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02/22/14

bonefishing hawaii:

it only takes a sunny day.


the title of this blog is for those out there who, like me, enjoy good tunes.  it is a nod to one of my favorite music groups of all time.  if you don’t know who i’m talking about, click on the title and find out.  seemed appropriate as this week the sun came out and made for quite a few beautiful days out there.  we were spared the brunt of this past weeks front.  kauai, as usual, took that one on the chin.  the front did cause the trades to disappear and left us with light south easterly winds which some like but i don’t particularly care for.  there are just some things that make a place feel right and here it is a brisk trade wind on the water.  the sun has become noticeably higher in the sky and will continue to get higher as we head toward spring and through summer.


i got out on the water once this week on wednesday afternoon.  the sky was blue and the sun was bright... a sight fishers dream.  i fished my 691-4 sage one and abel classic.  i lined it with a 6wt. cortland sky blue liquid crystal flats line. this set up is yet another perfectly balanced team and an absolute pleasure to fish.  for those of you heading to christmas island in the near or distant future, a six weight like this may be a set up worth looking into for some serious fun on the flats down there.


another perfect setup in the arsenal of fun.


sunny conditions, like so many things in life and fly fishing, are a trade off.  bright sun and clear skies make it very easy to spot fish (almost ridiculously easy).  the trade off is that it can also keep fish off the flat and make those that do venture into the shallows extremely wary and on edge.  remember, the easier it is to see them, the easier it is for them to see you.  with that very thought in my mind i began my hunt for fish.


with the tide low and the sun so bright, it was not surprising that there weren’t very many fish around.  i knew that there would be some but it could take a while.  i casually strolled around listening to my tunes, trying not to dance around too much because, you know, it was sunny.  i finally spotted one heading straight toward me at about seventy feet.  i stopped dead in my tracks, kept my eye on it, and made myself small.  i knew the fish didn’t spot me as it kept on its slow path toward me without flinching.



the bone was a little larger than i like to hook with my six but beggars can’t be choosey.  besides, as those who have been doing this stuff for a while know, chances are better than even that it wouldn’t bite anyway.  i watched the fish until it got to about sixty feet from me.  i then made one roll cast to get some line on the water, picked it up and fired it out.  the fly landed ten to twelve feet in front of the fish.  the fish kept on its track showing no signs of suspecting anything nefarious.  this was the first fish i encountered that day so i had no game plan as far as what kind of presentation to make.  on pure instinct, i just let the fly sit just making sure i was in contact with the fly.  the fish never turned or sped up.  when it got over my fly it simply stopped.



i saw the fish eat the fly.  when i say that, i don’t mean that i actually saw the fly go into the bone’s mouth at fifty feet.  i just knew it ate it.  this is one of the hardest things to explain to those who have not done this a lot.  i think it is one of those things that simply can’t be explained in words.  any attempt to describe it only makes it more difficult for those who want to learn and makes the describer look like they don’t really know what they are talking about to those who do know.  anyway, i saw the fish eat and at that same instant felt a bump, like the fly hitting the inside of the bones mouth or its crusher.  this tiny seemingly insignificant bump was probably the reason i was able to ultimately land this fish. what the bump told me was that the fish had taken the fly deep and chances were good that i would get a solid hookup.  i had a chance.



i set up on the fish and immediately laid into it with every fiber of graphite that six weight had.  the bone thrashed around in the shallow water throwing huge amounts of spray, exactly what i wanted.  the fish tried to take off but i had gotten the jump on it and could keep it from obtaining its legendary top speed.  from there i made the fish work for every inch of running line and pushed the limits of my little set up from tippet to rod butt.  there were still some sketchy moments during the battle (there always is when using a light rod and click pawl reel) still only about ten feet of backing made it to the water.  landing a fish around here with my fly line unscathed is always a good thing.  taking selfies with bigger fish, on the other hand, not a whole lot of fun and part of the reason i love catching rats.  i managed to snap off a few photos without too much stress to the fish or myself, though i think the fish got the better of me on that front.  we parted company, both a little tired and a bit wiser from the experience.  i guess that’s the game.  i ‘ll see you on the water.


that's the game.


these days i prefer the company of rats like this, but i still maintain a "have fly, will cast" attitude and, like i always say, hook'em first and worry about the rest later.


as the eternal quest for good times rolls on.

 

clay.


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