Salty Leaders....

[Darian]

Headed for Turneffe Flats Lodge in November. Never been there before. November is not prime time for Tarpon fishing, there, altho some might still be around. The fishery at that time is for Bonefish/Permit. Both are on my bucket list.

I have most of the equipment but lack knowledge of the type of leaders necessary for coral flats fishing. The lodge website recommends long (9' to 14'), knotted leaders but gives no actual description. They do recommend use of Flourocarbon material.

I've been using twisted leaders at La Ventana for Roosters at the beach and have not experienced any problems with refusals related to the leader. However, the flats at Turneffe atoll appear to be shallow and in alcohol clear
water. Is a twisted leader still usable??

Any help will be appreciated....

[FISHEYE]

Darian, for bonefish and permit in Belize I buy tapered mono leaders from 9 to 12 feet and from 12 to 16#. I usually get SA or Rio depending on what I can get locally or sometimes I'll order from Cabelas. To those I add fluro tippet of 2 or 3 feet (8-10# for bonefish and usually 16# for permit). The lighter tippet is ok for most permit but you never know when a bigger one will show up and decide to eat or if you do hook one they might slide over a coral chunk.

For all tarpon, jacks etc I use an 6 foot twisted leader (20#) with a 2 foot single stage hanging off the end. If I am fishing anything other than tarpon I'll just tie the fly to that. For tarpon I use 40 to 80# fluro depending on the location and the fish, attached with a slim beauty. For really small fish I might go down to 30# but even the little guys will quickly abrade the leader.

Jay says he will be going through the airport on Nov 1 and so will I on the way to Placencia. Maybe I'll see you there. Phil

[jbird]

Hey Phil, Whats your preferd knot for connecting mono to flouro?

[Jay Murakoshi]

Hey Phil

Our flight schedule has changed thanks to the airlines. We (all) of us are flying a red eye into Miami on Nov 1 and arriving there at 5:30am the morning of Nov2, then departing from Miami at 10:am for belize.

And I'm leaving here (la Paz) in a couple hours for San jose then Calif. I can't wait to get home to the 110 degree temperatures that they have been having

Jay

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Most of the big schools of Bonefish there are on firm shallow dark Turtle Grass flats.

When the wind is not blowing you need long leaders and small light flies (#8/10).

I would get a 3 pk of Rio Bonefish leaders (10' 12#) and add 4 feet of FC tippet.

Unlike most third world lodges Turneffe Flats has a large selection of nice flies.

Almost daily I would give my fly box to my guide and have him buy some more Bonefish flies.

.

[Darian]

Phil and Bill,.... Thanks for the info. Since both of you recommend a tapered leader with add on tippet, I'll go that way, too. I'll take some twisted leaders along, also, just in case....

Bill,.... It sounds like loss of bonefish flies will be an issue. Or, does the need to buy daily mean that trying to figure out which fly will work for bonefish??

I'm not looking forward to spending all of those hours on a flight but what can you do. Hopefully, we can cross trails at an airport, somewhere.

[FISHEYE]

Jbird- preferred knot for me to connect mono to fluro tippet is just a 3 turn surgeons knot. For the big fluro for tarpon I use a slim beauty.

Bill, most of the bonefish we get are small so I do like using a small fly (6-10). I tie many with arctic fox and rubber legs which have wonderful movement in the water. We mostly fish places with sand / coral bottoms but sometimes on turtle grass. I wish I could get a tiny jig hook for the grass. I have a difficult time casting a 14 foot leader in the wind.

Jay, sorry we will miss you in the airport. I have not booked a flight yet since I am having trouble finding a good connection. They have changed everything. If you have time at the airport, go outside and get a rum raisin or soursop ice cream cone. )

[john]

Darian---Bill is spot-on(but what's new about that). Rio bonefish leaders have a great heavy butt, straight easily, and marry well to FC, esp. Orvis with a blood knot. I don't know Turneffe, but do know Ambergris-less to no coral. Other than to a bad knot,mangrove or a heavy hand I just have never gone through many flies. I also tend to ignore it when the guide says I need a longer leader. Rather be accurate. Curiously, I've gone to larger hook sizes-mostly 4, even though the bones are 2#rs. They aren't shy and a larger hook seems to avoid deep hooksets.

[Darian]

Thanks for the perspective John. The website for Turneffe recommends small flies for Bones (sizes 6-8-10). I was wondering what the affect of those small sizes might be on the fish. I've bought some smaller sizes for tying examples but will tie a bunch in mid-range and larger, as well.

[FISHEYE]

Darian, I took a look at my bonefish box last night and I am with John on fly size (contrary to what I said before). I have bonefish flies from size 2 down to size 10. I realized I hardly ever fish the small ones, unless the water is very skinny and the fish are super spooky, which is not usually the case where we fish. I mostly use a size 4 and have not had any trouble catching BZE bones. The biggest bone fish I have caught in BZE was about 4 pounds. I was on deck looking for bonefish when I saw 2 cruising tarpon. I picked up the closest suitable rod which happened to be a 10 wt, with a 5 inch clouser and 30 pound wire (we had been at a spot with lots of spanish and king mackeral). I made a cast in front of the tarpon, one peeled off as I slowly stripped. Just as the tarpon closed on the fly, a flash appeared out of no where and the bonefish hooked himself. One more thing...I have caught more BZE bonefish (probably hundreds) on a size 4 clouser (chart/white) than any bonefish fly, if the bonefish are concentrated around schools of baitfish.