05/12/11

bonefishing hawaii:

bombing for bones... a blind casting primer.

 

i hope the use of the word bombing throughtout this blog doesn't get our site flagged by the cia or anything like that.  as many of you out there know a small faction of fly guys has been exploring the use of two handed rods here on oahu to “blind” cast for bonefish.  since the last blog “lost” brian has not been so lost and he and i spent couple of days in this past weeks stormy weather bombing our two handed rods.  brian fished his sage 7126-4 tcx (the deathstar) with a 480 airflo scandi compact.  i also fished the deathstar with a rio 575gr skagit flight as well as a sage 7119-4 tcx switch with a rio 450 skagit flight and a sage 6126-4 z-axis with a rio 385gr steelhead scandi and a rio 450 skagit flight.

 

bonefish here in the islands are caught in one of two ways.  the standard is sight fishing for them as is done in bonefishy areas world wide.  the other method of catching these fish is by “blind” casting.  which i don’t think is really done anywhere else... it is at least not a prominent part of the popular bonefish fly fishing culture.  blind casting is done by going to certain fishy areas, casting the fly out and stripping it in without actually seeing the fish that you are after.  it is very similar to whipping, a long time popular method of fishing with a spinning rod here in the islands.  i was introduced to catching bonefish this way when i first met kevin faucheux.  a lifelong east coast striper fisherman, kevin brought his east coast style to hawaii and helped to shape bonefishing in the islands as we know it today.  prior to fishing with kevin, i had only sight fished for years out here just because, well you know, that’s how it’s done... right?

 

over the years blind casting for bonefish here in hawaii has taken on a kind of bad reputation as being the easy or less skilled way to catch bonefish.  maybe it’s because people out there have had their hallowed shallow sight fishing grounds worked over by a beginner (who probably just didn’t know any better).  i’ve seen that more than a few times.   maybe it’s because those who sight fish do not like the idea of folks who cannot see fish that well catching any fish.  i don’t exactly know how this developed there are numerous species of fish that are caught on the fly without seeing them but somehow it has become taboo to catch bonefish like that.  i’m not going to get into that whole nymphing vs dry fly which is better kind of debate that always seems to crop up in our little alpha dominated sport (i love to do them both by the way).  yes, i’ve seen many beginners catch fish blind casting, but i’ve seen just as many “pros” catch fish sight fishing who can’t cast.  all i know for sure is that “blind” casting is not all “blind”... and if you love to cast a fly rod, fishing this way is a ton of fun and can be every bit as challenging as hooking the wariest fish in the skinniest of waters on a dead calm day.  so here are a few thoughts for those out there who are interested in becoming among the known bombers in the community that may help you get bit more.

 

first of all remember that “blind” casting is not blind at all, you don't just wander around and cast all over the place like some people may think and others may actually do.  blind casting takes a knowlege of the water and the conditions and all the senses including the sixth one (see clays blog 7/12/09).  it is very easy to prove this.  just try walking out on a flat or beach at night (even one that you are intimately familiar with) and start casting.  i’ve done that more than enough times to be called an idiot.  that is true blind casting and though i have hooked more than a few fish doing this... it is far from easy and you will quickly realize just how much “sight” is involved in so called blind casting.  this is why i prefer the term bombing (as we are usually launching long casts and dropping bombs on the fish in their outer hideouts).<

 

knowing the area you are fishing and the depth of the water you are casting over are critical parts of successful bombing.  although you will see it done, as mentioned earlier, bombing is not very effective over shallow water.  we all know from sight fishing how maddingly stupid skittish these bonefish can be in shallow water (i was just reminded of that yesterday).  this is why i never bomb over water that i would sight fish in even if it is cloudy and there is zero visibility.  to me doing this amounts to trying to make the perfect sight fishing presentation to a bonefish that you can’t see.  like every crazy stupid thing in fishing, it does work once in a while,  i just do not like my odds in those situations and prefer water that is deep enough that the fish will not be spooked by the fly or fly line hitting the water over them.  those who are successful blind casting over shallow water, trust me, there are many deeper spots that hold alot more fish... alot.  besides sight fishing waters are at a premium throughout the islands and should be used as such.  there are more bombing waters here than can be fished in a lifetime.

 

the further the cast the longer time the fly is in the water and not surprisingly the more fish you will hook.  there are deep places that fish will cruise through where a long cast is not needed but i like waters where you can really let loose like reef edges.  there is nothing more satisfying than a well executed uber long cast that makes your gear just sing making you say ah... that’s why this thing costs eight hundred dollars.  there are also many places where a long cast is needed to fish a deeper area while still standing on shore or in a relatively shallow place.

 

<many flies can be used for this kind of fishing.  like in sight fishing sink rate is the most important aspect of the fly.  i prefer the larger flies like a size two in bright colors (orange, yellow, pink).  i’m not sure it is that important but i just feel that the fish can spot it from further away thus increasing my effective range.

 

when bombing, line management is also critical especially in rocky or beach areas with shore break.  keeping the fly in the zone and staying in contact with it can be very challenging in these situations.  a basket helps for both line management and distance.  i use a deeper basket than when sight fishing as longer casts mean more line in the basket and more chances of tangling.

 

many new fishing areas are opened up with this style of fishing that, even in this day and age, have never been fished with a fly.  most of the islands are made up of prime bombing grounds speckled with a few sight fishing reefs and flats.  making it perfect for the adventurous and those not of the herd mentality.  i’ve always liked the idea of trying to figure out places and techniques that no one has really spent the time on or wants to spend time on yet (that’s what made fly fishing for bonefish here appealing to me in the first place).  my ears still perk up when i hear about someone who caught something, somewhere, doing something different and some of the guys i like to fish with the most are those who will step outside of the box and do anything anywhere just to try (that’s you craig... you gotta get off work more often).  it’s a big ocean and we can’t stop until we’ve stuck a fly into every cubic inch of it... that’s just the way it is.

 

two handed rods are perfect tools for blind casting and as the spey revolution goes on in the northwest and throughout the country the gear just keeps getting better and better and translates well to the bombing we do out here.  i gotta give credit to deano for bringing the two handed rod to the islands.  we had talked about it for years but not knowing really anything about it, no one wanted to pull the trigger on the long rods.  well deano did and he fathered a small band of hawaii spey brothers.  now there are some of us who feel that there is simply no better way to cover vast amouts of ocean more easily than with a two handed rod.  whether just doing two handed overhead casts with a shooting head or skagit and scandi casts modified for still water with no change of direction (i know, not really spey casting but it’s all some of us have got to tie us over to our next trip to the river).

 

bombing (blind casting) is not a better way to catch bonefish, it’s just a different way.  on some days and in many areas, it is the only way.  there are fish waiting out there.  how you choose to fish for them is up to you.  either way... i’ll see you on the water.

 

stand shallow and cast long and deep.  that's the bombers mantra.

lost brian and the prey of deathstar.

 

many rats and micros out there... great fun on a six weight two hander.

 

ambitious little bluefin trevally.  most trevally caught on a fly rod here are caught while bombing.

 

speaking of trevally kirk checked in this week with a real specimen.

 

bombing can take you to different waters and different experiences.  we ran into this fella napping on the beach... you'll not see that on the flat.

 

some days... you gotta bomb.  look at the size of the rain drops we had this week.

 

the beauty of fly fishing is that you can make it what you want.  it’s watching the feather wing on an adams drifting in the current or a one inch thingabobber doing the exact same thing.  it’s casting a size six charlie to an unsuspecting bonefish in six inches of water or bombing a jiggy bone bug to an unsuspecting bonefish a hundred feet away in eight feet of water.  some may prefer one way or another but to me it's all a part of good times.

 

clay.


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