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I know that there are FATC members who have expressed interest in doing some saltwater flats fishing so here is my report. Just got back from a week’s family vacation in the Bahamas with a day or so of Bone fishing. Thought I would write up my experience so that you could get some information if you are interested in a similar trip.
We traveled to the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. This is a long thin island in the Bahamas group and is not necessarily considered a Bone fishing destination like Andros or Abaco. But unlike those two islands, Eleuthera is not as commercialized or have as many people. We went to Eleuthera in mid -March which is NOT the ideal time for fishing. Best months according to our guide Paul Petty, are April and May. Water temps are up (there are more Bone fish because they like the warmer water) and wind is less likely (this means better casting conditions).
Recommended equipment for the trip is usually a crisp (read that saltwater) 8 wt. rod. I took a 7wt. Sage Method (very fast action) and a 9 wt. Scott Meridian (salt water specific rod). Had Scientific Anglers Bone fish line along with 10ft. /10 and 12 lb leaders. Bone fishing typically use long leaders so as not to scare the always spooky Bone fish. Normally I tie my own flies but for this trip, I purchased a Bone fish fly assortment from Jerry (Hairwing530, on the NAFF). He is a master tier and created some beautiful Crazy Charlies, Gotcha’s and an assortment of small crab imitations. Whether you tie or not, I would overwhelming recommend him. Reels are important as here is where you will use the drag to help wear the fish down. Bone fish are very fast and powerful. You can’t believe your line can move that fast thru the water. Those fish will strip your line to the backing before you can say “Jack Robinson”! When Bones are hooked, their speed and strength make a Trout seem pretty tame.
So, to our day of fishing. My son-n-law Travis and I booked Paul Petty for a day of flats fishing. Paul is a well known Bone fishing guide in Eleuthera (Google Paul Petty) and I would highly recommend him. He is focused on putting you on fish, a good teacher and has tons of patience with novice fishermen. He started the trip with a ½ day of walking the flats and showing us how to wade (slow and silent) along the combination of sand, coral, and sparsely mangroved flats. The wind was up so Paul selected places that were as sheltered as possible. We were thankful for that as casting in the wind is certainly a challenge. Around here 10 mph is considered windy, in the Bahamas that is a calm, tropical breeze. Usually, you have 20+ mph on the flats (they call them flats for a reason) and while wading, casts can typically be 30-60 feet. Couple that with the fact that Bone fish are usually moving and now you need to lead the fish and cast to where they are going to be (+ time for your fly to sink). It is sort of the equivalent to getting a good cross current drift when nymphing. Good preparation for a Bone fishing trip would be to practice a quick delivery cast (no more than two false casts) to 50-60 ft. and work on your double haul if the wind gets a bit sporty.
Walking the flats on Rock Sound, Paul spotted 5 Bonefish in some shallow water not far from the mangroves we were walking thru. Maybe 45 ft. ahead of us. He told me to cast to the right of the fish about three feet and let the fly sink (Bone fish are bottom feeders). I began short strips on the line and on the second strip (with the rod tip on the water) the line came tight and Paul said “STICK HIM”. A big strip set of the hook and the fish took off to my left and toward open water. Line is peeling off the reel and it sounds more like a baseball card in a bike’s spokes. The line toward the end is dyed black and I saw this marking appear and knew that the backing was next. I was not sure how much I could pressure the fish with that 10 lb. leader and so let the fish run too far. It bolted for a spot of coral and popped the leader. So much for my first Bone fish. At least I set the hook and got to play the fish a bit. We walked the remainder of the morning on the flats and did not spot any other fish. It was just the combination of cool water temps and wind/waves that made the fish scarce.
Paul walked us back to the anchored skiff and we motored to Savannah Sound for fishing from the bow of the boat. This area has a plethora of flats that just looked so fishy. A lot of sand flats coupled with areas of turtle grass (a great place where the fish like to hide). They call Bone fish the “Ghosts of the Flats” for a reason. They are so hard to spot. The fish are silver/light blue, green and blend with their environment so well that our Trout trained eyes have a very difficult time spotting them. Usually, I would see the movement of the fish as they rocketed by the skiff on their way to other water. Our guide took us to several different areas in an effort to locate fish, but the fish were just not to be found. It was Travis’s turn on the bow, and he was casting into a patch of turtle grass and coral when he thought he snagged his fly. He tells Paul, I think I am hooked on a rock! Paul tells him “that rock has fins, stick him!” The fish started his run and the combination of a heavier leader (12 lb) and the 9 wt. Meridian helped Travis bring the fish to the boat. No nets are used, just hand landing. I grabbed the leader and once the fish was alongside, turned it upside down (calming the fish) and pulled the barbless hook from the mouth. “Fish Magnet Travis” had caught a nice 2 lb. Bone. These fish have very tough mouths (they crush crabs and shrimp when feeding) so the strip set really buries the hook and makes it come out with a crunch (keep your fingers out of their mouths). I got to make a few more casts into the turtle grass/coral but no luck. Our day was finished. So, our tally was 1 ½ fish. You get to count a hook-up as a ½ cause just setting a hook on a Bone fish is quite an accomplishment. I am looking forward to going back in the months that are best for fishing. I am thinking three days of guided fishing along with some DIY wading. The whole island adventure is something else. The contrast of colors from the Atlantic side to the Caribbean waters is breath taking. Atlantic is deep blue while the Caribbean is multiple shades of green. Gorgeous really. Poling on the skiff we got to see different species of Sharks, Barracuda, Sting Rays, and Sea Turtles. All are amazing sights with many family friendly (not crowded) beaches. The island food is wonderful, and you need to enjoy the Conch and Kalicks. Put Bone fishing on your “To Do” list and make some memories.
