The Gray Lady has dished out some good stories on the Gray Ghost over the years. While searching for some bonefish nuggets I found this story from Howell Raines from 1994 all about Christmas Island… Pursuing the Bonefish Across a Watery Desert.
Albula vulpes, “the gray ghost of the sand flats,” is one of the most lied about and lusted after fish in the world. Catching one is not as hard as devotees like to pretend, but it is hard enough.
See… that’s nice.
I found a bonefishing story about a recent trip to Belize on a blog that might not seem like a prime candidate for bonefish… The Zombie Preparedness Guide. Go figure.
Luckily, there were no zombies in Belize, but there were bonefish, which means all is still right with the world and post-apocalyptic preparedness can wait.
Maria, on the search for bonefish... or zombies.
There is a fly shop in Redding, CA simply named “The Fly Shop.” It is one of the largest fly fishing operations around, although if you aren’t from California or Southern Oregon you might not have heard of it. They sit near a river that can be fished probably 340 or so days a year and they are an hour away from some of the best steelhead, freestone trout and spring creek fishing that California has to offer. They have grown to be one of the largest catalog operations (both on-line and the paper kind, although they launched an e-catalog this last year as well), have many private waters, a guide service and an international travel business (they even recently branched out into real estate too).
A guy you might not have heard of there is Bill Marts. Bill is a Destinations Specialist and the resident saltwater destination guru with The Fly Shop. He’s had the good fortune to fish for bones all over, catching his first in the Keys in 1982 (I was 8 and it would take me 26 more years to catch my first). Bill agreed to answer a few questions about his bonefishing life.
Bill, as the saltwater specialist at The Fly Shop, you’ve had the opportunity to fish all over the world for bonefish. Is there a location that you still are itching to explore?
I am itching to explore any saltwater knee-deep or less. I would love to go to the Mauritius. I would give my next to the best fly rod to be able to go back to the Cook Islands and Tuamotu Islands to poke around. Not because the fishing was so outstanding, but they are such wild places and you can walk for miles without seeing anyone (and sometimes without seeing any bones either), and just walking the flats is an enjoyable pastime. Don’t get me wrong, I DO like to catch fish and it always adds to a trip or outing, but it can still be a good trip without “off-the-charts” fishing. I like seeing new places and finding what it has to offer. Maybe it is not bones, but another fish roaming the shallows.
It seems that there are big fish locations and many fish locations. Would you rather have shots at fish all day long or would you rather hunt the really big bones?
I am not single minded, but I would normally rather fish for fewer big fish than a lot of smaller ones. But more important is the actual fishing for them. If there were hundreds of big fish in a mud, and even though they are big and you could catch a lot of them, it would not be fun. But an 18” tailing fish that has to be stalked and the wrong cast will spook it, now that is fishing! So what I really like is the hunt, the circumstances, and the surroundings. When looking for a place for clients at the office, these are the kinds of things I like to find out about him or her.
Of all the places you’ve fished, is there one fly that pretty much works everywhere (or do they all pretty much work everywhere)?
In addition to working in The Fly Shop Travel Dept, I am also a signature tier for Idylwilde Flies and I like nothing more than to tie up new patterns and color combinations and take them for a test run. But one fly goes to every flats destination I go to and that is a Gotcha in sizes 2 through 8, and heavily weighted to hardly weighted at all. I do find that darker or olive or mottled flies tend to do better over grass flats and the whites, browns and tans work well over sand. Flies should be chosen for their color and characteristics (lots or no movement, rubber legs or no legs, weight or no weight, big or small). I also like a little pink or orange in the fly somewhere on some flies. I say “you can’t take too many flies on a trip.” So, I try to cover all of the bases on the flats, over reefs or in the blue water.
Do you have one fish that really stands out in your memory? One special fish, for whatever reason?
Yes. I was fishing with a guide named Alvin out of Kamalame Cay, on Andros Island. We’d had a good morning of wade-fishing and I wanted more, so Alvin put me on a shoreline flat that was also a bay with rocks scattered throughout the its mouth. The boat with Alvin sitting in it was anchored and I was standing outside of it leaning up against it having lunch, eating a sandwich and drinking a beer. We saw a good sized fish slowly making its way toward us and very close to the boat and we both thought it was a small shark. After it got within two rod lengths of us and head away, we both realized it was a big bonefish. Alvin started going nuts claiming its size to be about twice what it really was. But he was at one time praying, yelling, whispering and stuttering. I followed the fish and cast and cast and cast and kept following it for over a hundred yards. I could hear Alvin following along behind me. I saw the fish was heading to a shoreline where I hoped it would take a right and follow that shore. So I started cutting it off. I made my last “hail Mary” cast. It landed behind and off to the right of the fish, but I was using a big fly and the fish saw it, turned, cranked up the speed and ate it. I really couldn’t believe it, but it was on and heading directly for the boat and the ANCHOR ROPE! So Alvin took off running across the flats and turned the fish before wrapping the line. It then took off for the rocks. Alvin really wanted this fish. He took off after it again and turned it again, finally toward me. I did get it in and was reaching for it when it slipped of the hook. I couldn’t believe it and I hung my arms and head down. I looked upon hearing Alvin running across the flats, yet another time. He was after the fish, AGAIN. I had to get a picture of this. As I was getting my camera out I heard a big splash (Alvin is well over 6 feet tall and WELL over 200 pounds). He was lying on his side in the water. I was getting closer to him to take a picture of him and saw the most satisfied grin on his face and he pointed under him. Then he pulled out the fish. No, it wasn’t as big as he first thought, but it turned out to be a very memorable one.
Great story with the picture too. A rarity.
Beyond the most obvious things (rod, reel, polarized glasses), what’s the one thing you never leave for a trip without?
It is a small thing, but makes casting (and catching fish) easier and more accurate. I always take a fly line cleaner and use it often. Even if the line mfg claims it doesn’t need it, I still use it. When wading, the line stays floating behind me and therefore picks up off of the water easier, making a longer more accurate cast easier. It shoots through the guides easier and is less likely to tangle.
When someone calls The Fly Shop and wants to catch a bonefish, do you match them up with a location based on what they are looking for, or do they come to you already set on a destination, even if it might not be right for their skill level or expectations?
The biggest reason I went to work for The Fly Shop a little over five years ago was its attitude towards its traveling clients. It is drilled into our heads that we work for them (the clients), not the lodges. But by doing this we are also doing the best thing for the lodges. We always try to match up our clients with the exact right fit regarding their destination. My best tool is asking questions. Even if someone calls and wants to go to a specific location, I still ask away. I like to find out why and how they came to this conclusion. I would only send someone to a destination that I didn’t feel right about if the clients insisted and I said what I had to say. There are good and unique qualities to all of our destinations and we try to line up our clients with the one that meets their expectations.
Do you have a favorite bonefishing rig?
I like a #7 or 8 fairly fast action rod (like the Sage TCX #7, or Xi3 #8), floating tropic line (Rio Bonefish or Sci Angler Redfish) and 9’ – 12’ fluorocarbon knotless leader (I prefer no knots because they can catch on coral or grass and cause breakage).
Many people think of long casts and accurate presentations when it comes to bonefish. What’s the SHORTEST cast you’ve ever made to catch a bonefish?
When fishing in Los Roques in the late ‘80’s, I was getting ready to get out of the boat and my fly was dangling over the gunwale, maybe 2 feet under the surface. You guessed it. A bonefish ate it and I landed it before getting in the water. At another time and in another place I was wading the flats and was changing my fly. Just as I knotted the new fly on and was getting ready to start working out line, I saw a bone making its way to me about 15 feet away. I didn’t dare cast or move too much or I would spook it. So I tossed the fly with my hand to the water in front of me (3 feet from my feet). I froze and when the fish got close I just twitched it slightly. The fish jumped on it right away. It took off, wrapped me around some coral and broke me off; about that quick. So, although a long cast isn’t necessary to catch fish, I maintain that the farther one can cast accurately, the more fish will be caught. This applies to windy as well as calm days. This does not mean that one has to cast far to catch fish only that more fish will be caught with longer casts. But, we all know that numbers don’t make the trip, so no matter how far one can cast, there is no excuse for not going to a bonefish destination. I always advise clients heading to the flats for the first time to take some casting lessons from a qualified instructor (one who has fish the flats). Even if the client has fish for decades in fresh water, a lesson from a saltwater casting instructor will improve their chance on the flats. Flats fishing is different that freshwater fishing.
Where are you headed for your next bonefishing trip?
I don’t know yet. Probably the Bahamas. There are a lot of islands and flats I haven’t waded there, yet.
Bill + Bone
What happens when you go to a place to fish bonefish and they just aren’t there, for whatever reason?
Take the blinders off and look for other species. Almost all flats (or close to them) have a good barracuda and/or shark population. They will attack a fly and give a good account of themselves. I discovered the fun of fishing for and catching triggerfish on a recent trip to Christmas Island. I would never over look them again. A great gamefish. I may have my mind set on a certain path for catching a single species or size of fish or whatever restrictions I may set on myself for a certain trip. Sometimes this works out. But one thing I’ve learned is that the narrower the agenda you set for yourself, the more likelihood of failure. If one says “I am going on a fishing trip” and goes on that trip, it is a success. If the agenda is to catch a ten pound bone and one isn’t caught, the trip is a failure. I have widened my agenda tremendously in later years and I have had so many successful trips.
Thanks Bill!
This sort of confusion is bad when writing to my wife about my fishing, although it has never been a problem until today, when I caught my first striper, even though I was fishing for Surf Perch.
Went out with Derek to try Surf Perch for the first time and we managed just one fish… my striper. This was not a “big” fish… this was what I think they call a schoolie, but still, it is my first striper.
Turns out fly fishing in the surf near Santa Cruz is kind of crazy… just one big set of waves after another all starting out higher than your head. There is a small window between sets for things like casting/fishing before the next wall of water comes and tries to slap you in the nads.
This is not the quiet solitude of the flats or the rugged wilderness of my trout streams. One must be aware of joggers, dogs and beach strollers who want to do nothing more than stop and watch you cast… stand right behind you while you throw a T-300 with a couple of weighted flies. I guess you don’t really understand the danger unless you’ve had a few weighted flies bounced off your cranium (or stick in it).
Derek, trying not to die.
My first striper and my first surf fly fishing catch.
(the fish buried its tail in sand, by the way)
I’ll be back and I’ll be reading up because it is clear I have A LOT left to learn.
A nice little vid featuring bonefishing around Cozumel… one of those places you might head with the family for vacation… bring your rod!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts04J-XBVrU&hl=en_US&fs=1&
Oh bonefish… I wish you lived with carp and stripers. Just say’n.
There is, now, a special place reserved in hell for the total piece of trash that took my chest pack out of my car last night. I’m a country guy, and didn’t lock my car, so, I guess I was asking for it… but still… I think I have every right to condemn this person to a hot and painful eternity.
The loss is really confined to the trout/bass/carp side of my fly fishing life, but that means the lion’s share of my flies… I’m guessing somewhere between 200-400 flies… a bit of everything, softhackles, trico spinners, massive stone fly nymphs, green drake dries, smolt, fox poopahs, elk hair caddis, adams, pink alberts, PT’s, copper johns… everything.
The thought of re-building that arsenal is daunting and not something I look forward to.
Thanks, a-hole. You are first against the wall when the revolution comes.
When the revolution comes... this is your view, you bastido.
Andros South is a lodge you probably have heard of. It is the bonefishy offering of Deneki Outdoors located in some of the most prime bonefish habitat you can find anywhere. Rick Sisler is the manager of Andros South and has been for a number of year. Rick’s got a background as a guide working the waters of Chile and Alaska prior to his Andros gig. Rick agreed to an email interview about his experiences.
Rick, as I understand it, you’ve spent some significant time guiding in Chile and Alaska. Are there similarities between those places and South Andros that might surprise folks?
The shear area we have to fish in each of these areas is probably the biggest similarity. Just endless waterways in all three give you the feeling that you are truly getting away from the hustle and bustle of real life.
Andros South, gearing up for the day.
What do you find is the most common item that guest leave home that they wish they had once they get to Andros South?
An extra set of polarized glasses. Really you should have a pair for low light and a pair for those super sunny days you normally get here. They can make your day!
What was your first impression of the landscape when you got down there and how has that view changed over time?
I grew up on the west coast (Oregon) and have lived in Alaska, when not guiding in some far off place, for almost 20 years now. So I am used to the mountains, The Bahamas has nothing I would call a hill, let alone a mountain!! I am still not used to that. The coconut trees are probably my favorite visual here along with the mangroves, because they shout Bahamas and Bonefish!
No mountains here.
Do you have a favorite bonefishing rod/reel?
Probably a 7wt Sage Xi2, just because they are tough, can huck big flies without too much effort and they handle the environment well compared to other rods I have seen. The salt is very tough on all parts of the rod and the more salt worthy the better!
Bonefishing and wind seem to go hand in hand. How constant a companion is the wind at Andros South and do you have any tips on dealing with the wind?
Wind is a constant in almost every fishery on the planet at some time or another. Its probably the number one issue most people have with fishing. Don’t believe that you must fish a 10′-14′ leader for bonefish, at least in the Bahamas. if you can get away with a shorter leader and tippet then do it. It will make a huge difference in getting the fly to turn over and lay out cleanly. Plus when you get a close fish you can work the fly much closer to you before you run out of line to strip.
Do you have a favorite bonefish? A fish that stands out from all the others?
My wife’s 10+ lb bonefish! Her first trip to Andros South, she was 6 months pregnant with our first child, and she had already landed 13 fish that day. The 14th fish that came along was a giant. She spotted it, the guide called it a shark, then a cuda, then big Bone Mon!! She made a perfect 50″ foot cast and the fish ate it on the run. Epic battle ensued and the guide could have been heard in South Florida he was so jacked up. I landed 1 fish that day! And I had my chances!
As the manager of the Lodge you must see a lot of people come through, year after year. People come with different expectations, experience levels and objectives. Do you have any clients that stand out as having a particularly memorable trip?
One very recent trip with a father and son team. The kid had a great attitude, his dad was super laid back and just wanted the kid to have fun. He did and then some! he was able to land a bunch of fish that week with one being around 8lbs. Not bad for his first time!
Getting clients on fish... nice.
Thanks Rick. Hope to see you in person, in Andros, one of these days!
I walked out on the flat and inadvertently spooked a couple of fish, the swirl of mud and wake heading away from me were pretty classic bonefishing. Even more classic bonefishing were the tails… dozens and dozens of them waving away all over the flat.
The weather was perfect… mid-70’s, clear, slight chop on the water. The water was less than ideal… murky and full of bits of weed and grass pushed to the far end of the reservoir by the wind.
Wait… did he just say “reservoir?” What is he talking about?
Switch “Gray” to “Gold” and you are on the right track. Carp. On the fly.
Today it happened.
I’ve tried a few times over the years, but it has never come together for me… until today.
I was amazed to see carp tailing, but tailing they were. The carp were sucker-mouthed tight up against clumps of grass and other plants about 12″-24″ deep. I don’t know what they were eating, but it was right on those plants. I couldn’t get a fly in-between the plants and the fish so I just had to stand there, tails wagging all around me, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do.
I saw one fish crusing toward me. I had about a foot of fly line out and simply extended my rod and drop the fly (orange half-back) right in front of the fish. I saw it look up and inhale the fly. I set the hook and was tight to the carp.
Now… here is where I have to make a comparison… folks have told me for some time that carp are like bonefish, that they make sizzling runs. Maybe this carp had a full belly or stayed up late the night before, but it didn’t really run. If I loosened the drag it would take line off, but anything resembling a moderate drag and the fish wouldn’t take an inch of line.
It was a big, big fish… a beast by most standards. I didn’t have a scale, but I think the fish was about 15 pounds.
Carp #1
I caught a second fish, smaller… maybe 10. The second act was similar to the first.
Carp #2
So, Carp are now officially in the book. They are 5-15 minutes from the house and will surely be targeted again and soon-ish.
There are some things that are similar to bones… shallow water, sight fishing, tailing behavior. However, the strength of the fish is really more weight than the explosive power of the Gray Ghost.
I’ll take the Golden Ghost. It is exciting and interesting fishing, but I still wish I was on Andros.
Some bits and pieces from around the web.
