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.
The Marquesa: New From Hell's Bay
If I could have one toy, just one new thing to play with, hands down it would be a Hells Bay Marquesa skiff. I love this skiff. Super versatile, can handle a chop, and yet still manages to get skinny enough for me to throw a fly at a tailing fish.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new chapter for my sought after prize. Hells Bay has totally redone perfection and is introducing the newly redone Marquesa at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. And why would Hells Bay remake their best selling skiff? According to Hell's Bay owner Chris Peterson, "A boat, especially a small one, needs to be rugged enough to cross that six mile wide Boca Grande Channel, a hellish ever-changing barrier which turns back a majority of anglers. The Marquesa is the magic key for not only reaching the Marquesas but providing a dry ride in rough water areas along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.”The boat is targeted specifically to deliver its anglers and guides dry and happy to pursue species like bonefish and permit, Hell’s Bay Boatworks is unveiling the re-engineered and versatile 18’ 1” skiff in its convention center exhibit at the Ft. Lauderdale Intl’ Boat Show, Oct. 25 – 29.“Some of the finest Keys guides helped in the redesign phase. We revamped the hull by taking off the sponsons and configured the running pad for more lift and a buttery smooth ride. We moved the transom and engine back and added two inches around the deck’s lip to keep the spray underneath and the boat dryer. Its 79” beam has lots of storage and a large livewell," added Peterson."At 695 lbs (dry) it not only floats shallow with a seven inch draft and a 90 - 115 hp engine, it’s super quiet and more maneuverable when poling or anchored up,” Peterson added. “They’ve become very popular as multipurpose fishing tenders for 60+ ft. sport yacht owners.”Hell’s Bay offers eight custom shallow-water performance skiffs and at the show will also showcase its smallest the Biscayne at 16’ 4” and its largest the Neptune at 18’ 8”.With Christmas just around the corner, you can expect a new Hell's Bay Marquesa at the top of my list. Hope the wife reads this post.
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