I use the time to scout out interesting areas and get used to my new gear. I fish the flowing waters of the ebb in the hope of hooking into a nice Cuda. Yet the wind has screwed this up also. There is virtually no current because the wind is so strong that it has blown most of the water out of the bay. My "go to" places from last year produce nothing. I fish hard for two days and this is all that I have to show for it, a few dinks like this one.
On the third day the air is warm and the wind is none existent. I hit the tide right and try locations known to hold bonefish. Nothing...nada...zilch. I have the misfortune of having this windless day on a full moon. I walk for miles from high tide until the current of low tide.
Some picks along the way.
Possibly good waters...I never made it back here.
You are always on the lookout for life. It indicates good possible bonefishing.
A beautiful little island
More life. Watch out, they like to bury themselves in the sand. Step on one accidentially and you will pay.
Bonefishermen avoid trips on full moons. It would be the equivalent of fishing for walleye after a super storm and then cold sunny days, except that the full moon disrupts fishing for a few days on either side. At the bar of the resort I meet a bunch of English flyfishermen who are paying through the nose for the only guides on the island. They were catching a few smaller fish with a guide, a boat, and access to the best water. They are also fishing 9-5. I didn't feel so bad after hearing how they were doing. Misery loves company.
The fourth day is also very windy. I sight nothing and give up on bonefishing early. The "go to" places for Cuda still produce nothing. So I adjust, and as in life, those who adjust are rewarded. Instead I go to find wind currents on the water. On the way I toss good chunk of metal for Cuda. In a little underwater gully a Cuda slams into the lure. She jumps fully out of the water on contact and with that the line is limp. That was probably a 3 ft plus Cuda and it cut above 8 inches of leader. Finally some action. I move on and make it to the point. Just as I am about to throw a lure out for Cuda, I notice fish. Quickly I tear down the Cuda gear and tie on bonefish gear. I’m using a 1/16th ounce jig and with the wind I can throw that about 20 ft. I have practiced for accuracy but my first toss lands about 5 ft away. They dart off. Sh#$*t, I may have blown my only chance here. Waiting is the game now and over time more arrive. A few pairs, a few singles, and then a school of six. I toss perfect and they come to the lure, one takes it but rejects it quickly. It’s hard to see the hook up with the wind, you can only feel it. I go zero for about 20 but am simply happy that after two weeks I have finally made contact.
The tide ebbs and I hed back tossing out lures again for Cuda. I hit paydirt again. The strike is so violent that the rodtip jumps forward. The Cuda leaps on the strike, this time I have a 12 inch leader. The tip also jerks back on the counter reaction after the strike, it pulls back so quickly that line wraps around the front part of rod and then the whole front section of the rod comes off as the Cuda takes off. The tip is 20 ft out in the water and then it is still. I sit there stunned...wow...does that fish have power. Did I lose this one also? I reel in and the front section comes up out of the water. Quickly I unwind the line in case the fish is still own and put the front section back on the rod. She is on and soon a fight begins. This Cuda goes for some good line peeling runs. 10 ft at a go, and loads of fun. She does this a number of times and does it one last time as she close to shore. I’d estimate this fish at under 30 inches. Saltwater fish are just so much more powerful then freshwater fish.
The next days were windy again. Back to the same local. That following day I saw only single bonefish and they were not interested. I tried several different small lures. The following day saw a number of bonefish. I stood so still and with my back to the sun that I actually saw the whites of their eyes, they never saw me. It was easy to make the positive ID. In all I saw maybe 80 bonefish over those days. I had only the one take. Perhaps 10 inspected the goods and quickly moved on. Another 30 casts were in the area but the fish moved unpredictably away from the lure. Maybe 10 spooked them and finally another 10 casts were just p%ss poor. Sometimes you just couldn’t get a intercepting cast in time. I never saw a feeding bonefish, never saw “mudding†or “tailingâ€. I felt like a store owner after boxing day sales when those poor shop keepers have to watch the maxed out visa shoppers just looking. Going here, going there, looking for something which they don’t want anyways...all in a slightly frantic way.
The English flyfishermen looked downright glum at the bar on the second last night. One of the elder chaps just threw in the towel on his entire last day. That probably cost him $500 US. All in all, I was hoping for much better but much was learned and there is always next time. Fishing for me , is way to just let go of it all, in that respect, it was just what the Dr. ordered.
