keys, wading for bonefish

[cxking818]

I am going to be in the Keys at the end of October. I would like to try my hand wading for bonefish with fly gear. Any advice on where, gear, patterns, etc would be greatly appreciated. I will be based in Key West.

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

There have been many posts regarding wading in the Keys as well as fishing from shore.

The places you find adjacent to Rt1 overseas highway are very noisy, riddled with traffic of shorefishermen and boats and are frankly some of the worst spots for fishing in the keys.

If you are going to the lower keys and Key West it is even worse. There is basically no shore fishing from Key West. Ft Zachary Taylor is fair at best and the stretch across from the airport is mostly just small cudas and Bonnethead sharks.

As I am not a flats guide and have a larger boat I have attempted it from shore. My advice is to save up a few hundred extra bucks and get a guide.

Renting a boat will cost you almost as much in the end and you will probably run aground if you don't know where you are going. They probably will not let you take a rental boat to where you need to go.

A month ago a couple rented a boat and left the dock at the same time as my charter. The guy spent $250 for the rental and $75 on gas. $25 on bait/chum. He broke a rod and lost a lot of equipment to cudas but caught one small Gray Snapper.

I arrived back at the dock a few minutes after him and unloaded the few fish we kept. A 37" Cobia, 25" Red Grouper. The wife asked how much a half day was and when I told her she began to lay into her husband on how they are not lugging all this crap around again when for $100 more they could have had a better time.

Not that it is not fun to try on your own but if you are spending the time and $ to come down and want fishing to be a part of it then hire a guide for at least 1 half day. It is worth it.

I hire guides when I go to other locations.

[cxking818]

Thanks Capt Chris. What is the best time do do a guided trip AM or PM? I have been fly fishing for trout on the Green River for years but have very little experince in salt water. I know that the big tarpon are a spring time deal so what other species can I expect?

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

October is just beginning to cool off. Right now the water temperature is 88-90 on the flats. Most of the fishing should be done in the morning after the water has had all night to cool off. You need to time the tide also. The problem then is spotting fish. The sun is not high enough to give you sight through the water. You will need to look for subtle bulges in the surface, occassional surface breaks and if lucky, full tailing fish.

You would probably have shots at permit, bones,cudas,sharks.

Fly gear would be provided by a guide or you could use an 8 wt floating line and shrimp or crab flies. 10 foot leader with 4' of 12 lb. flourocarbon.

By the way, I grew up in RI and morning there means 4:00 am while here in Key West it means 6:30-7:00 am. You need light to navigate through the flats.

The flats to the west of Key West are the best. 8 miles west is Woman Key. From there to the Marquesas is the preferred zone in the fall.

Read the "Trip to the Majors" article. Flyfishing for bones is a very exact science. If you can't put the fly on a frisbee from 40 feet then the guide will probably want you to switch to spin gear for better odds. If you spend 20 minutes stalking a fish to get the right angle and distance and you spook it with a bad cast you may have to spend another 1/2 hour poling to find another fish to stalk and then set that one up for angle and distance.

It helps if you can set your own rod up correctly and practice until perfect. If you use the guides gear it may take you a bunch of casts to get used to it, so ask for a few minutes to practice casts before you approach any fish. It is not like blind casting or sight casting for Stripers. Keep your expectations at a reasonable level. Expect a few shots at fish and that you will mess up & spook 75% of them. A good portion of the flats fishing experience is the hunt. If you want the rod to be bending non-stop then get on a light tackle boat anf hit the reef or a wreck. That is what I do. www.incognitolighttackle.com

A good flats guide in Key West is Conan Lehmkuhl 305-304-4552. He runs a 17 Action Craft.

[cxking818]

that is great info Capt Chris, I just spent all weekend pulling brown trout out of my "honey hole" in northen Utah. I look forward to hooking up in the Keys.

[Mark Dougherty]

Strongly aggre with CPT Chris.....bones are a fun game but a tough game.
I have just a few trips under my belt and find bonefishing to be an endeavor
that, at least for me, is an almost "must have guide" to learn the ropes type of fishing.....then the transistion to DIY is easier.....I learn something new everytime I go out.....also recommend some reading....Randall Kanufmans "Bonefishing" is a great start....remeber that the guide can do everything except "make the cast for you".....practice....practice...I throw line just about everyday........