BONEFISH 



I had one more strike this day, but did not hook 

 the fish. It seems this bonefishing takes infinite 

 patience. For all we can tell, these fish come swim- 

 ming along with the rising tide close in to shore and 

 they are exceedingly shy and wary. My brother 

 now has caught two small bonefish and each of 

 them gave a good strong bite, at once starting off 

 with the bait. We had been under the impression 

 that it was almost impossible to feel the bonefish 

 bite. It will take work to learn this game. 



Yesterday we went up on the north side of the 

 island to the place near the mangroves where we 

 had seen some bonefish. Arriving there, we found 

 the tide almost flood, with the water perfectly smooth 

 and very clear and about a foot deep up at the 

 mangrove roots. Here and there at a little distance 

 we could see splashes. We separated, and I took 

 the outside, while R. C. took the inside close to the 

 mangroves. We waded along. Before I had time 

 to make a cast I saw a three-pound bonefish come 

 sneaking along, and when he saw me he darted 

 away hke an arrow. I made a long cast and com- 

 posed myself to wait. Presently a yell from R. C. 

 electrified me with the hope that he had hooked 

 a fish. But it turned out that he had only seen 

 one. He moved forward very cautiously in the 

 water and presently made a cast. He then said 

 that a big bonefish was right near his hook, and 

 during the next few minutes this fish circled his 

 bait twice, crossing his line. Then he counted out 

 loud: one, two, three, four, five bonefish right in 

 front of him, one of which was a whopper. I stood 



115 



