Conversations About First-Time Flats Fishing
When we talk to guests about their first flats fishing trip to Andros South, we always get a lot of questions about angling skill.
“Is it really that hard to see bonefish?”
“How far do I have to cast?”
“What about casting in the wind?”
So we explain that the fishery on South Andros is super productive and pristine. We tell them they’re going to have plenty of shots, and a lot of the shots are going to be at really close range, and that they don’t need to worry about catching bonefish. They’re going to catch bonefish – if you have the physical aptitude to make your way onto a flats skiff, you’re going to catch bonefish on your trip to Andros South.
But then, for folks who are used to freshwater fishing, we like to talk to them about their attitude.
Not Catching Fish in Freshwater
Here’s the thing – in most freshwater situations you don’t see the fish before they eat. If you fish through a run for trout or steelhead and don’t get any takes, that might be for any of the following reasons:
- There were no fish there.
- There were fish there but they weren’t going to eat no matter what you did.
- There were fish there but you had on the wrong fly or amount of split shot or sinktip.
- You did something wrong.
So if you look through that list, you notice that there are a number of reasons that the fish didn’t eat that didn’t involve you doing anything wrong. If you’re a normal human being and you fish through a freshwater run and nobody eats your fly, you’re probably going to to conclude that there were no fish there, or they weren’t going to eat, or you had the wrong rig.
That’s totally cool – you’re not going fishing to blame yourself. Go out there and have fun, and don’t worry about it!
But…that’s not how it is on the flats of South Andros.
You Know What You Have to Do
After just a little bit of time on the flats of South Andros – once you’ve cast to a few bonefish, and you’ve gotten to the point where you can see the bonefish every once in a while – you realize that, if you get your fly in front of our bonefish and move it reasonably, the fish is probably going to eat. Our fish are not pressured, and that’s a really cool thing about our fishery – you do your part and the fish are probably going to do theirs.
But that’s the rub! You can see the fish and you know that if you get your fly in front of them they’re probably going to eat…and when you don’t do your part, you know it. On the flats, all of sudden you’re painfully aware of every mistake you make, every day.
You can’t claim that there were no fish there (you saw him). You can’t claim that they weren’t going to eat (they generally do). You can rarely claim that you had the wrong rig, because we’re talking floating lines and fish that aren’t that picky when it comes to fly selection. It basically comes down to getting your fly in front of the fish and moving it reasonably, and guess what – sometimes you’re not going to do that!
No matter how great of an angler you are, you’re going to see a bonefish, and know that all you have to do is make the shot, and you’re not going to make the shot.
Humility
And that’s totally cool! Nobody makes all the shots. The more you fish on the flats the more often you’re going to make the shots, and that’s a big part of what makes flats fishing so addictive.
The key to having fun on the flats is to be humble. You’re going to have lots of cases where there’s nothing to blame but your missed shot – it doesn’t matter who you are. Don’t expect to be perfect, because no one is. Don’t expect to have something else to blame, because a lot of the time it’s going to be on you.
Who cares? Fishing is fun! You’re on vacation. Blow as many shots as you want, and don’t get mad. Laugh it off and be ready for the next one. Know that you’re in a really cool fishery that’s going to provide you tons of opportunity. Take it all in, be OK with being humble, and have fun out there.
This is excellent advice, and having made all of three trips bonefishing I fell qualified to add a few more amateur perspective pointers:
1. Be realistic about how far you can cast accurately. Before you leave home, practice throwing directly into the wind. If your double haul isn’t good, it might only be 25′ into 20mph wind. (If you have a nine weight, bring it alongside the 8 and leave the 7 at home if South Andros is your destination.)
When the guide points out a fish that’s 35′ away into the teeth of the wind, that fish is out of range. Wait for it to get closer, wade to where you have a better angle or cast to another fish. It’s frustrating (and you don’t make any better casts under pressure) to get “shots” that really aren’t legit conversion opportunities.
Obviously, the more casting practice you put in the bigger your arc of competence is going to be. (Don’t forget to practice the backcast delivery or some other method of delivering the fly when the wind’s off your casting shoulder: some day, that’s were 80% of the action occurs.)
2. If you make good presentations and don’t get bit, use a heavier fly as you’re probably just off the bottom/over the fish.
3. If you aren’t seeing the fish, your enjoyment and success will suffer. Even if the guide and you are in synch and your 50′ is his 50′ at 11 o’clock, casting blind isn’t what it’s all about. You’ll read a lot of articles about the best flats fishing glasses, and much of it is BS. I went through three pairs of glasses before I found ones that really work and the common denominator was that the others let in 15% or more of the light (“VLT” for visible light transmission). On the flats in bright sunshine, you want 10% or 12% (tops) VLT. Brown/copper provides the best contrast. I recommend the Costas in green over bronze, 580T Trivex (they come in Rx as well), but there are other brands and styles that will work.
If it gets cloudy, my backups are mirrored copper Smiths with 15% VLT. Only if it’s stormy do rose/amber work better than the others.
Having glasses on where you can see the fish at 80′ and watch him swim into range before you make a cast is what it’s all about.
Great stuff Brad! Thanks for taking the time share your own lessons learned. To those interested in giving bonefishing a try for the first time, all of the above tips are great advice!
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