Families love to take vacations. If you and your family are in search of a place where you can get out on the boat, catch some fish, do some spectacular sight seeing, and relax in the sunny weather, well then, let me recommend that you come down here to Islamorada in beautiful South Florida. If you are interested in trying your hand at catching a bonefish, Islamorada just so happens to have some of the biggest bonefish around and each year several double digit bones are caught in the 12 to 15 pound class.
Experienced anglers love bonefish for their long furious runs, ripping line off your reel at about 27 miles per hour. Bonefish are opportunistic feeders- they eat whenever possible. That is not to say they are easy to catch, much less easy to see. They don’t call them “ghost of the flats” for no reason!
These guys can blend in like almost no other fish. Bonefish can be very selective and easily spooked. However, when you hook up to a 7 plus pound bonefish, you are most definitely in for a thrill. As your line rooster tails across the flat you can’t help but grin.
Fly fishing for these guys can become really complicated, however, I will work with you to teach you the skills you need to master this species. Though it has been considered by many as the most exciting fish of all, very few people are consistently successful in catching bonefish due to their finicky nature.
This species of sport fish is not only wise but it can easily differentiate between food and the fly. Even a well placed fly that lands quietly, right in front of the bonefish, does not necessarily mean he will eat it. So, it’s always better to become a wise angler if you really want to catch bonefish. Listen to what the expert’s suggest if you really want to improve your odds. There are some great books on Bonefish, one by Chico Fernandez comes right to mind. If you are seriously getting addicted to bonefish read it.
Two important tricks:
• If you really want to catch bonefish, then you should pay attention to its reaction to your presence and your fly. If you can understand the bonefish’s body language, then you will be able to do what is needed at the right time. Do not cast at fish swimming away from you. Your fly in the water will normally imitate a shrimp or small crab. Bait does NOT swim towards the fish.
• If you are not stripping the fly correctly, a bonefish may reject your presentation as unnatural. Vary the speed and movement with short strips; mix it up with 4 to 6 inch strips and slightly increase the speed as the fish approaches. It’s the right time to start acting like a shrimp in fear of your life!
Another nice bonefish!
Even if the fly lands in the right place and the small shrimp pattern floats at the right level, the bonefish may never even notice your fly. Begin with the small strips as if the tiny shrimp has yet to spot the predator. Again as the bonefish shows interest, increase your speed. If you have caught his eye and every thing looks natural, odds are he will inhale your fly. If not, he will turn away like he never even noticed it. There is so much more to learn but the best advice I can give you is to pay attention, practice, and have fun.
Call me and we can schedule you a trip of a lifetime that you’ll want to repeat again and again,
Captain Brian
Fish On!