Seal Caye Retreat is a great place to catch your first Bonefish

Seal Caye Retreat is a great place to catch your first Bonefish, or to really fine-tune your technique in getting a take, making a good set, and handling the fish. There are a lot of fish, and they are not as spooky as they are in more heavily fished parts of the Caribbean. There are some nice ones out there, too.

The Bonefish are prolific near our lodge on Seal Caye. It is just a short boat ride from the lodge across some blue water to the rest of the chain of the Sapodilla Cayes, a string of mostly uninhabited islands at the end of the Barrier Reef. In some spots you can wade the shallows, in other places you may find the Bonefish in the turtle grass in a little deeper water. You can catch a lot of bonefish after you find them. Schools of 30 to 75 fish are common. Smaller groups of fish are found in the shallows. Usually the larger ones are more wary in the shallow flats than the larger schools in slightly deeper water. In a good morning, it is not unusual to hook a dozen nice bonefish on a fly rod.

Sometimes the challenge is to get a take from the larger fish in the school before the aggressive, smaller (2-3 pound) bones grab your fly. A larger pattern or a crab imitation (like a small Turneffe Crab or #6 Bauer crab) may get the attention of the 4-6 pound fish. Spinning with a bonefish jig may get the same results.

The Bonefishing is pretty consistent the year-round (Good or Excellent all year, with the best months between April and November). Our local guides know where they will be for wading and stalking, or casting from the boat. Keep your eyes open for the Permit in the same areas.