The Bonefish Flat: Crack Da' Conch

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, March 25, 2012

Crack Da' Conch

While it's always important to practice good catch and release methods with bonefish, permit, and tarpon, I'm not going to release conch. This marine gastropod molluscs is actually in the snail family and is the second most popular snail to eat after escargot.

Oh, conch, how do I love thee? Let Bubba count the ways: conch fritters, conch salad, cracked conch...I'm not sure what else there is, but I would try it. Have you ever wondered how you get these critters to come out of there shells?

I got to try my hand at it and it took me quite a bit longer than Leonardo here.