We’ve said in the past that for an all-around line to chase bonefish on South Andros Island, we think the Rio Tropical Clouser is the ticket. The short front taper on the Clouser line does a great job turning over big flies and getting your rod loaded quickly – both important traits in our land of big fish and generally short shots.
However, there are a few situations on South Andros, and lots of situations elsewhere, where the Rio Bonefish line
is going to be a better choice. Here’s when we like the Bonefish line better on our island.
- When it’s dead calm. The fish are spookier, which means that you not only need to land the fly softly, but also that you probably need to make shots from farther away.
- When you’re doing some inland wading. You’re going to be fishing really shallow water here, so a softer landing matters.
- Any day when the fish are just acting twitchy. If that’s the case, clean presentation is key.
Compared to the Tropical Clouser, the Bonefish line has a longer front taper which helps turn the fly over smoothly. It’s also got a longer back taper, which helps you carry more line in the air – nice for long shots.
Another nice feature of the Bonefish line is that it’s two different colors – the head and the running line are in contrasting colors, which is really nice when you’re bonefishing. Since you’re going to have a certain amount of line stripped off when you’re ready to cast, the ability to know exactly where the running line starts helps a lot. The dual-color scheme should be standard issue on all fly lines – it really helps a lot.
The Rio Bonefish line is also probably a better choice for fisheries outside South Andros where the flies aren’t so big and/or the fish are maybe a little spookier on average. Belize and Christmas Island come to mind.
Back on South Andros though, heading out on the flats with an 8 weight loaded with a Tropical Clouser and a 7 weight loaded with a Bonefish lineseems like a darned good idea.
I prefer the 8wt GLX Cross Current with the Xi3s, the S4S and B2Mx coming in a second.
Steve,
I also use the GLX Cross Currents rods for bonefish. Which lines do you prefer and do you overline one weight?
Curly