Getting to Vieques, Part 1

Getting to Vieques from the States can be easy and reasonably inexpensive. It’s no more difficult than flying to the Florida Keys and less hassle than traveling to almost any other Caribbean island. Here’s a couple of tips on how I do it when I travel back and forth.

For starters, Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth and American citizens currently do not need a passport to enter or exit. This will eventually change but we’ll deal with that later. No matter where you’re flying from in the States you’ll book a flight to San Juan International Airport (SJU). Almost every major east coast city has direct flights to San Juan several times a day and it’s serviced by half a dozen airlines, including American and United.

Book the earliest possible flight into San Juan. If you’re coming from an east coast city like New York or D.C. you can easily arrive before noon. This will give you plenty of time and options to for getting to Vieques that same afternoon.

You have two ways of getting to the island, flying or taking the ferry. Let’s start with the latter. The Vieques ferry is located in the town of Fajardo which is about thirty five miles from San Juan. It departs several times per day and you can download a schedule here: http://www.elenas-vieques.com/ferry.html. From the San Juan Airport you’ll take a taxi van, called a publico, to Fajardo. There is a publico stand just outside the airport’s baggage claim area. The ride currently costs $80 and takes between forty five minutes to an hour depending on traffic. One quick note here: San Juan taxi drivers can be insane. If you’re a soldier coming home from convoy duty in Iraq you’ll be quite comfortable with the trip. For the rest of you, take a Valium and hang on. The cabbies do speak English and you should tip them. I give an extra $20 if we don’t kill anyone on the way.

Once you get to Fajardo you’ll be dropped off at the ferry terminal. You’ll want to buy your tickets immediately. The ticket agents are in the smaller building directly across the street from the main terminal. This can be a very chaotic scene on a small street so get your cabbie to point out where to go.

The ferry costs only $2 per person one way but you may be charged for an extra ticket if your luggage is exceptionally big. Keep your bags with you at all times. Theft is actually rare here and the terminal always seems to have several cops hanging around, but don’t tempt the occasional idiot. If you have a large group and a pile of bags, send one person up to buy tickets for everyone, but point out the group to the agents. They’ll determine if you need extra tickets for your bags. Don’t try to sneak huge luggage on without paying. It won’t work and you’ll probably miss the boat because of it.

Plan on being in the terminal and in line at least an hour before your departure time. The ferry is first come, first serve and once it’s full they leave. Getting on the boat is chaotic at best and the locals will shove their way in front of you to be on first. Don’t get insulted by this. The ferry is the lifeline for Vieques. Many locals work in Fajardo, not to mention go to school, the doctor, and shop on the main island. They all want to get home to their families and they’re not shoving just because you’re a gringo tourist. Keep a smile on your face but be persistent and you’ll get your seat.

The ferries rarely leave on time but usually are usually underway within half an hour of their schedule. If you are prone to seasickness sit on the top deck in the fresh air. The main cabin is air conditioned like a meat locker and in rough water you’ll want your eyes on the horizon. The ride usually takes an hour depending on the sea state. You’ll arrive at the terminal in Isabel Segunda on the north side of Vieques. If you need a taxi to your guesthouse you’ll find several publicos parked off to your right.

Using the ferry puts a lot more effort and uncertainty in your trip to Vieques, but at $2 per person it’s a steal. If you have a party of four you’ll spend around $25 per person, including your cab ride from San Juan. If you take a plane you’ll spend at least $90. I’ll go over some tips on flying in Part 2.

When Sharks Arrive, Part 2

In Part 1 we gave a brief overview of some common sharks on the flats and how anglers are likely to encounter them. But what happens should you actually find yourself standing in the water with one?

This situation is most likely for anglers wading in calf-deep water for bonefish. It’s happened to me dozens of times and in areas like the Bahamas, seeing sharks is the rule, not the exception. Once the bones start getting hooked, their main predators will inevitably become quite active. A struggling bonefish on the end of a fly line is dead meat once a blacktip or lemon shark gets on its tail. This is also when a wading angler can definitely be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The most obvious thing to do is to break off the bonefish by slamming your palm against the reel to stop the spool. If the bone is not too exhausted it will actually have a fighting chance.

If the shark does succeed, and they often do, you’ll wind up landing what the Bahamian guides call “a nice bonehead, Mon,“ and have a tasty plume of blood in the water. Inevitably, more sharks are going to show up quickly. At this point, if the bonefish are still around, you’d be wise to consider not casting for a while. Each hooked fish will have a very short lifespan when a several of three foot blacktips are on the scene.

In my experience, sharks are just as quick to leave the scene once the scent trail has dispersed. Depending on the flat and its currents this could only take a couple minutes. If they insist on hanging around, the boat or shore is where you want to be for a while.

In rare cases, a shark will start paying a little too much attention to a wading angler, even if it can’t find a struggling bonefish. Just like they tell you to do with bears in the woods, don’t run. Splashing is not a good thing at this point. Stand your ground and keep your eyes glued to the fish. They do not see you as a food source. If they’re calmly swimming circles around your spot they are merely investigating you as an unknown object and will soon move away. If the shark’s body language is rather erratic, quick zigzags and changes of direction, that’s a more ominous sign. Should they come within a rod’s length then it’s time to react. A quick slap on the shark’s nose is almost always enough to send them fleeing. If that doesn’t work, use the butt end of the rod and reel and jam down hard on the shark’s head. I’ve personally had to resort to this on one occasion with a four foot lemon shark and that was all it took. At the time this happened I was covered in bonefish slime and made myself a confusing target to the fish.

Realistically, an angler’s chances of getting attacked by a shark are so slim it’s barely worth considering. Heatstroke is a far more serious threat while fishing on a tropical flat but not nearly as much fun to read about. Sharks on the flats are a sign of a healthy ecosystem and should be appreciated, not feared. At the same time, giving them the respect they deserve will prevent the one-in-a-million chance that your calf muscle will become part of the food chain.

Advice From Capt. Chris Goldmark

Here's a great bit of advice about getting ready for a bonefishing trip from my friend Capt. Chris Goldmark over on our sister island of Culebra. This is one of the most interesting and creative tips about practicing your fly casting and something I would never have thought to try. Read it here: http://www.culebraflyfishing.com/fishing-report.php

When Sharks Arrive, Part 1

Sooner or later every saltwater angler is going to come across a big shark. They’re one of the most exciting and sought after game fish in the ocean, but if your target that day are tarpon or bonefish, that unmistakable shape can be an incoming disaster.

Every flats guide has a bunch of good shark stories. The picture above was taken in the Marquesas five years ago. This was the end result of an eleven foot hammerhead meeting a six foot tarpon. The tarpon wasn’t even hooked by my angler in the photo, it was cut off from its school and pushed onto the flats by the shark. When the hammerhead finally nailed it they were less than twenty feet from my bow and in three feet of water. The chase lasted for over a minute and after one bite it was game over. The big hammerhead simply swallowed the tarpon’s back end and swam off the flat. From the bow of my skiff it was as exciting to see as a pro football game. If I was standing in the water at the time I may have felt differently.

When fishing from a boat you’re a spectator to Mother Nature’s drama. Step into the water and you can become an unwilling participant. This has happened to me several times while wade fishing for bonefish and other species. Sharks are a fact of life on all the world’s tropical flats and a struggling fish at the end of a fly line sounds like a clanging dinner bell to them.

The flats of the Bahamas are the best wading grounds in this hemisphere for bonefish and notorious for sharks. Talk to anyone who’s spent time in that area and they’ll have at least one close call with a prowling shark. I personally set the vertical leap world record when a baby lemon shark brushed my ankle on a flat in Eleuthra. The little two-footer was smaller than the bonefish I was hunting but came closer to killing me than any other wild animal ever has. Cardiac arrest is a serious threat when you’re fishing alone.

The most common species you’re likely to spot on a typical flat are nurse, lemon, and blacktip sharks. They’re all easily distinguished from each other and only the lemon and blacktip pose any threat for biting an angler. The slow moving nurse shark is a crustacean eater looking for conch or lobster. They get quite large but are actually a good sign of life on the flats. The lemon shark is a prime flats hunter and are notorious for attacking hooked bonefish. They’re identified by their yellowish-grey color and twin dorsal fins. I’ve seen these fish over eight feet in length. The blacktips have the classic fighter-plane shape and are beautifully colored. Their speed is astonishing and their leaps when hooked put tarpon to shame.

Only the smallest minority of wading anglers are ever bitten by a shark but when it does happen it inevitably makes the news. I consider stepping on a sea urchin a much more serious danger while I’m out bonefishing but a shark should be taken serious if you find yourself in the water with them. There are a few quick things to do if this happens and I’ll cover those in Part 2.

Booking a Guide for Beginners, Part 2

Read Part 1 here: http://www.viequesangler.com/2008/10/booking-guide-for-beginners-part-1.html

So you’ve booked your beginner-friendly guide, practiced your casting for a few weeks, and are finally touching down the day before your first saltwater fly fishing trip. Here’s what should happen next.

Once you’ve unpacked, call to check in with your guide. Ask if all is on schedule and double check what you’ve been expected to bring. Remind him if you have a partner, fishing or non-fishing. Write down the directions to where you’ll meet and the exact time you’re expected there. Chances are it will be early in the morning which means one thing: get some sleep. If you’ve got a Key West tarpon trip at leaving at 6 AM, stay off Duval Street the night before. Fishing with a hangover in the hot sun is pure hell and you should avoid it like the plague. Trust me on this one.

Set your alarm clock early and be at the dock on time. Being late means you’re loosing valuable time on the water and guides never like to be kept waiting. Have all your gear with you and completely organized. Let the guide stow everything for you don’t step on the boat until you asked to do so. Your shoes should never have dark soles since these will mark the deck. Most guides are very meticulous about their boats so think about what you may have walked through in the parking lot. Offer to take off your shoes if necessary.

If you have a full day scheduled be sure to have your lunch packed the night before. You won’t be expected to bring food for the guide. Years ago that was the tradition but this has fallen by the wayside. If you do happened to pack an extra sandwich it will be considered a nice gesture and will get eaten. Most guides have extra water but bring more than you think you’ll need for yourself.

Alcohol should be kept to a minimum. Keep in mind that it will actually dehydrate you over the long run and dull your reflexes in the heat. No decent guide will tolerate a drunk angler. This is the ultimate liability and can cost a boat owner dearly. I allow my two anglers to spit a six pack. If you bring beer, don’t offer any to your guide. The Coast Guard considers it highly illegal for a charter captain to drink on the job. Even worse, nothing tastes better than a cold Corona on a hot day. It’s kind of cruel to drink a beer while your guide is working and sweating and can’t have one. Save an extra for back at the dock.

If you brought your own tackle let the guide double check everything. I personally like people to bring their own rods, reels, and flies. I’m a gear junkie and love seeing the new stuff in action. I also like seeing hand tied flies, even if the anger has never been to the salt water before. You never know where the next killer pattern will come from these days. At the same time, be prepared to use whatever the guide tells you. Even if you’ve spent the last month at the vise perfecting your patterns, your guide has been on the water even longer and knows what the tarpon will be eating that day. Always go with local knowledge.

When you finally reach your fishing spot you’ll be asked to make several practice casts. The main reason for this is to allow the guide to size up your abilities in the given conditions. Since you are a beginner, be prepared for a short period of instruction after this. I find this is necessary with nine out of ten first time anglers on my boat. I’ve had guys who were presidents of their Trout Unlimited chapters back home turn into absolute basket cases when faced with a twenty knot wind on a bonefish flat. Freshwater and saltwater can be wildly different, but a decent angler can almost always adjust. The most important thing to do is keep your ears open in order to hear and act on what your guide is saying.

Since Part One of this article has helped you pick out a beginner-friendly and laid back guide, all of your mistakes should be corrected in a calm and constructive manner. The best guides never make a new angler feel bad about missing an easy shot. Your first time in the salt should be considered a learning experience above everything else. It should always be a good time and if your guide does start to slip and get a little too intense, let them know it. As a guide we sometimes forget who we’re working for and can loose our focus. It’s happened to me on both calm and windy days when the fish are everywhere but always three feet further than my anglers can cast. As a guide, your success is my success and sometimes it hurts to see an easy fish swim away. But that’s never an excuse to start yelling at a newcomer. Loosing your temper while guiding actually accomplishes the opposite effect of what you’re trying to do.

At the same time, we really want you to land that fish. Seeing someone with their first tarpon or bonefish is every bit as good as the money you‘re paying us. Keep in mind that saltwater fly fishing depends as much on the angler as the guide on most days. Once the fish is spotted and the boat positioned, all the pressure is on the angler’s shoulders at that point.

With most fly trips you should not expect to keep anything you catch, unless you’re fishing offshore. All the great flats species are strictly catch and release, so keep a camera handy to record your hero shots. If you have a sophisticated digital model go over it’s operation with your guide in advance. Most of us are pretty good with cameras but we can’t keep up with everything. The beauty of digital is the ability to take dozens of shots without wasting film If you have a multi-shot or burst setting on your camera then use it.

Your day should end at the agreed time and not before unless weather is a factor. If the have to head in early to dodge thunderstorms a decent guide will offer a partial refund. If you decide to quit early because you’ve had enough don’t expect much or any of a refund. People rarely get sea sick on the flats and the offshore boats consider it a known hazard for the customer.

You’ll settle up back at the dock in the manner and amount agreed to beforehand. This is when you should think about tipping. There have been several very good articles written about tipping guides but I have a few of my own thoughts. If you book an offshore boat you will and should tip the mate. He’s the one working the hardest for the least money. The same goes for any guide working someone else’s boat or working for a fly shop. Some of my colleagues will be upset by this but owner/operators should not always expect a tip. As sole owner of my boat and business I charge $450 for a full day on the water and that’s what I think my time and effort is worth. If you want to toss me an extra $50 for a great catch or great experience I won’t turn it down. You won’t make me angry if you don’t. If I absolutely had to have $500 or my day is ruined then that’s what I’d charge. None of us are getting rich in this business and expenses are going through the roof. If a young, single guide is boasting 300 days a year on the water, he’s not starving. Tip what you can afford. If you’re a nice person we’ll always welcome you back.

One thing that I feel is worth more than a tip these days is a nice follow-up online. I love getting e-mails from happy customers and really appreciate a good write-up on Trip Advisor or one of the dedicated fly fishing forums like www.reel-time.com or www.itinerantangler.com. This sends instant business our way and is worth far more than an extra $50 and keeping your experience to yourself. Since you used the internet to find your guide, use it to sell him to others.

Hurricane Omar

This storm passed quickly over Vieques yesterday with minimum damage. The eye of the Hurricane stayed mostly to the east so the island received winds less than 75 mph. If you have travel plans in the next few days there should be no major problems. Gas could be had to get in the mean time since high seas severely affect the ferry service. Call ahead and check with your rental car company or guest house about this. Trip Advisor has an excellent Vieques forum with a couple people reporting every few hours about the what's happening on the island. Log on over there if you have some specific questions and they'll get a quick answer.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g147326-i649-Isla_de_Vieques_Puerto_Rico.html

Booking a Guide for Beginners, Part 1

So you’re heading to a warm, sub-tropic location for the first time and you have the funds for exactly one day of guided saltwater fly fishing. The outdoor shows and magazines have filled your head with dreams of linebacker sized tarpon at the end of your fly rod, but your fishing experience begins and ends at the local bluegill pond.

You’ve also heard the horror stories of folks booking expensive guides who looked so professional on their websites but then turned short tempered and rude with amateurs like yourself out on the water. It does happen, and forking over $500 to get yelled at all day will both ruin your vacation and keep you away from the sport forever. Here’s how to avoid this.

First the good news. Most charter captains these days are decent people. We’ll use my former home of Key West and an example here. When I started guiding fifteen years ago there were probably thirty or so full time flats guides on the island. I knew almost all of them by name and reputation and would have gladly fished with the majority. But there were some notable exceptions. These “guides” I’m talking about, and there were only a couple, were egotistical, f-word screaming defects. One of them was almost always hung-over, too. I wouldn’t wish them on an Al-Qaida member and would cringe when I saw a nice young couple stepping on one of their boats, totally unaware of what they had coming. (And no, I will not name any names here because I still go back to Key West occasionally.)

Even though the screamers are a rare breed, there's simply too much competition and word get around quickly these days, not every guide is receptive to beginners. Some guides simply don’t want the hassle and that’s fine. Plenty of captains are happy to welcome someone to the sport and deal with your mistakes. To make the most of your time and money you need to book someone who’s going to be both a guide and a teacher.

The best place to start is right here on the internet. This is an amazing tool for planning everything on your vacation. A quick Google search of your location and the words “Fly Fishing Guides” will turn up numerous hits. To save time you’ll need to fine tune your search so add the names of the fish you’re hoping to catch, such as tarpon, bonefish, snook, etc. Be sure to check out some online forums. You’ll find a lot of firsthand reports from other anglers written there and you can simply make a post asking for a recommendation.

Now you should start clicking on the guide’s websites. Their sites should tell you all of the basics. The rates, species available, type of gear and boat used, and the exact location the trip departs from are some of the first things you should learn. A page full of hero pictures is always nice and another page of testimonials from happy customers is a real bonus. Most importantly you should look for the words “Beginners Welcome.”

Since you are beginner a this sport you’ll still have some more questions that the websites might not answer. Write these questions down then pick up the phone. Most folk would send an e-mail at this point but I don’t recommend that for someone booking their first charter. Get the guide’s cell number and call them instead. After 4 PM is the best time since they should be off the water but not yet sitting down for dinner. Having a direct conversation with a guide will reveal a lot about the person you’re hoping to hire. If they’re abrupt, impatient, or even slightly rude with your questions on the phone then they’re probably going to be the exact same way with you on the water. Remember, you’re a beginner at this and you shouldn‘t know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask what seem like dumb questions. To help keep the guide’s cell minutes to a minimum, here’s some of the things you should go over on the phone:

- Let them know that you’re a beginner and will need some coaching. Their first words should be “No problem.”

- Ask what you’ll be targeting on your trip and what you can do to prepare for it. Saltwater fly fishing requires longer casts so be honest about your abilities.

-Decide on the length of your charter. Most guides offer four, six, and eight hour trips. Your trip starts the minute you set foot on the boat so find out how much actual fishing time you’re going to get.

- Ask what you’ll be expected to bring. Polarized sunglasses are at the top of this list.

- Go over the deposit, payment, and cancellation policy. That last item is important. You’ll need to know exactly what happens if you have to change your plans. It should be fair to both parties. Also ask about a the guide’s weather cancellation policy. You should not have to go fishing in a thunderstorm.

- If you bought a new rod just for this trip, that’s great. Let them know what it is. You should not hear “What a piece of junk.” If what you have isn’t appropriate for what your targeting they should explain why.

- If you’ll be using the guide’s tackle ask if the fly reels are left or right hand retrieve. For some anglers this is an issue.

- If you have a non-fishing partner that would like to come along ask if they’ll be welcome. If the guide has room on the skiff the answer again should be “No problem.”

The best guides will always make time to answer your questions. Some of my buddies used to gripe about returning calls at the end of the day from people who didn’t e-mail them first. Yes, pushing a boat around in the sun all day is exhausting, but I’d always point out that you’re exhausted from fishing. We weren’t in an O.R. for the last eight hours separating conjoined twins. No matter how wiped out or stressed I am at the end of the day I can always cheer up and talk fishing for a few minutes with someone who wants to hire me.

If your questions are all answered and you feel comfortable with the person on the other end of the phone then book the trip. The guide should not pressure you book immediately but keep in mind that open days go quickly in prime seasons. If you’re hoping for a Key West tarpon next June make sure to get on someone’s schedule by Christmas.

Follow up your conversation with an e-mail confirming your dates. It doesn’t happen often but guides sometimes accidentally double book. Answering the phone at happy hour is usually the cause of that. I’ve double booked charters a couple times and it’s embarrassing and sometimes difficult to fix. A follow up e-mail helps to avoid this.

Once you’re set then grab a rod and start casting. If it’s snowing then find an empty basketball court. You’ll need the practice and your guide will appreciate the effort. And remember, no matter where you’re headed, the wind is always blowing.

In part two we’ll go over what to do on the day of your charter.

Bonefish Caught in Charlotte Harbor

This is a really interesting fishing report from Southwest Florida. Capt. Van Hubbard of Let’s Go Fishin’ Charters managed to land all three species of the Keys Slam while fishing in Charlotte Harbor, 150 miles from the Keys. His first fish was a tarpon which are very common throughout most of Florida, especially during the fall around Charlotte Harbor. The next catch was a couple of small permit, also a common species over the deeper wrecks and reef of Southwest Florida. He completed the slam by landing a small bonefish, his second one this week.

The two bonefish are the real story here. Both were caught on pompano jigs in about ten feet of water. As you can see in the photo they’re rather small specimens compared to the average Lower Keys bonefish. This is an exceptionally rare species in these waters. They’re commonly caught from Biscayne Bay south and almost nowhere else in the continental U.S. The fact that two bones were caught on the same boat in the past week may point to something interesting. I’m in no way a marine biologist but this might mean that we have an unknown bonefish nursery in or around Charlotte Harbor. This is a species that has only been well researched over the past decade, especially through tagging and census count from groups like Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited.

News of two small bonefish won’t, and shouldn’t, bring a flood of anglers to Charlotte Harbor in search of the grey ghost of the flats. I’ve been fishing these waters on a regular basis for seven years and have never seen or heard of one being caught here before. Stranger things have happened but this is one of the rarest of the rare. Hopefully these catches will bring even more attention to this area that a lot of people consider one of the country’s best fisheries.

Click here to contact Capt. Van: http://www.captvan.com/

Spotted Sea Trout: Florida's Easiest Game Fish

In Florida, spotted sea trout are flat fishing’s version of the bluegill pond. They’re found everywhere on both coasts year round. They only get a little scarce down in the Lower Keys. As a shallow water fish, anyone can access them with or without a boat. Here on the west coast simply wading from shore is one of the most popular way of fishing for sea trout. Hop into a kayak and you’re even more effective.

The other reason I call them Florida’s easiest game fish is their eagerness to hit almost anything. Toss a live shrimp under a cork and it’s gone within seconds on a good grass flat. Since fly fishing is my preferred method, I use a seven weight rod with a variety of streamer patterns. Here around Pine Island a green and white Clouser minnow can get a strike on every cast in many places. Two days ago I landed thirty trout in just over an hour. Only one of them was over fifteen inches, the minimum legal size, but I wasn’t out there looking for records. Constant action in stead of quality is what I’m looking for some days.

Sea trout are the perfect target for an angler with absolutely no saltwater experience or gear. A five or six weight fly rod will cast a #4 Clouser with no problem. Your click-drag freshwater reel rigged with floating line is more than enough for any sea trout you’re likely to find in Florida. With a tapered twelve pound leader you can strip these fish in by hand. Sea trout have a great strike but are not a strong running fish. They spend most of their energy thrashing on the surface and I’ve never had one get into the backing on my reel.

In case you’re worried about freshwater gear in the salt, don’t be. Any rod or reel made in the last ten years can handle a saltwater environment as long as it’s cleaned at the end of the day. Drop the reel, line and all, into a sink filled with warm water and dish soap for a few minutes and that will dissolve any salt crystals.

Fly Fishing Back Then...

As a history buff I’m especially fond of fishing stories from the 1940s and 50s. This was a time when salt water fly fishing was still in its infancy. Back then there were maybe two dozen guides in all of the Florida Keys who specialized in catching tarpon and bonefish. They were a unique group of captains who, along with their intrepid anglers, where actually inventing the sport with each new fish they caught.

This was the post-war era and the many of these men were military veterans. From their time in the service they learned that the best way to stop someone from screwing up was to scream loudly. They ran their charters in the same manner. If they worked hard to pole you within fifty feet of a laid up tarpon, your fly was going to land exactly where they wanted it RIGHT NOW, and you better not miss. Or else.

The most well known member of this group was Capt Stu Apte. A jet pilot by trade, Apte flew fighters over Korea and later, 747s for Pan Am. For several years between those gigs he became the most sought after flats guide in the Keys. His world record tarpon catches are legendary and so was his intensity on the water. Stu demanded perfection from his anglers and their equipment. He was famous for meeting customers well before a charter to check their gear, and wouldn’t hesitate to tear fly lines and leaders apart if they weren’t rigged to his standards. Considering some of the primitive tackle back then this isn’t surprising. Apte’s time on the water was extremely valuable and he wouldn’t allow a possible world record to be lost by an angler’s lack of preparation.

Years ago I fished with an older gentleman who chartered Stu Apte in the 1960s. He talked about an unbelievable morning when the fish were rolling everywhere but he just couldn‘t get his act together. Apte put him on tarpon after tarpon but he blew every cast. Apte’s constant berating became so intense that the angler actually started having chest pains. He called it a day at that point but was back in the hot seat the next morning.

Most anglers today wonder why anyone in their right mind, especially a wealthy CEO, would put up with such treatment, let alone pay good money for it. I asked the same thing and his answer was obvious. Stu Apte was both an unforgiving taskmaster and the best tarpon guide anywhere. If you did what he said to do, when he said to do it, you would catch a tarpon on a fly rod. At a time when that was a rare feat, you truly something to brag about. Every morning on the water back then was a chance to make angling history and an open spot on Apte‘s schedule wasn‘t wasted because of some minor chest pains.

Apte’s impact on the sport went far beyond a his years as a charter captain. His work on TV in 1970s, especially with ABC’s American Sportsman series, really exposed the sport to the world. Seeing some of that old footage today, you can’t help but be impressed by how much they did with so little. Fiberglass rods, heavy boats, and huge cameras that used something called film made that aspect of Apte’s career even more fascinating.

Times have really changed over the past forty years. There are hundreds of fly fishing guides in the Keys today and very, very few of them are ex-fighter pilots. The competition for charters is fierce and anglers won’t pay $500 to be screamed at all morning. During my time in Key West I knew a couple guides who used that tactic but none of them were even close to Apte’s caliber on the water. These guys lost their tempers when clients failed but would then credit their own guiding skills when they succeeded. Ego and bragging rites at the dock were more important than teaching a novice or advancing the sport. Those are things that men like Apte had already done for us.

I’ve met Stu Apte briefly on a couple different occasions, both of them charity tournaments and he was extremely personable, especially to the younger guides who often act like little-leaguers meeting Derek Jeter. I’ve never fished with him but friends have told me that all his intensity is still there. It would have been an incredible experience to be on the water with Apte in the early 60’s. To see the undeveloped Keys and waves of tarpon unaffected by a gauntlet other boats has always been a dream of mine, even if it meant some serious chest pains every time I blow a cast.

Vieques News: The Esperanza Inn

Here's some great news for anyone coming down to Vieques and looking to stay in the Esperanza area. My good friends Capt. J and Lisa Fergeson bought the venerable Ted's guesthouse and have reopened it as the Esperanza Inn. The place has been given a top to bottom remodel which has made it much more comfortable and modern while keeping all of its Vieques character. The Inn is located just steps off of the Malecon which puts you within walking distance of the docks where J and Capt. Franco Gonzales both launch their charters. An added bonus is being right in the middle of the party scene that happens each weekend on the Malecon without having to worry about driving anywhere after a few Medallas. Check their link out on the right side of this page.

Stuff I Like: Beavertail Skiffs

I retired my well used 1993 Maverick Mirage for a new Beavertail B-2 last year. For the type of fishing I do on Vieques the Beavertail was the perfect boat. I can launch it from the sand at Blue beach, run safely across three foot seas with two anglers, and silently pole the bonefish flats of Ensenada Honda in six inches of water. With my 50 horsepower Yamaha outboard I can usually fish all morning and use less than two gallons of gas. The best feature of all was the price. The entire package cost half of what the more well known competition has to offer. Beavertail has come out with a new model this year, the BTX. The website http://www.microskiff.com/ has an excellent review of the new skiff here: http://www.microskiff.com/reviews/boats/beavertail-BTX.html. I plan of ordering one of these to use for my summer and fall seasons in Pine Island. A highly recommended boat for anyone serious about fly fishing.

Pine Island News

Linked below is a good article about Pine Island from Miami Herald writer Sue Cocking. After spending the entire summer on the water up here I've really come to feel that this is one of the best fly fishing destinations in the country. It's very easy to get to Southwest Florida and staying here is much less expensive than the Keys. October is known for its great tailing redfish action and I see them every day a low tide. They can be as hard as bonefish to catch with a fly but the added bonus is that you can take one home and eat it.

http://www.keysnet.com/fishing/story/27227.html

More Vieques News

This is the time of year when a lot of folks are making their plans to come down to Vieques for a winter vacation. It’s a good idea to plan early and be sure to book a rental car even before you book your accommodations. My fishing schedule is starting to fill up a bit and as of right now I plan on flying back to Vieques in early December. I’ll be available until the beginning of May, 2009. Even though gas prices have gone up quite a bit my rates will stay the same as last year: $300 for a half day and $450 for a full day for one or two anglers. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at gmckee1@hotmail.com or call me at (787)435-4833. Hope to see you down there.

The Best Bonefish I Ever Caught

One of the main reasons I moved to Vieques was its bonefish population. This is my favorite species to chase and Vieques is the best place I’ve ever fished for them. This isn't saying that Vieques is the best place on Earth to fish for them. From what I’ve been told and read, that title would probably go to the Seychelles or Christmas Island, two exotic locales that are half a world and about $10,000 away from me right now. But I have a home right here on Vieques, and we have a handful of flats where I can catch tailing bonefish any day of the year. That’s what makes Vieques my favorite bonefishing destination so far. But my favorite bonefish came from somewhere else.

A customer asked me about this a while ago when we were chasing fish across the incredible flats of Ensenada Honda. “What was the best bonefish you ever caught?” It was kind of a tough question but after rattling off the stories of a few memorable catches, he was surprised at what the answer finally was.

My biggest bonefish was a ten and a half pounder that I landed about eight years ago near Key West. That was a memorable fish. I actually thought it was a barracuda at first, sitting dead still over a sandy patch on the flats. My buddy and I were looking for bones at the time but not seeing any. I decided to hit the fish with my shrimp fly just for target practice. I wasn’t too surprised when it shot forward and ate because barracuda are prone to do that when you don‘t want them to. What did surprise me was my line not being sliced a few seconds into the first run. Then the fish never jumped, which is something cuda do frequently when hooked. That’s when I thought, “We might have a big bonefish here,” and it was.

Ten and a half pounds is impressive but Florida bones get bigger. Up in Islamorada, the bonefish capital of the Keys, a fish that size will get you some high-fives but not much more. You need to beat the twelve pound mark to get in the sports page and the current fly rod record is just under sixteen pounds.

So that was the best bonefish I ever caught until two years ago. This changed when were on our honeymoon down in Grenada, an island with almost no bonefishing opportunities due to its lack of flats. Grenada wasn’t my first choice but when you fish for a living it’s hard to sell a fishing trip as a honeymoon to a non-fishing wife. The island was fantastic anyway, and I still packed my fly rod to use at the numerous beaches, but had little luck for the first few days.

Amanda and I decided to take an overnight trip to the smaller island of Carriacou, an hour’s ferry ride north. Carriacou is like Grenada’s version of Vieques, smaller and sparsely populated but with fantastic beaches. Once again, no one knew much about finding macabi, as bonefish are called throughout the region, but I hit the beach below our guest house anyway, casting a little Clouser into the surf, hoping to bend a rod on something.

My line came tight after a few casts and I was relieved that something finally picked up the fly. I got a two second run and then some quick tugs that told me I hooked a snapper or small jack. I hand-stripped the line in and my catch floated in with a wave at my feet. It was a tiny bonefish, less than ten inches long and weighing maybe half a pound. It was the smallest one I’d every seen.

Amanda started walking over to get a picture of my ridiculous but very satisfying catch when the beach behind me erupted with noise. A half dozen school kids in their swimming trunks came running down the sand towards me. They surrounded us and were jumping up and down pointing at my fish, jabbering questions in their heavily accented Patois, an island version of English that I could barely understand. These kids had never seen a fly rod before, let alone somebody use one to catch something, and I had never seen anyone so excited over a half pound bonefish.

The oldest boy finally asked me in Tourist English if they could keep it. Even though I’ve always released them, bonefish are popular throughout the Caribbean for fish stew. This one would go home as their contribution to the evening meal. When I handed it over they actually broke out into a song right there on the beach. It was in the same heavy Patois but I understood the meaning. It was their “Thanks for the Fish” song and was one of the best parts of our honeymoon. That’s what made the smallest bonefish I ever caught the best bonefish I ever caught.