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Fish Tails — No Comments
02
Sep 09

Flatswalker bonefishing memories

Found this cool little story from the Flatswalker blog brought back from the depths of 2000.  Just a little reminder that there is always a beginning to one’s bonefishing life and that there are plenty of lessons we all have to learn.  At this point, almost all of the lessons are still lessons I have to learn, which makes me appreciate stories like this.

The Flatswalker blog is the product of Grand Cayman Island bonefish guide and glass sculptor Davin Ebanks.  Worth a read, worth a bookmark.

UPDATE: The Flatswalker blog seems to be down at the moment.

Tactics — No Comments
02
Sep 09

MidCurrent + Chico Fernandez = Ruling

MidCurrent, as a fly fishing blog, is pretty ruling.  Chico Fernandez, as a bonefishing angler, is near deity status.  The two coming together can only result is some good, tasty, crunchy, sweet and salty (man, I’m hungry) bonefishing goodness… and, so it is.

Chico’s book is near my bed so I can grab  it and read a few lines if (really always) my wife is taking a bit too long to get ready for bed.

This little blog entry at MidCurrent should be at your fingertips as you head off to the bonefishy destination.  Seriously… a great read to remind you of all that stuff you can do wrong so you can try to avoid those mistakes.

Check out Chico’s book at Google Books here.  You can’t read the whole thing, but you can read enough of it to go buy it at Amazon.

Fish Tails — No Comments
01
Sep 09

Oh Grand Bahama…

Oh Grand Bahama, I could never be mad at you…

Here’s a video of some guy, who isn’t me, landing a nice little bone. Obligatory Caribbean music included.

Gear — No Comments
31
Aug 09

Three Bonefish Rods Under $200

It seems the most folks look toward 8 weights when going after bones.  Sage seems to be the rod folks talk about most often.  The Z-Axis looks great… and costs $690 or so.  If you are on the water every day, or if you have the scratch, it might make good sense.  I think there is a threshold of fishing days/year where it makes sense.  For me… for 95% of folks going after bonefish, I’m guessing we aren’t there, although “there” sounds like a lovely place where my wife would never be able to find a job that would pay enough to support my lavish and bonefish-centric lifestyle.  So… since I don’t live “there,” how about some rods that will ease the pressure on your wallet while still allowing you to put the right amount of pressure on the fish.

Echo – Ion – $190

The Echo Ion

Echo Rods… these rods are pretty durable and just might come with a tiny bit of the Rajeff fishing mojo.  I got to talk to Tim Rajeff at a fishing show and got to  play with one of these rods.  Medium-Fast action and a great price.  This is probably the best rod under $200.

TFO – Lefty Kreh Professional – $150

TFO Professional

TFO really started the low-price party a few years back.  I own two of these rods and a third TFO.  I’ve been consistently impressed with the quality of these rods.  I’d call them on the fast end of Med-Fast.  I can tell  you that their repair service is quick… broken my 4 wt. lots of times.

Albright – GP – $114 (the updated GPX)

Albright GP’s

This is a split weight rod… 8/9 is the one that just was dropped off at the house.  While the price tag really can’t be beat, the delivery guy did run over some of my daughter’s sidewalk chalk, so I’ll say this cost a total of $84.  This is not the world’s best, best piece of hardware… but it will do the job.  It’s on the slower end of Med-Fast, but if you haul, you can get the fly there.  Remember, guys used to do this with Bamboo and Fiberglass… this rod is certainly better than those options and it is the rod I’m going to take with me to the Bahamas when (oh God, please let it be) I go in Spring 2010.

Gear / Tactics — No Comments
31
Aug 09

Deneki Drops Knowledge on… Everything

As I started this blog about a week ago, one thing became very clear… Deneki Outdoors puts out some great info.  From rods to reels to tips on wading, they just keep giving good info.

Here is a primer on… on everything bonefish related.

Deep Deneki Knowledge.

It seems that the bonefish game is primarily dominated by destination resorts and guides.  The DIY seems to make up a smaller percentage than, say, for trout.  Seems bones that get fished over get really picky, so folks are less free about the where and the what than with the more trouty fishing pursuits.  That’s another reason I’ve liked Deneki’s blog… there is a lot there for folks looking to get better… to grow as an bonefishing angler.

Locations — No Comments
29
Aug 09

Coincidental Bonefishing – Hawaii

For me there are family vacation and fishing vacation and the two generally don’t meet, not in the middle or the margins.  However, one of the best bonefishing-meets-family vacation possibilities out there comes in the form of Hawaii.  Sure, the initial airfare can be steepish, but, if you end up in Oahu or Kauai (or Molokai, the Big Island, etc.) for a week’s worth of family vacation, you might as well look into the fishing… I mean, couldn’t hurt, could it?

Bonefishing in Hawaii… I had been to Kauai two times before I realized there even WAS bonefishing there.  Hawaiian sport fishing seems mostly of the deep blue and cooler-filling variety, which has never really been my thing.  So, I was surprised to find out that not only are there bonefish in Hawaii, but on average, they are just monster fish.

As with most monster fish… what they have in size they lack in numbers.  This isn’t the Bahamas where schools of smaller bones will be cruising… the Aloha bones seem to be freakishly big.

The Coach with an Aloha Bone

If you are familiar with the Islands, you’ll know that there just aren’t a TON of flats in Hawaii, but they are there and where there are flats, there are bonefish.

There are a growing number of guides in the islands.  On Kauai there are, or were, two guides.  I heard from several folks that only one of them was worth booking, Rob Arita.  The other guide came with significant warnings about busted trips and general crappiness (I couldn’t find the other guy’s website, so maybe he gave up).  My dad and I fished with Rob and while we didn’t catch any bonefish on our one trip (our first bonefishing of any kind), we did catch a few Bluefin Trevally and what I learned from Rob on that first bonefishing trip has stayed with me and, to a certain extent, filled me with the passion I now have for bonefish.

The day after fishing with Rob I was out on my own and that is when I saw my first bonefish… 7 in all, none under 8 pounds and a couple well, WELL into double digits.  I even saw, close to shore, a Mahi Mahi, lit up electric blue in 2 feet of water.  Crazy sight.

Rob has teamed up with Coach Duff, who guides out of Oahu and also books Captain Chris Asaro.  Duff has the only flats boat on Oahu and seems like a real no-B.S. kind of character.  Check out his gallery for some real jaw-dropping bones.

The possibility of adding a day of serious angling for serious fish makes the Aloha Bones one of the best bargains out there.

Fish Tails / Locations — No Comments
29
Aug 09

Kiwi's Crushing Big Bones

Found this little video about some Kiwi’s roaming around French Polynesia… looks very nice, really.  Prolly  another one of those places  I won’t have the fundage or time-age to get to… but I can appreciate that these blokes did and it looks like good times.

Fish Tails — No Comments
28
Aug 09

See dem bones?

It was December, Grand Bahama, East end of the island.  We were floating in maybe 2 feet of crystal clear water, turtle grass gently swaying in the current below us as we  rode silently on the tide.  This was my first time in a flats boat on my first Bahamas trip.  My dad was in the boat, the guide was on the poling platform and I was up.  My rod was poised, the fly was between my fingers, I had line out and ready and my eyes were scanning the water in front of us behind my polarized lenses.  I was ready to make this happen.

The guide suddenly speaks, “Bones, sixty feet, do you see dem?” he asks, pointing in the general direction.

“No” I say… I see nothing… just the uneven patchwork of the bottom… I see nothing.

“Right der,” says the guide, “moving left to right, twenty fish.”

“I don’t see them” I say… again… nothing. I’m starting to feel equal parts nervous and stupid.

Then… the guide says it… maybe the best line to a rookie bonefish angler in the history of bonefishing.

“Ray Charles could see that school mon!”

Suddenly, I see the fish… all of them.  How  did I not see them before?

The cast is made, the bone is on the fly, the fight is on and the fish is landed.

In this picture, Ray was tracking a school of bones just off camera.

That Ray Charles line still cracks me up.  The main issue for me continues to be just seeing the fish.  I can make the cast, I have confidence in the tackle, but if you don’t have a target, you are just standing there with a stick in your hand.

Locations — 3 Comments
28
Aug 09

Vieques Bonefish

Vieques, Puerto Rico… yes, the place we used to drop bombs on… turns out, might have some pretty interesting fishing too.  Vieques has several things going for it… first, it’s a US Territory, so travel is a little less complicated.  Second, you can actually camp there (although I’ve read not to leave anything in your tent when you leave for the day).  Third, and most importantly, there are bonefish there.  How many?  How big?  How hard/easy?  I have no frigging idea… but they are there.

There are a couple of guides that work the island… one of them has a blog (The Vieques Angler), which I read.

I found a story (in the NYT, of all places) about bones on Vieques and wrote the author.  He said that there were flats you could walk out on, and that for around $15 a day you could even rent a kayak that would get you to other, more promising flats.  This makes the island a good possible DIY/Self Guided location.

This is another trip that has some real potential to come in under that magical $1,000 threshold that makes it easier to negotiate on the home-front.

Vieques… looks nice.

Fish Tails — No Comments
27
Aug 09

Old Timey Keys Bonefishing

This = Totally Ruling

Old school… vintage video of flyfishing for bonefish in the Keys.  I can only imagine…

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