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Demanding bonefish fishing
Bonefish feed in shallow water on flats in search of crabs, shrimps, small marine worms and shellfish. They are fast-moving and require impeccable technique to present our flies to them with speed, precision and delicacy in order to "hit the mark"!
In most cases, you have to intercept their movement to position our shrimp and sometimes crab imitation on their trajectory. You need to know how to cast quickly and often enough in windy conditions. In this case, the equipment you use is very important for speed and precision. Then cast according to their reaction, faster or slower, but with pauses to keep the fly close to the bottom. Their behavior conditions our recovery.
Sometimes they feed in very little water and tail. In this case, we need to present our fly very close to them (the size of a plate) so that they detect the fly. It's an even finer and more technical type of fishing. You need to be able to place your flies correctly, and once again, knowledge of your tackle and the use of suitable lines and leaders will make these approaches a success.
Once bitten, these fish quickly head out to sea in an attempt to escape, and you'll need to know how to deal with these violent starts and intense fights, which require the right equipment and, of course, a little experience.
Bonefish fishing equipment
To find bonefish, most anglers use 9-foot rods for 8-lines, although in some cases, particularly in the absence of wind, it is possible to fish with 7 or even 6-lines, or on smaller fish.
A fast to very fast and powerful sea rod will be needed to propel your fly and line quickly, sometimes into the wind, with precision and manage these combative fish. All brands offer them, and you shouldn't skimp on the quality of this tool, which will enable you to cast efficiently during a trip in warm seas! I've personally been using SAGE rods for over 20 years, such as the R8 Salt, which allows you to counter the wind and cast to distance with disconcerting ease once you've mastered the double pull. Training before a trip is not a bad idea!
There are special bonefish silks and even several models, notably from Rio, which I've been using for years. These lines are designed for tropical temperatures and are ideal for casting flies of various sizes with precision, even in windy conditions. They come with different profiles, depending on whether you're a beginner or an expert. The glide should be impeccable for easy casting. You can also take along a cleaning and maintenance product to improve this aspect.
The reel will also be decisive in fighting and countering the rushes of these fish, which systematically take backing when they weigh over 2 kg! You'll need a progressive, reliable and powerful drag, as the first start is lightning fast and leaves no room for error. A watertight drag is essential for "exo" fishing, as it will ensure that your equipment works properly and lasts longer. It should be able to hold your line and a minimum of 150 meters of backing, or even more depending on the size of the fish you're going to catch.
In fact, there are different backing materials, of varying thickness and strength. 20 to 30 lbs is the norm.
Which leaders and tips to use?
For leaders, which are added to the end of the line, it's a good idea to have several spares in case of breakage or wear after intensive use on these powerful fish.
You can buy special bonefish or saltwater leaders without knots, which are very useful for this type of fishing. They come in several lengths (9 to 12 feet) and in more or less fine tippet (8 to 20 lbs or more) depending on conditions (wind), and the mood and mistrust of the fish. If you're a good caster, it's a good idea to have long leaders that allow for delicacy and discretion. For less experienced anglers, you'll need leaders that aren't too long to turn your flies and present them to the fish. The size of the tippet should be adapted to the size of the fish and their wariness. You'll also need fluorocarbon spools to lengthen your tippets (10 to 20 lbs).
Personally, I rarely go below 10 lbs, and go up to 20 lbs for the biggest bonefish or areas where there is a risk of cutting into the coral or mangrove to restrain the fish.
Be careful with your knots, which must be well executed and reliable, as these fish are very fast and will put your tackle to the test. Knots are often the weakest point in a fly-tying and fly-tying rig.
For the fly, it's a good idea to make a "perfect loop" to give your fly mobility, which will make it swim all the better and be more natural and attractive.
Bonefish flies
It's important to have bonefish flies mounted on strong stainless steel hooks, as the biggest specimens can twist them! It would be a shame to lose a nice fish during the fighting phase when you've done everything right to get it to bite.
We use hook sizes 8 to 2, or even larger in rare cases. Gamakatsu, Daiichi and Arhex brands are often used.
Models are shrimp imitations in 90% of cases, but sometimes small crabs or flies imitating other prey can be used.
The best-known models are crazy charlie, gotcha and variants, mantis shrimp, but also small tan and olive crabs, bonefish bitters, ...
How to fight and remove bonefish
The basic mistake when hooking a bonefish is to lift the rod just as the fish comes to take your fly. You'll feel the touch, but not always, and you need to keep an eye out for the more educated fish and strike on sight, when the fish opens its mouth.
Tying is done with a silk line to plant the fly firmly in the bonefish's hard palate (to crush their prey) and to avoid knocking the fly out of their mouth if the first tie is missed. It often happens that they come back a second time.
Then, once you've been hooked, you'll have to deal with the first start and, above all, the crucial phase when the bonefish leaves and takes the line from your hands and feet. The one you've brought back. You need to keep the right tension (neither too much = risk of breakage, nor too little = risk of wig) and let the fish take the excess line from you until it puts you on the reel. During this phase, inexperience often causes the line to get caught around the crank handle or behind the fighting heel of your reel, and in all these cases, breakage is guaranteed!
So there's a learning curve to get to grips with this crucial phase. Then comes the battle on the reel, which needs to be well set so that the fish is slowed down enough to tire itself out, but not so tight that you break during a more violent rush. Tilting the rod away from the fish will put more pressure on the rod, tire the fish and shorten the fight.
Bonefish generally make a big rush from the start, the longest, then let themselves come towards you, then leave again, often less far away and so on. The bigger the bonefish, the bigger the rush.
Be careful when drying off, as they can start up again even if they look exhausted. Breakage sometimes happens at this point, when you think the fight is over.
