the Bonefish Report

Los Roques

Sun, 24 May 2009 20:13:21 -0700

I have been blessed enough to have been able to sample some of the best bonefishing destinations in the world and have come to this conclusion. Los Roques is my favorite. Like I’ve said here before Los Roques offers a sampling of every bonefish location I’ve been to. You see Mexico without the swine flu, the Bahamas without flying through Miami and Christmas Island without the peanut butter sandwiches. Now I do like peanut butter sandwiches, just not everyday.

Los Roques has something that makes you want to return the minute to step on the plane headed home. Perhaps it is a sense of having spent the week at the home of a good friend. You feel a part of the island and very much at home. The island’s quaint shops and Posadas line the sandy streets, painted to reflect the owner’s personality. Each is a canvas that comes to life under the Caribbean sun. A walk through town is like a stroll in an art gallery.

The flavors of Los Roques are has varied as the nations represented by its inhabitants. Europeans make up most of the guests on the island and many of the Posadas are owned by foreigners. Our home for the week was the Posada Acuarela which is owned by an Italian who fancies himself an artist. His bright and cheery work hangs throughout the inn decorating the rooms and common areas. It adds to the feeling of staying in a friend’s home.

Another of the benefits of European ownership is the food. We dined on Italian dishes with a Caribbean flavor the entire week. Four course meals of traditional dishes served with tuna, Cuda and other local pescado tempted our taste buds each evening. Topped off with a “to die for” desert of flan, lemon pie or moose. The only thing that kept me from adding ten pounds to my frame was the fishing.

Fishing is all done by wading and Los Roques has miles of wadable flats. Whether small pancake flats are your favorite or flats that stretch for miles, you’ll find them here. The bottom for the most part is hard sand and coral but there are those softer flats that remind you of the Yucatan and will suck your boots right off your feet. Great way to burn off an extra helping of pasta but should be avoided in the heat of the day.

I found the fishing this trip to be technically challenging and most enjoyable. Two flats come to mind as some of the most fun I’ve had chasing bonefish. They went on for miles and the bonefish came in singles and doubles all morning. Big fish in the 5-8 pound range that were cautious but hungry. It required stealth and accurate casting to fool this silver ghosts and I had my “A game” going for once. Fishing alone on the last day I covered over a mile of flat landing 18 nice big Los Roques bonefish and burning off at least one helping of flan. I plan to return soon for seconds.

Sad day on Christmas Island

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 07:13:31 -0700

The Bonefishing world lost an icon this past week when Polau Kaiu passed away on April 1 due to complications of his fight with diabetes. Polau was the Head Guide at the Captain Cook Hotel on Christmas Island for many years and had only this past year turned those duties over to Tyrone. He continued to work as a Senior Guide.

I was lucky to have fished with Polau a few times during my stays at the Cook and we always had a great day of catching bonefish. He was very quiet and only spoke to answer questions or point out a fish that I had not seen. He was a wealth of information about the island and it's inhabitants so a walk with him was like a history lesson about Christmas Island. If you asked the right questions.

The last time I fished with Polau we walked a flat never out of sight of bonefish. I cast, hooked and landed fish after fish. None were very large, but all were eager to eat the fly. In the afternoon I switched guides with my partner and took the younger guide who informed me we would have to work hard to catch as many fish as I had caught with Polau. I had no idea how many fish I had landed so I asked my young guide what our goal was. He replied that Polau had counted 41 fish landed that morning. I was surprised by that number as I didn't think it was that high, and I had no idea Polau was keeping score. I landed 29 fish in the afternoon, greatly disappointing my young guide. Polau was still the Top Guide.

tiabo Polau Kaiu,
ko raba

This is an email I received from Biita, the Head Guide at the Shark Place....unedited. JL

Hi Joel.

Sorry for the delay to response. Yes he dead the very sa thing happen. Joel Listen to this story: One of my child was sick so my wife and I went to see the Doctor, 5 minutes later an ampulance came in Palau was in the car with wife and two older children. I asked him what happen he said he has a boil sore when he end diopedics. I mean High sugar.He spoke to me with heart beat like he just came back from a running race. I hold on to his ches to help him a bit, the son came up and I stay away. I ask what he like to eat they said he like to eat a shape Cracker. All over the store could not found one so I came back with an apple and orange. Then we go home.
Next morning I went to the air-port to say good bye to the Client when some of the Guides told me Palau is dead.

Very very sad. Came back run to the radio station and pay for the announcement about our very welknown Guides Palau. People ask if I related to him but I say no He is very very special to me so I got to do something for him.
Anyway Hew was over 50yrs old. Palau have six or seven Kids. Sorry I cannot give you the right amount. When I get a chance I will count and tell you.
Thank you again for your time.

Thank you again
Biita Kairaoi

Christmas Island

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:04:49 -0800

One thing you can count on when heading to the tropics is that the wind will blow sometime during your stay. Sometimes it won’t stop. That was the case during our fall trip to Christmas Island. It never let up. A few mornings it seemed like it had faded, but by the time we got on the flats it was back in full force. Never the less our adventurous group of anglers caught plenty of fish and had a great time.

When embarking on any trip you’ll find that the success of the trip depends on your attitude. Lost luggage, bad weather, illness and a host of other things can only ruin a trip if you let it. Lucky for me my guests all have a great attitude when it comes to fishing trips and all rose to the challenge of the wind. Also lucky for me no one got sick, lost their luggage or had any other problems. All we had was the wind.

Bonefish, Travalley and an assortment of other fish provided enough action for the group and most evenings the bench fishing went on for hours. You should see the Trigger fish my Dad caught! It is fun to sit back and watch as others relive great battles and share the excitement of a really big fish or in some cases a first bonefish. Battling the wind and fish made success stories even sweeter. You earned them.

Apart from the weather we enjoyed great food on this adventure which has not always been the case on Christmas Island. Kata the cook really put together some great meals and no one went hungry. Our hosts made sure we had everything we needed and went above and beyond the call to see we were comfortable. The accommodations at The Shark Place were clean and neat and the staff was friendly and efficient.

Over at the Villages we had six anglers that had traveled with us from Hawaii and we joined them mid week for a luau. The Villages staff put on a great party. We enjoyed music and a native dancer in addition to a fantastic meal. On the last evening the “Village People” joined us for dinner and again we were entertained with native dancers. We had a group of women who presented us with flower leis during their dance. Then a group of men in traditional dress did some impressive dancing of their own. Food again was center stage and Kata did a great job. We also crowned TMack the winner of the ugly shirt contest and awarded him a lovely pink Lava lava as the prize. Two of the dancers were chosen as judges and I’m sure we’ll need to disqualify Troy if he tries to enter that shirt again. I think I saw him slip the female judge a five spot earlier….

Los Roques

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:59:40 -0700

The second stop on the Brotherhood of the Bonefish World Tour in 2007 was the archipelago of Los Roques. Located about 90 miles off the coast of Venezuela, Los Roques is a sleepy little tourist hangout with sandy streets and colorful Posadas (hotels). Far removed from all that is Caracas, Los Roques is safe, clean and very friendly to Americans. The pace is slow and very comfortable. And the Bonefishing is superb.

Your trip starts with an overnight stay on the mainland near the airport. Most flights from the US arrive in the evening so flying directly to Los Roques is not an option as there are no lights on the runway. If you’re on the east coast you may be able to get an afternoon flight to the island and avoid the stay in Caracas, although that is an interesting part of the trip. Your safety is always taken care of by SightCast and you are met at the airport by Tony, a very friendly and helpful tour operator. Tony will exchange money and make sure you get to the hotel safely. He will also point out places to dine if you are so inclined.

Sunday morning Tony gets everyone to the airport and through security before leaving you on your own to fly to Los Roques. Upon your arrival you are met by Chris or one of his staff and escorted through the sandy streets to your bonefishing headquarters, the Posada Vistalmar. A quick breakfast and grab your gear, you’re off to the flats.

All bonefishing is done by wading. Local panga style boats are used only to excess the fishing locations. The boats are comfortable and very seaworthy. Most have bimini tops for sun protection while moving from flat to flat or when stopping for lunch. Each pair of anglers fishes with a guide and a boatman. You are let off on the upwind side of a flat and fish downwind. The boatman meets you at the far end of the flat and it’s off to the next one. A very efficient way to fish!

The flats of Los Roques vary from white sand flats that go for miles, to small pancake flats popping up from deep blue waters. You’ll see a little of everything in a week of fishing here. It’s like fishing all the world’s bonefishing destinations in one week. You’ll see places that remind you of Mexico, Christmas Island, the Bahamas, Belize and some that are uniquely Los Roques. Another thing you’ll see are big bonefish.

The week I chose to host a trip this year gave us good tides to fish the pancakes. We spent most of the week hopping from one flat to another casting to schools of very large fish. Bonefish average 4-5 pounds and many larger fish were landed during the week. Anglers are also treated to tarpon, jacks, Cuda and the occasional permit. This trip I cast to several groups of permit that lived up to their reputation and refused all my offerings. In two days I counted over 27 permit in the 15-30 pound class, and never got one to eat a fly…guess that’s why I keep trying.

We had a great week of weather and fishing with several in our group landing their very first bonefish. Everyone enjoyed the fishing, but some of the other interesting sites of Los Roques also got their attention. There was plenty of things to see both on the water and on the beach. I’ll leave my guests to describe their favorites.

With near perfect weather for most of the year due to it’s location near the equator, Los Roques offers an extended bonefishing season. One can do well and be very comfortable right into July and August without worrying about hurricanes. Winter months can also be productive and a great break from the cold wet winters. Peak months are like most of the Caribbean and run from April through June. The rainy season starts in June, but rain showers are brief on the islands and normally lead to hungry fish.

Of all the places I’ve chased after bonefish, Los Roques, Venezuela is my favorite. Friendly people, comfortable lodging, 100 percent wade fishing, different types of flats and big bonefish add up to a great angling experience. OK, their president is a little wacko, but he doesn’t fish! I’ll be going back, hopefully very soon.

Casa Blanca

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 13:34:08 -0800

It’s always nice to back up a northern steelheading adventure with a trip to a warmer location. I find that tropical weather helps get my joints working again. Upon returning from BC I had a very short time to tye a few flies, pack my bonefishing gear, switch a few fly lines and fly off to Mexico for a visit to the world famous Casa Blanca Bonefish Lodge. Sometimes it’s tough being me.

Casa Blanca is located on a small island just inside the barrier reef on the southern end on Ascension Bay on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. When you see what the owners have created on this secluded patch of sand you’ll understand why Casa Blanca is one of the premier bonefishing lodges in world. I also heard the food is good.

Traveling with me on this adventure was a mix of first time bonefishers, some fairly new to the game of saltwater angling and a few non-fishing spousal units. Under normal conditions Ascension Bay gives up her secrets easily making it a perfect destination for anglers of varying skill levels. Schools of happy Bonefish, an abundant Permit population, plenty of cruising Tarpon and sneaky Snook make for a regular saltwater smorgasbord of fishing fun. I said under normal conditions. We didn’t have normal conditions. The freaky weather that brought early snow storms to the east coast brought dark clouds and stormy skies to this otherwise tropical paradise. Good thing the food was good.

Although fishing conditions were not the best, they were challenging. Bonefish were nervous and headed for cover even if you thought about making a cast. Tarpon and Snook hung close to cover and used it to their advantage. All in all it was a test of angler against the elements and the fish. It made better anglers of us all. Tough fishing does that. You have to bring your A game.

Fortunately Casa Blanca is one of the most comfortable places to wait out bad weather that there is. I’ve been to a few bonefish lodges that would have been unbearable under the same conditions. We all had comfortable rooms to nap or read before dinner after a hard day on the flats. The staff made sure we also had plenty of food and drink at all times. The service was second to none, and the food was great. Did I mention that?

OK so it wasn’t the most successful fishing trip I’ve ever had. I had a great time and made a few new friends. I caught some nice fish and fought many more. I made some great casts under difficult conditions that many anglers couldn’t have made. I brought my A game. Well, most of the time. I also hit a lot of fish right on the old bean when the wind grabbed my cast. That didn’t work. Pedro my guide never complained when I launched a cast into the mangroves and he had to pole over so I could retrieve my fly while Mr. Tarpon and Snook snickered. Oh well, at least the food was good. Now if the pilot can just figure out how to land on the runway...