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Federal Court Rules in Favor of Corner-Crossing

By
Spencer Durrant
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montana pronghorn

The 10th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of four elk hunters who “corner-crossed” in southeast Wyoming in fall 2021. This ruling makes corner-crossing legal in the 10th circuit states: Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico. This ruling will have far-reaching consequences for public land access throughout the West. 

Corner-crossing is when you step from one corner of public land to another, without setting foot on private property, and its legality has been under debate for years. This practice is often used in areas where private and public lands create a “checkerboard,” as you can see below. The white areas are private land, and the yellow or blue are public. 

The “checkerboard” layout of public and private land is common in the West.

The elk hunters in this case used a ladder to corner-cross a piece of land owned by Iron Bar Holdings. Iron Bar had marked the corners of its property with monuments to designate their precise location according to U.S. Geological Survey data. Since the hunters knew exactly where the private land was, they brought a ladder large enough to climb over the monuments without ever touching them. The ladder never touched private property, but Iron Bar still filed trespassing charges against the four hunters. 

Cowboy State Daily reports that Iron Bar Holdings claimed the hunters had “violated the ranch’s air space when (crossing) the corner, and in doing so damaged the value of the ranch by several million dollars.” 

That wasn’t enough to sway a local jury, which initially found the four men innocent on all charges. Iron Bar appealed that ruling to the 10th Circuit Court, and as of yesterday, is still determining whether it will appeal the most recent decision to the Supreme Court. 

The 10th Circuit Court relied heavily on a law from 1885 when ruling in favor of the elk hunters, according to Cowboy State Daily. The Unlawful Inclosures Act outlawed “obstructing settlement and transit through public lands.” 

The judges, in their unanimous 3-0 decision, wrote that “no one may completely prevent or obstruct another from peacefully entering or freely passing over or through public lands.” They went on to add that “a barrier to access, even a civil trespass action, becomes an abatable federal nuisance in the checkerboard when its effect is to inclose public lands by completely preventing access for a lawful purpose.” 

It’s important to note that, while this ruling does make corner-crossing legal, this case with the elk hunters and Iron Bar is unique. Iron Bar placed physical markers at the corners of their property, in accordance with official survey lines. Attempting to corner cross in a similar manner on land that’s not officially marked may lead to unintended trespassing, since satellite mapping systems like OnX aren’t completely accurate. 

This ruling does open the door for hunters, anglers, and anyone who recreates on public land, to access that land, so long as they can get there without trespassing.

 

The State of Public Lands

Washington State Proposes Fur Ban

The State of Public Lands

By
Spencer Durrant
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Photo courtesy of Montana Fishing Outfitters

Public lands are front-and-center in the news lately, and just about everyone has something to say about it.

On a seemingly innocuous post on Instagram, Steven Rinella added a stinging condemnation of the current attitude around public lands:

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Steven Rinella (@stevenrinella)


Rinella is a fantastic ambassador for public lands, and I appreciate how he uses his platform to bring these issues to light. 

Public Lands Workers Fired

But it’s not just Rinella making a fuss about accessing national forests, parks, monuments, or worrying about those locations potentially being sold off to the highest bidder. Public lands are in the crosshairs right now as part of President Trump’s efforts to cut government spending and increase domestic energy production. As recently as last month, around 4,400 workers were laid off from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Park Service. An attempt to rehire those workers via legislation in the U.S. Senate failed. 

Losing those workers before spring, when visitation usually creeps up at National Parks, won’t help these places weather tourist season. But deeper than that, those cuts of federal  workers sent a shockwave through the industry that’s best reflected in headlines like “Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs Raise Concerns About the Future of Public Lands,” “‘Wild West’: Oregon’s public lands face uncertain future amid federal job cuts,” and “As a judge orders reinstatement of federal workers, Westerners worry about instability on public land.” 

On Friday, March 14, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration needed to reinstate most of those 4,400 workers, many of whom were probationary employees. And according to Ella Lee at The Hill, the Trump administration is following orders. 

The decision is likely to be appealed, however, and that doesn’t mean things are back to normal in these land management agencies, either. As Lee wrote, many of these reinstated workers will be placed on paid administrative leave, pending resolution of other lawsuits. 

She goes on to say that “the change could cause chaos for fully reinstated employees, in particular, who must be onboarded and trained again but could lose their positions once more if an appellate ruling reverses (this) decision.” 

Drilling, Development On The Table

While staffing at land management agencies is a legitimate concern, other problems are also grabbing headlines, like this one from The Denver Post: “New western Colorado congressman proposes reopening of thousands of acres of federal land to drilling.” 

Freshman representative Jeff Hurd has introduced the Productive Public Lands Act, which the Post reports would “undo decisions made in 2024 and 2025 under the Biden administration on how to manage vast swaths of Bureau of Land Management land across Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, and Montana.” If passed, the bill would impact 2.3 million acres in Colorado alone.

Selling Public Lands

Among the most shocking headlines, however, are the ones that I suspect got Rinella’s attention in the first place. Time Magazine ran an op/ed from Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert, in which he says, “The Trump administration (is) trying to make it easier to lease or sell 640 million acres of public lands.” 

The Center for American Progress, a D.C.-based think tank, ran a story a month ago claiming that “The Trump administration seems to be signaling that selling out and selling off the nation’s public lands to the highest bidder might provide the necessary funding” for a sovereign wealth fund, which Trump has attempted to establish through executive order. 

It appears that the threat to public lands is very real, but I think the folks running things in D.C. have underestimated the bipartisan support for national public land. As Wilderness.org reports, Democratic representative Gabe Vasquez, of New Mexico, and Republican representative Ryan Zinke, of Montana, just introduced bipartisan legislation that would “ban the sale or transfer of most public lands by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service, and require congressional oversight of any public lands disposal.” 

In addition to that legislation, it’s likely any sale of public land would be appealed to the Supreme Court. That same court just recently rejected a lawsuit from Utah, where the governor and attorney general tried to claim ownership of 18.5 million acres of public land. The Supreme Court didn’t make any formal comment on the lawsuit, but U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar’s office made one point that I think should give public lands advocates hope:

“Congress retains exclusive right to control and dispose of public lands through the Property Clause of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution.”  

The Supreme Court agrees with that statement, otherwise they would have allowed the lawsuit to proceed. And since Congress can’t even pass a budget right now, I think the likelihood of selling off these lands remains low. It’s worth staying vigilant, however, and doing your part to ensure public lands stay in public hands. 

 

Washington State Proposes Fur Ban

Agreement Paves the Way for Restoring The Eel River

A Belizean Cure to Flats Fever: An Angler Story

By
Brett Gaba
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Every group of anglers has that one friend: the flats junkie, the permit geek, the inland-born but tropically-oriented misfit who’s willing to fly thousands of miles for bonefish and tarpon. These are not your everyday anglers content to fish within state lines. They’re hopeless world travelers with up-to-date passports and an unstoppable desire to have them stamped in warm places.

In my fishing circle, Ben Weidemer fills that role. Ben has a barebones social media presence, so you never really know what he’s doing at any given moment. Sometimes we’ll go months without a word from him, and one day we’ll get a random text from him that just says, “Turks and Caicos,” with a hastily taken picture of a giant bonefish in the water. He lives in Virginia but travels regularly to the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and other equatorial destinations without a huge need to document or share his experiences.

Although my friends and I enjoy a few distinct flavors of Mid-Atlantic saltwater fly fishing, Ben is the motivating force behind some fairly aggressive international trips. These can be planned for months in advance or randomly dropped on us because of impossibly low airfare costs or a cancellation. To be friends with him is to be in a constant state of declining reasonable offers for tropical adventure.

The truth is that I’m fundamentally an introvert, and I love fishing in home waters by myself, so Ben’s invitations aren’t hugely tempting. But last year, I said yes for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with post-COVID America and having a greater appreciation for social activities. Maybe it had something to do with a friend’s sudden and unexpected death the previous year. Maybe I was just feeling older and like my time to do cool stuff was honestly running out.

But with an impossibly rare intersection of free time, available funds, and light expectations at work and home, an invitation from Ben came through, and I was able to really consider it. Did I want to exchange the rain and gloom of a Pacific Northwest February for sunshine and bonefish? And did I want to spend a few days with some old rugby teammates who were long overdue for a visit? Yes. Yes, I did.

So I sneaked off for 6 days to fish the shallow water flats surrounding San Pedro, Belize. I knew that Ben had an established program after 10 years of visiting the region, but what I didn’t know was just how accessible, affordable, and amazing a trip to Belize could be. All told, I spent around $2,000 for 4 full days of fishing, round-trip flights, baller accommodations, and all the beer and tacos that a guy could reasonably consume over 6 days in San Pedro (To learn how we pulled this off, check out Belize on a Budget, here).

About a week before the trip, our group chat reached its peak. We discussed rod selection, flies to bring, lens colors, and questions about fishing licenses as we packed and prepared for the trip. To further fuel the conversation, a few days before our arrival in Belize, the forecast called for 80-degree days, clear blue skies, and 30mph winds for the entirety of our trip. Naturally, wind and concerns about it became a topic of discussion.

A forecast like that is a tough hand to deal with on a fly-fishing destination trip, but there’s not much to do about it. Rescheduling wasn’t an option, and sometimes you just have to take it like a grown-up, pack your bags, board the plane, and see how hard it is to cast in a stiff breeze. After all, it couldn’t blow the whole time, could it?

The four of us were coming from different parts of the US: Seattle, New York, and various parts of Virginia, so our arrivals were staggered. I landed in Belize City on Tuesday afternoon, took the short flight over to San Pedro, and met Ben at the condo that evening. Our friends Brantley and Nader would arrive late the next day.

Ben and I caught up over dinner at the Truck Stop on our first night, a clever collection of food trucks, bars, and covered seating just north of downtown San Pedro. We both ordered beers and fish tacos: crisp, ice-cold Belikins, a local European lager, paired with grilled snapper and pineapple tacos alongside fried plantains. The tacos at The Truck Stop quickly became a staple of our trip.

As we ate, we devised a loose game plan for the week. Initially, we planned to fish independently on the eastern side of the island. However, with the wind blowing directly from the east, we anticipated challenges. Ben promptly emailed a few guides to explore booking trips for the week. Regardless, our morning plan was to scout his familiar spots. If conditions required a change, we’d consider the western side for potential shelter.

The following morning, we drove north on the main road in our golf cart. Ben maneuvered aggressively over bumps and potholes while I held onto our strung-up rods. After several miles, the road forked, and we turned right towards the eastern side of Ambergris Cay. What began as pavement transitioned to gravel and eventually degraded to a sandy path along the beach. Passing houses, small stores, bars, and restaurants, we attracted little attention as we drove by with our fly rods.

Back at the condo, we had felt the wind on our balcony and noticed palm trees swaying ominously. On the water’s edge, we experienced its full force. Driving north along the beach, we observed waves breaking over the reef, churning up the water closer to shore. Spotting fish and casting proved challenging, with little success in our attempts.

Ben, a former professional athlete, approaches fishing much like rugby. He reads the environment and adjusts accordingly. His casting technique is solid from consistent practice. Coachable and effective under pressure, he learns from mistakes. Standing at 6’6″, his height provides a unique advantage for sight-fishing on the flats.

The upside was that casting remained feasible despite the wind, albeit not elegantly. Unfortunately, the water conditions were unfavorable. Persisting on the east side of the island, we battled wind during our casts and searched for signs of feeding fish, yet the conditions weren’t conducive. At one point, we spotted the sickle tail of a small permit in the wash of waves just inches from the beach—one of the few fish sightings within close range.

Around 11 o’clock, we paused at a small restaurant for beers and breakfast burritos. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, it was difficult to feel disappointed while enjoying a dockside bar overlooking the Caribbean in mid-February.

“I’ve seen it perfectly calm here, with tails of permit and bonefish breaking the surface,” Ben remarked as the wind blew across the water, with clouds drifting by. “There are usually big tarpon lurking under the dock.”

Having completed our scouting mission on the east side, we decided to explore the western side of the island. Returning to our golf cart, we set off for Secret Beach.

After a brief drive, we parked and strolled past the bar, following the shoreline north past several vacant houses. The west side of the island offered noticeably more shelter from the wind. We hadn’t ventured more than 50 yards past the bar when Ben spotted bonefish in the shallow waters. I attempted a cast, but they spooked and retreated to deeper waters.

We didn’t have to walk much farther before finding another promising cove. On a whim, I cast into water that looked promising, and after a few strips, I hooked up with a small bonefish. Over the years, I’ve caught good-sized stripers, salmon, and steelhead, but the strength of this frisky 1lb bonefish was truly surprising. It made several strong runs, but I managed to bring it in on my 8-weight rod.

And just like that, we were on the scoreboard. No guides. No 80-foot casts. No super-selective fish. Just wet-wading along the shoreline and fishing as we would back home. I spotted deeper water with different features, including some grass that could conceal fish along an open, sandy edge. I made a cast and connected. Despite this being my first day of flats fishing, it felt as natural as picking apart pocket water in the mountains or working the edges of a farm pond for bass.

I kept fishing and landed a few more small bones while Ben scouted for tailing fish along the shorelines. The hard, easy-to-wade sand and ample grass in the cove provided ideal habitat for fish and their prey. At one point, I discovered a group of mangrove snapper holding in deeper water near a dock. They eagerly struck the fly after two or three strips and put up a spirited fight.

By mid-afternoon, with the other half of our group arriving in a few hours, we decided to call it a day and head back to the condo. As far as first days of fishing go, this experience far exceeded expectations, and we still had the bulk of the trip ahead of us.

Later that night, the four of us caught up over tacos and beers back at The Truck Stop. I opted for the birria tacos, Ben stuck with the grilled fish tacos again, while Nader and Brantley started with the chicken and avocado tacos.

“F!*k these are good,” Nader exclaimed.

Brantley was already halfway through his meal. “After a day of airport food, anything would taste good, but these are honestly solid.”

Although I had been in Belize for 24 hours already, it felt great to have all four of us together again. Years ago, we had all lived in Washington DC and played for a rugby club there, so we had spent a lot of time together between practices, games, and tours around the US. While our rugby playing days were mostly behind us, we still made a point to fish together whenever possible. Initially, this meant fishing our home waters in the Chesapeake Bay for redfish or stripers. However, as we had grown older and moved to different parts of the country, our fishing trips had expanded in scope.

As Brantley and Nader ate, Ben brought them up to speed.

“With this wind, the fishing on the east side of the island is pretty much blown out, so we’ll need to focus on the west side. Gaba and I scouted it out today and found some fish. We can wade some spots there for small bonefish if we want. I’m keen on targeting permit, and I know Brantley is too. I reached out to a few local guides this afternoon and found some available for this week. Their rates are reasonable, and they’ve been spotting permit on the flats with some baby tarpon deep in the mangroves. We can fish as much as we want with the guides, or we can mix it up with some DIY fishing around the island. It’s totally up to you.”

So we discussed our preferences over another round of beers at the table. Ben and Brantley wanted to focus on permit, so they each booked their own guides. Nader and I were content to fish for bonefish and tarpon, so we split a guide for two days, with another day reserved for DIY fishing.

The silver lining to the windy conditions and booking guides was that we would experience a much more diverse fishery than originally planned. We had come all the way to Belize; for a couple of hundred bucks more, we could explore even further, gaining access to different waters, different fish species, and local expertise.

As much as I enjoyed exploring and finding fish on our own, heading out in our guide’s boat the next day was an undeniable thrill. With our bags and rods loaded, Nader and I departed south from the dock at Secret Beach to the flats around Cangrejo Cay with our guide, Eduardo Ortega. The wind was still blowing up to 20 mph, but the skies were clear, and the sun was shining, which made spotting fish easier.

Eduardo was a quiet man but a clear communicator about what we could expect. We would navigate around the sheltered sides of small islands and shorelines in search of bonefish, and later in the afternoon, we planned to explore the mangroves as the tide rose to hunt for baby tarpon.

After a short boat ride, Eduardo stopped on the west side of an island and cut the motor. Before climbing onto the poling platform, he inspected our flies and leaders and made only one change: he removed the front rubber legs from my fly but kept the back portions. It seemed Belizean bonefish preferred subtlety over action.

As Eduardo quietly poled the boat closer to shore, we scanned the clear water for signs of fish. Initially, we only spotted indentations in the sand where fish had rooted around for worms and tiny crabs. Soon, a group of fish casually cruising in shallow water came into view. Nader took the bow first, stripped some line off his reel, and made a precise cast above the fish.

“Pause. Strip. He’s interested. Strip. Strip fast. He’s moving,” Eduardo coached from the stern.

Nader’s line tightened, and the fish darted off, scattering the school around it. The fish made several strong runs before Nader brought it to hand. I couldn’t help but notice with mixed feelings that it was about a pound larger than the bonefish I had caught the previous day.

That set the tone for the first part of our day. Nader and I took turns fishing, each landing fish weighing between two to three pounds. As the day progressed, we improved at spotting the subtle movements of fish in the water. Sometimes it was an obvious shadow on the sandy bottom, but more often, it was a faint shimmer just below the water’s surface at the edge of the sun’s glare.

My best fish of the trip came with Eduardo that day—a good-sized bonefish cruising about sixty feet off our bow. Several factors were against me: the wind affecting my cast, the boat drifting towards the fish, and the fish swimming away from us. Despite these challenges, I managed to make the right cast. The fly landed in the fish’s path, and we all watched as it committed to the fly without hesitation.

Unlike the smaller bonefish from the previous day, this one took off, peeling a significant amount of line off my reel and even getting into my backing. I worried it might head for the nearby mangroves and break me off in their roots, but fortunately, it stayed in open water, allowing me to bring it to hand. It was a spectacular fish: easily weighing 4 pounds, pure silver, and full of power.

After more than a decade of traveling and fishing saltwater flats, Ben has evolved into a specialist in catching permit. It’s not that bonefish and tarpon aren’t interesting or enjoyable, but the intense challenge of landing a permit has truly captivated him. While Nader and I enjoyed catching cooperative bonefish, Ben and Brantley were experiencing similar success targeting permit with their respective guides.

Ben fished the waters around Ambergris Cay with his guide, Darryl Smith, while Brantley ventured farther north, near the Mexican border close to Bacalar Chico National Park. Each of their boats was equipped with a senior guide on the poling platform, scanning for signs of fish from a higher vantage point. A junior guide stayed close to the angler, providing additional direction and assisting with managing the fly line on the casting deck. Depending on the location or the behavior of the fish, sometimes the angler would disembark and wade the flats with the junior guide, while the senior guide remained on the boat to spot fish from the poling platform.

“Their ability to work together and spot just a hint of a traveling fish was extremely impressive,” Ben reflected later. “It’s one thing to see tails clearly breaking the water while fish feed in calm conditions, but another entirely to spot the shadow through mid-day glare and light chop on the water from such a distance. I honestly don’t know how they do it.”

As Ben and Brantley described it over drinks, their experience sounded more akin to hunting than fishing, involving a lot of waiting and watching until the perfect moment arrived to cast a small crab pattern. It was challenging fishing, but most of the time, if they could get the fly in front of a fish, it would strike. Perhaps the wind made the fish less skittish, but overall, Brantley landed three permit over his four days of fishing, while Ben caught four, including his largest to date.

After a couple of days in San Pedro, we settled into a routine. We returned to The Truck Stop for a third night of beer and tacos, and the energy around the table that evening might have been the high point of the trip. All four of us had caught fish that day, some more easily than others, and there was a palpable satisfaction in celebrating our initial successes while knowing we still had a few days ahead of us.

The next two days flew by as our routine became almost ritualistic. We would wake up and check if the wind had calmed, then enjoy breakfast burritos on the balcony. After that, we’d load up the golf cart and make the short trip to Secret Beach, where we either met our guides or waded the shorelines in search of small bonefish. Ben attempted his east-side spots a few more times, but the persistent wind refused to let up.

We consistently found fish north of Secret Beach, though I never encountered the school of mangrove snapper again. Around 3 pm, the boats would return to dock, and we’d gather at the beach-front bar for a few drinks, discussing the day’s adventures before heading back to shower and have dinner. By sundown, we’d be back in the condo, sometimes tying a few flies before bed.

Our final day with the guides proved to be the toughest of the trip. The fish were scattered, and our opportunities came swiftly, often resulting in missed shots due to their skittish behavior. Throughout the trip, we had spotted large barracudas lurking in various spots. To pass the time, our guide tossed a big rapala at one of them, and it responded with a ferocious take that I’ll never forget. He handed the spinning rod to Nader, who valiantly fought the barracuda, albeit somewhat sheepishly.

 

After lunch, we ventured into one of the northern lagoons in search of baby tarpon. We found them in abundance circling a small island, but despite our efforts, none of them took the fly. Poling deep into the mangroves in search of them was a fascinating experience. Some were nestled in small pools within the mangroves where only a roll cast was possible, while others were tightly packed around islands in large schools.

Later that afternoon, we worked the open waters of a protected lagoon where a wary school of permit swam. The wind likely hindered our positioning, and it seemed they were always just beyond casting distance. It became a delicate game of cat and mouse between our guides and the fish for several hours. Nader and I took turns on the bow, eyes peeled, poised to make a precise cast. Finally, around 2 pm, everything aligned, and I took my shot. Unfortunately, my line tangled around my guides, causing the cast to fall short, and we lost our opportunity as the fish darted off into deeper waters.

It was a sizable permit, easily weighing 15 or 20 pounds, and the guides were understandably disappointed that we missed our chance after spending so much time tracking it. Soon after, we headed back to the dock. Despite this setback, I was still euphoric from the numerous catches over the previous three days. I had landed numerous bonefish independently and with guides, which was a tremendous experience in itself. However, missing a shot at a big permit is apparently part of the true flats fishing experience, so I can now check that off the list of things flats anglers should expect to encounter.

In terms of story arcs, aside from contending with the wind and a few missed opportunities, there wasn’t much conflict or drama. We all packed our bags and traveled to Belize, each of us setting out in search of fish and finding them despite less-than-ideal conditions. Our DIY days were fulfilling and productive, while our guided days were exciting and memorable. In art, building suspense is crucial for sustaining a story, but in life, sometimes it’s refreshing to simply pursue and achieve what you set out to do. That’s Belize for you.

The excitement of our trip wasn’t akin to the hype of spring break beer commercials, even after some incredible catches and successes. Perhaps we’ve all outgrown that kind of exuberance, but what replaced it was a quieter, more relaxed midlife joy—a far cry from the wild, booze-fueled debauchery of our rugby days, yet undeniably authentic.

I suppose that’s the natural evolution of friendships and fishing trips over time. A shared love for rugby and fly fishing brought us together in our 20s and 30s, and now in later years, we leave the rowdiness behind in exchange for something different. Maybe it’s mature focus or the ability to enjoy a trip and the activities we share without needing excess.

Belize seemed to epitomize that midlife shift with its laid-back atmosphere and lack of drama. I expected the sandy beaches, palm trees, crystal-clear waters, and pleasant Caribbean weather. What surprised me was the ease of travel, the straightforward access to fishable flats, the exhilarating fight of a one-pound bonefish, and how affordable such an adventure could be.

The only regrets I have from the trip are that we didn’t capture a single picture of all four of us together and that I never tried the spicy pork tacos at The Truck Stop. I departed San Pedro early the next day before the guys woke up for their final day of fishing. I had acquired a serious Chaco tan on my feet that would endure through September, and a strong desire to return lingered in my thoughts.

Angler story by Brett Gaba, be sure to follow Brett on Instagram at @originalgaba. 

Belize on a Budget: A DIY Guide for Belize Bonefish

One Way Ticket to Grab City: An Alaskan Angler Story

What I learned from DIY Bonefishing

By
Nate Holmes
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When you think of saltwater fly fishing, chances are a bonefish cruising over a shallow, tropical sand flat might come to mind. I have always been in a unique position in the fly fishing world, growing up on Cape Cod. Almost all of my time is spent saltwater fly fishing, and until recently, I’ve never cast a fly with swaying palm trees in sight. For me, saltwater fly fishing looks like surf crashing over coastal boulders, vicious blitzes, and Stripers on sand flats. This last image in my head, the various Cape flats, has always left me curious about the other flats fishing the world of fly fishing has to offer. These past two springs, I have finally gotten my chance to travel south and see what bonefish are all about. Here’s what I learned from my first experience with DIY bonefishing.

Tips for DIY Bonefishing

If you’re new to bonefishing or saltwater fishing in general, any tips can help you find and land more fish. While by no means is this an all-encompassing guide, the following tips have played a pivotal role in DIY bonefishing over the past several years.

It’s All About the Presentation

Bonefish are spooky but not always picky. A whiffed cast that lands too close to a cruising fish or a fly that plops down just a little too hard will send these fish ripping away, but when it comes to fly selection, close enough is just fine. Keep it simple, if you see a lot of small crabs on the flats, tie on a small crab, and in just about any situation a small to medium-sized tan or brown shrimp will get the job done. 

The author, with a bonefish, fooled with a small shrimp pattern.

I would focus the vast majority of my efforts on presentation. Where will you place the fly, and how will you make the fly move in the water? When casting a cruising bonefish, it is crucial to lead the fish to the right amount. If you can drop your fly in a hula hoop about 2-3 feet in front of the cruising bone’s nose, then you will be in business! Too close and you will certainly spook the fish, and too far gives the fish too much time to change direction and not cross paths with your offering.

When it comes to presenting the fly in the water, the best advice I can give is to observe and cater to the fish’s reactions to your fly. I tell my clients on trips sight fishing for striped bass this same thing. I always give my fly a twitch to get a fish’s attention, and if they come to it aggressively, then I will move my fly accordingly. If they are cautious and warily come over to look, then I will let the fly sit and just make small twitches. Like anything, play around with different presentations until you find what works for you, but no matter what, keep tension on your line. You need to be tight to your fly to make sure you can feel the takes and maximize your chance of sticking the fish!

 

Know the Tides

This is the case in any saltwater fishery across the globe. Patterns in the ocean are run by tides. If you don’t know the tides, then you are taking a shot in the dark, especially when you aren’t familiar with the area. From what I could tell in my little experience with bonefishing, these fish are most active when water is moving.

Bonefish activity varies with tides. Learning when and where the fish will be is key to success.

When the tide is flooding (rising), bones push onto flats and then further into the backwaters, where they can feed under the protection of mangroves and lagoons. These fish like to get shallow and only need a few inches of water over the flat to push up and feed, avoiding bigger predators like barracudas and sharks. During the ebb (falling tide), these fish follow the water out of the mangroves to more open water flats. Now, these patterns will vary from place to place, but if you know what tides you are fishing, you can use your observations while out on the water to start to crack the code!

 

Lighter is Better

Bonefish certainly pull hard, but they are no big game target, so be careful not to be over-gunned. I’m sure some situations exist where the extra power of a 9wt is useful, but a properly set up 8wt is the perfect tool for the job. With the correct line for the rod, an 8wt has more than enough power to slice through stiff winds. An 8wt also gives you the perfect finesse to slip a shrimp in front of a spooky bonefish in skinny water with confidence. If you have perfect conditions and are up for the extra battle, a lighter setup like a 7wt is a lot of fun. Regardless of your rod choice, I would opt for your lightest tippet option. Bonefish are undeniably leader-shy, so 10 lb fluoro is the best bet. You can go lighter with 8 lb, but you need to be super cautious with any abrasion on your tippet because you will snap off in an instant. If you are having a tough time with keeping fish on, then size up your tippet to 12 lb fluoro.

 

If it Doesn’t Move, It’s Not a Fish

When you are on a beautiful flat, and the conditions are lining up right, everything looks like a fish. Bonefish are purposely inconspicuous; it is in their best interest not to be seen. They’re called the “Ghosts of the Flats” for a reason, and spotting them in time to make a shot is no easy feat. The best way to spot these gray ghosts is to look for shadows on the flats. Just remember that you’re looking for moving shadows; bonefish are always on the move. If your “fish” doesn’t move after a second or two, move on because chances are it is not a bone. Sure, they will pause to root around, but even then, they just can’t seem to keep still. Once you pick out one or two cruising bones, you shouldn’t have any problems spotting more throughout the day.

 

Bonus: Don’t Be Afraid to Get a Guide

I know this is an article about DIY fishing for Bonefish, but you really can’t match the level of expertise offered by a guide. Any professional, especially the local guys, knows these waters like the back of their hand and can teach you so much about the fishery in just a few hours. I prefer to fish DIY, but as someone who loves fishing, I can’t pass up on an opportunity to see a fishery through the eyes of someone who truly knows it intimately. In an ideal world, I would love to fish with a guide the first day I am in a new area to get the local tips and tricks before I go to tackle it solo. Just remember, if you plan to fish on your own after, be polite and ask the guide to show you some places where you can fish on your own so you don’t step on any toes!

 

Final Thoughts

This list should give you a good headstart out there when tackling the challenge of DIY bones. While it’s not exactly proven by science, I’m a strong believer that confidence, whether it’s on a spot, a special fly, or a tide, all directly correlates to shots at fish. Sometimes, even just a few tips can give you the confidence boost needed to find success on the water. Remember to research your specific area and try to get the local info; good luck out there!

For more bonefish tips, check out the articles below:

Keep Fish Wet: Bonefish In Our Hands Initiative

Mastering Bonefish Fly Fishing: Top 5 Tips for On-foot Anglers

The Drift: Early Spring Trout

By
Spencer Durrant
-

One of the biggest challenges you’ll face in trout fishing is chasing these fish during early spring. On its face, that statement feels counterintuitive. After all, spring is when the bugs start hatching again, the fish wake up, and you can catch trout on more than worms, scuds, and egg patterns. 

When spring is fully underway—say by mid-April—it does feel like the game gets a bit easier. The fish and anglers are both happy to see bugs that aren’t size 22 midges, and the trout tend to lose a bit of their inhibition. But this time of year, early spring trout are tough for a number of reasons. 

Still Sluggish

I was on the water most of last week, fishing one of my favorite tailwaters. We couldn’t have asked for better weather—temps in the 50s, and none of the usual Wyoming wind. A few midges came off in clusters, but the water was still in the low 40s. 

That’s warm enough for browns and rainbows to be active, but they weren’t “on the chew,” as a guide friend of mine used to say. The takes we got were sluggish, and I missed quite a few fish because I thought my nymphs were stuck in the moss instead of a trout’s mouth. 

In fact, I caught two mountain whitefish back-to-back that both felt exactly like I’d hooked into a big pile of weeds. They didn’t start to fight until they broke the water’s surface, almost like the warm air kicked a bit of life into them. 

Sluggish fish themselves aren’t all that tough. Using heavier flies instead of split shot, and smaller bobbers, is a great way to detect these softer takes. But it’s the lazy behavior paired with great spring weather that’s the challenge. It makes you long for the fishing of late spring when trout have moved back into the riffles, and you’re casting dry-dropper rigs instead of clunky nymph setups. There’s nothing wrong with nymphing, but after a winter of tossing bobbers, it feels odd to do it when the weather is telling you that you should be fishing dry flies. 

Tough Spots

The other challenge we ran into last week was finding the fish. They weren’t stacked in the deep, slow holes like they had been all winter. They weren’t in the riffles, either. 

No, these fish were congregated in water about 3-5 feet deep, moving slightly slower than walking speed, ideally right behind a big shelf. Water that looked like it should hold fish didn’t, which made me start second-guessing every choice. When I start overthinking everything, I usually make mistakes. 

We’d fished one run for almost an hour without anything to show for it. This spot looked the part, except that it was a tad too fast and shallow. Still, it was close enough that we reckoned the fish would be there. 

After so many fruitless casts, though, we made the choice to leave. As we walked back to the truck, my buddy Alex threw one cast into a piece of the run we hadn’t fished yet. It was a subtle seam in the middle of the faster riffles, no more than two feet wide. This was the sort of seam that’s not obvious unless you stare at the water for a while, and I don’t know if Alex saw it intentionally or just got lucky. 

Either way, a throwaway cast on our walk back to the truck turned into Alex’s personal-best brown trout. This fish stretched the tape at 24.5 inches long, and ate a size 12 Walt’s Worm. 

If I’d just worked the water thoroughly instead of forcing the issue in parts of the run that looked fishy, I might have caught that fish instead of Alex. Now, Alex completely deserved that fish, but I don’t know any angler who’d look at a nice brown trout like that and not wish they’d caught it themselves. 

Once we dialed in the right water type, the fishing picked up, and the rest of the trip went well. But I worked harder for these early-spring trout than I did any of the fish I caught this winter. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere. 

 

Introducing The Drift: Life on the Water

Featured Film: Fish for Change

By
Max Inchausti
-

Featured Film is an opportunity for us to share with you some of our favorite fly fishing films. Oftentimes, these films take us on epic adventures, fishing for exotic fish and stretching the bounds of what many of us think was possible in fly fishing. Yet, every so often, a film comes along that highlights great causes and impactful work. This is one of these films. Fish for Change works to create positive change through fly fishing by uniting diverse young people in pristine natural settings. Through their programs, students engage in education, cultural exchange, conservation, and community-building, all while forming a deeper bond with nature and each other. Recently, Fish for Change debuted its first film, highlighting the incredible story and work being done to make this mission a reality. Follow along as we sit down with executive director Heather Harkavy to learn more about this incredible organization.

 

Flylords: What is Fish for Change? 

Heather: “Fish for Change takes students abroad each summer to Honduras, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Students come together with a shared passion for the outdoors and are placed in our immersive education programs. We learn through a place rather than about it. Throughout the course of our programs students create community around the sport of fly fishing they love with peers from all different backgrounds. We team up with local conservation groups to participate and learn more about how environments in different locations are struggling and how we can actively make a difference in lives. We run scavenger hunts, home-stays, local scholarships, guide training programs, and create bonds with the communities we are in. We hold evening writing prompts and engaging activities that help students to think outside of the box. Our goal is to create a generation of anglers that hold qualities of empathy, curiosity, and leadership.”

 

Flylords: Who was the group filmed in this video?

Heather: “This was a group of ten teenagers that have all grown up with Fish for Change. They joined us for our college/alumni week we host each summer in Guanaja, Honduras. These students joined us everywhere, from Honduras to Colorado to Hawaii and everything in between. That’s the beauty of Fish for Change. Each week holds space for a diverse pool of students from different backgrounds to come together and celebrate their love for fly fishing. Strangers become quick friends and family in these environments. This group of students has grown into leaders within the organization.” 

 

Flylords: Who made this film? 

Heather: “Well, for years I haven’t wanted to make a Fish for Change film. Our story is so precious along with these weeks. I always thought a film crew showing up would take away from the experience. That’s until I met Preston Hoffman. I knew he got it. I knew he would show up and add nothing but organic value with his big heart and creative perspective. Having Preston film was an added value to the week as he captured the F4C feeling brilliantly. The magic of Fish for Change is impossible to capture in words and stills. I will forever be grateful this film could pick up on this magic. Sorry to call you out bud, but Preston and I cried together when he left because it was so deeply impactful and profound of a week.”

 

Flylords: What was the intention behind this film? 

Heather: “We are all fishing for change every day in our lives. On and off the water. We can take fishing, hunting, diving, climbing, whatever it may be that inspires us and make it a platform for great change. Build community. Ask big questions. Connect with others. See how you can give back. Learn about places outside your comfort zone. Protect the things you love with all your heart. We hope this film inspires people and reminds them that the next generation has their head on right.”

 

Flylords: Where are you located? 

Heather: We currently run programs in Honduras, the Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colorado. Our HQ is based in Colorado. In each of our locations, we team up with the local lodge and have a local representative to steer the direction of our curriculum. 

 

Flylords: Can you explain your local scholarship initiative a little more? 

Heather: “Each week, we have a few spots available for local students who are interested in being fly fishing guides or working in ecotourism. Our hope is to introduce a new generation of fly fishing guides to the amazing career of fly fishing and sustainable tourism. This creates an organic cultural exchange amongst students, and local scholarship students serve as leaders within their communities.”

 

Flylords: What if a student can’t afford to join programs? 

Heather: “That is actually one of our biggest goals with Fish for Change! We NEVER want these programs to be cost-prohibitive. Therefore, we team up with great brands like SA, Chums, Bajio Sunglasses, Yellow Dog, Duck Camp, and Yeti to fund students’ trips. You can apply here: https://www.fishforchange.org/financial-aid-opportunities.html”

 

Flylords: Why should you donate to Fish for Change?

Heather: “This is the next generation of leaders and change-makers in the sport of fly fishing. The next generation of consumers, conservationists, thought leaders, and fish photographers. We always talk about the ripple effect at Fish for Change. Throw a pebble in a pond, and who knows what kind of ripples it can create? Well, here at Fish for Change, we create boulders, and the waves they make are magnificent.”

 

Flylords: Where can we learn more? 

Heather: To learn more about the incredible work Fish for Change is doing, visit our website (www.fishforchange.org). You can also find us on Instagram and other socials @fishforchange. 

Nonprofit Spotlight: Fish For Change

Fish for Change Releases Inaugural F4C Journal

Belize on a Budget: A DIY Guide for Belize Bonefish

By
Brett Gaba
-

Last year, I snuck off to San Pedro, Belize, with three friends. The goal was to target the shallow water flats on foot without breaking the bank. I was sick of the winter gloom in the Pacific Northwest, and my friends and I were due for a trip. So we packed our bags, did our research, and set off on a DIY Belize trip.

I knew we’d have shots at bonefish, permit, and baby tarpon but what I didn’t know was just how accessible, affordable, and amazing a trip like to Belize could be. All told, I spent around $2,000 for four full days of fishing, round-trip flights, luxurious accommodations, and all the beer and tacos that a guy could reasonably consume over six days in San Pedro.

In this guide, I dive into how we did it, where to fish, and the gear needed for a successful DIY trip to Belize. When winter hits, you’ll have everything you need for an escape to warmer temperatures and eager fish. 

Planning Checklist

  • Book round-trip flights to Belize City, and then a connecting flight to San Pedro. This was roughly half of my total cost. Depending on where you’re flying from, this may be more or less.
  • Rent a golf cart for 1 week for basic transportation around the island. You can rent a car, but it’s more expensive and not really necessary.
  • Reserve 3-4 Bedroom condo on Vrbo and AirBnB in North San Pedro. Split 4 ways we were able to stay in a very luxurious condo. You can save money by sharing rooms or having someone sleep on a couch.
  • Purchase 1-week Fishing License. This is very cheap, only $25.
  • Book guides for 2 full days, reserving 2 days to fish on your own. Depending on what you want to fish for, sharing a boat with a friend is another way to keep costs down. This was about a quarter of my total costs.

DIY Fishing

If you’re wondering where to fish, the short answer is just about anywhere. Endless miles of flats and a healthy population of bonefish and permit mean there is no shortage of spots. We focused north of the town of San Pedro–filled with miles upon miles of accessible shorelines and quality wade fishing. On the west side of the island, north and south of Secret Beach, we found good numbers of bonefish and snapper. To access the flats, we parked in a lot of local bars and restaurants and headed north along the shore. While endless flats may seem daunting, fish were abundant. Within 50 yards we spotted the first bonefish of the trip. While strong east winds limited us to the west side of San Pedro, when conditions are ideal, the east side of the island facing the reef, fishes extremely well. 

Fishing from shore is fairly straightforward, but renting a kayak or paddleboard is another way to access new water. Spots like Ambergris Caye, Santa Cruz Lagoon, and the Frances Caye Lagoon hold baby tarpon and snook. If you’re looking for new spots, there’s only one road out of San Pedro that heads north. Follow that along the coast and look for likely holding water and flats. Google Earth is an incredible tool for scouting. It gives valuable insights into flats, shorelines, structures, and access roads for a game plan before the trip.

Expectations vs Reality of Fishing in Belize

SHORE ACCESS: I think there’s a natural hesitation to just start walking shorelines because we’re so used to seeing Private Property and No Trespassing signs in the US. An extension of that is an American expectation for people to ask what you’re doing on their property with a fly rod. Neither of those things happen in Belize. In the rare cases when we saw someone as we fished, nobody said a word. Of course, if someone does say something, you should politely apologize and leave, but from my experience, that didn’t happen.

THE FISHING: I expected most of our fishing to be sight fishing. While that was true, plenty of blind casting opportunities present themself. The most rewarding fish were those we sighted casted, but at least half of my fish (small bonefish and snapper) were landed from blind casting in deeper pools and channel edges where fish hold. I’m mentioning this for any new anglers who might be intimidated by the distance and accuracy that casts for most bonefish require. Smaller Belizean bones tend to be more accessible than most.

ACCOMMODATIONS: We rented a beautiful condo north of town with ocean views, a pool, and three bedrooms for less than what I paid per night at a suburban Marriott. If you’re looking for more nightlife options, staying in town might be easier, but for us, most of the fishing was north of town so this worked out perfectly. As a bonus, look for a place with dock lights to extend your fishing into the night.

FOOD: Although we had some beer and snacks in the kitchen of our condo, most of our meals were at restaurants. For breakfast, Ben would wake up early and head into town to buy a few breakfast burritos that we’d eat before heading out for the day. On the days we fished with guides, lunches were provided, and on DIY days, we’d find lunch somewhere on the island. 

LANGUAGE: I studied Spanish in college, traveled to Mexico, and even lived in Spain for a few months so I was fairly prepared to speak some Spanish. This was mostly unnecessary and I was very surprised at the prevalence of English there. The signs, menus, and many conversations were all in English so if you’re not bilingual, don’t feel like you need to be.

CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATES: Right now, $1 of Belizean currency equals $.50 US dollars. Cards were accepted at every business I visited, along with American currency. There wasn’t a time when I needed Belizean dollars and I still have a few bills leftover from the trip. 

Local Guide Information

If DIY isn’t your thing or you want to supplement with a few days of guided fishing you’re in luck. Belize has some great guides and our guides were no exception. They put us on bigger bonefish, permit,  barracuda, and even a few shots at baby tarpon. On top of fishing some incredible flats, it was great to see more of the island, get deep into the mangroves, and experience even more of this amazing fishery through our guides

Check them out if you’re heading down to Belize:

Belize by the Numbers

I didn’t have an exact budget when planning this trip but like any DIY trip, the cheaper, the better. All in all, our trip came to roughly $2,000 per person, including flights, lodging, guide fees, and food. Here’s the breakdown of our Belize DIY budget:

Flights
  • $650 RT into Belize City from Seattle,  Alaska Airlines (direct flights!)
  • $348 RT Belize City to San Pedro, Tropic Air

$998 per person 

 

Lodging
  • 3 Bedroom condo: $1,134 split 4 ways
  • Golf Cart Rental: $170 split 4 ways

$326 per person

 

 

FOOD & DRINKS
  • $60/day, depending on drinks and fanciness of food

$360 per person

 

FISHING
  • 4 days fishing, 2 guided, 2 DIY
  • Guides: $300/day, Divided by 2  – 2 people per boat
  • 1-week fishing license: $25.00

$475 per person, includes tips

Trip Total: $2,159

 

Pack List:

Packing for a trip overseas can be intimidating. What you bring is what you have, so packing accordingly is important. For this trip to Belize, I packed two rods, wet wading boots, and, of course, plenty of flies. Here’s the breakdown of everything you need to fly fish in Belize.

Rods: 

  • 7-weight Redington Crux for small bonefish and light flats fishing.
  • 8-weight Sage Salt R8 for permit, baby tarpon, and windier conditions.

Reels:

  • Ross Reels Evo Salt R
  • Redington Grande

Fly Line:

  • Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Flats Universal Taper
  • Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Flats Power Taper

Leaders:

  • Rio Fluoroflex Bonefish/Saltwater leader (12lb)
  • Rio Fluoroflex Bonefish/Saltwater leader (16lb)
 

Wading:

  • Orvis PRO Approach Wading Shoes with neoprene socks.
  • Orvis PRO Sun Hoodie and Approach Pants. The name of the game is breathable sun coverage that keeps you cool.

Pack:

  • PRO Waterproof Backpack 30L to keep things dry

Accessories:

  • Chacos
  • Sunglasses – bronze lenses are recommended for saltwater flats

 

Mastering Bonefish Fly Fishing: Top 5 Tips for On-foot Anglers

Angler Story of the Week: Giant Belize Permit

Are Fly Shop Trucks the Future?

By
Spencer Durrant
-
picking out flies

We often talk about how important fly shops are, especially from a community standpoint. The best fly shops are the ones that build thriving populations of super fans (think Mad River Outfitters or Galloup’s Slide Inn) who only buy their fly fishing gear from those retailers. You can go to the shop, try on gear, and trust that the opinions you’re getting from the staff aren’t just carefully-crafted sales pitches. The truly great fly shops are honest, sometimes to a fault. 

Not everyone lives close enough to a fly shop to have that experience, though. My “local” fly shop is a 60-mile drive, and it’s on the main street of a tourist town outside Yellowstone National Park. It’s a good shop, but I just can’t spend enough time there to build the connection I’ve had with other shops. 

Cue the concept of the fly shop truck. 

It’s exactly like a food truck, but for a fly shop. And this isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky idea, either. A few companies have gone full-steam ahead, including Mossy Creek Fly Fishing out of Virginia. 

According to their website, their Mobile Fly Shop is “a well-merchandised showroom stocked with everything from the essentials to get started, hard to find items, as well as the best gear.” 

Mossy Creek is also using their Mobile Fly Shop as the centerpiece for various community events, like casting and fly tying demos, and Iron Fly challenges. 

You’ll be able to try on waders and boots, test out new fly rods, and pick out fly tying supplies in person. Personally, I’ve always found it more efficient to shop for fly tying materials in a shop rather than online, so fly tiers will have their niche served, as well. 

This seems like an intriguing idea for some fly shops, but not all shops see it that way. Blair Van Antwerp, who owns North Fork Anglers in Cody, Wyoming, told me, “I feel like there is a ‘soul’ or ‘vibe’ to a fly shop. It’s what makes each of them unique. I don’t think that you’ll be able to capture that as well with a fly shop truck. (There’s) no real investment in fly fishing, and (it’s) mostly trying to be cool. That’s my take on things.” 

Antwerp makes a good point, and that doesn’t take into account the overhead of running a truck, stocking it with inventory, and traveling across a wide territory. Is the return-on-investment there, especially in the West, where distances between towns are enormous?

Thankfully, I don’t have to answer that question. But it’ll be interesting to see if more fly shops look to this model as another way to engage with customers and build a community. If nothing else, I tip my hat to Mossy Creek for being willing to try something different. 

Project Healing Waters Partners with onWater Fish to Support Veterans’ Mental Health

Washington State Proposes Fur Ban

Fishing Tips: 3 Essential Knots

By
Andrew Braker
-

These are 3 essential knots you need to know if you call yourself an angler. Check out this video from Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for arguably the three most important knots you need to know when fly fishing.

Continue

Pumped Hydropower Proposal–Threats to Wyoming’s North Platte Watershed?

By
Will Poston
-

A hydropower project of sorts in central Wyoming may stabilize energy demand during peaks but at the expense of the famed North Platte watershed. Analogous to a reserve hydropower battery, pumped storage projects utilize reservoir water to produce hydropower during periods of high power demand. It’s a good idea in theory, but Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups are concerned about harmful ecological impacts. Their action alert calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct a complete environmental review concludes Friday, March 14th. 

Potential negative impacts to Wyoming’s North Platte and famed Miracle Mile include: water temperatures exceeding thresholds, increased turbidity, diminished flows, and more. These impacts stand to threaten a truly world class trout destination, prime habitat for bighorn sheep, and other outdoor recreation activities. 

Courtesy of TU’s Josh Duplechian

“The Miracle Mile is a world-class trout fishery that draws anglers from across the country and fuels local economies, but the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project poses serious risks to its water quality, fish populations, and surrounding habitat,” said Patrick Harrington, TU’s Wyoming Government Relations Director. “Trout Unlimited supports responsible energy development, but not at the expense of one of Wyoming’s most treasured fisheries. A full Environmental Impact Statement is essential to ensure this project doesn’t irreversibly harm the North Platte River ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.”

If you’ve ever fished the famed stretches of the North Platte or have dreams of making it out to this blue ribbon fishery, be sure to check out the TU Petition and make your voice heard. 

Cover picture courtesy of Steven Brutger. 

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