Want To Catch A Bonefish?

The months of April, May and June are excellent ones to visit the Bahamas in search of bonefish, A sport which today is becoming very popular with today's fly fishers, especially with more and more cheap flights to exotic locations. One place I will be visiting is Joel Moxey's bonefish lodge at Moxey Town near Mangrove Cay in South Andros. If your new to bonefishing then I recommend you read 'Bonefishing' by Randall Kaufmann. It's without doubt the definitive book on the subject.. In my lifetime I have been privileged to read many fine books on travel, natural history and fishing being among my favourite's. In fact I have over 2000 angling titles from the 1700's to the present day covering all aspects of salt and freshwater angling. Some have become classics in their own right where they have stood the test of time. Since the days of sailing ships, British anglers have been great travellers. During the 1800's they were fishing all corners of the world. Then on their return home some of these adventurous anglers would put pen to paper writing about their travels, catches, and adventures. This in turn made others follow in their footsteps.

I suppose it was the 1990's when bonefish become a cult fish. Salmon anglers no longer wanted to spend a couple of thousands of pounds sterling on a fish-less river in Scotland with rain and mosquitoes as company. Why should they when for the same amount of cash they could travel to exotic locations such as the Florida Keys or the Bahamas to fish for bonefish, tarpon and permit. Or perhaps achieve the grand slam? What wife or girl friend wouldn't swap rainy Britain for the sunny Bahamas? No longer did she look upon fishing as that old boring game. You, the angler were encouraged to go in search of the bonefish.

During the 1990's several books were published about catching this great sporting fish of the flats - known as the grey ghost or silver bullet. Hundreds, no thousands of articles were published. During this period, two books changed the face of bonefishing, Del Browns 'Fly fishing for bonefishing' published by Lyons and Burford and 'Bonefishing With A Fly' by Randal Kaufmann published by Western Fisherman's Press. Before my first bonefishing trip, the latter book become my bedtime reading for several months. Even today, two or three weeks before a trip chasing bones Kaufmann's book once again becomes important reading.

I have been very fortunate in meeting some excellent bonefish anglers who have helped me in my quest for this glamour fish of the 21st century. To them all I will always be grateful. It really started back in 1991 on a visit to Oregon in my quest for the steelhead. I met up with those great anglers Gordon Nash and Jerry Swanson who worked in Kaufmann's Streamborn fly shop at Tigard near Portland Oregon. I would sit for hours at a time as they regaled me with tales of bonefish trips. Today at the start of a new century a new book has been published simply titled 'Bonefishing' This is not just any bonefishing book, This is truly the bible for all bone fishers. Don't go after those silver bullets of the flats before you have read Bonefishing by Randall Kaufmann published by Western Fisherman's Press. This volume has 414 pages measuring 9" by 11" and weighing in at around four pounds. That size of bonefish will pull your string and bend your stick like no salmon ever could.

Randall Kaufmann, Brian O'Keefe, and Mike Stidham in this book have captured the magic and mystique of bonefishing. I can do no better than quote the following. 'You sense the freedom of the wind and feel the surf and tide tugging at your psych, You experience the adrenaline rush of speeding bonefish and saviour the tranquil ambience as the sun transforms into a fireball and sizzles into the ocean'.

Fly fishing for bonefish is easy. It does not require mythical prowess or exceptional angling skills. It is much less complicated and technical than fly fishing for trout. Neophyte anglers often hook bonefish on their first adventure. This book Bonefishing tells you where, when, and how to do it. Bonefishing by Randall Kaufmann is the definitive work on the subject. If you are a bonefish aficionado, you must have this book. If you are not yet a bonefish angler, you soon will be. It's without doubt the best book on this great sport of angling it has been my pleasure to read. In fifty years time bonefish anglers will say 'Have your read that book Bonefishing by Randall Kaufmann?'

Go out and buy it now. It's available from Paul Morgan Coch-Y-Bonddu Books Telephone 01654-702837 or E-mail Kaufmann's Streamborn. [email protected] Why not get them to send you their latest catalogue.