the cold snap back in January and was given to one of the Nautilus employees by a bonefish researcher.

All I can say is… WOW.

That is a bonefish tongue

Side view.

Perfect for crushing that little crab against the bonefish’s crushing plate on the top of its mouth.

Now you know… and “knowing is half the battle.”

All the other stuff — No Comments
02
Aug 10

Bonefish Tattoo, Take 2

Angler Bill Hegberg saw my post about a bonefish tand sent along his own. He got this tattoo 15 years ago when he was still a “businessman” and so his tat is only visible when he was barefoot on the bow of a boat.

Nice.

Nice bonefish tattoo.

I’m not really a tattoo person, but that’s cool and I kind of want one.

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

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