Chicken Fried Flat

Yesterday began in a dramatic fashion. I left my iPhone in my jeans pocket. The same jeans my wife just threw in the wash. I ran down to the washing machine, pulled out my jeans, which of course were on the bottom, and fished out my phone. Miraculously, it hadn't yet gotten wet.

When day's begin like this, you never know what to expect. Turns out, it really did go up from there. My wife gave me the new Zac Brown Band CD for our Anniversary. The Bonefish Flat gives it four stars.

Zac Brown blends Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, and Waylon Jennings together to come up with some laid back, island country fusion sounds that are perfect for the car ride to the bonefish flat. The music will get you relaxed and ready for your day to tailing bones in "Chicken Fried" flat. The song "Where the Boat Leaves From" is a country revved island tune that will have your head bobbing. "Whatever it is" will have you missing your wife, provided you didn't bring her along on your trip.

Be sure to check out this CD.

You've got to listen to something on your way fishing, right?

Why Do I Write the Bonefish Flat?

How can a guy who lives in Virginia, works in DC, and is not a fly fishing guide write a blog called The Bonefish Flat?  First off, the bonefish flat is about saltwater fly fishing.  It’s rockfish in Virginia and Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, Redfish in North Carolina, Texas Tarpon, and yes, Bahamas Bonefish. 

One of man’s key instincts is to hunt.  Ask any guy this and many of us who haven’t been corrupted by a desk will tell you we long to live off the land.  We want to raise and grow our own food and not be bothered by governments trying to run our life. We want to survive because of hard work. 

If you take this as I do to be fact, I would tell you that God has instilled in me a need to fish and at the top of my list are hunting bonefish with a fly rod.  If not a bonefish, I’ll settle for anything that swims in salt water.  But since the world has changed, I sit at a desk for most of the day.  Next to my desk sits a picture of me holding a permit which sits right next to a picture of me holding a bonefish.  My computer’s desktop picture is, you guessed it, me holding another bonefish.

I research destinations relentlessly looking for information on how to succeed.  When is the best time to go bone fishing?  What should I expect from the weather?  Is it a full moon or when is the rising tide?  I ask around as to what flies work best and then I tie them.  For nights and nights at a time I sit and tie flies for the next trip.  If you’re a fishing guide and you’re going to take me fishing, I’m going to ask you what flies to bring and I’ll tie those too.   

When I’m not working or fishing, I read and write.  Mostly read, but read voraciously about fishing and, in particular saltwater fly fishing.  I read how-to books by Lefty, Chico, and Dick Brown.  I read literature about fishing by McGuane, Hemingway, and anyone else I can get a hold of.  I love McGuane’s essays about the Meat Bucket, or M.B., a Zen like stage of fly fishing where everything comes together and you know life will be OK.  I treasure Hemingway’s accounts of fishing for big game and I understand Santiago’s struggle with his marlin.

I also love to fly cast.  I setup cones in the park and practice casting for distance.  I use a camcorder to tape myself so I can learn from mistakes and get better.  People look at me like I'm crazy, and I am.  I read books on the casting, too. Mel Krieger, Lefty, and Borger (the younger, not the elder). 

At night I look online for Web sites that give me more information on where to go.  I read trip reports from others who have taken saltwater fly fishing trips for inspiration on future adventures.  I listen to podcasts about bone fishing, red fishing, tarpon fishing, permit fishing rooster fishing, and so on.  You get the idea.   

When I fish, it mean’s I’m fly fishing.  I am a fly fishing snob.  I don’t want to use a spinning rod or a bait casting rod.  It’s fine if you do and I won’t laugh at you.  In fact, you’ll probably catch more fish than me.  But to me, there is a real challenge to catch a bonefish waving a stick back and forth in a 15 knot wind.  It’s hard to cast a sinking line off a boat with a big 2/0 Clouser hoping to bag a giant Rockfish that may or may not be there thanks to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. 

I look-up to the legends of our sport. including Stu Apte, Chico Fernandez, Flip Pallot, Lefty, Ted Williams (the fly caster, not the baseball player), Del Brown, and Steve Huff, just to name a few. 

I write The Bonefish Flat since I can’t go fishing everyday because there are higher priorities than fishing, namely a wife and two kids.  But I assure you that when it comes to fly fishing, in particular saltwater fly fishing, even more specific flats fishing, I am a fanatic. 

The Bonefish Flat, its all about to happen. 

Florida Python Hunting

Ok, this isn't about bonefishing, but it is about Florida and the Everglades.  If you haven't followed the little snake problem they have down there, this article will get you up to speed.  Apparently people release their pet pythons into the Glades and then the things grow into monster snakes.

People, don't just turn your snake's loose.  In fact, you shouldn't have a snake anyway.  Get a dog or something.

Tibor Everglades

So folks wanted some pictures, here is one of my favorite pictures.  I love my Tibor, love the sound it makes when a fish is screaming, and like the scenery here.

Enjoy

Update on the Bonefish Flat

Hopefully you've noticed that The Bonefish Flat has been updated more often lately. I'm making a strong effort to update folks every day.

The Bonefish Flat is going to be getting even better. I've heard from some fans and will start including more pictures. I'm also going to try and include more videos that are out there.

Conservation will continue to play an important role on the site so you can expect more updates on issues affecting the salt water environment.

On that note, the flat is going to be covering all things saltwater fly fishing, which of course, means the bonefish flats we all love, too.

I'll alsobe sharing some fiction that I have been working on. I'm no Tom McGuane, but I do love to write.

We also have a new logo in the works that will make us a bit more cool. And finally, I'm working to get more trip reports from some friends who also love the flats and the salt.

So please tell your fishing buddies, join us on Facebook, and sign up for my e-mail alerts.

This is The Bonefish Flat, it's all about to happen.

WorldANGLING on the Spanish Fly

Will Benson of WorldANGLING will be fishing with Jose Wejebe on this weekend's Spanish Fly TV show.  The show will air at 9:30 on Sunday February 21.

I first heard of Will on Zach Matthew's Itinerant Angler Podcast which can be found here.  I'll be sure to tune in and watch him fish with Jose.  If you can't watch it, be sure to set the DVR.

If I would have known that Will was fishing with Jose, I would have asked him to ask Jose why he doesn't fly fish on the show anymore.  It looks like Jose will be using the long rod with Will, but be sure to tune in and see.

My guess is that guys like Jose and Tom Rowland use the fly rod less and less on TV because sponsors demand that they use there products.  The fly rod and reel companies just can't compete.

 

Steve Huff: Flats Guide Extrodinaire

Some of you may be wondering,  "How can I book a day of fishing with legendary Florida fishing guide Steve Huff?  I can't find a Web site or listing for him anywhere."

The answer is you can't.

In this article from Florida Today, outdoor columnist Bill Sargent talks with a living legend about fishing in Florida.

For those of you who don't know, Captain Huff is the guide who famously named Del Brown's Permit crab the Merkin.  Huff guided Brown often and one day Brown showed up with the new fly.  Huff said something like, "that looks like a Merkin."  History was made.  From what I've read, the late Brown wasn't particularly happy with the name of the new fly, but that's what Huff called it and so that's what it became.

This fly has revolutionized fly fishing for Permit.  Before the crab fly, the success rate for catching a Permit was so low that many fly anglers didn't bother fishing for the species.  With the Merkin, it was discovered that yes Permit will eat a fly and so a new flats game began.

The next time you run into Captain Huff, be sure to say thanks.