I just returned from Islamorada. Tony Smith, the Publisher of Stratos, and I went down for a weekend's fly rod bonefishing on some of Florida's best flats the weekend after President George Bush's annual charity bonefish tournament. Since neither of us knew the area, we booked a guide for an eight in the morning to four at night trip. Tony caught a shark and some jacks. I managed a couple of bonefish and a half a dozen jacks with "long line releases" on a bigger bonefish and a tarpon. At $350 for the day this might steep, but we turned up for a weekend that fit our schedule, but which had far too much wind for fly flinging the flats.
We could not complain about the guide who worked extremely hard poling in high winds. However, I should have insisted we head for sheltered back canals earlier in the day, or simply skipped the trip.
It is worth pointing out that some guides are locked into a few methods in a few spots. Ours seemed a bit more flexible than most so when we arrived at a nice bend in a sheltered canal it was time for shrimp and shot. I insisted a rather different approach using an odd floating float that contained shot so it rattled when jigged. By attaching the float at only one end I could cast it to a likely spot and jig it to attract fish.
The guide mentioned that his wife adored fishing with floats, but that "you simply can't catch bonefish on floats."
Oddly enough my first three hookups were bonefish -- well, the biggest one that got away pulled like a bonefish and did not jump as would be the case with tarpon. After a bit the guide switched methods and caught a few fish until the tide ran out.
Therefore, the moral to all this seems multiple.
First, check on the results of the prior day and the weather if possible in cases where you do not have to book ahead.
Second, bring alternative methods or tackle or change locations or target species if you do not do well. After all, you cannot do worse than get skunked. So why not get skunked with a method you like?
Third, consider fish caught a bonus and judge a guide on how hard he or she works as well as by results. Our trip without telephones or major decisions in the warm tropical sun seemed worth the cost for the day in birds spied wading the flats and. Add the odd porpoise noodling about the boat, a sea turtle, high speed runs through the mangroves and a shore look at some of the nicest estates in the tropics and the trip returned good value except for the airline food going and coming.
