Christmas bonefish

[mems]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/046-1.jpg
Aloha and Mele Kelekimaka (Merry Christmas), I went to Kona to visit my brother in law and family for a couple of days. I got this nice 8lb bonefish at A-bay. It was challenging with all the tourists swimming and kayaking around me. The fish ran to the end of the flat and got next to a lady swimmer who put the line over her head. It was funny and exciting but I got the fsh in.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/045-1.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/048.jpg
It was a nice sized oio, bonefish. I got it on a TFO BVK 6wt with a new Cheeky flyreel, actually their smallest reel. It has a sealed drag and is very light and strong. It was a great fight!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/052-1.jpg
I was pretty stoked and had on my Christmas Columbia outfit. I hope you all had a good Christmas, Mems.

[David Lee]

Sweet !!!!

D.~

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Good looking fish. What's even better looking is you wearing sunglasses, blue sky and warm temperature. I have 4 1/2 months to go before I head back to Baja. Right now they are catching dorado up to 20lbs, wahoo, and roosters. I hope this keeps up.
Happy New Year... I remember those new years eve nights, celebrating by setting of thousands of firecrackers and new years day eating japanese food all day. I use to do that here but too much work for one person and way too expensive now

Jay

[Darian]

Aloha Don,.... Looks like you really had a great Christmas from that present. 8 pounds is way cool. Love the photo with all of the people in the background. Sure wish I was hanging out in that weather, too.

Happy New Year to you and your family!!! :D

[FISHEYE]

Aloha Don, Veronica and I were at ABay on the 24th snorkeling. Never saw any bonefish but did see some bluefin trevally to the left of where you were standing over in the rocks. I don't even bring a flyrod anymore because I just fish all day and it is not good for the relationship. I do lots of fishing trips and this has become an all Veronica trip. I did hear something about kayak fish. Know anything about that? Phil Nice bonfish BTW!!!!

[jbird]

Hey! Donny got a boner for Christmas!! Jealous :)

[DLJeff]

It's pretty cool to catch a bonefish on Christmas day wearing shorts and sun screen. And with an audience too! I just hope the fish was handled a little better than it looks in the photos. Rolling any fish in the sand is very harmful and rubbing it against a shirt, especially a dry one, removes so much protective slime that the fish is very susceptible to fungus and infection. Better to skip the photos than harm a good fish. Don has posted around here long enough to know that he knows this and it probably looks worse than it is. But it never hurts to remind people to properly handle and release a good fish so it can live on and make more good fish.

[David Lee]

Rolling any fish in the sand is very harmful ......

Most of the time I would agree , BUT - if I had a dime for every Roosterfish/Ladyfish/JC/Green Jack/Sierra/etc. I've seen chase bait ON to the beach , become stranded for seconds (sometimes minutes) , and wiggle away (usualy covered in sand ...) to continue the hunt .... I could afford a Pizza . Maybe two .

If it is within a Fishes nature to occasionally goof up and hit la Playa , I think they can handle it . Just my observations -

D.~

[DLJeff]

Yeah, I think when the sand is wet and the fish is wet the sand won't stick to the fish.

[mems]

Thanks Guys for all the positive comments. Phil, did you see Mike's pictures from X-mas? He got into some nice ulua with Hennessy. There are lots of nice fish at A-bay, and they don't mind the tourists. This bonefish was released and swam away with a healthy kick. Most fishermen in Hawaii would have made fish cake out of this fish. He was pretty fortunate to have a flyfisherman who respects the fish too much to kill it or injure it more than it needed. We are trying to get people to see this species and others in a new light. It is a great feeling to know that that beauty is still cruising around. I hope you all have a great New Year, tomorrow we are headed offshore for some fresh sashimi. I will post a picture if I get anything good, Mems.

[Larry S]

Mems,
Pretty catch. My favorite rod of all time is a 6-wt saltwater. Mine is an older 2-piece St Croix. I liked
it so much that I bought the 4-piece version for travel. The little fighting butt is the "convincer."
Wish that they would make lighter rods with the fighting butt.
Don, are your winter water temps changing over there?
Best to you and yours,
Larry S

[FISHEYE]

Don, saw the videos. I want to go. I would love one (or many) of those GTs. I see people here spearing fish right in where people are snorkeling. I am sure they would have loved to eat that bonefish. It was a luck day for him that Don let him go.