10 Tips For Catching Big Bonefish
Catching a bonefish is always a challenge, but to catch a big bonefish, you have to do everything right. Bonefishing is a little like playing the guitar. It doesn’t take long to be good enough to have a lot of fun but it takes a lifetime to master. I’ve been doing it for a long time and I still regularly have revelations about it. I suppose that’s why I love it so much. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to catch a big bonefish. Most of it the hard way. I’m going to share some of that hard won knowledge with you in the hope it will shorten the learning curve. Watch the video for my top 10 tip for catching big bonefish
Read More »The Albright Knot
The Albright Knot is a great knot for attaching a metal bite tippet to your leader.
It can also be used to attach the leader to the fly line or any time you are attaching materials of very different size or stiffness. Here’s Capt. Joel Dickey, in the last of his three part series on better salt water knots, to teach you the Albright Knot.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND LEARN TO TIE THE ALBRIGHT KNOT!
Read More »8 Tips For Retrieving The Fly When Bonefishing
By Louis Cahill
You’ve spotted the bonefish and made the perfect cast, what now?
The retrieve is where the magic happens. It’s your sales pitch to the fish and if you want to seal the deal you have to make that fly act like food. It’s a simple proposition but there are a lot of things to keep in mind. Ultimately, your retrieve is determined by three things: the setup, the conditions and the reaction of the fish.
Every presentation to a bonefish is different. That’s what makes targeting these fish so much fun. To be really successful you need to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of the retrieve and be able to adapt when things change.
With that in mind, here are 8 tips for better bonefish retrieve.
Does the fly matter?
By this I mean, do we retrieve flies differently based on the critter they imitate? To be honest, I think bonefish are pretty forgiving on this one, but I do fish as if it matters. That means I try to swim the fly like the natural would swim. Shrimp patterns get a rhythmic pulsing retrieve, crab patterns scurry and dive, baitfish patters swim more fluidly.
Look scared
Your fly not only needs to imitate the natural, it need to appear to be in distress. Like all predators, bonefish will prey on the weakest. I like for my fly to appear to panic a bit when the fish sees it.
Speed is dictated by the presentation
The speed of your retrieve should vary depending on the setup of your presentation. Bonefish are not accustomed to having shrimp charge toward them. If the setup of your shot means that you have to retrieve the fly towards the fish, your retrieve must be slow, as if your shrimp is clueless. Bonefish like to chase, so quick retrieve can get their attention if the fly is off to their side, moving away. Sometimes you will have to
Read More »The Skwala Carbon Fishing Jacket: Review
There’s been a lot of buzz about Skwala, the newest brand in fly fishing apparel. I was pretty excited to get my hands on the Carbon jacket to see if it lives up to the hype. An American brand, located in Bozeman MT, when Squalla introduced a line of fly fishing specific clothing, including waders, the obvious comparisons and speculations were rampant. It was nice to cut through the noise and actually use a piece of their gear. The Carbon jacket is not a disappointment. I took it to Belize, where it proceeded to pour rain for five straight days and night. I sat in a bout in the pouring rain every day so I got the perfect opportunity to see if the jacket delivered, and it did. It’s comfortable, great to fish in, durable, and most importantly, dry in the worst rain I’ve ever fished in. You can’t ask much more out of a fishing jacket. Watch the video for all the details on the Skwala Carbon Jacket.
Read More »Holding Your Bone
I WATCHED MY SHARE OF GUYS FIGHT TO GET HOLD OF THEIR FIRST BONEFISH AND I REMEMBER BEING THERE MYSELF. IT’S PRETTY PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY CONCERNED INCLUDING THE FISH.
They aren’t trout and nothing will bring that hone for you like trying to tail one. Landing them and handling them is really pretty simple once you know how. Here are a few tips for getting a grip on these slippery little guys without anybody getting hurt, even your pride.
I will not go into the best way to land a bonefish because I’ve done a post and video on the topic with the help of my buddy Bruce Chard. It’ll save you a broken rod so if you haven’t seen it click HERE.
Once you have the bonefish to the boat and the leader in your hand, assuming that you want to hold the fish and are not content to pop the hook out without touching him (the best practice for the fish), you need to get a good grip on the fish that will let you control him without injuring him. The best place to do this is just behind the pectoral fins and gill plates. The bonefish is pretty firm here and not so tapered so you can get a grip without him immediately squirting out of your hand like a bar of soap. Kent is doing a good job in this photo. You don’t need a death grip. Like any fish, the harder you squeeze him the more he will struggle.
If the fish is too green to hold for a quick photo without him leaping out of your hands and flopping around on the deck there are a couple of things you can do to settle him down.
Read More »It’s All in the Heart
By Louis Cahill
Bill didn’t know anything about fly fishing.
That’s not my judgment; he told me so. In fact, it was the first thing he told me. Standing on the bow of the skiff, staring into a Bahamian flat, looking for a fish he’d only heard of, he was as out of his element as a cat on roller skates. A tire salesman from Wisconsin, he’d walked into the local fly shop and told the guy behind the counter,
“I want to catch a tarpon on a fly. What do I need?”
The shop guy told him you don’t just buy a fly rod and catch a tarpon. He knew about the Gink and Gasoline Bonefish School and said,
“Go on this guy’s trip. He’ll teach you what you need to know to catch a tarpon.”
When Bill told me that story, I thought, hell yes! I’ll fish with this guy any day. I don’t care if he doesn’t know which end of the rod to hold.
The first day Bill and I fished together was not a great day for a beginner. We had some sun but the wind was howling. I’m sure Bill had some thoughts about how much he’d spent on that new eight-weight rod, that must have felt worthless in that wind. When I stepped up and punched my clearing cast into the wind, he moaned,
“Jesus! Right into the wind,” and rested his face in his hands.
I’ve heard folks, mostly folks who know less than Bill about fly fishing say, “It’s all in the wrist.” Of course, it isn’t. It’s no more in the wrist than it is in the rod, the line or the fly. It’s not in a book or a video. It isn’t even in your head. Fly fishing is in your heart, and I didn’t have to spend much time with Bill to see that his was full.
Bill didn’t want to catch a tarpon because it would make him cool, or even because it was a challenge. He didn’t want to do it so he could post the photo on Facebook or brag to his buddies. His buddies wouldn’t even know what a tarpon was. Bill wanted to catch his tarpon for one simple reason. His doctor had told him he was going to die. Soon, and for what ever reason, catching a tarpon on the fly was the one thing he wanted to do first.
When Bill told me that,
Read More »Flynn’s Stonefly Nymph
I HAVE SAID ON MANY OCCASIONS THAT, I DON’T CARE TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE TROUT DON’T EAT STONEFLIES.
My good friend Dan Flynn shares my obsession with the noblest of insects. Dan is a great tyer with an impressive repertoire of classic patterns. I have always admired his meticulous stonefly nymphs. I’ve also spent many days watching him crush trout on them.
The Scott Wave Fly Rod Has A Secret
Scott’s new mid-price offering, The Wave, is not what I expected. Jim Bartschi sent me a seven weight wave a couple of months ago, just before I headed to Belize for five days. He didn’t tell me anything about it, which is typical for Jim. I assume he wants me to come to my own conclusions about a rod without his opinion, which I appreciate. I took the rod out and cast it in the from yard for a bit. “It’s a little soon to be replacing the Sector,” I thought, “but OK.” I took the rod to Belize and was into fish on my second cast. The weather was awful and pretty windy for a seven weight but the Wave really delivered. It cut through the wind, delivered flies with remarkable accuracy and and finesse. I was impressed. Not ready to give up my Sector but I immediately loved this little rod. When I got home, I called Jim up to talk about the trip and was shocked to learn that the Wave is not replacing the Sector. It’s replacing the Tidal! I should have guessed from the name but the Wave, in no way, feels like a mid-priced fly rod. The weight, the tracking, the recovery rate all feel like a premium rod. Since the Radian, Scott fly rods have had a unique feel that sets them apart. Not that I didn’t lone my S4s but the contemporary Scott rods are truly next level. I did not get that feel from the Tidal but the Wave has it in spades. Once I got the rod home, frankly, I couldn’t stop fishing it. Since I’m stuck with fresh water here, I started using it for streamers and bass fishing. I was thrilled with hoe it preformed. The Wave is … Continue reading
Read More »Fly Tying, Less Is More
CLICHÉ SAYINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS HELPFUL OR APPLICABLE. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO TYING FLIES. “LESS IS MORE”.
Over the past ten years I’ve been blessed to spend time teaching new fly tiers of all ages. Regardless of age or gender beginning tiers often work on the “more” end of the spectrum. Excessive distance between the tip of the bobbin and the hook shank is one of these hurdles. When constructing flies, more distance between these two object makes for more difficulty. Keeping the tip of the bobbin in contact with the hook reduces the likelihood of cutting it on a hook point or the edge of the vise jaws. Additionally, this technique makes it easier to maintain consistent pressure when tying in materials. Lastly, it reduces the total tying time for each fly.
As a tier it is also extremely important to remember that the vast majority of aquatic insects are petite creatures. Far too often this fact is over looked during the construction of flies. Excessive use of materials results in bulky pattern profiles that do not accurately match their intended imitation. Simultaneously, unneeded thread wraps also add bulk to flies. With most patterns, minimizing the amount of material and thread wraps results in a more accurate end product.
Take a moment to evaluate what you are doing as a tier. The next time you
Read More »DIY Camper Van Tour
Meet the Gink and Gasoline Intruder. I’ve always wanted a camper van to make extended fishing trips easier and more affordable. The problem is, the rest of the world wants one too and prices have gotten out of hand. So I set out to design and build a DIY camper van that gives me everything I need to live comfortably on the road, without the six-figure price tag. I bought my 2008 Sprinter Van several years ago, fortunately before used vehicle prices went through the roof. It has a few years on it but only about 60K miles when I bought it. I built all the improvements myself for around $2500. I’m in a super comfortable camper for right around $20K total. It took some luck and some work and a lot of head scratching but none of it was really difficult. If you can use a circular saw and a drill, you can do it too! Check out this video for a complete tour!
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