Daily Schedule

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:54

Your presentation should always be chosen according to the fish's behavior, but no matter what behavior you encounter, you should always make your cast so that you can retrieve the fly in front of and away from the fish. That might seem fairly simple to do but it is very easy to cast to some cruising or feeding fish and have them swim across the leader in which case you would then be stripping toward the fish. From a fish's point of view, the fly would then appear to be coming after him which is quite unnatural and would spook the fish. A more natural situation would be for the fish to see its prey (fly) trying to escape, that is, being stripped away. Following is a very brief description of fish behaviors you will encounter on the flats.

1. Tailing - When bonefish (or any fish) is tailing, it has it's head down and is somewhat preoccupied with rooting around for food. Its vision is slightly diminished by the angle and it has usually stirred up the bottom. This combination requires you to place a fly fairly close to a school for them to see it. Look closely at the school to locate all the fish and try to cast to the fish closest to you. It is easy to spook the whole school. Tailing fish tend to be very spooky, but even if they do spook, don't get flustered. Let your fly settle to the bottom and wait a few seconds. Because a school of tailing fish are feeding together, they also tend to be very aggressive; probably because of the competition for food. The school will usually regroup quickly in the same spot. When they do your fly will already be in place...a few short strips and bang!...bonefish!
2. Mudding - On the deeper part of the flat, individual or groups of bonefish will often stir up the bottom as they grub for food. This cloud of mud tends to make the bones feel quite secure and often the angler can catch one bone after another without spooking the school. To locate the fish within a mud, look for the telltale flashes of reflected light. Just keep casting to the leading edge of the mud where they are feeding. If using lure, cast about 15 feet past the fish, just in front of the leading edge and retrieve it.
3. Cruising - These are generally the most difficult fish to catch because they aren't necessarily interested in feeding. When bones are cruising, they seem to be even more wary than usual, therefore extreme care should be taken in making your presentation. When casting to cruising fish, remember to place your fly of lure well ahead of the fish and let it settle. Wait until the fish is almost on top of it before moving it. Be sure to place it where you will be able to retrieve it in front of and away from the fish school. If the fly or lure lands too close to cruising fish, they will spook and you won't get a second cast.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:54

On the flats, your guide will spot the bones sooner than you and point them out. He will call out the fish's location using the clock and distance method. To locate a fish spotted by the guide, imagine the boat as the face of a clock. The bow would indicate 12 O'clock. As an example, a fish at "12 O'clock,! 40 feet." would mean the fish is directly in front of the boat 40 feet away. 9 O'clock would put the fish directly to port; 3 O'clock, directly to starboard.

There are some excellent books which go into great detail on flats fishing technique. We recommend you read one. Some are listed at the end of this booklet. Below is a very brief description of bonefishing technique.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:53

Most information written about bonefishing says that bones feed exclusively on the rising tide, period. If you are fishing on a reef or seaside flat this may be true. But, we have found that this is not really the case in Ascension Bay. It is much more complex and subtle. The area around Casa Blanca is vast and laced with lagoons and inlets which alter the tidal flow. Water movement is important to fish location but, at any given time, the water may actually be moving in two different directions on opposite sides of the bay. When you leave the dock, it might appear that the tide is low. After a short ride to the mouth of Tres Marias lagoon, you may find that it is still high tide. Often an outgoing tide will produce great fishing if you simply change sides of a flat. Casa Blanca's fishery is filled with an endless variety of these kinds of anomalies and your guide will move around during the day to take advantage of them. Regarding moon phase, we can only report that, after much observation and many discussions, we can find no consistent correlation between the phase of the moon and the quality of the fishing.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:52

For the purpose of this guide, we have assumed that you know how to fly cast. There are also some great books on casting technique which you can usually purchase at your local fly shop. Even if you feel fairly secure about your casting ability, we strongly recommend that you take a few casting lessons to perfect the "double haul" as well as your casting accuracy and technique. Most importantly, pratice casting (in the wind if possible) at least 10 minutes per day the week before you arrive.

If you have troubles with your cast while at the lodge, Casa Blanca's fishing coordinator can help you make a few adjustments.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:51

Having the right equipment will insure a comfortable and successful fishing adventure. We feel that the fly fishing angler should bring at least two rods: one 9 weight for windy conditions and larger flies, (perfect for permit), and one smaller 6-8 weight for smaller flies and windless days. For the spinning tackle fisherman, a long medium-action rod for bonefish and permit, and a stiff heavy action rod for tarpon and large reef species will suffice. Extra rods are always a plus. There are more detailed recommendations in the sections that follow.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:51

The Lodge stocks a limited selection of flies and lures which have proven effective in the area. The lodge also has a few loaner rods in case you break all of your equipment. Rod storage racks are located outside each room.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:50

Each morning your guide will stock a cooler with complimentary soft drinks, beer and water. If you would like more or less of either, tell the fishing coordinator the evening before. Feel free to offer your guide a soft drink, but lodge policy precludes guides drinking alcoholic beverages.

Monday, 29 June 2009 08:50

In the last several years, more and more larger bones have been caught and released by Casa Blanca guests. Fish as large as 33 inches! 33 inches translates to approximately 14 pounds. That is a whopper! If you're after a trophy, tell your guide. The big ones usually frequent different areas than the smaller fish, so they are harder to spot. They are also much more wary than school fish, which is probably the reason they have grown so large. If you are a beginner, don't waste your time exclusively after big ones. They are tough to catch. If you are an experienced bone fisherman, a day stalking bigger fish can be rewarding, but do not expect to catch as many fish as you would otherwise.

One option is to start fishing between 8-8:30am and stay out , at your discretion, until 3:30pm. Guests aren't charged for fishing beyond 7 hours, but bear in mind that poling the boats is physically demanding. The guides can't be expected to fish much more than 7 hours unless they have a midday break, and they should be tipped accordingly.

The second altenative is to start fishing between 8-8:30am and return to the lodge for lunch; take a siesta, go for a swim, of surf cast until 2:00pm, when you can meet the guide at the dock. You can then fish nearby until 4-4:30pm. Please discuss this with the fishing coordinator before you plan to depart so he will not organize a search party to look for you when you do not return with the other guests.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 14:59 Monday, 29 June 2009 08:49

The bonefish is a spectacular game fish. For many reasons, bonefish are, perhaps, the ideal flats quarry. They like shallow water in gorgeous places, like Casa Blanca! They are not difficult to catch; even an absolute beginner has a chance of hooking up. Still, they provide sufficient challenge to keep, even seasoned anglers, coming back again and again. And, they fight like demons when hooked! Pound for pound, few fish can compare.

Bonefish like shallow water flats for two reasons. First, the flats hold a huge variety of crabs, shrimp and mollusks which make up the majority of a bonefish's diet. Second, sharks and barracuda both find bonefish particularly tasty, so the bonefish us the shallow water as a form of protection from these larger predators. This same shallow water is, for the angler, part of the allure of bonefishing. White sand flats, covered with calf deep, turquoise water are stunningly beautiful to look at, but even better, you get to wade through them, stalking your wily quarry, or, glide across them in your skiff, casting to schools as they come into range. Either way, it's great!

Because bonefish seem to be at the top of everybody's dinner list, they have evolved to blend into their environment better than most other fish on the flats. Their eyesight is also exceptionally good and the slightest hint of danger will send them flying in the other direction. These natural attributes are a part of what makes bonefishing such a great sport. For a more detailed analysis, we suggest you read some of the excellent books about the subject. Some of our favorites are listed at the end of this guide.