Maui Fly Fishing

Maui Fly Fishing

By Makani Christensen
November 4, 2026

Giant Hawaiian Bonefish

There are giant Hawaiian bonefish along the shores of Maui. In fact, the largest Hawaiian bonefish I’ve ever caught was on Maui. When I first hooked the fish, it didn’t look particularly big. However, once I brought it closer to shore, I realized I had caught something special.

I was fishing alone that day and saw four fish in total. The giant I hooked was less than a pole length away when it took the fly.   I fished it all the way to the beach.

When I finally landed it, a surf instructor who was passing by offered to take a photograph. I got my picture with the bonefish, the largest I had caught to date.

Later, I inspected my leader and discovered that it was close to breaking. I was fortunate to have landed that fish. After taking the photograph, I released it and continued fishing.

Understanding Maui’s Flats

Maui is not a typical flats-fishing destination. In fact, its flats are nothing like those found on Oahu, Molokai, or Lanai.

Maui is one of Hawaii’s youngest islands, and its underwater terrain reflects that. The flats are generally deeper, and many areas drop off quickly toward the outer reef. Unlike the extensive shallow flats found on other Hawaiian islands, Maui has relatively limited areas where anglers can wade comfortably.

Some portions of the flats are accessible on foot, but many productive fishing areas are too deep to reach by wading alone. In certain locations, the water averages four to six feet deep before reaching the outer reef. There are only a handful of places where anglers can comfortably walk and fish during lower tides.

These conditions require a different approach to fly fishing.

On Maui, we have adapted our techniques to reach bonefish in deeper water. One of the most effective methods involves using ladders to gain elevation and improve visibility.

Standing above the water allows us to see fish that would otherwise be difficult to spot from the surface. This technique has become an important part of how we guide anglers on Maui.

My First Experience Guiding on Maui

The first time I guided on Maui was in 2010. Someone contacted me and asked whether I would fly over to guide them.

I agreed, even though I had never guided on Maui before. I had a general idea of where the fish might be, but I didn’t have firsthand experience fishing those particular flats.

When I arrived, I met my client at the beach. As we stood onshore, I noticed a bonefish cruising through the waves near the surf line.

We hurried out into the water, and within five minutes, we had hooked that fish.

This was before I owned a smartphone or had an Instagram account. Looking back, I still think about that experience and how quickly everything came together. I believe I was using my old flip phone at the time.

That first experience taught me something important: Maui’s bonefish can be found in places that many anglers would never think to look.

Maui’s Geography and Its Influence on Fishing

For those unfamiliar with Maui, it is the second-youngest of the main Hawaiian Islands.

Haleakala, rising approximately 10,023 feet above sea level, is one of Hawaii’s tallest mountains. It is considered an active volcano, although its last eruption occurred several hundred years ago.

Maui’s relatively young volcanic landscape helps explain why its underwater terrain differs from that of the older islands.

The surrounding waters become deep relatively quickly, and the shallow flats are not as extensive or developed as those found around Molokai, Lanai, and Oahu.

These geographical differences influence where bonefish travel, how they feed, and how we approach them.

Understanding the island’s terrain is essential to knowing where and when to fish.

Fishing the Higher Tides with Ladders

One of our guides on Maui, John John, once used a two-person kayak to access the fishing grounds.

Eventually, he stopped using the kayak and became one of the first guides in our operation to use a ladder for fly fishing.

The ladder provided an elevated platform that allowed him to see fish moving through deeper water. It also opened opportunities to fish during higher tides, when wading and spotting bonefish would otherwise be extremely difficult.

This technique changed the way we approached certain areas.

On many Hawaiian flats, anglers prefer lower tides because the fish are easier to see and the water is shallow enough to wade. Maui presents a different situation.

Because much of the surrounding water is deeper, an elevated position can make a tremendous difference. Instead of being restricted to shallow-water fishing, we can take advantage of higher tides and target bonefish moving across deeper portions of the flats.

The ladder doesn’t eliminate the challenges of fishing Maui, but it gives us another way to locate and pursue fish that might otherwise go unseen.

Tides and Fishing Conditions

Most of our fishing takes place during lower tides, particularly in areas where wading is possible.

However, there are times when the tides become too extreme to make guiding not worthwhile. Extremely high water can reduce visibility and make fish difficult to locate.

We also have to consider the wind.

Along Maui’s south shore near Kihei, we often fish until the early afternoon, when the winds begin to increase.

As the island heats up throughout the day, the prevailing northeast trade winds can interact with local terrain and produce stronger afternoon winds.

The winds travel through valleys and hit the mountains of West Maui, accelerating as they move across the landscape.

You can often see the wind developing as the day progresses. What begins as a relatively calm morning can turn into a challenging afternoon.

These conditions influence how long we can fish, where we position ourselves, and which areas offer the best opportunities.

Rain, Runoff, and Water Clarity

Rain can dramatically change the fishing conditions on Maui.

When heavy rain falls, runoff can turn portions of the flats brown, creating what we often call chocolate-colored water. Visibility can drop to nearly zero, making it extremely difficult to spot bonefish.

There have been times when certain fishing areas remained unfishable for weeks because of poor water clarity. On occasion, it has taken nearly two months for conditions to return to normal.

Strong storms can do more than temporarily reduce visibility. Heavy runoff and powerful waves can alter the shoreline and change the structure of the flats.

Sand can shift, channels can change, and areas that once held fish may look completely different after a major storm.

Large south swells can also shut down fishing.

When powerful waves break across the outer reef, they stir up sediment from the bottom and reduce underwater visibility. They can also make the water too rough or deep for safe and effective wading.

Even after the swell begins to subside, it may take time for the water to clear.

Sometimes we can find another area where the conditions are more favorable. However, the tides, wind, and waves all have to be within a manageable range.

There are days when our options become extremely limited. Instead of covering large stretches of water, we may have only one productive location where we can stand and wait for bonefish to swim within casting distance.

This is part of the reality of guiding on Maui.

Fly Fishing in the Waves

Because Maui has relatively few expansive, shallow flats, we often find ourselves fly fishing in the waves.

This creates a different set of challenges.

When using a swimming fly, the current and wave action constantly move the fly. The water can push it sideways, lift it off the bottom, or carry it away from the intended presentation.

A fly that looks natural in calm water may behave very differently when waves and currents are moving through the area.

The challenge is not simply getting the fly in front of a fish. It is keeping the fly in a position where the bonefish can see it and respond naturally.

There are fly that you leave in place, but these flies get hung up pretty quick in the waves.   There is a time to use swimming flies and a time for flies that stay in place.

The Challenges and Rewards of Maui Bonefishing

Maui presents its own unique challenges for fly anglers.

The flats are deeper, access is limited, and the combination of tides, wind, waves, and runoff can make fishing unpredictable.

Knowing where to go is only part of the equation. Understanding when to fish a particular location is equally important.

A productive flat during one tide may be nearly impossible to fish during another. An area that offers excellent visibility in the morning may become unfishable when the afternoon winds increase.

Conditions can change quickly, and experience plays a major role in making the right decisions.

Despite these challenges, Maui offers the opportunity to encounter truly giant Hawaiian bonefish.

For me, that is what makes fishing here so rewarding.

Every island has its own characteristics, but Maui requires anglers to think differently, adapt their techniques, and work with the conditions rather than against them.

The fish are here, and some of them are enormous. The challenge is knowing when and where to find them—and being prepared when the opportunity finally presents itself.

Low light Low Visibility-The Art of Presenting a Fly While Fishing for Bonefish

Low Light and Visibility

When I’m fishing on an overcast day and visibility is limited to ten yards or less within a 20-degree cone, I’ll use small, lightweight flies. Bonefish can suddenly appear within a rod’s length, leaving only seconds to identify their direction of travel and make an accurate cast.

A heavy fly landing too close can spook a bonefish. Smaller flies with bead-chain eyes create less disturbance on the water’s surface, allowing for a softer presentation when casting at close range.

Fishing the Triangle at Keehi Lagoon

In November 2025, we experienced a week of overcast conditions while fishing a popular flat known as the Triangle in Keehi Lagoon. The tide was less than a foot, making the shallow flats accessible for wading.

The Triangle is located near Keehi Boat Ramp and La Mariana, with Honolulu International Airport bordering the surrounding area.

Before the airport’s reef runway was constructed, the flats extended toward the entrance of Pearl Harbor. The development of aviation, particularly the introduction of jet aircraft and construction of the reef runway, significantly changed the surrounding landscape.

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Keehi Lagoon was dredged to create waterways for seaplanes. These channels provided access to maintenance facilities and allowed aircraft to take off under varying wind conditions.

Today, the flat is known as the Triangle because of its shape, formed by waterways extending in different directions.

The Triangle is well known within Hawaii’s fly-fishing community. As the late Ed Tamai used to say, “The Triangle is consistent.” Bonefish can be found there throughout the year, although certain seasons offer better opportunities for spotting them.

Access requires a boat, paddleboard, canoe, or another type of watercraft. The flat consists primarily of sand and mud, with scattered reef formations along its edges that drop into deeper channels originally created for seaplanes.

Adjusting to Poor Visibility

After the first day of fishing, I realized I needed to adjust the weight of my flies. The overcast conditions weren’t improving, and the limited visibility required a different approach.

In deeper water, spotting bonefish was difficult. However, in the shallows, we occasionally saw fish within a rod’s length, leaving almost no time to react.

I was fishing the Kurupt Hawaiian fly and decided to tie several versions with extremely small bead-chain eyes. The lighter flies allowed me to present them closer to the fish without creating excessive disturbance.

That adjustment made a difference. I caught several bonefish because I could place the fly where it needed to be, even when the fish appeared unexpectedly at close range.

I typically fish with a 25-pound-test leader, but the lighter flies required a change. I switched to 15-pound test because the thicker leader was too stiff and restricted the fly’s natural movement. The lighter leader allowed the fly to sit and move more freely in the water.

Lessons From the Flats

Fishing in poor visibility demands quick reactions, accurate casting, and an understanding of how your equipment performs under changing conditions.

On the Triangle, reducing the weight of my flies and adjusting my leader made the difference. Those small changes allowed me to fish effectively despite the overcast skies and limited visibility.

Sometimes, success on the flats comes down to recognizing what the conditions demand and making the necessary adjustments before the next bonefish appears.

Waves and Current-The Art of Presenting a Fly While Bonefishing

By Makani Christensen

Waves and Current

When you think about fly fishing the flats for bonefish, waves and currents are probably the last things on your mind. Here in Hawaii, understanding how waves affect your fly is an important part of presenting it properly. Who knew that bonefish feed in the surf?

In Hawaii, there are a few flats where we target bonefish in the waves. I often joke that Hawaii is the only place where you can get tossed around and barreled by waves while catching bonefish at the same time.

As waves move across the flats, they create currents that can lift your fly off the bottom and carry it through the water. They also stir up sediment from the ocean floor, temporarily reducing visibility. Understanding these conditions can make the difference between a bonefish seeing your fly, following it, or eating it.

Fishing in the Surf

Fishing in the surf requires adjustments to both your casting and retrieval techniques.

I remember walking along a beach on the northeast side of Maui, searching for bonefish feeding near shore. The flats were extremely deep, so I spent most of my time walking up and down the beach, looking for fish moving in from deeper water.

About two hours into my walk, I finally spotted two bonefish swimming toward shore. The tide was rising, allowing waves to clear the outer reef and roll onto the sand. Although the waves weren’t particularly large, they generated enough current to affect my fly.

I was fishing with Johan, another guide from Maui, that day.

My first cast looked good, but the wave pushed my fly toward me. I adjusted by casting closer to the fish and stripping faster. Each passing wave carried my fly toward shore, so I had to retrieve quickly enough to maintain the proper movement.

The adjustment worked. A bonefish came up and ate the fly. That small change in retrieval speed made the difference.

When casting into waves, pay attention to how quickly the water moves your fly. You may need to strip faster to maintain tension and keep the fly swimming naturally.

Casting onto a wave is also different from casting behind one. A fly landing in moving water can immediately be carried toward you, while a fly landing in the calmer water between waves may remain in position longer.

Watch the surf carefully. Notice the peaks, the waves peeling and crashing forward, and the whitewater that follows. Between waves, there are often brief moments when the surface becomes relatively calm.

Recognizing these windows helps you determine when and where to make your cast.

Reading the Waves Before Casting

The next time you go to the beach, spend a few minutes watching the waves. Look for the calmer water that appears after one wave passes and before the next arrives.

Consider the angle of your cast relative to the waves and wind. Think about how both will affect your fly line and the movement of your fly.

I remember hooking a bonefish at another location on the northeast side of Maui. I knew bonefish were in the area, but I had never fished that particular spot. I’m fairly certain I was the first angler to catch a bonefish there on a fly rod.

The tide was coming in, and small waves generated by the trade winds were rolling toward shore. Johan was with me when we reached the end of the beach and noticed waves breaking over what appeared to be a small flat.

The waves were breaking about 40 yards offshore, creating distinct lines of whitewater as they rolled toward the beach. We knew the water was shallow because the waves were breaking, but neither of us had explored the area. We didn’t know whether the bottom was sand, rock, or sandstone.

I ventured out first and immediately spotted a bonefish swimming over what looked like a large slab of sandstone.

Sandstone forms when layers of sand become compacted and cemented together over long periods. Eventually, erosion can expose these formations. In this case, the exposed sandstone created a shallow, relatively flat area that provided excellent habitat for bonefish.

I was no more than 20 yards from shore when I spotted the fish. Before I could make a cast, another wave rolled through, and the bonefish disappeared.

I moved forward a few steps, removed my fly from the rod guide, and pulled just enough line from the reel to make the cast.

As the next wave passed, the bonefish reappeared. I knew I had less than five seconds to present the fly before another wave crashed over the flat.

I cast in front of the fish, making sure my fly and fly line landed clear of the approaching wave.

The fly landed no more than two feet to the left of the bonefish.

Normally, I would prefer to lead a fish farther, but there wasn’t enough time between waves. I figured the bonefish wouldn’t necessarily recognize the fly as something to avoid, especially in the turbulent water. If the fish didn’t react immediately, the next wave might push the fly into its path.

Fortunately, the moment the bonefish saw the fly, it attacked.

I hooked the fish, landed it, and continued exploring the flat.

Farther out, I discovered an enormous school of bonefish. Unfortunately, the water became progressively deeper, and most of the fish were holding near the edge.

Among them was an absolute giant. I estimated the fish weighed at least 20 pounds. It appeared nearly three times the size of the other large bonefish swimming nearby.

I made a cast, but the giant never saw my fly. To make matters worse, I accidentally spooked another bonefish swimming near my feet in the surf. That fish startled the rest of the school, and they scattered.

Just like that, the opportunity was gone.

Fishing in the waves had given me a chance at a bonefish of a lifetime, but it also demonstrated how quickly an opportunity can disappear.

Understanding Wave Energy and Currents

Wave activity doesn’t have to occur directly over the flats to affect your presentation.

In Hawaii, many flats are protected by outer reefs where incoming waves break and lose much of their energy. During low tides, relatively little wave energy may reach the water behind these reefs.

As the tide rises, however, increasing water depth allows more wave energy to pass over the reef and travel farther onto the flats. This movement generates currents as water flows across the reef and eventually finds its way back toward deeper channels.

Now imagine the same conditions during a high-surf warning.

When large swells strike the outer reef, enormous amounts of water can surge across the flats. Although the tide still influences how much wave energy passes over the reef, the sheer volume of moving water can create powerful currents.

Even on flats extending more than a mile from shore, you can sometimes see a mound of water moving toward you as a surge travels across the reef.

As that water moves across the flats and drains toward deeper channels, it can create strong, shifting currents.

These conditions can dramatically affect both where bonefish feed and how you need to present your fly.

The 2018 South Swell

I remember fishing near Honolulu International Airport during a huge south swell in 2018.

As I approached the outer reef, the water became progressively deeper, and the current grew stronger.

The tide chart didn’t reflect what I was experiencing. During exceptionally large surf, wave-driven water can raise the water level across the flats beyond what the predicted astronomical tide would suggest.

Under these conditions, the water can sometimes be one or two feet deeper than expected as large volumes of water are pushed over the outer reef.

I was heading toward a location where bonefish often school, but the current was ripping off the reef and into a channel. The water was moving so quickly that getting my fly to sink properly was nearly impossible.

Rather than fighting the current, I looked for an area where the fish might be feeding.

I moved toward a shallower section of the flat, where water approximately two feet deep dropped over a ledge into a sand-and-rock channel about three and a half feet deep.

I suspected bonefish might be holding near that ledge, away from the strongest current, waiting for food to be swept toward them.

The location made sense. The current was carrying potential food sources off the flat and into deeper water, creating an opportunity for fish to feed without constantly fighting the flow.

By casting down-current toward the ledge, I could allow my fly to drift into the feeding area while retrieving it so that it appeared to swim against the current.

Instead of forcing the fly to behave unnaturally in the moving water, I could use the current to my advantage.

Adjusting Your Fly to Heavy Surf

In strong currents, I prefer a heavy, swimming fly.

This is one reason I tie heavy eyes onto the Ghetto Super Fly. The additional weight helps the fly sink quickly and maintain a swimming action in moving water.

However, even a heavily weighted fly may struggle to reach the bottom when the current is exceptionally strong.

Flies designed to sit motionless on the bottom may not perform as well under these conditions. Sometimes you have only a few seconds to make your presentation before another surge lifts the fly or carries it away.

The weight of your fly becomes particularly important, but it’s only one part of the equation.

You also need to consider the direction and strength of the current, your casting angle, and the speed of your retrieve.

A fly that performs perfectly in calm water can behave entirely differently when waves are pushing water across the flats.

Finding Bonefish in Changing Conditions

When the surf is high, bonefish may adjust their feeding locations in response to changing currents and water depths.

Areas that normally hold fish may become difficult to fish because of excessive current. Meanwhile, nearby ledges, channels, and shallow sections may provide better opportunities.

Fish may position themselves where food is carried by the current, allowing them to feed without expending unnecessary energy.

As an angler, you need to recognize these possibilities and adjust your approach.

Rather than focusing only on where you normally find bonefish, pay attention to how the water is moving and where that movement might concentrate food.

Sometimes a small change in depth or the shape of the bottom can create an entirely different current.

Recognizing these features can help you locate fish even when the conditions are far from ideal.

The Art of Presenting the Fly

Successful bonefishing isn’t simply about making an accurate cast. It’s about understanding the environment and recognizing how changing conditions affect your presentation.

Waves and currents can move your fly, change its sinking rate, alter its swimming action, and influence where bonefish choose to feed.

Sometimes the difference between hooking a fish and missing an opportunity comes down to a few seconds, a faster retrieve, or a different casting angle.

You may need to cast farther ahead of a fish, retrieve more quickly to compensate for moving water, or allow the current to carry your fly naturally into its path.

There isn’t one presentation that works under every condition.

The key is learning to recognize what the water is doing and anticipating how your fly will respond.

The better you understand the relationship between waves, currents, fish behavior, and fly presentation, the more effectively you can adapt to the conditions.

That’s what makes presenting a fly to Hawaiian bonefish both challenging and rewarding. Every flat is different, every wave changes the water, and every fish presents another opportunity to put that knowledge into practice.

The Sun-The Art of Presenting the Fly while Bonefishing

Understanding the Sun: How Sun Angle Affects Sight-Fishing for Hawaiian Bonefish

One of the most important factors in sight-fishing for Hawaiian bonefish is understanding the sun. The angle at which sunlight strikes the water determines how much light penetrates the surface, how much reflects toward your eyes, and how clearly you can see fish swimming along the bottom.

The sun’s position changes throughout the day and throughout the year. These changes have a significant impact on your ability to spot bonefish. A flat that provides excellent visibility at one time of day may become extremely difficult to fish just a few hours later. Likewise, an area that offers ideal sight-fishing conditions during summer may be considerably more challenging during winter.

Understanding how the sun travels across the sky allows you to anticipate these changes and plan your fishing accordingly.

How Sunlight Enters the Water

As the sun rises in the morning, its rays strike the water at a relatively shallow angle. When sunlight reaches the surface, some of it reflects back into the atmosphere while the remainder penetrates the water.

The amount of reflection depends partly on the angle at which sunlight strikes the surface.

When the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight hits the water at a shallow angle, creating stronger surface reflections. This can make it difficult to see beneath the water, particularly when looking toward the sun.

As the sun climbs higher, its rays strike the surface more directly. A greater proportion of the incoming light can penetrate the water, illuminating the bottom and making fish easier to distinguish from their surroundings.

This is especially important when fishing for bonefish because their natural coloration allows them to blend into the bottom.

Sunlight illuminates the fish and the surrounding environment. The light reflected from the fish must then travel back through the water’s surface before reaching your eyes. Your viewing angle, surface glare, and the direction of the sunlight all influence how clearly you can see the fish.

The important point is that the angle of the sun affects both how the fish is illuminated and how much glare interferes with your ability to see it.

Early Morning: The Challenges of a Low Sun

At sunrise, the sun sits near the horizon. Its rays travel across the water at a shallow angle, often creating significant glare.

Although there may be enough daylight to begin fishing, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is enough favorable light to see bonefish clearly.

When the sun is low, the water’s surface can act almost like a mirror. Reflections may obscure fish swimming just beneath the surface or along the bottom.

The direction you’re looking becomes particularly important.

Looking toward the rising sun can make spotting bonefish extremely difficult. However, turning around and looking away from the sun may improve visibility considerably.

Even then, the low sun angle can create uneven illumination across the flats.

A bonefish swimming in one direction may be visible because sunlight reflects off its back or sides. When the fish turns, that reflection changes, and the fish may suddenly disappear against the bottom.

This is one reason early-morning sight-fishing can be challenging, even when the water is clear and calm.

Midmorning: Improving Visibility

As the morning progresses, the sun climbs higher in the sky. Its rays strike the water more directly, reducing the proportion of light reflected at the surface and allowing more sunlight to illuminate the bottom.

This often creates a noticeable improvement in visibility.

Fish that were difficult to distinguish shortly after sunrise may become much easier to see a few hours later.

During the summer months in Hawaii, sunrise occurs relatively early, around 5:45 to 6:00 a.m., depending on the date and island.

By approximately 8:00 a.m., the sun has climbed considerably higher, often providing better conditions for spotting bonefish.

This is why I frequently consider the sun’s position when deciding what time to arrive at a flat.

There is little advantage to arriving extremely early if the purpose of the trip is sight-fishing and the lighting makes it difficult to see fish.

Of course, tides and feeding patterns also matter. Sometimes an early start is necessary because the water conditions are most favorable at that time.

However, when I have the flexibility to choose, I prefer to begin fishing when the sun has reached an angle that provides sufficient visibility.

The goal isn’t simply to be on the water as early as possible. It’s to be there when I have the best opportunity to see fish.

Late Morning and Midday: Higher Sun Angles

As the sun approaches its highest point in the sky, sunlight strikes the water at a steeper angle.

Under clear conditions, this generally allows more light to penetrate the surface, illuminating the bottom and improving underwater visibility.

For sight-fishing, a higher sun can provide a considerable advantage.

You may be able to distinguish the outlines of bonefish, identify their shadows, and recognize subtle movements that would have been nearly impossible to detect earlier in the morning.

However, a high sun doesn’t eliminate every visibility problem.

Surface glare can still occur, particularly when wind creates ripples or when you are looking across the water at an unfavorable angle.

The position of the sun relative to your body also matters. Ideally, you want the sun behind you or off to one side, allowing you to look into the water without staring directly into reflected sunlight.

Even with favorable overhead lighting, your ability to see fish depends on where you stand and the direction you’re looking.

Afternoon: The Sun Begins to Drop

After reaching its highest point, the sun gradually descends toward the western horizon.

As it drops, the angle at which sunlight strikes the water becomes increasingly shallow.

The conditions that helped illuminate the bottom during late morning and midday begin to change.

Surface reflections become more pronounced at certain viewing angles, and the contrast between bonefish and their surroundings may decrease.

A flat that was easy to sight-fish at noon may become challenging by late afternoon.

This doesn’t mean bonefish are no longer present. It simply means they may be harder to see.

As the sun continues dropping toward the horizon, your viewing direction becomes increasingly important. Looking west into the afternoon sun can create considerable glare, while looking east with the sun behind you may provide a clearer view.

Understanding this daily progression allows you to adjust your position or move to another section of the flats as lighting conditions change.

How the Sun’s Angle Changes Throughout the Year

The sun doesn’t follow the same path across the Hawaiian sky every day.

Its position changes throughout the year because Earth’s axis is tilted as the planet orbits the sun.

During summer, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The sun rises farther north of east, travels along a higher path across the sky, and sets farther north of west.

During winter, the opposite occurs. The sun rises farther south of east, follows a lower path across the sky, and sets farther south of west.

These seasonal changes have a direct effect on sight-fishing conditions in Hawaii.

Summer: Higher Sun and Longer Days

During summer, the sun climbs much higher in the Hawaiian sky than it does during winter.

Around the summer solstice, the midday sun can be nearly overhead. In parts of Hawaii, it even passes directly overhead on certain dates.

This high sun angle can provide excellent underwater illumination, particularly when the sky is clear and the water is calm.

The higher sun also means that favorable sight-fishing light may develop earlier in the morning and remain available later in the afternoon.

For example, during summer, I may begin seeing fish effectively around 8:00 a.m., depending on the conditions.

As the sun continues rising, visibility often improves.

Longer daylight hours provide additional flexibility when planning a trip. You have more time to take advantage of favorable lighting before the sun drops toward the horizon.

Winter: Lower Sun and Shorter Days

During winter, the sun follows a considerably lower path across the southern sky.

Even at midday, the sun doesn’t climb nearly as high as it does during summer.

This lower angle changes the way sunlight strikes the water throughout the entire day.

There may be more glare when looking in certain directions, and the bottom may receive less direct illumination than it would under comparable summer conditions.

As a result, sight-fishing can become more difficult.

During winter, I may prefer to begin fishing later in the morning, allowing the sun to climb higher before searching for bonefish.

An area that provides excellent visibility at 8:00 a.m. during summer may not offer comparable lighting until later in the morning during winter.

Because the sun remains lower, some flats may never receive the same overhead illumination they experience during summer.

This is an important consideration when deciding which flats to fish during different seasons.

Why Bonefish Appear and Disappear as the Sun Changes

One of the most interesting things about sight-fishing is watching how a bonefish’s appearance changes with the angle of sunlight.

Imagine standing on a flat with the sun relatively low in the sky.

You spot a bonefish swimming toward you. Its greenish-gray back contrasts with the surrounding bottom, allowing you to follow its movement.

As the fish turns sideways, the angle at which sunlight strikes its body changes.

Suddenly, its back is no longer visible. You may see a brief silver flash as sunlight reflects off its side.

Then the fish turns again, and the reflection disappears.

For a moment, the fish seems to vanish.

Nothing has happened to the fish itself. The angle of the light and the portion of its body visible to you have changed.

This effect can be particularly noticeable when bonefish are swimming over mixed bottoms containing sand, algae, coral, and darker patches.

A fish may be easy to see against one section of bottom and almost invisible against another.

When sunlight strikes its back at a favorable angle, the greenish coloration may stand out. As the fish changes direction, its silvery sides may reflect the surrounding light and blend into the bottom.

This is one reason bonefish have earned the nickname “gray ghost.”

Their ability to disappear isn’t always the result of swimming into deeper water or moving away from the angler. Sometimes, a slight turn is enough to change the way light reflects from their bodies.

Understanding this phenomenon helps explain why you can clearly see a fish one moment and lose sight of it the next.

Planning Your Fishing Around the Sun

Over time, I’ve learned that the sun’s position should be considered when planning a sight-fishing trip.

The same flat can offer very different visibility depending on the time of day and season.

A location that fishes well during the morning may become difficult in the afternoon because of glare. Another flat may be challenging early in the day but provide excellent visibility once the sun moves higher.

The seasonal movement of the sun adds another consideration.

During summer, the higher sun may allow you to see fish earlier in the morning. During winter, the lower sun may require a later start or a different viewing direction.

I generally consider three questions when evaluating the sun:

1. How high will the sun be when I begin fishing? A higher sun generally provides better underwater illumination.

2. Where will the sun be in relation to the direction I’ll be looking? Having the sun behind me or off to one side can reduce glare and improve visibility.

3. How will the sun’s position change while I’m on the flats? A location that provides good visibility in the morning may become difficult as the sun moves across the sky.

These considerations help determine when to arrive, where to stand, and which direction to search for fish.

They also explain why experienced anglers sometimes begin fishing several hours after sunrise rather than heading out at first light.

Learning to Read the Sun

Understanding the sun is a skill that develops through observation and experience.

The more time you spend on the flats, the more you begin to recognize how sunlight affects your ability to see bonefish.

You notice that certain areas become easier to fish as the sun climbs. You recognize when glare begins interfering with your vision. You learn that a fish visible from one direction may be nearly impossible to see from another.

Eventually, you begin anticipating these changes rather than reacting to them.

The sun’s angle changes constantly throughout the day and gradually throughout the year. Those changes influence how sunlight enters the water, how the bottom is illuminated, and how bonefish appear against their surroundings.

The fish may be there all along. The difference is whether the angle of the sun allows you to see them.

For anyone serious about sight-fishing for Hawaiian bonefish, learning to understand the sun is just as important as learning how to cast.

Because before you can present a fly to a bonefish, you first have to see it.

Getting the fly to its Target-The Art of Presenting a Fly While Bonefishing

by Makani Christensen

One of the most important skills in fly fishing for Hawaiian bonefish is learning how to present the fly without spooking the fish. You can be an excellent caster, but if you cannot deliver the fly accurately and quietly, your casting ability means very little.

Several factors determine how close you can cast to a bonefish, including water depth, wind, surface conditions, and the size and weight of your fly. Understanding how these factors influence your presentation is essential to becoming a successful angler.

Water Depth and Casting Distance

Water depth plays a significant role in determining how close you can cast to a fish.

In shallow water, bonefish are generally more cautious and can detect disturbances more easily. Because of this, you may need to cast farther ahead of the fish to avoid frightening it.

As a starting point, I typically recommend placing the fly at least one rod length ahead of the fish, depending on its direction of travel and the surrounding conditions. In deeper water, you can often cast closer because the additional depth helps reduce the disturbance created when the fly enters the water.

However, there is no exact distance that works every time. The fish’s behavior, water conditions, and your fly all influence how close you can safely make your presentation.

Wind and Surface Conditions

On a typical day in Hawaii, the trade winds blow between 15 and 20 miles per hour, creating small waves and ripples across the surface. These conditions can actually work to an angler’s advantage.

Surface movement helps conceal the disturbance caused by a fly landing on the water. The ripples also make it more difficult for bonefish to detect the fly’s impact, allowing you to cast closer than you might on a calm day.

When there is little or no wind, the water can become almost glassy. Under these conditions, even a small disturbance can alert a fish to your presence.

On calm days, it can feel as though you need to cast a mile ahead of the fish. Without surface movement to mask the sound and impact of your fly, a careless presentation can send a bonefish fleeing before it ever sees your offering.

This is where the size and weight of your fly become especially important.

Smaller, lighter flies generally land more softly, allowing you to present them closer to a fish. Larger, heavier flies create more disturbance and may require additional casting distance.

However, heavier flies have their advantages. In deeper water, stronger currents, or windy conditions, their ability to sink quickly can be essential.

Choosing the appropriate fly and understanding how it behaves when it enters the water can make the difference between getting a fish to eat and watching it disappear.

Casting in the Hawaiian Trade Winds

Wind is one of the greatest challenges anglers face when fly fishing in Hawaii.

With trade winds regularly blowing between 15 and 25 miles per hour, the ability to cast in windy conditions is not optional. It is a necessary skill.

Depending on the direction of the wind and the position of the fish, you may need to cast directly into the wind, across it, or with it at your back.

Learning to double haul is particularly important. A properly executed double haul increases line speed, improves casting efficiency, and gives you greater control over your presentation.

However, generating line speed is only part of the challenge. You must also understand how the wind affects your fly’s trajectory.

Sometimes, casting directly at a fish will not put the fly where you want it. You may need to aim slightly into the wind, allowing it to carry the fly toward your intended landing point.

The stronger the wind, the greater the adjustment may need to be.

A Lesson From Extreme Conditions

On one fishing trip, I encountered some of the strongest winds I have ever fished in.

The wind was blowing approximately 30 miles per hour, with even stronger gusts.

It was nasty.

The wind was so powerful that I could throw my fly line into the air and watch it carry nearly 25 yards.

We were fishing from a boat using a sea anchor to slow our drift across the flats. Between the wind, the boat’s movement, and the speed at which the fly traveled through the air, making an accurate presentation was extremely difficult.

Of all the fish we encountered, I managed to hook one, and only one other fish even saw my fly.

Every cast required adjustments for wind speed, wind direction, boat movement, and the fly’s trajectory.

It wasn’t easy.

Although this was an extreme example, it illustrates how much the wind can influence your ability to present a fly accurately.

Even under normal conditions, failing to compensate for the wind can cause your fly to land well away from its intended target.

Casting in Every Direction

An accomplished fly angler should be comfortable casting in every direction.

Bonefish do not always approach from a convenient angle, and the wind rarely cooperates with where you want to cast.

You may need to make a conventional forward cast, a back-cast presentation, or an off-shoulder cast to reach a fish safely.

One of the most important considerations is keeping the fly away from your body.

When the wind blows toward your casting shoulder, it can push the fly dangerously close to your head or upper body. This is particularly hazardous when using heavily weighted bonefish flies.

Learning to make a back-cast presentation or cast from the opposite shoulder allows you to keep the fly on the downwind side of your body.

Unfortunately, I have watched anglers continue making the same cast even after their fly has passed dangerously close to them several times.

Sometimes, pride gets in the way. Other times, they simply haven’t learned another way to cast.

Regardless of the reason, refusing to adjust your casting technique can result in a painful and potentially serious injury.

Understanding the Casting Clock

An easy way to visualize different casting directions is to imagine yourself standing in the center of a clock.

Picture yourself facing 12 o’clock, with 6 o’clock directly behind you.

Now imagine the wind blowing from 6 o’clock toward 12 o’clock.

As a right-handed caster, you can use this clock to visualize the direction of your casting stroke and determine when a conventional forward cast or back-cast presentation is appropriate.

A forward-cast presentation uses the forward portion of your casting stroke to deliver the fly. A back-cast presentation uses the opposite stroke to send the fly toward the fish.

The important consideration is not simply which direction the fish is located, but where the wind will carry your fly during the cast.

For example, when the wind threatens to push the fly toward your casting shoulder, changing to a back-cast presentation or an off-shoulder cast can keep the fly farther away from your body.

Learning to make these adjustments gives you more opportunities to present the fly safely, regardless of where the fish appears.

The goal is to develop enough versatility that you are not limited to one casting direction.

Putting It All Together

Presenting a fly to a Hawaiian bonefish involves much more than simply casting toward it.

You must understand where the fish is heading, anticipate its movement, and determine where your fly needs to land.

The water depth, surface conditions, wind, and fly weight all influence that decision.

You also need to consider how the fish reacts to your presentation.

If the fish spooks when your fly lands, you may have cast too close or created too much disturbance. If it swims past without noticing your fly, you may need to adjust your placement or movement.

Paying attention to these reactions will help you recognize what works and what doesn’t.

The exact distance is often determined by your first few attempts. I typically begin by casting approximately one rod length ahead of the fish, then adjust based on how it responds.

In shallow water, you may need to cast farther ahead. In deeper water with surface ripples, you can often get closer.

The objective is to place the fly where the fish can discover it naturally, without becoming suspicious.

This is easier said than done.

You might make 50 casts and only get one or two presentations exactly right. On particularly challenging days, you may only have one or two opportunities to get the fly in front of a fish.

That is why every shot matters.

The Art of the Presentation

When I am guiding clients, one of my favorite things to tell them is:

“All you have to do is get the fly in front of the fish without spooking it.”

It sounds simple, but anyone who has spent time chasing Hawaiian bonefish knows how difficult that can be.

Successful fly presentation requires more than casting accuracy. It involves understanding the environment, anticipating the fish’s movement, and making adjustments before the fly ever leaves your rod tip.

A good angler can cast a fly a long distance. A skilled bonefish angler knows when to cast, where to place the fly, and how to make it land without alarming the fish.

The difference comes from experience.

Over time, you begin to recognize how the wind will affect your cast, how close you can present a particular fly, and how bonefish respond under different conditions.

Eventually, many of these decisions become instinctive.

You stop thinking about every individual adjustment and begin reacting naturally to what is happening in front of you.

That is when casting becomes more than a mechanical skill. It becomes part of understanding the fish and the environment in which it lives.

And in Hawaiian bonefishing, that understanding can make all the difference.

Clouds-The Art of Presenting a fly while Bonefishing

Understanding Cloud Cover: How Clouds Affect Sight Fishing

Cloud cover plays an important role in sight fishing. Understanding how clouds affect sunlight, glare, and underwater visibility can make the difference between spotting a bonefish and never knowing it was there.

Many anglers assume that clear blue skies provide the best visibility. While sunshine helps illuminate the ocean floor, the type of cloud cover and its position in the sky can dramatically influence what you see beneath the surface.

White Clouds vs. Dark Clouds

Imagine a beautiful day with blue skies and scattered white clouds. The sun is shining, and visibility is excellent. Suddenly, you look toward a bright white cloud, and your ability to see into the water disappears.

White clouds reflect and scatter sunlight, creating glare on the water’s surface. Depending on your viewing angle, this reflection can make spotting fish nearly impossible, even under otherwise ideal conditions.

Dark clouds behave differently. They produce little to no reflected glare, allowing anglers to see into the water more clearly when looking in their direction. Although dark clouds may reduce the sunlight illuminating the ocean floor, the absence of glare can make fish easier to distinguish.

The key is understanding the relationship between underwater illumination and surface reflection. Bright sunlight helps reveal fish, but excessive glare can obscure them. Sometimes, the clearest view into the water is toward a dark cloud rather than a bright blue sky.

How Hawaii’s Mountains Influence Cloud Cover

Hawaii’s mountainous terrain has a significant influence on cloud formation and rainfall.

When moisture-filled trade winds encounter the mountains, the air is forced upward. As it rises, it cools, causing moisture to condense into clouds and often produce rain. This process helps explain why the windward sides of the Hawaiian Islands are generally greener and wetter than the leeward sides.

Kāneʻohe Bay, on the windward side of Oʻahu, is an excellent example.

When fishing the bay, we regularly observe clouds moving with the northeasterly trade winds toward the Koʻolau Mountain Range. These mountains are the remnants of an ancient volcano, extending approximately thirty miles along eastern Oʻahu, with peaks rising thousands of feet above sea level.

As moisture-laden air rises along the mountains, clouds thicken and frequently produce rainfall. Much of this precipitation falls on the windward side, contributing to its lush vegetation.

Clouds can also gather along the ridgelines, creating changing patterns of sunlight and shade across the surrounding waters. Recognizing these patterns helps anglers anticipate visibility changes throughout the day.

Understanding Different Cloud Levels

Clouds form at different elevations, and their thickness and composition determine how they affect sunlight.

Low-level clouds, such as stratus and cumulus, can block sunlight, cast shadows, or create bright reflections on the water. Mid-level clouds produce similar effects depending on their density.

High-level clouds, including cirrus, consist primarily of ice crystals and often appear thin and wispy. They generally allow more sunlight to pass through, although thicker formations can reduce illumination.

For sight fishing, cloud height matters less than how much light reaches the water and how much glare reflects toward the angler.

Reading the Sky While Fishing

One of the most overlooked aspects of sight fishing is paying attention to the sky.

Anglers naturally focus on the water, searching for movement, shadows, or subtle changes in color that might reveal a fish. However, clouds are constantly moving, altering the amount and direction of light across the flats.

An area offering excellent visibility can become difficult to see into within minutes.

This is why I encourage anglers to regularly look around in every direction. Pay attention to the position of the sun, wind direction, and approaching clouds.

Sometimes, simply turning your body or changing your viewing angle reveals fish that were previously hidden by glare.

Imagine stalking a bonefish across a shallow flat. You can clearly distinguish its movement against the bottom when a bright white cloud enters your field of view. Suddenly, the reflection obscures the fish.

The fish hasn’t disappeared. Only your ability to see it has changed.

Rather than casting blindly, consider waiting for the glare to pass or repositioning yourself to regain visibility.

Learning to anticipate these changes allows you to make better decisions before losing sight of your target.

Using Cloud Cover to Your Advantage

Cloud cover provides valuable information beyond visibility. Changes in cloud formations, wind patterns, and atmospheric conditions can indicate approaching weather.

For example, an incoming low-pressure system may bring increasing cloud cover, stronger winds, and thunderstorms. Recognizing these developments can help anglers plan their fishing trips and make safer decisions on the water.

However, cloudy conditions do not automatically mean poor fishing.

Water depth, bottom composition, surface disturbance, sun angle, and cloud thickness all influence underwater visibility. A darker cloud may eliminate glare, but if it blocks too much sunlight, fish can become difficult to distinguish in deeper water.

Likewise, bright sunshine can provide excellent visibility when surface reflections are minimal.

Understanding these variables allows anglers to adjust their position, choose favorable viewing directions, and take advantage of changing conditions.

Experience Makes the Difference

Sight fishing requires more than accurate casting and the ability to recognize a bonefish. It demands an understanding of the surrounding environment.

Tides rise and fall, winds shift, and clouds move across the sky. Each variable influences how effectively you can locate fish.

Experienced anglers learn to recognize these changes and adjust accordingly. This knowledge is especially valuable on Hawaii’s flats, where challenging conditions can make spotting bonefish difficult even for seasoned fishermen.

Learning to read the sky is another skill developed through time on the water.

A sunny day does not guarantee excellent visibility, just as a cloudy day does not necessarily mean poor conditions.

Sometimes, the best view into the water is found in the direction of a dark cloud, where the absence of glare reveals what bright reflections would otherwise conceal.

Successful sight fishing requires more than watching the water. Learn to read the sky, understand how clouds influence visibility, and recognize that the clearest view isn’t always in the brightest direction.

What and How Bonefish Eat-The Art of Presenting a Fly When Bonefishing

Understanding what and how bonefish feed

By Makani Christensen

Combined and polished manuscript — Pages 1–19

Catching bonefish on the fly is one of the most challenging and technical forms of fishing. For many fly fishermen visiting Hawaii, it can take days, weeks, or even months to hook and land their first bonefish.

When a do-it-yourself (DIY) angler spends a week on the islands chasing bonefish, only to leave empty-handed and defeated, it says something about the elusive Hawaiian bonefish. These fish are different. They are intelligent, cautious, and often unpredictable. Successfully hooking one requires more than knowing how to cast a fly rod. It requires an understanding of how bonefish behave, what they eat, how they locate food, and how they respond to a fly. That is only the tip of the iceberg. The art of presenting the fly is the cornerstone of success, and knowledge leads to success.

To understand that art, we first need to understand the fish itself.

Understanding What Bonefish Eat

Hawaiian bonefish eat almost everything. They are scavengers, hunters, and opportunistic feeders. Their diet is remarkably diverse, and the variety of bait local fishermen have used to catch them tells us a great deal about their feeding habits.

Fishermen have hooked bonefish using squid, octopus, sans turtles, crabs, live and dead Oama, sardines, halalu, shrimp, eels, akule, and other types of bait.

This wide range of food suggests that bonefish are opportunistic feeders willing to investigate almost anything that appears edible.

We have personally observed bonefish eating mantis shrimp near the surface, swimming fish, and various crustaceans along the bottom.

Fly fishermen from Hilo, Hawaii, have even opened bonefish and discovered stomachs filled with barnacles. Small black barnacles are common throughout the shallow flats where we fish, and finding them inside bonefish suggests that these fish have learned to recognize barnacles as a food source.

This is an important observation because it demonstrates how bonefish adapt their feeding behavior to their environment.

A bonefish living on a flat with abundant mantis shrimp may develop different feeding habits from one living in an area where barnacles, crabs, or other crustaceans dominate.

Understanding what bonefish eat is the first step toward understanding how to catch them.

But knowing their diet is only part of the equation.

We also need to understand how they locate, investigate, and consume their food.

How Bonefish Find Their Food

Bonefish use several senses when feeding, including smell, sight, and what I refer to as a taste or feel test.

Understanding how these senses influence feeding behavior is essential when presenting a fly.

Consider the variety of dead bait used to catch bonefish. Squid, fish, aku belly, shrimp, and other fragments of flesh release scent into the water. The fact that bonefish readily locate and consume these baits suggests that smell plays an important role in finding food.

We have observed this firsthand while bait fishing.

One technique we use to attract bonefish into an area involves throwing palu, or chum, into the water.

We cut squid into small pieces and scatter them around the area where we intend to fish. The pieces attract bonefish, sometimes encouraging them to return even after other fish have been hooked.

We often use 60-pound-test leader, a size 20 hook, and a small triangular piece of bait.

The fish can see the hook and the line, yet they still take the bait.

When bonefish are present, the scent of squid can attract them during the day or at night. Even when we cannot see the fish, we know they may eventually locate the bait.

This demonstrates the importance of smell.

However, bonefish do not rely exclusively on scent.

We have also watched them pursue swimming fish, mantis shrimp, crabs, and other living creatures. These moving targets do not necessarily produce the same strong scent as dead bait.

Instead, their movement and appearance attract attention.

This suggests that bonefish also rely heavily on sight when locating food.

The Bonefish's Taste or Feel Test

One of the most interesting feeding behaviors we have observed is what I call the taste or feel test.

Bonefish frequently investigate unfamiliar objects before committing to eating them.

Imagine a crustacean partially buried in the sand. Only a small section of its shell or a straight edge is visible above the bottom.

That slight difference in shape or texture may be enough to attract a bonefish.

The fish notices something that does not belong, approaches the object, and investigates.

If the fish cannot identify the object through sight or smell, it may suck the object into its mouth to determine whether it is edible.

Bonefish have powerful crushing structures in their throats that help them process hard-shelled prey. They can take in a crustacean, crush it, and reject unwanted material.

We see similar behavior when fishing with bait.

When a bonefish approaches and takes a piece of squid, the tip of the fishing rod may tap several times.

Sometimes those taps are followed by a strong run.

Other times, the tapping stops.

We never try to set the hook or even touch the rod until the fish starts running.

If the rod tip taps and the fish does not run, it generally suggests one of two things: either the bonefish removed the bait, or it performed a taste or feel test and rejected it.

Rather than immediately retrieving the line, we leave the bait in the water for another five minutes.

If the bait remains on the hook, the bonefish may circle back and eat it.

This behavior reveals something important about how bonefish feed.

They are curious.

They investigate unfamiliar objects, sometimes taking them into their mouths before deciding whether to swallow or reject them.

We see this behavior when bait fishing, and we see it when fly fishing.

That distinction becomes extremely important when deciding how to present a fly and when to strip-set.

A fly that remains motionless on the bottom may attract a fish, but if the fish takes it in and immediately spits it out, the angler can miss the opportunity to hook it.

The goal is not simply to get the fish to notice the fly.

The goal is to get the fish to eat it—and recognize the moment when it does.

An 18-Pound Bonefish and a Homemade Fly

A few years ago, “Luie The Fish," hooked and landed an 18-pound bonefish at Hickam Flats.

There is an area of those flats where enormous bonefish are known to feed, yet getting them to bite can be extremely difficult.

Lui spent time investigating the area and observing what the fish were eating.

He discovered sea cucumbers scattered along the bottom.

Rather than continuing to throw conventional bonefish flies, he went back to his fly-tying vise and created something different.

He took a brown-and-green curly-tail grub, cut off the tail, and attached the remaining rounded section to a hook.

A little super glue secured the material.

His fly was ready.

On his next visit to Hickam Flats, he spotted a giant bonefish moving toward a depression in the sand.

He cast his newly created fly into the depression and waited.

Rather than stripping the fly aggressively, he allowed it to roll naturally with the current.

The bonefish entered the depression.

Its tail broke the surface.

And suddenly, the fish was on.

Luie landed the giant bonefish, weighed it, and placed it in a cooler. The fish was later used for a print by Naoki, a well-known fish-print artist in Hawaii.

What makes this story interesting is not simply the size of the fish.

It is how the fish responded to the fly.

The bonefish apparently recognized the rounded object as something resembling a sea cucumber.

Its appearance attracted the fish's attention.

If the bonefish performed a taste or feel test, the soft material may have reinforced the illusion of natural food.

The fly did not need to imitate every detail of a sea cucumber.

It only needed to look convincing enough for the fish to investigate and eat.

This illustrates an important principle in fly fishing: sometimes the smallest visual detail can make the greatest difference.

Understanding the Role of Sight

We know bonefish use smell, sight, and taste or feel when feeding.

When fly fishing, however, we rely primarily on sight to attract the fish.

Unlike natural bait, most artificial flies do not release the scent of food. They also cannot reproduce every physical characteristic of the creatures they imitate.

Instead, we create a visual opportunity.

A fly becomes an object on the bottom that looks different from its surroundings.

It might resemble a crab, shrimp, small fish, or another creature.

It might have antennae, straight lines, a particular shape, or materials that move naturally in the water.

Sometimes the fly is designed to remain almost motionless.

Other times, its movement is what triggers the fish to eat.

The key is understanding what attracts the fish and how to present the fly in a way that takes advantage of that behavior.

This is where fly selection becomes important.

Different Flies Require Different Presentations

Not all bonefish flies are designed to be fished the same way.

Some are meant to rest on the bottom while their materials create the appearance of a living creature.

Others are designed to move continuously, imitating shrimp, crabs, or small fish traveling across the flats.

Understanding the difference is essential.

A fly designed to remain stationary may lose its effectiveness if stripped too aggressively.

Likewise, a fly designed to imitate a swimming creature may appear unnatural if it sits motionless on the bottom.

The way a fly is constructed should influence how it is presented.

The Kurupt Hawaiian

Elias, known as the Kurupt Hawaiian, designed a fly that can attract bonefish without requiring constant movement.

The Kurupt Hawaiian uses combinations of straight lines and materials that expand in the water, giving the appearance of a small crustacean.

When the fly settles on the bottom, its materials spread outward, creating a shape that catches the attention of passing bonefish.

We have watched fish circle this type of fly several times before eating.

Elias has described bonefish circling the fly three or four times, thumping and popping as they inspect it, then returning to eat.

Sometimes a bonefish will stare at the fly for nearly a minute before committing.

That behavior is fascinating because the fly is not necessarily moving.

Its appearance alone is enough to attract the fish.

The difficult part is recognizing the bite.

When fishing a Kurupt Hawaiian, maintaining enough tension on the line is essential.

If the bonefish takes the fly and immediately spits it out, an angler who fails to recognize the bite may miss the fish entirely.

When you feel the bite, you need to strip-set.

Even with a fly designed to attract fish while stationary, a small movement may occasionally be necessary.

If the fly is not directly in the fish's path, moving it slightly can attract attention.

Sometimes that tiny movement is all it takes.

Once the fish notices the fly, the materials and design do the rest of the work.

The Ghetto Super Fly

The Ghetto Super Fly requires a different approach.

Unlike the Kurupt Hawaiian, this fly is designed to move.

Its rectangular body resembles a mantis shrimp, and its effectiveness comes largely from how it travels through the water.

When mantis shrimp swim without being threatened, they move smoothly through the water.

That is the movement we want to imitate.

The Ghetto Super Fly should travel at a relatively constant speed along the bottom.

Rather than making aggressive, erratic strips, the angler should try to create a natural swimming motion.

When bonefish see this movement, they may believe they have the element of surprise.

The fish follows the fly, closes the distance, and sometimes darts forward to eat.

The combination of appearance and movement creates the opportunity.

Interestingly, scent does not seem necessary for this fly to work.

I have purposely covered flies with sunscreen and still managed to hook bonefish.

That experience reinforces how important visual presentation can be.

The Ghetto Super Fly does not need to smell like a mantis shrimp.

It needs to look and move convincingly enough to trigger a feeding response.

The difference between these two flies illustrates a larger lesson.

There is no single presentation that works for every fly or every bonefish.

The fly's design, the fish's behavior, and the conditions determine how it should be fished.

Double Digit Bonefish

By Makani Christensen

October 31, 2026

Each year, we keep track of how many double-digit bonefish we catch. On average, we land maybe two per year. Catching a double-digit bonefish is just as rare as catching a golden trevally.

One reason is that we generally try to catch the first bonefish we see. Remember, catching bonefish is already difficult enough, so we’re not always actively targeting the biggest ones.

It also depends on where we’re fishing. On the flats, you’ll sometimes find large bonefish swimming alone, in pairs, or mixed among schools of smaller fish.

Here in Hawaii, our average bonefish weighs somewhere between four and seven pounds. There’s a noticeable difference between a seven-pound bonefish and an eight-pounder. In fact, when you catch an eight-pound bonefish, it can look like an eleven-pounder!

If you’re not accustomed to catching large bonefish, you might easily mistake a seven- or eight-pound fish for a ten-pounder. Without a scale, accurately estimating the weight of these fish can be difficult.

I’ve experimented with using artificial intelligence (AI) to estimate fish weights from photographs. Although I’ve occasionally been able to verify its predictions, the results vary considerably. Without a reliable reference for scale, AI can easily misjudge a fish’s size.

To estimate a fish’s length accurately, AI needs something in the photograph to use as a reference. If you have pictures of bonefish, or any other fish, try using AI to estimate their size and compare the results with actual measurements. You might be surprised by how much the estimates vary.

Over the years, I’ve deliberately targeted extra-large bonefish and have caught them many times. But consistently finding these fish requires more than luck. You need to understand their behavior, recognize their patterns, and know where they tend to spend their time on the flats.

On one particular fishing trip, I was fishing with Matt Chang, a brain surgeon and avid fly fisherman. We were walking the flats about fifteen yards apart when we came across an area where hard sandstone covered with seaweed transitioned into open sand.

Most of the bonefish were gathered over the hard sandstone. However, from years of experience fishing these flats, I knew the bigger fish would eventually move across the sand. Although I hadn’t seen many fish there, I was confident that a giant would eventually come through.

I told Matt I was going to wait for a big one.

While Matt continued taking shots at smaller bonefish, I stood patiently, watching the sand.

Within twenty minutes, a giant bonefish appeared, swimming straight toward me. I made my cast, presented the fly, and hooked it!

The best part? I was using a $200 starter fly-fishing kit made by Cortland!

The reel was plastic and lacked a sealed drag system. Water had gotten inside, causing the drag to malfunction and pulsate rather than release line smoothly. Fighting a powerful bonefish under those conditions required a delicate balance. I had to maintain enough tension to keep the fish hooked without allowing the reel to seize.

If the reel suddenly stopped turning, I risked breaking the line and losing the fish.

To make matters worse, I didn’t have much backing. That became obvious almost immediately. At one point, I had to run after the fish just to recover some of the line I’d lost.

After approximately six minutes of fighting, I successfully landed a 10.3-pound bonefish!

That experience proved something to both Matt and me: when you deliberately target big bonefish, you increase your chances of catching them.

Less than five minutes later, I hooked another giant. This one appeared even bigger than the first!

Unfortunately, my line tangled, the rod came apart, and the fish managed to reach a coral head before I could stop it.

Just like that, it was gone.

Although I lost the second fish, the experience reinforced something I’d learned over years of fishing: knowing where large bonefish spend their time can make all the difference.

If you spend enough time fishing a particular area, you’ll begin to recognize patterns in how bonefish group together. I’ve noticed that larger bonefish often school with other large fish, while smaller bonefish tend to associate with fish closer to their own size.

These patterns aren’t absolute. Resting schools sometimes contain a mixture of sizes, while others appear to be separated into distinct groups.

Resting bonefish often congregate in schools just off the reef before eventually breaking apart and moving onto nearby flats. A resting school is simply a group of bonefish that isn’t actively searching for food, although the fish may still feed when an opportunity presents itself.

The size and composition of these schools vary. Larger resting schools often contain fish of several different sizes, while smaller schools may consist primarily of similarly sized bonefish.

It’s fascinating to watch a mixed school of bonefish and observe how individual fish eventually separate into groups according to size.

Understanding where these schools gather, how they move, and where individual fish separate from the group can help you determine whether you’re more likely to encounter smaller bonefish or the giants you’re hoping to catch.

For example, imagine you’re fishing the flats with friends, and everyone is consistently catching smaller bonefish. Pay attention to where those fish are being caught. Then, when someone unexpectedly hooks a giant bonefish swimming alone, take notice of where that fish appeared.

Was it traveling along the edge of the school? Was it crossing an open stretch of sand? Or was it moving through an area where larger fish have been spotted before?

These observations may seem insignificant at first, but over time, patterns begin to emerge.

I’ve noticed that larger bonefish sometimes travel through particular areas or remain along the outskirts of schools containing smaller fish. The more time you spend observing these movements, the better you’ll become at recognizing where the larger fish are likely to appear.

This kind of knowledge doesn’t develop overnight. It comes from years of watching fish, studying their behavior, and remembering where the giants have appeared in the past.

Eventually, you begin to see things that other anglers might overlook.

The next time you’re on the flats, remember that smaller bonefish often swim together, just as larger bonefish frequently associate with other large fish. Although there are exceptions, recognizing these tendencies can help you make better decisions about where to fish.

If you’re consistently catching smaller bonefish but hoping to land a double-digit giant, you may need to change your location or adjust where you’re concentrating your efforts.

That doesn’t necessarily mean traveling to an entirely different flat. Sometimes, the difference between catching another five-pounder and hooking a ten-pound giant is simply moving a short distance and understanding where those larger fish are likely to travel.

You don’t always have to fish farther or harder to catch bigger bonefish. Sometimes, you just have to fish smarter and know where the big ones are

What Shoes Should You Wear When Fly Fishing the Flats in Hawaii?

By Makani Christensen

Choosing the right footwear can make a significant difference in your comfort, safety, and overall fishing experience. Hawaii offers a variety of fishing environments, from sandy flats to slippery volcanic rock and in even surfaces.  The shoes you choose should depend on where you plan to fish and the conditions you’ll encounter.

When selecting footwear, consider three essential factors: protection, traction, and comfort. A good pair of fishing shoes should protect your feet, provide stability on uneven surfaces, and remain comfortable throughout a long day on the water.

Felt Soles vs. Rubber Soles

Two common options for flats fishing are felt-bottom and rubber-soled shoes. Each has advantages depending on the terrain.

Felt soles are particularly useful when fishing around slippery rocks, submerged reef, and algae-covered surfaces. They provide excellent traction in certain wet conditions, allowing you to move more confidently across uneven terrain.

However, felt soles have limitations. They can wear down quickly when walking long distances over dry rock, sand, and other abrasive surfaces. If you spend most of your day walking across the flats, a durable rubber sole may be a better choice.

Rubber soles are generally more versatile, offering durability and protection across a variety of surfaces. They are especially practical when fishing areas that require long walks over sand, coral, and exposed reef.

Neither option is perfect for every situation. Understanding the terrain you’ll be fishing will help you make the right choice.

Understanding Hawaii’s Flats

Many anglers visiting Hawaii underestimate how challenging the terrain can be.

Much of Hawaii’s shoreline consists of ancient volcanic rock, busted dead coral, and hard sand stone formations. These surfaces can be sharp, uneven, and in some places extremely slippery.

Even areas that appear to be smooth, sandy flats may conceal submerged rocks, coral, or sea urchins. Partially submerged lava rock often develops a thin, slick layer of algae that can make walking particularly hazardous.

I’ve seen anglers lose their footing and fall while navigating these conditions. I’ve also had people damage their footwear and injure their feet while crossing the flats.

A good pair of shoes can reduce these risks, but no footwear completely eliminates them.

Protection Matters

Traction is important, but protecting your feet is equally essential.

Hawaii’s flats contain sharp coral, jagged volcanic rock, shells, and sea urchins. These hazards can cause painful injuries, especially when wearing shoes that provide little protection along the sides.

Choose footwear with sturdy construction, reinforced sides, and soles thick enough to protect against sharp objects.

Sea urchins are another concern. Their spines can penetrate certain types of footwear, making it important to watch where you step.

Avoid assuming that a thick sole alone will keep your feet safe. The sides and overall construction of the shoe matter just as much.

Comfort and Durability

Every angler’s feet are different, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Comfort becomes increasingly important when spending several hours walking the flats. Poorly fitting shoes can cause blisters, fatigue, and unnecessary discomfort.

I prefer footwear that offers a combination of comfort, durability, and stability.

Over the years, I’ve worn several different brands of fishing shoes. After trying numerous options, I found that the Astral Marine Tactical Shoe worked particularly well for my needs.

Originally designed for Navy SEALs and fly fishermen, these shoes are lightweight, durable, and feature a flat rubber sole that provides stability when walking across uneven terrain.

Their design makes them a practical option for the type of fishing I do in Hawaii.

For anglers who prefer felt soles, specialty fishing stores, local dive shops, and retailers such as Walmart may offer suitable options, although availability varies.

Choose Your Footwear Based on Where You’ll Fish

Before purchasing shoes for your trip, take time to understand the environment you’ll be fishing.

If you’ll primarily be fishing slippery, algae-covered rock, felt soles may provide an advantage. If your day involves long walks across sand, coral, and exposed reef, durable rubber soles may be more practical.

Consider how far you’ll be walking, how much time you’ll spend in the water, and the types of surfaces you’ll encounter.

Above all, prioritize fit, protection, and traction over appearance.

Final Thoughts

Fishing Hawaii’s flats can be physically demanding. The terrain changes constantly, and conditions that appear manageable from a distance can become challenging once you’re on the water.

The right footwear won’t guarantee that you’ll catch more fish, but it can help you move safely, conserve energy, and remain comfortable throughout the day.

Your attention should be on finding and catching fish, not worrying about where to put your next step.

Choose your shoes carefully, understand the terrain, and come prepared. A little preparation can make the difference between an enjoyable day on the flats and one cut short by sore feet or an avoidable injury.

How to Choose a Great Saltwater Fly Fishing Reel

By Makani Christensen

October 29, 2026

Over the years, I’ve fished with countless brands of fly reels, primarily 8-weight setups targeting Hawaii’s giant bonefish. Some reels have performed exceptionally well, while others have been complete disappointments. Through years of experience, I’ve learned that an expensive reel doesn’t necessarily mean a better reel.

When choosing a saltwater fly reel, two features matter most: a powerful, reliable drag system and protection against saltwater intrusion.

Drag Strength: Maintaining Control of the Fish

One of the most important features of a good saltwater reel is its ability to generate enough drag pressure to slow down or stop a powerful fish. Ideally, when you tighten the drag completely, the spool should lock down or come very close.

This is particularly important when fishing for Hawaiian bonefish, which are known for their explosive runs and incredible strength.

Think about it. If your reel produces a maximum of only eight pounds of drag pressure, that’s the most resistance it can provide. When a powerful bonefish takes off, you need enough stopping power to maintain control.

There’s a fine line between applying too much pressure and not enough. Excessive drag can break your leader, while insufficient drag allows the fish to run uncontrollably. The key is having enough available drag pressure to adjust to the situation.

Unless you’re chasing a world record on light tippet, your goal should be to gain control of the fish as quickly as possible.

Allowing a bonefish to spool you means losing complete control. Even letting one run hundreds of yards increases the chances of your line becoming tangled around coral, rocks, or other underwater obstructions.

The longer the fish runs, the more opportunities there are for something to go wrong.

A quality reel should give you control over the fish, not leave you at its mercy.

Sealed Drag Systems: Keeping Saltwater Out

The second major consideration is the drag system’s resistance to saltwater.

Ideally, you want a fully sealed drag that prevents water, sand, and salt from entering the internal components. A properly designed sealed system generally requires less maintenance and is less likely to develop problems after repeated exposure to harsh saltwater conditions.

However, not every reel advertised as sealed is completely waterproof.

When saltwater enters the drag system, problems can develop. You might hear an unusual humming sound as line leaves the spool, followed by inconsistent resistance or pulsations. Instead of releasing line smoothly, the drag may begin grabbing, sticking, or suddenly stopping.

When you’re fighting a powerful fish, an unpredictable drag can easily result in a broken leader and a lost fish.

A fully sealed drag is generally my preference, but a partially sealed system can also be a good option if it’s easy to disassemble, clean, and maintain.

Some reels are advertised as sealed yet are nearly impossible for the average angler to service. If water gets inside, you may have no practical way to remove it without sending the reel back to the manufacturer.

That’s a pain in the butt, especially when you’re traveling or fishing regularly.

For that reason, I prefer a reel with either a dependable, fully sealed drag or a serviceable system that allows me to handle basic maintenance myself.

Price Doesn’t Always Equal Performance

I’ve tested plenty of reels over the years, from inexpensive models to some of the most expensive reels on the market.

Some have been outstanding. Others have been terrible. And a few of the high-end reels have been surprisingly disappointing.

A fancy finish, recognizable brand name, or expensive price tag doesn’t guarantee reliable performance when a giant bonefish takes off across the flats.

What matters is how the reel performs under pressure, how consistently the drag operates, and whether it can withstand repeated exposure to saltwater.

Before spending your money, read reviews and talk to experienced saltwater fly fishermen who actually put their equipment to the test.

Better yet, find a no-bullshit fisherman who will tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t.

Pay particular attention to reviews discussing drag strength, long-term durability, saltwater resistance, and maintenance. These are the things that matter after the excitement of buying a new reel wears off.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right saltwater fly reel doesn’t have to be complicated.

You want a reel with enough drag pressure to control powerful fish, a smooth and consistent drag throughout the fight, and a dependable system that keeps saltwater from damaging its internal components.

If the drag isn’t fully sealed, make sure it’s easy to maintain and repair.

Above all, don’t assume the most expensive reel is the best.

When a giant Hawaiian bonefish takes off across the flats, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your reel can handle the fight.

A great reel isn’t defined by its price. It’s defined by its performance when you need it most.

Untold stories from the flats

Fly Fishing in Hawaiʻi

The Challenges, Characters, and Adventures of a Fishing Guide

An Unexpected Encounter

As we motored toward our fishing grounds, I began sharing stories about some of the strange things I’d witnessed around Keʻehi Lagoon.

One incident involved a woman I encountered swimming in the middle of the channel, fully clothed.

I was guiding a client at the time when I spotted her in the water. Seeing someone swimming that far from shore, especially fully dressed, immediately caught my attention.

I slowed the boat, pulled alongside her, and asked whether she needed a ride.

She was carrying a basket.

I had no idea where she had come from, where she was going, or why she was swimming through the channel with a basket in her hand.

After a brief exchange, she accepted my offer.

Basket and all.

I asked what she was doing out there. She explained that she was rescuing a laundry basket because it was nice.

We have some serious drugs problems in Hawaii. You have to be on one to be where she was located in the channel. Where did she come from? Who knows. I did take her back to shore.

My client looked just as bewildered as I was. We exchanged glances as she walked away into the crowd of harbor regulars.

Just another day at Keʻehi Lagoon, I told Jim.

He appeared amused.

The First Cast

We finally reached Rat Island and anchored along the southern side of the flats. The tide was rising, and I expected bonefish to begin moving onto the reef to feed.

Stepping off the boat for the first time can feel like stepping onto a field before a competition. There’s a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and nervousness until you settle into the rhythm of fishing.

We grabbed our rods and waded onto the flats.

My plan was to fish the eastern side before working our way around to another section. The trade winds were blowing 20 to 25 knots, typical conditions for Hawaiʻi. With the wind at our backs, I asked Jim to make a 15-yard cast.

“Can you cast?” I asked.

He assured me that he could.

But as every fishing guide eventually discovers, an angler’s confidence doesn’t always match his casting ability.

Jim made his first attempt.

With a roundhouse backcast and an equally forceful forward cast, he drove the fly straight into the water. The line landed in a tangled mess about thirty degrees downshore.

For someone accustomed to casting on lakes and streams, the open flats of Hawaiʻi can be a rude awakening.

Still, at least I knew what I was working with.

“All right, looks pretty good. Let’s go,” I said.

We continued down the flat, searching the water for movement. After covering the eastern side without seeing a fish, we crossed toward the western edge.

That was when I noticed something.

A Story from Las Vegas

As we searched for bonefish, Jim returned to one of his stories from his days as a first responder in Las Vegas.

He recalled responding to an emergency call at an apartment complex. The caller reported that someone needed assistance, although the exact nature of the emergency was unclear.

Jim and his partner arrived before the police and made their way to a second-floor apartment.

The door was wide open.

They stepped inside and encountered one of the most disturbing scenes Jim had ever witnessed.

Standing before them was a young woman, completely naked and soaking wet. At first glance, she appeared physically fit, but her face was severely disfigured. Jim described injuries around her mouth so extensive that her teeth and gums were exposed.

Judging from the scene, he believed she might have been a prostitute.

He tried asking what had happened, but her responses were confused and difficult to understand. She appeared frightened and disoriented, staring at them with enormous eyes.

Jim said it felt like walking into a horror movie.

Unable to get a clear explanation, they turned their attention to someone else inside the apartment.

The Man on the Couch

Sitting on a leather couch was a Black man with an expressionless face.

Jim said the man looked as though he had melted into the cushions. His head seemed fixed in place, and his body was slumped so heavily that he barely appeared capable of moving.

They asked what had happened.

His response made even less sense than the woman’s.

He mumbled something unintelligible, his eyes staring blankly ahead.

Jim noticed what appeared to be a turkey baster near the kitchen area.

He and his partner exchanged confused looks.

Neither knew what to make of the situation.

The woman’s injuries were severe, and she appeared to be in considerable pain. Jim tried to reassure her, but she continued giving strange, incoherent answers.

He later described the incident as one of the craziest calls of his career.

At one point, Jim asked the man to repeat himself.

“Both of them motherfuckers, up the ass!” the man replied.

Jim said the man pointed toward the kitchen, but his condition made it nearly impossible to determine what he meant.

The situation was so bizarre that Jim and his partner struggled to understand what had happened.

Then Jim asked the woman another question.

“Ma’am, can you tell me what happened?”

She stared at him.

After several attempts, Jim finally understood her explanation: she had been out of a job.

He looked at her, still trying to make sense of the entire situation.

“Well,” he said, “I guess if she puts a paper bag over her head, she should be good.”

When Jim finished telling the story, I was speechless.

It sounded so unbelievable that I almost questioned whether it could be true. But having heard enough stories from first responders over the years, I knew that reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

My First Fishing Experience

by Makani Christensen

I remember picking up a fishing pole for the first time when I was just two years old. It wasn't much of a fishing rod, just a simple bamboo pole with a hook and a small split-shot weight.

I remember my dad helping me hold the bamboo pole and showing me how to position the bait in the water. Like so many great memories in fishing, that moment has stayed with me throughout my life.

We were fishing close to shore, where I could see a fish swimming just below the surface. The bamboo pole was about four feet long, with four to six pounds of fishing line extending roughly the same distance. One end of the line was tied to the tip of the pole, while the other held a hook with a small split-shot weight positioned three or four inches above it.

On the hook was a piece of raw shrimp.

I remember lowering the bait into the water and watching the fish approach. The anticipation of feeling that first bite was almost overwhelming.

Then it happened.

I felt a gentle nibble at the end of the line. The bamboo pole began to bend ever so slightly, transmitting the movement of the fish through the rod and into my tiny hands.

To a two-year-old, it felt as though the fish was playing with the hook, teasing me before finally committing.

Then the fish grabbed the bait.

I pulled upward, lifting the fish out of the water.

I was hooked on fishing.

The fish was a saddle wrasse, known in Hawaiian as hinalea. Its colors were unlike anything I had ever seen. Brilliant shades of green, orange, and purple shimmered as it wriggled at the end of the pole.

My dad helped me remove the hook and placed the fish in a small pool of water among the wet rocks.

I remember standing there, completely fascinated, watching the fish swim around. Its gills opened and closed as it breathed underwater. I studied its dark red and purple gills, watching them expand and contract as water passed through.

There were two openings, the eyes and the mouth, that almost made the fish look as though it had a face.

I couldn't understand how something could breathe underwater. How could a living creature survive beneath the surface when I couldn't?

Watching that fish opened an entirely new world to me.

It was amazing to see such a beautiful creature swimming in the shallow water. I remember the hinalea keeping itself upright with its side fins, moving so naturally that it almost appeared to be standing.

Questions raced through my young mind, and my curiosity quickly turned into a fascination with the underwater world.

Looking back, that first fish was more than just a childhood catch. It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the ocean.

Growing Up in Hawaii

The first fish I ever caught was on the island of Maui, at a small, secluded beach on the southern side of the island.

Back then, my family called it our secret beach.

My parents and their friends would drive along the sandy road until they reached the shoreline. My parents were young. My mother was only twenty-two, and my father was twenty-seven.

From the beach, you could see Molokini and Kahoʻolawe in the distance.

There are countless memories from my childhood, but very few remain as vivid as that first fishing experience. At only two years old, I remember the excitement, curiosity, and sense of accomplishment that came from catching my first fish.

I couldn't have known it then, but that little bamboo pole would be the beginning of something that would shape the rest of my life.

Over the years, I gradually developed the skills that would eventually lead me toward a career in fly fishing.

My experiences began with the simple handlines and bamboo poles of my childhood. As I grew older, I learned to use throw nets and cross nets. Eventually, I became involved in commercial fishing, both nearshore and pelagic, as well as spearfishing and fly fishing.

Each method taught me something different about the ocean, fish behavior, and the importance of understanding the environment.

But of all the fishing methods I have experienced, fly fishing remains my favorite.

Why?

Because it challenges me in ways that other forms of fishing simply don't.

To trout set or not to Trout set

By Makani Christensen

Strip-Set: Small Kine

Hooking bonefish isn’t easy! One of the most important techniques you can learn to improve your chances of hooking a bonefish is the strip-set.

A strip-set happens when you keep your rod tip down toward the water, in line with your fly line. As you retrieve the fly and a bonefish takes it, you pull the line straight back without lifting the rod. This motion drives the hook into the fish’s mouth.

Bonefish feed primarily along the bottom, and our flies are designed to swim hook-point up. If you lift your rod to set the hook, you risk pulling the fly right out of the fish’s mouth. The same motion you use to retrieve your fly is the motion you should use to set the hook.

Most of the time, if you’re already retrieving your line when a bonefish strikes, you’ll naturally perform a strip-set. It takes less than a second for that hook to penetrate. However, some anglers instinctively lift their rods when they feel a fish bite. This is commonly known as a trout-set, and it’s a habit you’ll want to avoid when targeting bonefish.

If your fly is sitting motionless on the bottom, waiting for a bonefish to bite, your strip-set will need to be more deliberate. Without the momentum of an active retrieve, you’ll have to pull firmly on the line to remove the slack and drive the hook home.

Remember, we’re not fishing for trout! Keep your rod tip down and use your stripping hand to set the hook. A trout-set beats no hook-set, but lifting your rod can pull the fly away before the hook has a chance to penetrate.

There will be times when a bonefish inhales your fly and spits it out almost instantly. Having a moving fly and maintaining tension on your line increases your chances of detecting the strike and setting the hook before the fish lets go.

The bottom line: Keep your rod tip down, maintain contact with your fly, and strip-set when a bonefish eats. It’s a simple technique, but mastering it can make the difference between missing a fish and watching your backing disappear into the distance.

The Ghetto Super Fly

By Makani Christensen

The Ghetto Super Fly: How to Fish It

The Ghetto Super Fly is one of the best bonefish flies on the market. Originally designed to mimic a mantis shrimp, its rectangular body closely resembles the natural shape of this crustacean.

The fly is designed to swim hook-up, but more importantly, its effectiveness depends on how it is presented and retrieved.

There are several important considerations when fishing the Ghetto Super Fly.

1. Present the Fly Ahead of the Fish

Cast the fly at least 3–5 yards in front of the fish, adjusting the distance based on water depth, visibility, and the fish’s behavior.

The goal is to position the fly in the fish’s anticipated path without spooking it. Proper presentation is critical to success.

2. Get the Fish’s Attention

As the fish approaches, use short, controlled strips to give the fly movement and attract its attention.

The objective is to make the fly appear alive without creating excessive movement that might alarm the fish.

3. Adjust Your Retrieve Based on the Fish’s Reaction

If the fish responds positively to the fly, continue retrieving it with slow, deliberate strips.

Pay close attention to the fish’s body language. Its reaction will help determine whether to continue the retrieve or adjust the presentation.

4. Keep the Fly Moving

The Ghetto Super Fly should remain in motion for the best results. Its movement helps imitate natural prey and encourages the fish to strike.

However, the speed and length of each strip should be adjusted according to the fish’s behavior.

Final Thoughts

Proper presentation is just as important as the fly itself.

Understanding where to cast, when to move the fly, and how to respond to the fish’s behavior can make the difference between a successful hookup and a missed opportunity.

The key is to remain observant, make subtle adjustments, and allow the fish’s reaction to guide your retrieve.

Late October -November Fishing For Bonefish in Hawaii

By Makani Christensen

October 25, 2026

October and November are my favorite months to chase bonefish in Hawaii. Giant bonefish are roaming the flats, and most are hungry.

With spawning season only a couple of months away, bonefish have begun consolidating into larger schools and concentrating in specific areas of the bay. Some flats are completely empty, while others are loaded with fish. The challenge is knowing where to find them.

These schools are constantly moving. A flat that holds no fish today could be loaded with them a few days later. Bonefish also feed at night, which adds another element to their unpredictable movements.

Today, we encountered both large and small bonefish, including a few giants that appeared to weigh close to 15 pounds. Unfortunately, the biggest fish kept their distance from the boat. We made several attempts but couldn’t connect with one of those monsters. It’s only a matter of time.

The fly featured in the video is the Ghetto Super Fly. Each of us has developed a signature fly specifically for chasing Hawaiian bonefish. Elvis fishes his Kurupt Hawaiian, Joe uses his Kaneohe Bay Creeper, and Makani fishes the Ghetto Super Fly. Each pattern reflects our individual experience and approach to fishing Hawaii’s challenging flats.

We also spent the day fishing three different Hawaiian bonefish fly rods, each designed to complement a particular casting style.

The Joe Marks is a fast-action 8-weight, while the Kurupt Hawaiian, designed by Elvis, features a medium-fast action. The Makani Christensen O’io Special is a super-fast-action 8-weight.

Each rod offers a different feel and performance characteristic, giving anglers options based on their casting preferences and fishing techniques.

Whether you’re casting to cruising giants or targeting schools of hungry bonefish, having the right fly, rod, and local knowledge can make all the difference.

That’s what makes chasing Hawaiian bonefish so rewarding. Conditions change, fish move, and every day presents a new challenge. But somewhere out there, a 15-pound bonefish is waiting for the right presentation.

The Hawaiian Fly Rod

The Sacred Rods

Signature Series – 8wt Fly Rods

By Makani Christensen

Born from Hawaii’s saltwater flats and refined through months of demanding field testing, The Sacred Rods Signature Series brings together three premium 8-weight fly rods—each shaped by the instincts, experience, and fishing style of a legendary Hawaiian angler: Makani Christensen, Elias Espiritu, and Joe Marks

All three are combat veterans, fishing partners, and pioneers who have helped redefine the pursuit of bonefish and other powerful predatory species. Their original fly patterns have proven themselves not only in Hawaii, but in saltwater fisheries around the world.

Every rod in the series is built with the same uncompromising standards of quality, strength, and craftsmanship. Each blank is manufactured by the Tori factory in Japan and selected for its exceptional durability and performance. Premium guides and carefully chosen components complete a platform designed to withstand hard use while delivering the precision serious anglers demand.

The difference between these rods is intentional: each one is tuned to a distinct action and flex profile, allowing you to choose the performance that best matches your casting style.

The Makani Christensen “Oio” Special

The “Oio” Special is the fastest rod in the series—a super-fast-action 8-weight built for maximum line speed, distance, and control.

Its stiff lower section and rapid recovery load quickly and unload with authority, making it the strongest choice for casting into heavy wind, carrying long lengths of line, and turning over large or wind-resistant flies. It produces tight, powerful loops with minimal delay and responds best to an assertive casting stroke. When conditions are difficult and there is no room for hesitation, the “Oio” Special provides the greatest reserve of power and the most direct feel of the three rods.

The Joe Marks 8wt Fly Rod

The Joe Marks 8-weight offers a fast action with more flex than the “Oio” Special, creating the series’ most balanced combination of power, feel, and versatility.

It still loads quickly and casts confidently into the wind, but its slightly deeper flex gives the angler more feedback during the cast and a broader timing window. The rod feels more connected through the middle of the blank, making it easier to adjust between short, controlled presentations and longer power casts. For anglers who want fast-action performance without the highly rigid feel of a super-fast rod, the Joe Marks model is the ideal middle ground.

The Elias Espiritu “Kurupt Hawaiian” 8wt Fly Rod

The Elias Espiritu “Kurupt Hawaiian” 8-weight features the deepest flex and smoothest action in the series: a medium-fast design built for feel, timing, and control.

The blank loads farther down the rod, allowing anglers to feel the rod build power throughout the casting stroke. This deeper load rewards a deliberate, connected rhythm and provides greater sensitivity for short casts, delicate presentations, and precise fly placement. Although it flexes more than the other two models, it retains enough recovery speed for effective saltwater casting and remains capable of handling wind when the angler allows the rod to load fully.

Choosing the Right Rod

Each rod is purpose-built for fly fishing in Hawaii, yet each offers a clearly different experience on the water.

Choose the “Oio” Special if you want the fastest recovery, the tightest loops, and the greatest power for heavy wind, long casts, and demanding flies. Choose the Joe Marks model if you want a fast-action rod with more flex, more feedback, and the widest range of casting applications. Choose the “Kurupt Hawaiian” if you prefer the deepest load, the smoothest tempo, and the greatest feel for controlled presentations and precise timing.

In simple terms, the “Oio” Special is the fastest and most powerful, the Joe Marks model is the most versatile, and the “Kurupt Hawaiian” offers the most flex and feel.

If you are new to fly fishing and have not yet developed a preferred action, choose the rod that reflects the angler, style, or color that speaks to you. Whichever model you select, you will be fishing a rod built to the same exacting standard.

Born in Hawaii

Designed in Hawaii by Hawaiian combat veterans and fishing partners, The Sacred Rods are born in the salt and built for the realities of Hawaiian water.

They are made for wind, distance, hard runs, powerful fish, and the split-second decisions that define saltwater fly fishing. Every detail serves a purpose: strength when the fight turns serious, accuracy when the shot appears, and durability for seasons of demanding use.

Three distinct actions. One uncompromising standard. Built in Hawaii for bonefish and predatory fish wherever the saltwater calls.

When the diameter of the leader matters

October 24, 2026
By Makani Christensen

Bonefish don’t care about the diameter of your leader, provided your fly is presented correctly and the fish are willing to eat. What matters is how your leader affects the movement of your fly and your ability to fight the fish.

When we first started fishing for bonefish in Hawaii, we typically used spinning rods with bait cast onto the flats. I used 60-pound monofilament leaders with size 2/0 hooks. My leaders were approximately three feet long, allowing enough distance between the hook and the lead weight to minimize spooking fish when the lead bounced along the bottom.

Day or night, we caught plenty of bonefish using this setup. The heavy leader, oversized hook, and thick monofilament didn’t seem to matter. The bonefish were interested in only one thing: the squid.

The same principle applies to fly fishing, provided your leader doesn’t interfere with the way your fly swims. Your leader should be selected based on the fly you’re using, the fishing conditions, and the strength of your hook. If you’re pursuing a world record, line-class requirements become another consideration.

As a general rule, higher-pound-test monofilament has a larger diameter. The difference between 15-pound and 20-pound test may seem insignificant, but it can affect how your fly moves through the water. Depending on the fly, a thicker leader can influence its movement, sink rate, and overall presentation.

When I first started fly fishing for bonefish, I was convinced my fishing line was scaring them. Every time a fish refused my fly, I assumed my leader was too heavy. I experimented with smaller-diameter leaders, believing that lighter line would improve my success.

Looking back, the problem wasn’t my leader. It was my presentation.

My poorly placed casts were spooking the fish, and I didn’t yet understand how to properly present a fly on the flats.

Coach Duff, a pioneer in guiding for bonefish in Hawaii, explained this to me when I bought his boat. However, I didn’t fully appreciate his advice until I started catching bonefish regularly.

As my experience grew, so did the strength of my leaders. I began to understand the relationship between leader strength, hook strength, and the amount of pressure I could apply while fighting a fish.

A stronger leader allows you to apply more pressure, but that pressure must be balanced against the strength of your hook. Too much pressure can straighten the hook or tear it free from the fish’s mouth. Too little pressure gives the fish more opportunities to make long runs, reach coral, or break the line.

The more line a bonefish takes, the greater the chance of something going wrong.

Eventually, everything clicked. I learned how much pressure I could apply, how to control a powerful bonefish, and why matching my leader to my hook was more important than simply using the thinnest line possible.

The key is finding the right balance between leader diameter, fly presentation, hook strength, and fighting pressure.

Ultimately, catching Hawaiian bonefish consistently comes down to understanding fish behavior, making accurate casts, presenting your fly correctly, and knowing how to fight the fish once it’s hooked.

Don’t get so caught up worrying about leader diameter that you overlook what really matters.

The fish don’t care about your leader. They care about what’s on the end of it.

Halloween

By Makani Christensen

Every year, Sean, the former owner of the only fly shop in Hawaii, dressed in a Halloween costume. It’s a pretty solid tradition that Sean started within the fly-fishing community.

Last year, I dressed up as a crystal ball. I was fly fishing in Maui and managed to hook a bonefish. I sent a text to Johan the other guide from Maui. However, I was the only person to show up in costume.

One year, I was scheduled to meet Byron and his girlfriend at the time to go fishing. It was Halloween, so I stopped at Walmart to buy costumes. I asked him if he wanted to be a hot dog or a crayon.

We fished on the Triangle, and he was dressed like a hot dog when a decent-sized bonefish popped up between three guides and Byron.

Ed Tamai, Chris Wright, and I, Makani Christensen, guided the hot dog to land a bonefish. Byron caught his first Hawaiian bonefish while maintaining a solid tradition.

It’s a tradition that started with Sean and has since spread throughout the fly-fishing community. What are you wearing this Halloween?

How O’io or Bonefish Feed

by Makani Christensen
October 24, 2026

Understanding Hawaiian Bonefish

The Oʻio, or bonefish, attracts anglers from around the world to Hawaiʻi. Known for their power and long runs, Hawaiian bonefish are among the most challenging fish to catch on a fly rod.

Fly fishermen use artificial flies that imitate crustaceans and other small creatures found on the flats. Success requires accurate casting, proper presentation, and a stealthy approach.

But before you can catch a bonefish, you have to find one.

That requires understanding where they live, how they move, where they rest, and how they feed. Through years of fly fishing, commercial diving, dunking with bait, and observing bonefish throughout Hawaiʻi, I’ve developed theories about their feeding and spawning behavior. Much of what I’ve learned comes from firsthand experience, experienced fishermen, and research conducted throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Lessons From Commercial Fishing

Before becoming a full-time fishing guide, I worked as a commercial fisherman. I was among a small group of fishermen in Hawaiʻi who used seine nets, scuba gear, and purse seines, or ʻupena, to target reef fish.

Those years taught me how different species moved around the reef, which fish shared the same habitats, and how tides and conditions affected their behavior. I also had the opportunity to fish alongside some of the greatest fishermen you’ve probably never heard of.

Their knowledge came from decades on the water. They knew where fish gathered, how they moved, and when they fed. I learned by watching, listening, and spending countless hours in the ocean.

Swimming alongside fish revealed things that aren’t visible from shore: how schools form, how fish react to their surroundings, and how they move between resting and feeding areas. I’ve also learned from other commercial divers whose observations have helped me understand the elusive Oʻio.

What Dunking and Throw-Net Fishing Taught Me

Before focusing on fly fishing, I spent years dunking for Oʻio with bait. I became familiar with areas where bonefish gathered during particular tides. Some locations produced fish consistently during high tide, while others seemed empty.

That experience taught me that bonefish don’t wander randomly across the flats. Their movements follow recognizable patterns.

I also learned to throw a casting net over bonefish. Approaching them closely without frightening them requires patience, stealth, and an understanding of their behavior. Fortunately, I learned from some of the greatest throw-netters I’ve ever known. Their knowledge had been passed down through generations.

When I transitioned to fly fishing, I applied everything I’d learned. I watched where bonefish rested during low tide, how they moved onto the flats, and where they concentrated to feed. Each observation became another piece of the puzzle.

What Bonefish Research Has Revealed

Scientific research has also contributed to my understanding of Hawaiian bonefish. Two projects in particular caught my attention: a tagging study around Oʻahu and a tracking study in Hilo Bay on Hawaiʻi Island.

The Oʻahu Bonefish Tagging Project

In 2016, Carl Jellings, a commercial diving purse-seine fisherman, was contracted by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council to capture bonefish for a tagging project.

Approximately 2,000 bonefish were captured, tagged, and released. Each received a numbered green tag, and fishermen were encouraged to report tagged fish and the locations where they were caught.

According to the results I learned about, reported fish were caught within the same general areas where they had been released. None were reported from other parts of Oʻahu.

That was significant because the fish had been captured in a known resting school just outside the flats. They were not necessarily spawning fish preparing to move into deeper water; they were fish gathered in a regular resting area.

The results supported something I’d observed for years: bonefish often remain within familiar feeding and resting grounds.

There are limitations, of course. A tagged fish might have been caught elsewhere without being reported, or a tag might have broken off or gone unnoticed. The study doesn’t prove that bonefish never travel beyond their usual areas, but it does provide valuable information about their normal movements.

The Hilo Bay Tracking Project

Another project was conducted in Hilo Bay. University of Hawaiʻi researchers implanted tracking devices into bonefish to monitor their movements.

The fish remained within Hilo Bay, traveling between the Wailuku River area and Reeds Bay. This supported observations made by local fishermen: bonefish appeared to move between familiar resting and feeding locations rather than constantly traveling long distances.

These studies involved fish in their normal habitat, not necessarily fish preparing to spawn. That distinction matters because I believe bonefish behave differently during spawning season.

Understanding Resting Schools

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that bonefish don’t spend all their time feeding. They also gather in resting schools, often just outside the flats, along reef edges, or in slightly deeper water.

During low tide, bonefish may remain in these areas instead of moving onto the shallow flats. As the tide rises, portions of the school move into shallower water to feed. A large school may begin concentrated outside the reef, then spread across the flats as the water rises.

Not all resting schools are the same. Some contain hundreds or thousands of fish, while others are much smaller and occupy separate areas nearby. One school might remain outside the breaking waves while another rests inside the reef near a boat channel. When the tide rises, each may spread into a different section of the flats.

This helps explain why one area can be full of bonefish while another nearby area appears empty. It also explains why fishermen may return to a familiar location and find no fish. The bonefish may still be nearby, but their resting and feeding patterns have shifted.

If you know where fish rest, you have a better chance of predicting where they’ll feed.

Bonefish Movements in Maunalua Bay

Maunalua Bay, on Oʻahu’s southeastern shoreline, is one of the areas where I’ve spent considerable time observing bonefish. The bay stretches roughly nine miles, from the Diamond Head area toward Hanauma Bay and Portlock.

Over the years, I’ve dunked, fly fished, and thrown casting nets throughout this coastline. I’ve experienced days when there wasn’t a single bonefish around Kahala, then moved farther east and found large numbers around Kuliʻouʻou or Hawaiʻi Kai. A week later, those areas might be empty while fish had concentrated somewhere else.

Eventually, bonefish would reappear in places where I’d previously found them. I began to see a larger pattern.

My theory is that different resting schools occupy different sections of the bay and spread into nearby feeding areas according to the tides and surrounding conditions. This doesn’t mean every bonefish in Maunalua Bay belongs to one enormous school moving back and forth. I believe there are multiple schools, with some movement between them.

Understanding where those schools gather helps explain why bonefish seem plentiful in one location and absent from another.

The Triangle at Keāhi Lagoon

The Triangle at Keāhi Lagoon provides another example. During low tide, I’ve observed large schools of bonefish resting just outside the reef. As the tide rises, fish move from those resting areas and spread across the surrounding flats.

The fish around the Triangle are not necessarily the same fish found near Rat Island. Different schools may occupy separate resting areas even when those areas are close together. Some remain farther offshore, while smaller groups rest inside the reef.

Commercial divers have observed these schools for years. Combined with what I’ve seen while fly fishing, their knowledge suggests that several groups of bonefish can occupy the same general coastline while using different resting and feeding areas.

Finding bonefish often begins with locating their resting schools.

Why Bonefish Sometimes Disappear

Every experienced bonefish fisherman has encountered days when the flats seem empty. You might catch several fish in one location, return a few days later under similar conditions, and see none.

In my experience, tides, currents, food availability, seasonal changes, and the locations of resting schools all influence their movements. Fish may remain outside the reef, concentrate in another section, or feed at times when fishermen cannot see them.

I’ve caught bonefish at night under different moon conditions and during high tides when the water was too deep for practical sight fishing with a fly rod. Their feeding behavior isn’t limited to daylight hours.

The absence of visible fish doesn’t necessarily mean there are no bonefish nearby.

Bonefish Spawning Behavior

I believe bonefish move differently during spawning season than they do during normal feeding. Throughout much of the year, they appear to remain near familiar resting and feeding areas. Before spawning, however, I’ve observed large schools gathering along the outer reef.

During October and November, I’ve seen enormous numbers of similarly sized bonefish concentrating in these areas. Some schools appear to gather before moving into deeper water.

Commercial divers have also described massive schools well below the surface. One photograph I saw showed an enormous school approximately 50 feet underwater and roughly 50 yards across.

These observations suggest that bonefish may form large spawning aggregations before moving offshore.

Do Hawaiian Bonefish Spawn Twice a Year?

Based on my observations and accounts from other fishermen, I suspect Hawaiian bonefish may have more than one spawning period each year.

I’ve seen signs of fish gathering during the fall and winter, particularly from October through February, and I’ve encountered fish during summer that appeared to be preparing to spawn. This makes me wonder whether different schools spawn at different times.

That remains a theory. More research is needed to determine when Hawaiian bonefish spawn, whether individual fish spawn more than once a year, and how spawning patterns vary by location.

What I do know is that I’ve witnessed dramatic changes in the number and size of bonefish gathering along the reef during certain times of year. October and November have been particularly productive months for me, with large bonefish often plentiful.

How Far Do Bonefish Travel to Spawn?

If bonefish generally remain near their feeding grounds, what happens when they spawn? How far offshore do they travel, and do they return to the same resting schools afterward?

Bonefish have been caught in surprisingly deep water around Hawaiʻi. One was caught by bottom fishermen off the Kona Coast in approximately 180 feet of water. Another was a 28-pound bonefish caught near Bamboo Ridge on Oʻahu’s southeastern shoreline.

That fish was caught by a fisherman targeting other species. Nearby fishermen then changed their rigs to target bonefish, and several more were caught, suggesting that a school had moved through the area.

I’ve also heard reports of schools several miles offshore. These accounts raise questions about how far bonefish travel during spawning season. They may move much farther than fish tracked in their normal feeding habitats.

Without additional research, however, we cannot say exactly how far they travel or whether they consistently return to the same areas.

Hawaiʻi’s Giant Bonefish

Hawaiʻi is known for exceptionally large bonefish. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of fish weighing 15 pounds or more.

In 2014, two 17-pound bonefish were reportedly caught, one on Hawaiʻi Island and another on Maui. In 2026, an 18-pound bonefish was reportedly speared off Oʻahu. Other reported catches include a 23-pound fish off Kaʻaʻawa, an 18-pound fish landed on the Hickam Flats in 2009, and the 28-pound bonefish caught near Bamboo Ridge.

These are only some of the catches I’ve heard about. Many giant bonefish were never officially weighed or documented.

The presence of these exceptionally large fish makes their movements and spawning behavior even more interesting.

Why More Research Matters

Despite what we’ve learned, many questions remain:

Where do bonefish spawn? How far do they travel? Do different schools spawn at different times? How often do they return to the same feeding and resting areas?

Through years of observation, I’ve developed theories about these questions, but I continue learning every year. Additional research would be valuable, especially studies of spawning behavior, offshore movements, and the relationship between resting schools and feeding areas.

Research should also be conducted carefully. We shouldn’t assume bonefish populations are in trouble simply because concerns have been raised, nor should healthy schools in a few areas be taken as proof that all populations are thriving.

Good research should distinguish between those possibilities. Before imposing additional regulations, we should understand the fish, the evidence, and the effects on people who depend on these resources.

Conservation and traditional fishing practices don’t have to oppose each other. Both benefit from accurate information and a better understanding of the ocean.

Knowledge Is Power

When it comes to catching bonefish, knowledge is power. Understanding where they rest, how they move with the tides, and where they feed gives you a tremendous advantage.

You can read books, watch videos, and study techniques, but nothing replaces time on the water. Pay attention to the tides and currents. Watch where fish gather and how they respond to changing conditions. Remember where you find resting schools and how fish spread across the flats as the tide rises.

Eventually, patterns emerge. What once seemed random begins to make sense, and you start finding bonefish more consistently.

Preserving Hawaiʻi’s Fishing Traditions

As long as I’m alive, bonefish will remain part of our local menu.

We are ocean people, and fishing has been part of our way of life for generations. Our ancestors passed down knowledge through hunting, fishing, gathering, and teaching their families how to live from the ocean. Not so long ago, catching fish could mean the difference between eating and going hungry.

Today, we have Costco, grocery stores, and countless food choices. But convenience shouldn’t replace tradition. The opportunity to fish, gather food, and pass that knowledge to our families helps keep our culture alive.

For me, bonefish represent more than an incredible sport fish. They’re part of Hawaiʻi’s fishing heritage. Whether you catch them on a fly rod, with a throw net, or with bait, understanding these fish makes you a better fisherman.

The more we understand the ocean, the better we become at fishing it—and the better prepared we are to pass that knowledge on to the next generation.

The Kaneohe Bay Creeper

The Kaneohe Bay Creeper is designed to imitate a crab, featuring a wide body and legs that closely resemble those of a natural crab. This fly was designed by Joe Marks, a combat veteran, husband, and father. Joe is one of Hawaii’s most proficient fly tiers and fishermen.

The Kaneohe Bay Creeper comes in multiple colors and features several distinct characteristics that give it a realistic appearance.

Two feathers extend from the fly’s plastic eyes, while rabbit fur gives the body a fuller, more natural appearance. When submerged, the rabbit fur absorbs water and expands, creating the illusion of a larger, more lifelike body.

The fly has caught bonefish, golden trevally, permit, and other predatory fish around the world.

These flies are most effective in calm water. When resting on the bottom, the Kaneohe Bay Creeper is designed to imitate a crab slowly creeping along the ocean floor.

You can also leave the fly resting motionless on the bottom and allow the fish to discover and take it naturally.

The combination of its wide body, lifelike legs, realistic eyes, and flowing rabbit fur makes the Kaneohe Bay Creeper an effective crab imitation for fishing Hawaii’s flats.