Archives

Locations — 1 Comment
25
Sep 09

2010 Bonefishing Trip Planning

I am still looking for where exactly I’ll be headed for my 2010 Bonefishing trip.  I had been looking at the Name Removed out of Miami (his rates are pretty hard to beat), but in the end, I need to catch fish and the FL bonefish game just seems a bit too iffy for my taste (at least at this stage of my fixation).  I’m going to keep him in mind for the future…  that future being after 2010.

A reader I’ve been exchanging emails with had a list of low-cost options that included an outfitter with several budget bonefish destinations.  The operation is Cattaraugus Creek Outfitter.  They have packages on Acklins and Eleuthera that both sound pretty good.  Acklins takes a little too long to get to, so I was keen on the Eleuthera option.  Eleuthera is known as a DIY island. It’s a long island with lots and lots and lots of flats the self-guided angler can walk out on.  Cattaraugus Creek would get on the phone with you before your trip and Google Earth you onto some promising spots.  Their package includes lodging, meals and rental car with prices from $1,500 to $750 for a 7 day trip.  Shorter stays are possible.  I emailed with Vince at Cattaraugus and he was very willing to work with me on a shorter trip and gave good advice.

I was ready to hit the “go” button but the airfare sitch has tanked that particular effort.  I’m using frequent flier miles and it did not seem that there was a way to get to Eleuthera with my Alaska Airline miles (they have relationships with lots of carriers, like Denta and Continental).  In looked like I was going to have to burn a day in Nassau either coming or going and maybe  both.  That cuts too much into on-the-flats time.  I need to be fishing the day after I depart and I need to be home the same day I start my return.  Why it costs $350 to get from Miami to Eleuthera I have no idea.

Oh Grand Bahama, I think I’m coming back!

Flies — No Comments
24
Sep 09

Pop’s Bonefish Bitter

My friend and fishing buddy, Shane Kohlbeck, told me if I wanted to fill my box with flies other than Gotcha’s that I should tie up some Bonefish Bitters.  I’d seen these flies before, but I’ve never tied with epoxy, so I was unsure about the Bitter as a pattern I should really pursue.

I found a nice write up on the Bitter, brought to popularity by Craig Matthews (who is just an outstanding/upstanding guy) owner of Blue Ribbon Flies (West Yellowstone) and co-founders of 1% for the Planet, along with Yvon Chouinard.  Craig named the fly Pop’s Bonefish Bitter after a guide he knew and wanted to honor.

I found a tutorial on-line that is pretty good.  The tier uses epoxy, where I used a UV knot product.

So… epoxy.  I have a toddler in the house and the idea of epoxy doesn’t sit well.  Not that I even tie when she’s awake, but I don’t like epoxy’s rep for toxicity.  With that in mind, I tried hot glue.  Sure, I’m a stay at home dad, so I have craft supplies and tried my hand with the hot glue gun.  Horrible… I really, really suck at hot glue flies, as it turns out.  UV Knot Sense was mentioned and I found a similar product by Rio and used that.  One attempt at tying with the UV Knot stuff and I’m pretty much sold.  Below is my first Pops Bonefish Bitter attempt in a #6.

My first Bitter

Tactics — No Comments
23
Sep 09

Set!

So, Deneki Outdoors just puts out lots and lots and lots of solid blog posts on bonefishy subjects.  One of their latest is on setting the hook.

Last December, as I was out in Grand Bahama with a guide and my dad, the guide asked if I fished a lot in the States… specifically, if I did a lot of trout fishing.  “Yes” I told him, I did.  I was so pleased he could tell I was a serious angler.  He then proceeded to tell me that the “trout set” I had was rubbish and I wasn’t going to hook many bonefish if I kept that up.  “Oh… he means I’m sucking right now” was my next thought.  The “Strip Set” is key and that’s the topic before us over at Deneki Outdoors.

This isn’t the best little vid of the strip set or strip strike, but… it’s what I found.

Equally important as learning how to set the hook, is for your guide to learn how to pole the boat.  There is some crude language in this one… understandably.

Hee hee… see, it’s funny because it isn’t me.  Also, tragedy + time = comedy.

Locations — No Comments
22
Sep 09

Be your own bonefish boss – Hanks Place

You too can own a bonefish lodge or something that approximates a lodge at any rate.  Franks Place on Andros is up for sale.  If you want to go in as partners, I have about $500-600 I can spare, all you’d need to come up with is the other $748,500.  Wadyasay?  Deal?

Restaurant, Bar, a few flats-ish boats, 4 guest rooms and 900 whole square feet of living space for us, the owners (I call the top bunk).

OK, let’s make it happen!

Hanks Place

All the other stuff — No Comments
22
Sep 09

Rise… Cool Flyfishing Video

New vid is out from Confluence Films, same folks that did “Drift,” Simms is promoting it, looks fantastic… has some bones mixed in with the rest of the fishing world… tarpon, redfish, trout… I’ want this.

Here is the trailer for Drift, the previous work of Confluence Films…

Locations — 8 Comments
21
Sep 09

The South African Bonefish Mystery

Two world records come not from the Keys or Andros, but South Africa.  I’ve read plenty of reports of 20 pound bonefish taken one place or another, usually written about on message boards without useful things like first-hand accounts or pictures (and none of them widely accepted as truth).  However, the IGFA recognizes the largest all-tackle bonefish as coming from South Africa and weighing in around 19 pounds (1962).  Yes… 19 pounds… that kind of bends the mind a bit.  My largest is 7.5 pounds and I was pretty frigging impressed with power plant that thing had under the hood.  I can’t really comprehend a 19 pound fish… the run… the weight.  Another fish of 17 pounds was taken from roughly the same area in 1976.  Still a monster.

The biggest fly caught bone seems to still be a 15 pound 8 ounce bone caught in Key Biscayne (FL) in 1997.  If this has changed, I don’t know about it, but, the amount of things I don’t know could fill countless volumes.

In a few dedicated hours of searching the web for fly fishing (or any fishing) operations around where those fish were taken and I simply couldn’t find one (not one that has a web address anyway).  In an email with Aaron Adams from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, he said that not much is really known about the S. African bones.  They don’t really know exactly which species of bone is down there, the studies have not been conducted and the money to conduct those studies has not landed on their doorstep.

The area (Zululand) may be difficult for fly anglers due to very high tides.  The other issue is security, as in there isn’t much of it and wealthy western types make nice targets.

There do appear to be other nice species there… like GT’s… Kosi Bay seems like the place to head for those and I’m guessing this would be where you’d look for those toddler sized bonefish.  Before you rush out there, however, check out these fishing reports.  The word that comes to mind isn’t “excellent,” but more like “sucky.”

There do seem to some bonefishing opportunities in Mozambique.  Looks like a nice place, really.

Mozambique… I’d bet there are some bones here.

Mozambique seems to offer more for the fly angler and doesn’t seem to have the… um… security issues that others have mentioned about S. Africa.

Now, I’d add that I don’t really know what the situation is like in S. Africa.  I went to Sarajevo in 1997 and people were suggesting I needed  to pack heat… I didn’t (didn’t try to smuggle a gun in and didn’t need it).

So… for me, it all seems like a bit of a mystery.  The world’s TWO largest bonefish coming from a place that isn’t targeted for bonefish in any meaningful way.  Doesn’t it make you wonder a bit?

Flies — No Comments
20
Sep 09

Flies Flies Flies

After driving from Maine to Logan Airport (which my Garmin had never hear of before, for some reason), flying from Logan to SFO and then driving 2.5 hours East all with my 2.5 year old, I’m tired.  Dead tired.  Really, really, tired.  So, how about some fly tying vids from good ole’ Youtube?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUieJnQfokc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6

I’ve been tying a bunch of Gotcha variations.  They are just soooooooo easy.  Seems that about 80% of bonefish patterns vary in materials/look/concept by about 2%.  A Charlie is similar to a Gotcha with is similar to lots and lots of other flies.  Just hope the fish don’t want crab patterns (which I have not started to learn just yet) or epoxy (my efforts to replace epoxy with hot glue or other substitutes have utterly failed not gone well).

You can hear this guy’s dog doing some heavy breathing, which may remind you of a few dozen dogs you’ve met in your life.

Uncategorized — No Comments
18
Sep 09

Tag Ends – 9/18/2009

Some odds and ends from the Bonefishy side of things.

  • Peninsula Fly Fishers has this little Cliffnote version of bonefish knowledge. http://tiny.cc/0cvPp
  • Bonefish Stevie (Exuma Bonefishing guide) has Bonefish 101 on his website here. http://tiny.cc/KfvlA
  • Best Bonefish Bets from Fly Fisherman Magazine. http://tiny.cc/75oGF
  • Read this… this is a frigging great essay on fishing tropical places for bones and whatnot.  A little long for the web format, but ruling none-the-less. http://tiny.cc/ZNpeC
Fish Tails — No Comments
16
Sep 09

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust + Pirates

Hey look… it’s Aaron Adams, from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, talking about the goodness that is Pirates on the Flats.  Seriously… I can’t wait for this show.  High expectations have doomed many a fishing trip, restaurant recommendation and blind date, but I hope this won’t be a case of the let-downs.  This is an interview from Fish Schtick (an audio pod cast that’s new to me).

Here’s an audio podcast from the Fish Schtick folks that also includes Brian Bennett (Moldy Chum contributor and Patagonia Fly Fishing rep).  Bill Klyn is a big Marketing guy at Patagonia, as well as being involved with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.  He’s on at about 21:05.  Give it a listen.

Pirates

This show is now set for 12/27/2009!

Uncategorized — 2 Comments
15
Sep 09

Respect the Fish… a plea for glory shots

Anglers all over the world do this… doesn’t matter if you are fishing for trout or bonefish… folks do it when the camera gets pulled  out… they hold the fish out as  close to the camera as possible.  This little trick of perspective makes the fish look bigger, of course.  Who doesn’t wish the fish they caught was bigger?

Don’t be this guy.

Here’s my issue… I feel like this is disrespecting the fish.  Don’t do this.  The fish you caught is the fish you caught… you likely worked hard for it, were excited about it and wanted to capture it in all its pixelated glory.  So, don’t go and try to get the picture to lie for you.  Respect the fish.  You don’t have to kiss it, or take it out for coffee or lie to it about those jeans really making its butt look big… just hold up the fish you caught and get the photo and let the thing go.

Or this guy…

Don’t you feel a little more honest when you snap a picture that doesn’t try to stretch the fish through illusion? If you hold that fish up, straining to get it closer to the lens, it calls your word into question.  Well, if you were trying to make a 20″ fish look like a 24″ fish, was  your 7 fish day really a 5 fish day?

Respect the fish.

Be this guy. Respect the fish.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →