Fun on the Florida, and other, Flats

Clearly it is really "the flats" that make bonefish special. Florida's flats still offer unique fishing habitat and fine fishing a drive from home for fishermen who trailer boats down to Islamorada and the other islands along the causeway to Key West. Christmas Island, Belieze and more remote areas grow in popularity with the "cost no object" angler too.

Expert Florida fishing guides insure quality catch and, mostly, release action on the miles of shallow, sandy or muddy water that shimmers calm reflections of the sun. Bonefish, the "ghosts" of the flats, are barely visible to skilled eyes as they drift across the shallows. Permit, an even more treasured catch that, with bonefish and tarpon, make up a "flat's grand slam" fin by.

Barracudas pivot to keep their heads pointed toward poled skiffs and wading fishermen. Sharks move into the shallows. Mullet jump. It's a magic place accessible to any angler, for fishermen need neither fancy tackle nor sophisticated techniques to catch bones. As with other "mythical" species, like grayling, reality does not always come up to literary accounts. For example, much of the literature insists that bonefish are difficult to take. Those who write most of this insist on using fly rods or lures.

Even so, Jack Samson, in LINE DOWN! THE SPECIAL WORLD OF BIG-GAME FISHING tells of a day when he fished with the notable angler A. J. McClane rigged up a six inch long yellow floating plug.

Jack's an interesting fellow who edited a major outdoor magazine after time in the WW II Flying Tigers. A. J. was doubtless America's fishing guru for at least 30 years. Samson asked, "What you after with that?" "Oh, anything," A.J. said in his maddening casual manner, "Lots of fish will take a plug on the flats -- tarpon, jacks, barracuda, bonefish." "Bonefish, on that thing," SamsonMcClane McClane didn't bother to answer, but twitched the big plug a couple of times and the lure disappeared in a boil of water. The casting reel shrieked as the fish headed southeast. "That bonefish should go about eight McClane" said McClane who handed the rodPattiis wife, Patti. When she landed the fish, it weighted just a bit over eighMcClanes.

McClane gave the plug to Samson, who fished it for a couple of hours and caught five barracuda, but no bonefish. Samson put the plug on the wall of his den to "keep me from forgetting again hat an angler never gets smart enough to know it all."

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