Welcome to The Bonefish Flat

There's a stiff wind in your face as you squint in the sun trying to see what the guide sees. "Bonefish at 12 o'clock about 90 feet, do you see it, mon?" You don't and keep squinting, your hat pulled low to keep the sun out of your eyes. "Bonefish at 11 o'clock 70 feet out. Come on man, do you see it?" As the guide is calmly shifting the skiff into position, this time you spot the fish, "I got, it," you reply.

"OK, Mon, Bonefish 50 feet at 10 o'clock. Cast when you're ready."

Cast when you're ready. And with that you drop your fly, roll out a cast, false cast once, and then...

Welcome to the bonefish flat.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Tibor and Abel Fly Reels (or, an ode to the Cork Drag)

When bonefishing, I'm a big fan of cork drag reels and, in particular my Abel Super 8 and my Tibor Everglades. It seems to me that most of the fighting of the fish is done with the reel, so it makes sense to have a drag that is smooth, reliable, and easy to maintain. Saltwater is really hard on equipment, so you don't want something that is hard to maintain.

And cork is just sooo smooth.

So which do you go with? An Abel or a Tibor? Flip a coin. I love my Abel. It's a workhorse and the reel is easy to take care of. The Tibor has it's own "song" that it plays when bonefish or other fish are screaming backing off. Plus it comes with your name on it. I put a bonefish on mine for a little extra bling. Abel has some really sweet fish graphics that give you another level of bling, too.

Either way, both of these reels will passed on to my kids as they will last forever.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

It's All About to Happen

First, the bad news. It is cold here outside Washington, DC, and is supposed to snow this weekend.

The good news, I've got my next adventure planned to the bonefish flat!!!

More details to come.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Brokaw on Flyfishing

Pirates of the Flats is I think the best fishing show for us salt water fly fishers since Walkers Cay Chronicles. If you haven't seen it yet, it is must see television for bonefish junkies like us.

Here is a link to an article on the show's host, Tom Brokaw, talking about an upcoming project and his love of our sport.

http://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/75565-20-questions-tom-brokaw

Have you nurtured any new hobbies since your retirement from the anchor desk?

No, not new ones. I’ve been spending time in the ones I’ve had — fly-fishing, bird hunting. I’m getting ready to go to Australia and New Zealand to go biking. I was in the south of France and South Africa biking.

What are your plans for the future? Any other projects you’re working on?

I’m always working on something. I’m finishing up a documentary for CNBC on baby boomers. I’m working on another book, the subject of which I’m not prepared to share with you at the moment. I do a fair amount on writing. I just did a profile on Dick Ebersole for Men’s Journal.

And I continue to pursue the things that compelled me to leave nightly news, like biking, climbing, exotic fishing trips. And then I’m spending more time watching my grandchildren come of age.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Happy New Year from the Bonefish Flat

From Tarpon Hunting by Thomas McGuane

In the end, the meat bucket was a situation of mind where everything was going to be okay. When you had gone and messed up your intelligence with whiskey or worse, jacked yourself all out of shape, the meat bucket was the final pie in the sky, the universal trout or steelhead or permit or what-all run, the place where you always threw the perfect loop and never had to live with right hand winds, cold rain, broken homes, failed religion, or long-distance relationships.

The meat bucket was Jim Harrison screaming that his knees were buckling and "he's got all my line!" on his first hundred pound tarpon.

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope we all find the meat bucket, or M.B., as McGuane calls it, in 2010!


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