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Bonefish Slideshow

This fish tale begins in February 2006, when I came here to Guadeloupe for a holiday. As I always do, I brought my fly fishing rod and reel. I stayed in Guadeloupe for one month. After the first week, I had almost made the complete tour of Guadeloupe. I fished each creek, rock bar, beach etc.. and found nothing to be productive. The first day of the second week my girlfriend came from France, thanks to her, I found my first productive spot. Once she arrived, I had to find a place where she could enjoy swimming and take in the sun and I could fly fish. That's what brought us to the flats. These were beautiful places with white sand, turtle grass, reefs and coral. It was on this flat that I hooked my first bonefish. Once I landed it, I almost gott tears in my eyes. It was a memorable moment because it was my first Bonefish ever and I had spent much time in pursuit of this fish. I started fly fishing in saltwater six years ago in Gabon, Africa, so I was use to seek fish in vast areas. True for bonefish, I understood why the are called the "Gray Ghost of the Flats". The first days were hard but thanks to no fishing pressure I could tangle with several bones each day. Later, we traveled to Desirada, a little island off Guadeloupe. Luckily, I found the flats and bonefish within the first couple hours. I saw, hooked and caught bonefish after

bonefish and I was in heaven. We decided to staye four days instead of one. During the evening hours I would go at in the harbor to fly fish for Tarpon. I hooked 8 each night and landed 3 in 3 nights. We were back in Guadeloupe for the final week of holiday and the bonefish were there right up until the last moment, I fly fished non stop. The time to leave Guadeloupe came and once again I was back in France. I traveled to Ireland for a job but only had to stay in Ireland for two months. An idea was hanging around my brain why not pack up all our stuff and move to Guadeloupe? So I went back to Guadeloupe in May, without fly rods and reels, to check housing opportunities. I did not bring my fly fishing gear because I wasn't suppose to have time for fly fishing. I was definitely wrong to not bring my gear because I found new flats and while standing on seawalls I could see several groups of bonefish. So, I Went back to France to prepare for our big move to Guadeloupe. I spent the entire summer on the phone lining up things with a boat constructor in Jacksonville Fla, rental housing, tying up loose ends and trying to put together the base of my business. Then August arrived and after a "Good Bye Friends Party" on the 19th, we left Bordeaux for Guadeloupe on the Monday August, 21. One week later we found a nice house with a sea view and swimming pool. These were things my girlfriend wanted. Needless to say, I was already fly fishing by the 22nd of August because there would be no more fun until the 15th of September. I had lots of "rendez vous" with administrations, and banks, all boring stuff but important for creating a company. I was finally able to prospect each day. Instead of gold, I was searching for other flats and looking for the Silver Ghosts of the Flats, I found them in good numbers and September, October, November and December were very good months for fly fishing. I was seeing and hooking bonefish every day. I also found some Permit spots and landed 5 little ones but the biggest one I saw was 40 pounds. I did hook a 15 pound Permit that broke my tippet after a 10 minute battle. The configurations of flats here are one of the most challenging to land a big permit with high edges and razor shape corals. A lot of luck is needed once a big fish take the fly but when the fly fishing gods look fondly upon the fly fisherman, landing a big Permit is possible. I'm still praying. In December my brother came to Guadeloupe for the Christmas holiday. He brought his spinning gear but this was not appropriate for bonefish or permit so I decide he should come fly fishing with me. This was his first time with a fly rod, but this "little guy" (19 years old, could have been a "quaterback"), had a very nice cast for a first time fly caster. With some tips he managed to cast 10 to 15 yards which was enough to catch a bonefish. I brought him to some nice flats and before his first bonefish was landed, he lost a bunch of flies and was surprised by the blistering runs of the bonefish. Then came the time he landed his first one on a "cold", windy and rainy morning. Because I was working I couldn't bring him fly fishing each time. By the end of his trip we had fly fished together six times and he landed 4 bonefish between 3 and 4.5 pounds. He really enjoyed bonefishing, and it was a real pleasure for me to share that time with him. He normally pursues big big fish like his latest to date a 500 pound blue marlin in Gabon last spring. One other interesting thing was the Permit. He always said to me "lets go find them." And after we found them he would say, "why didn't they take my fly?" These challenging fish drove him crazy until the end of his holiday. He cast many flies to some big Permit, but none took his fly. I think he got the fly fishing bug and next time he travels to places that have bonefish and permit flats he will bring a fly rod.