The bonefish of the East End
A great place to find the 'gray ghost of the flats'
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FISH to catch on Roatan is the bonefish. Pound for pound, these legendary flats fish might be the strongest inshore game fish in the world. And, where we are, on the quiet and safe East End of Roatan, chasing bonefish with a fly rod is a great way to spend a day.
The East End is home to several flats and shallows that are ideal for bonefishing. The flats are made up of sand and mud, and many are covered in seagrass. The seagrass provides food and shelter for bonefish, and it also makes it difficult for them to see predators. For anglers, the seagrass makes it tough to see bonefish, at least at first. For most fly fishers, the wisest choice for finding bones is to hire a guide, at least the first time you go out. Since fly fishing for bonefish is almost entirely about sight-casting, getting that “fish eye” tuned in is really important.
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Tips for catching East End bones
On typical blonde sand flats in the Caribbean, bonefish seem to appear out of nowhere — their nickname is “the gray ghost of the flats.” But, when they’re hunting for shrimp, crabs, mollusks and even sea worms on the grass flats, it takes a well-trained eye to see them. But, once you know what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to spot the East End’s plentiful bones. That’s half the battle, honestly.
When fishing for bonefish on Roatan's East End, it is important to be patient. Bonefish are generally not easy to catch, and you will probably fail more than you succeed, at least at first.
Here are some tips for catching bonefish on Roatan's East End:
- Fish early in the morning or late in the evening. Bonefish are most active during these times of day. Also, pay attention to the tides. On the East End, the tides are usually subtle, but an incoming tide will bring fish in, and they’ll stay on the flats until the tide starts to go out.
- Use light tackle — a 7-weight fly rod on a generally calm day is ideal for East End bones. Bonefish are very sensitive and skittish. They spook easily, so a more delicate presentation is required when you see them on the flats.
- Use a longer leader than you might think you need. A 12-foot, 12-pound leader and tippet will be about right.
- Practice your casting before you get here. If you don’t know how to double-haul cast, you need to learn. Practice casting on windy days, too.
- Arm yourself with the right flies. Consider patterns like the Gotcha, Pink Puff and the Crazy Charlie. For shallow flats, use plastic bead eyes. For deeper flats, use bead-chain eyes.
Come see us and chase Roatan's wily bones
If you’re interested in trying your hand at Roatan’s eager bonefish, let us know. We offer several full-service fishing packages at the Villa that include guided fishing, three meals a day and, of course, lodging in our beautiful sea-side retreat. The Villa is perfect for anglers with non-fishing partners or spouses — while you’re fishing, we offer a host of tours, and, course, direct access to the Mesoamerican Reef that can be reached by hopping off the end of our private dock.
And, if you’re the adventurous type, you can hire a guide for a day or two and then venture out on your own. Using our local water taxi, you can be taken to any number of local flats for a couple hours of fishing. Or you can simply walk the beach flat right in front of the Villa. Often bonefish, permit and triggerfish will pop up out of the deeper water on calm days and feed right in the soft surf break on the beach.
If bonefish are on your list, come see us. We can help you get into very cool inshore fishing right from the comfort of
Ocean Breeze Villa.
