Ghost Of The Flats

Bonefish: Ghost Of The Flats
by Stephan Dombaj

To be upfront with it: After ones first encounter with a bonefish on a flyrod it´s obvious why this fish gained it´s reputation as one of the most challeging gamefishes around the globe! Rocket-like runs that devide the water just like Moses did, sightcasting for schooling sizelike fishes or big singles and doubles, beach-bumming, flat-stalking... boundless possibilities! Here are a few pictures as a tribute to this pretty brilliant gamefish: The ghost of the flats.

(Hydrodynamic in perfection)

Refering to Wikipedia, that is well known for it´s sober descriptions in terms of adorable gamefishes, I was quiet suprised: "The bonefish, also known as phantom or gray ghost, is probably pound for pound the strongest and fastest running animal in the collective of salt-water fish." Well, it´s the truth...

(Bonefish-encounter!)

(Transitionzone bonefish)

Despite the fact that this fish is well reknown for it´s versatile preyscheme like benthic worms, fry, crustaceans and molluscs, we also gotta face the fact that the ability to "respire" aerial oxygen enables bonefish to get even into the most oxygenless parts of the water... such as the most shallow flats and mangroves! Just like all other inshore species, their feeding-activity is influenced by the tidal level. Moving water is always a garantuee for some sort of activity. Get yourself into it...listen to the sound of your reel. You´ll never forget it. Here are some unpublished pictures of our christmas-journey:

(Too much of a cliche...)


(Killing mantis)

(Oceanside-flat and hightide)


(Stop it...)


( Reef-Fish)


(Release)


(Defeat)


(Fish ooooooooooon)


(Sand-Bone)


(Bright fish...)


(Go and tell your mom)


(Snapper)


(2nd Advent - Streetlife)


(Killing Minnows)


(StreetGang ahead)


(Stealing Minnows)


(Gotcha...)


(Small beachfish)


(Crabby)


(Opti Salt kicks ass)


(The Only)


(My way to the "office")


(At work)


(Coffee-Break)


(Ahhh)


(Release Pt.II)


(Safty first)


(Peeeps)


(...)


(Jerk-Off time!!!)


(CrabPatty)


(Flatsneaker)


(Coolest motherfucker in the ocean)


("... and stop nailing my flies! Bitch!")


(Alex´s Surf-Candies...inhaled)


(Pompano)


(Boner)


(Spotting Minnows)


(Ready to kill em)


(Fat ass Pelican)


(Flats)


(Baby Poon Action)


(Stefan landing the fish)


(Motherfucker ate the bonefish clouser)


(Yeah)


(...)


(Testing lines)


(getting taned)


(getting dirty)


(...)


(Story about wanting too much)


(...)


(Birds)


(Long Tom)


(Good morning hookup)


(Jack)



I have to stop... to much for one blogpage ;-)