Have you ever been watching a bonefish happily cruise on a flat just to see him spook off when a cloud moves in front of the sun? I had this exact situation happen when fishing Andros South with legendary guide Charlie Sweeting. I have scared my fair share of fish and will always admit to a poor cast causing a fish to take off but this time I could not figure out what I did wrong. That is when Charlie explained to me that he is convinced the shadows from clouds often spook Bonefish because the fish believe it is a shadow from a large bird of prey like an osprey. He may of just been saying this to make me feel better but I think it makes sense. Bonefish as a species always seem very aware of their surroundings. Whether that is a shark nearby or the splash from a heavy fly, they are cautious animals. I have noticed that people who do not fish never give fish enough credit for being smart. I always remind these people when survival is their motivating factor, they are forced to be smart. If they weren’t smart, they’d unfortunately be dead. The more credit and respect you give fish, the more you will catch!
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Good to know! It’s so importanT not to give Mr Gray ghost scaredy-cat an excuse to spook! Be quiet and not false cast more than necessary and keep you casts horizontal as much as possible. I’m thinking of sandpapering my shiny rods into a matte finish but it my void the warrantee.