I Was Robbed

[Walker]

I was robbed by a barracuda. It took a little bit too long to land this bonefish this morning. I thought this boy was ready to land, but knew something was wrong when I felt the downshift and my reel sang. The cuda was still munching away when I got him to shore.

[Sticky Business]

Hate it when that happens.

[dbarham]

That sorry dog!

[Root Canal]

Fish for breakfast!!

[S-troop]

At least you saved the fly.


Sent from my iPhone

[corndog]

Dear Walker, I am in pain to see this event has happened to you. I am devastated to see this still exist in this day and age. I wish you the best in your recovery!! Just kidding. Great post and pictures. We enjoy the great pictures of your place. Keep posting.

[coachlaw]

That sucketh! Please tell Don and all my friends at Neptune's Treasure that I miss them and Anegada. I spent some time today on my sickbed (tummy bug) going over pics from my trips there. True paradise.

[rtoler]

LOL, wish I had that problem today! Where is it anyway?

[Walker]

Anegada is a small island in the Caribbean. Our house is at 18°44'42.27"N 64°24'9.18"W

[westbaytroutassasin]

Ive heard that fly fishing for bones is a true art. I use my fly rod for reds but still learning. Honestly In all the years Ive lived on West Bay I have never landed a bone fish. Are they real selective to certain baits and techniques? Any tips you could offer? Looks and sounds really fun.

[westbaytroutassasin]

Opps I feel dumb. I thought for some reason you got those fish here in Galveston. DUHHH. Still looks really fun though.

[Walker]

Bonefishing is definitely an art. The first part, though, is being where the bones are. I have never heard of a bonefish outside of tropical waters.

They are extremely wary, so stealth is a must. They are, pound-for-pound, the most powerful fish in the sea. They take off on blazing runs that frequently go into your backing, then may turn around and swim right at you faster than you can take up slack. Sometimes after a smoking run, they will let you get them in close, offering little resistance - but all they are doing is resting up for the next run.

Spotting them is difficult, as they are basically pure silver with darker vertical bands. You develop a sense for recognizing a bone or school of bones.

I definitely think that bonefishing skill improves your redfishing skills. The techniques are in some ways similar. I have picked up redfish based on bonefish water signs .

They are somewhat selective with baits. Almost all good bonefish baits are small. They get spooked by anything of any size that moves in the water. There is a whole range of flies that are pretty much specific to bonefish. "Gotchas" and "Crazy Charlies" are to most popular. I don't use either of them. I use a fly that I call a "fuzzy" - a very simple fly - a craft fur streamer with a dubbed craft fur head, bead chain eyes, and just a touch of flash on #4 hook.


It is very similar to Casey Smartt's "Meaty Minnow" - http://caseysmartt.com/2010/12/01/the-meaty-minnow/