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November 5th, 1999
Question: STRANGE FISH "I caught something this weekend while fishing off Dead Neck in Osterville, right at the mouth of the Seapuit River. It was about 12 inches and perhaps 2 pounds, shaped like a bluefish, with similar fin configuration, but without the teeth. The coloring was very light, tan to white, with a dark vertical band through each eye. The scales were very small, and thus the skin very smooth. This looked like something I would find on a tropical reef. This was not a bluefish, bonito, false albacore, or striped bass. Any idea what it might have been?" Robert P. Answer: We sent this inquiry to Beth Hanratty at the American Littoral Society (als@netlabs.net) and the good folks there came through again. "Dery and Pam, our fish experts, knew the answer. They think it is a Greater Amberjack. According to Peterson's Guide they are mostly brownish (darker above, whiter below). Dark olive brown stripe extends from snout through eye. Size is up to 5 feet and 176 pounds(!) Their range is from Massachusetts to Brazil, but Pam says it is very unusual to find one in the northern part of that range." Question: LEARNING TO BONEFISH "I firmly believe that the Florida Keys are the ideal location for learning to bonefish. This is not because of the numbers of fish or how easy they are to catch, it is because the majority of the guides in the Florida Keys are able to convey the nuances of the sport better than guides in foreign locations, to whom English may be a second language. The Keys are not an angler's best choice if numbers of fish are important. The Keys have a well-deserved reputation for having BIG, SMART bonefish. Big bonefish in the Keys start at 10 pounds. You may not even SEE a bonefish that large in other locations. The trade-off is in numbers. In spots I've fished in Mexico, Central America and the Bahamas, a good day might consist of 15 to 20 fish or more, average size around 2 to 3 pounds. A good angler fishing the Keys might only catch 2 or 3 fish on a good day, but the average size might well be over 7 pounds. I always tell my new clients if they can LEARN to catch bonefish in the Keys, bonefish anywhere else in the world will be easy. I hope this information assists you in making your decision about a location for your first bonefishing trip." Question: BRAZILIAN BLUES Question: BONEFISHING IN THE
BAHAMAS Follow-Up: TROLLING MOTOR FOR MAKO Capt. Bob LeMay (LeMayMiami@aol.com), who guides out of Miami, offered this opinion: "I read the question from the guide up north about a trolling motor for his 19' Mako. Everything Jim Dalrymple said made good sense, but there is a new product out on the market that he may not be aware of since it was developed up in the Stuart (Florida) area. Up there guides working the St. Lucie inlet face swift water that is too deep to pole and too much for one motor. I won't go into how many different rigs were tried that didn't work - just the one that does, and might be just the answer for a big boat rigged to fly fish. Have your guy contact Capt Rich DeVito at Southern Angler in Stuart (561) 223-1300. He's the one who developed and is marketing the system. I don't know what the brand name is, but here is the setup. They have devised a way of mounting two motors on a hinged extension bracket that connects to the rear edges of trim tabs (one motor on each tab). When not in use the extra surface with trolling motor raises up out of the water. It is very powerful, silent, and completely maneuverable from a single hand control. I believe the setup was first shown two years ago at the Shallow Water Expo at Ft. Pierce (Florida) and has had heavy use by guides in the St. Lucie area since then. The only drawback that I know of is the cost -- it's not cheap! Hope this helps, it's perfect for areas where pushpoles can't be effective and you don't want a motor up front where it tangles fly lines." Follow-Up: FLY FISHING FIJI -- Here's the original question... We received this information from Bruce Roberts (flyshop@robertsflyshop.com), at Roberts Fly Shop & Fishing Co. in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada: "I can help with some information on Fiji. I have done lots of flats fishing in the Yasawa group on the western edge of the Fijian Islands. The most fish you can expect to catch is black fin and blue fin trevally. Lots of big barracuda and gar. In the mangroves you can get small jacks and tons of baby tarpon. The bigger tarpon are on the flats in small groups, but few and very skitterish. Giant trevally, queenfish, and Spanish mackerel can be caught in deeper water and channels running through the coral and sand flats. Use all the same flies and techniques for these saltwater fish as you would on the flats of the Caribbean. A very useful fly is a Half & Half Deceiver and a tan to very light crab pattern. A Snapping Shrimp is a great fly in the mangroves. I have used a 5-weight for in the mangroves, and a 9- to 12-weight for the flats and deeper water. Sink tip 300 grain and full sink intermediate lines are best. Use big hooks for the flats, 3/0 to 5/0. There are some bonefish here but not many. I believe they are the larger Indo-Pacific variety, sometimes called Sun fish? Not sure, though. Henry Murray (a guide in Fiji; trips can be booked through this shop) is certain, but I remain skeptical. He should know, he grew up in the Yasawas and is an excellent guide. Hope this helps out some." In upcoming GuideLines we'll talk about:
As always, thanks to the guides for their helpful replies, and to all you readers for your first-rate questions. - Keep'em coming! Bob and Sandy Rodgers Reel-Time Homepage | Back to Guidelines |
