Venezuela 1997
Bonefish & tarpon
Los Roques was an adventure! We travelled to this exotic destination without any pre-bookings. Hardcore DIY. We ended up at a beach house of the pilot that flew us to the island, eating snapper every day. I got food poisening and lay in bed for two days. My white face on the top image shows the pale look. A lobster fisherman would take us around in his panga for only 50US$ a day (sharing with 4). It wasn't hard to find the bonefish as they were everywhere! We even bumbed into some baby tarpon. At first I tought I was casting to a world record bonefish. When it started jumping after hook-up I knew it was tarpon. My first ever on fly.
We used 9ft 8-weight rods and the run of a bonefish needs some braking. So the reel is probably your most important tool when chasing bones. The grey ghosts swim shallow and are extremely spooky so we used 4.5mtr long 8lb, 10lb and 12lb tapered saltwater leaders. Sightfishing was the game but in some bays we saw mudding and casted our shrimp and crab patterns towards the murky water. Those bones were too easy but also great fun catching.
If you ever travel to Los Roques, take flies tied on #2 to #8 hooks (I used the TMC811S). Crabs, shrimp and baitfish patterns like the blue crab, Borski's fur shrimp and the world famous bonefish special are some of my favorites. But also crazy charlies and other variations, weighted and unweighted should be in your box. The use of weedguards can also be crucial when fishing the spots that do not have white sand only. And there are lots of those spots all over bonefish country.
