WRITTEN BY 'BONEFISH GRAHAM' FROM ENGLAND,
IN GRATEFUL THANKS TO KEN AND CHARLIE AT RAINBOW INN
FOR MAKING TWO WEEKS IN APRIL 1995 AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.
© Bonefish Adventure Limited.

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WHY ELEUTHERA?

If you don't like the idea of deserted beaches, no boat, bumpy roads and a hotel with no room service, forget it, you've chosen the wrong island! If you can put up with all that and like the idea of staying at a friendly Inn with excellent food and you want to catch bonefish on fly by stalking the flats, read on. If your partner or family doesn't fish, no matter, they will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Rainbow Inn together with deserted beaches and crystal clear water for swimming, shelling or snorkelling.

TACKLE
FLY ROD should be 9ft to 9½ft, AFTMA #8 or #8/9, preferably a "travel rod" in 4 or 6 sections, fitted with a short fighting butt.
FLY REEL should be of good quality with a disc drag. We suggest you pay as much as you can afford.
BACKING: your reel should be loaded with at least 200 yards of 20 pound test braided backing which must be neatly attached to the fly line to avoid snagging the rod guides.
FLY LINE should be floating, weight forward AFTMA #8 or #9 to suit the rod, preferably a purpose made saltwater line. We like "tropical" saltwater lines such as the Rio "Bonefish" which has a short front taper with a very thin running line for easy line shooting. It is also extra stiff and therefore doesn't go soft in the hot climate, unlike ordinary saltwater lines.
LEADERS should be 9-12ft steep taper hard mono or fluorocarbon tapering to 12 – 15lb, with a fluorocarbon tippet of 10 or 12lb. We prefer fluorocarbon because it sinks fast and is virtually invisible in water, and has good abrasion resistance and knotting characteristics, particularly in the slightly thicker varieties such as Sightfree™ or Rio Fluoroflex^®. If you want to fish for barracuda you'll need wire tippets but the trouble is, if you rig with wire, you won't catch bonefish!
FLIES: Most bonefish patterns in sizes 4 or 6, particularly reverse-dressed patterns with dumbell or chain eyes such as Gotchas and Crazy Charlies which quickly sink to the bottom, hook uppermost. Best colours are tan, pink, white, pearl, root-beer and sometimes green or chartreuse. We strongly recommend barbless, or you can crush the barbs with pliers.
For more information on tackle, click here.

SUNDRIES
The less junk you take with you onto the flats, the better! You should be able to carry all the essentials for a session on the flats in your pockets or a small tackle belt. All you need is SUNSCREEN, SCISSORS or LINE SNIPS, FORCEPS, FLIES, a HOOK SHARPENER and spare TIPPET MATERIAL. You won't need a landing net because it's easy enough (and kinder to the fish) to un-hook it in the water (using forceps if necessary) particularly if using barbless or crushed-barb hooks. Don't forget to wear your POLARISED GLASSES for protection, even if it's not sunny. You may also want to carry a CAMERA and TAPE MEASURE if you want to record the details of your catch. Weighing scales are unnecessary, you can measure the fish and then refer to the weight-for-length table later if you want to know the weight. Alternatively, rather than carry a tape measure, you can mark the butt section of your rod in inches with Tippex, tape or whipping thread.
The other essentials such as REFRESHMENTS, INSECT REPELLENT, and a COMPASS (for determining wind direction) and all the SPARE TACKLE can be left in your car or on the beach until needed.
For more information on tackle & accessories, click here.

CLOTHING/PROTECTION
Sunstroke can ruin your whole week's fishing! When wading the flats, the harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun not only penetrate the water, burning legs and feet but also reflect off the water to burn thighs, elbows, earlobes and under your chin. You will therefore need:
SUNSCREEN: You must apply high factor sunscreen to all exposed areas before starting to fish and re-apply regularly. Make sure you use waterproof sunscreen on feet and legs unless covered. Some sunscreens also contain an insect repellent (see below). You can extend your fishing time on sunny days by wearing tropical weight LONG SLEEVE SHIRT and LONG TROUSERS.
INSECT REPELLENT: If you do not already have a preferred bug repellent, try our herbal DEETfree, We also use sun-screen and after-sun lotions containing insect repellant (available from Avon or Boots). However, most sun-screens and insect repellents are thought also to be "bonefish repellents" so make sure you apply these well before going fishing and wash your hands before handling your flies! 
POLARISED SUNGLASSES: Must have full UV protection, preferably two pairs, one tinted amber, copper or grey and one yellow, both "wrap-around" or fitted with side shields. If we had to choose one colour for all our fishing conditions it would probably be copper.
HAT: A wide-brim hat or cap with long peak will help you see the fish OK but a special 'flats cap' with a long peak at the front and a flap at the back will protect neck and ears from the sun.
FOOTWEAR: Neoprene bootees are ideal for wading. However, we prefer to wear thin socks with these to prevent sore feet. Reefs, deck shoes or trainers are virtually useless because they let grit in and soon become uncomfortable. Some sand flats are safe to wade bare-foot most of the time but you only have to stand on a stingray or a broken bottle once to ruin your holiday. Also, mind your feet don't get sun-burned! For more information on tackle, clothing and DEETfree products, click here.

We will be happy to suggest a range of flies and equipment to suit your budget.

REFRESHMENTS
Take lots of water or soft drinks to prevent dehydration and maybe a bottle of 'Kalik' (the local beer) to celebrate the first bone of the day!

TRANSPORT TO BONEFISH FLATS?
OPTION 1: Walk? Don't even think about it! - flats located near hotels are usually over-fished .
OPTION 2: Bike? Free at the Inn. OK to get you to Rainbow Beach but not much further unless you're in really good shape!
OPTION 3: Taxi? OK for getting you to a flat but what about getting back?
OPTION 4: Rental Car? This is the easiest way to see the island and get to most of the best bonefish flats. We supply a car for every 2 anglers who book our holidays.

GUIDE & BOAT?
Not essential if you have above average bonefishing ability but if you're inexperienced or only on the island for a week or two, you could easily waste a week being at the wrong places or at the wrong times! You can reach most of the flats on Eleuthera by road if you know your way around so you won’t need a boat. If you book a Bonefish Adventure Holiday we will provide a car and suggest which flats to visit each day depending on the prevailing weather and tidal conditions. Also, one of us will accompany you during your first few days and also show you how to catch 'em if required (we don't just give you a car and a map!). Most anglers catch bonefish on their first or second day with us. Local guides and charter boats are also available, Ken or Charlie at Rainbow Inn can put you in touch with one, or click here for a list of guides and charter boat captains.

PLEASE REMEMBER
There are no fly shops on Eleuthera so we strongly recommend you bring plenty of flies, leaders etc. as well as a spare rod, reel and line if you can afford it.

Please be assured that guests of Rainbow Inn will continue to receive a complimentary, un-edited copy of the Rainbow Guide on arrival, and we wish them "Tight Lines". Bonefish Adventure holiday clients will also receive a complimentary copy, as will customers outfitted by us for trips to Eleuthera.

We are sorry to have to restrict this information and do not wish to appear selfish, but in the past certain individuals and organisations have used it to compete with us, our friends and clients. The more bonefish anglers who visit a location, the more pressure the fish are put under and the harder they are to catch. Locating and catching bonefish consistently is therefore much more of a challenge than it used to be when we first visited the islands in 1995. However, unlike most "self guided" anglers, our catches and those of our clients have steadily improved over the years. The main reason for this is that we are continually learning more about the feeding habits of our quarry and the ways in which the ever changing tidal and weather conditions affect our choice of fishing locations each day. We also continue to research new locations and access points.

You may be interested to know that you can obtain a very useful set of maps when you visit Rainbow Inn. They show most of the points of interest on the island, as well as shops, churches, petrol stations, banks, shelling, snorkeling & fishing locations. They are particularly useful to bonefishers when used in conjunction with the complete version of the Rainbow Guide.

 

Some bonefishing experts believe that an experienced bonefisher will do little harm by using barbed hooks but most agree that there is no good reason for using them! - you won't catch any more fish and you'll find it harder to release fish quickly and safely. We therefore insist that all our clients use only barbless or de-barbed hooks when fishing for bonefish on our holidays.

To avoid damaging the fish, you will find it best to bring it "to hand" without leaving the water. It is then a relatively simple matter to remove the fly (particularly if using de-barbed hooks) and release it unharmed. You will need to use forceps or pliers if the fish is deep-hooked. If you can't get the hook out quickly, cut the line as close to the hook as possible and release the fish without causing it any further stress - it should soon eject a barbless hook..

If you want to know the weight of the fish, you can measure it without removing it from the water and use the following weight-for-length table to determine it's weight later. We recommend you mark your rod butt in inches (with whipping thread or Tippex) to facilitate easy measuring. The measurement must be taken from the tip of the bonefish's snout to the cleft (the V) of it's tail. The table is generally accurate to within a few ounces:

 

APPROXIMATE WEIGHT-FOR-LENGTH TABLE 

13ins = 1¼lb	14ins = 1½lb	15ins = 1¾lb	16ins = 2lb	17ins = 2½lb	18ins = 3lb
19ins = 3½lb	20ins = 4¼lb	21ins = 5lb	22ins = 5¾lb	23ins = 6½lb	24ins = 7½lb
25ins = 8½lb	26ins = 9¾lb	27ins = 11lb	28ins = 12¼lb	29ins = 13½lb	30ins = 15lb

The fish will be exhausted so you'll need to hold it in the water and gently push it backwards and forwards for a minute or so to get oxygen to it's gills. Once it has been released, take time to carefully examine the entire leader for damage. Even if it looks OK, cut the fly off and if the hook point is still sharp, re-tie it, eliminating the last few inches of tippet which will probably have been damaged during the battle. Also, if the fly is fitted with dumbell or chain eyes, you should check that the eyes are still at right angles to the hook, ensuring that it continues to fish properly with the hook point uppermost - do not underestimate the importance of this! Sometimes a bonefish will inhale your fly, crush it and spit it out without you feeling anything, so it is best to check your fly regularly, and particularly if you have suffered a "refusal".

Often while casting for bonefish you will get strikes from other species such as needle-fish and small barracuda which have razor-sharp teeth. Sometimes they will slash at the fly line or leader knot. If this happens, check the leader for abrasion, even if the fly wasn't bitten off.

Playing a bonefish will occasionally attract the attentions of sharks or large barracuda. If you see one approach, immediately lower your rod and tighten your line until the tippet breaks. By doing this, you will give the bonefish a sporting chance of out-running the predator, which it would not otherwise have, and it should easily eject your barbless fly.

We hope you enjoy the hospitality of Rainbow Inn as much as we did, and experience the excitement of catching bonefish on fly.

Bonefish Graham's Hosted Bonefishing Holidays on Eleuthera