I believe bonefish and tarpon to be two creatures that were created with the fly fisherman in mind. What could be more thrilling in all of angling than the teamwork of being quietly poled within casting range of a big tailing bonefish on a white hot flat calm day? Sometimes I can hardly breathe as I place my fly in the fish’s feeding zone and then carefully manipulate the line to create that predator-prey relationship hoping to trigger the bite. Then delicacy and finesse explode into pandemonium while clearing the line as mister bonefish sizzles across inches of water and strips one hundred yards of backing in the blink of an eye.

Well, maybe you could say it is more thrilling to twitch a four inch streamer fly in front of one hundred and fifty pounds of muscle armored by scales the size of saucers and have the beast open his maw and suck in your meager offering of chicken feathers tied to a 4/0 hook. Then when you slam the hook home and the tarpon erupts in an explosion of spray he runs out forty yards to leap again and shake his giant head arrogantly tossing your fly loose and leaving your line slack and your knees quivering.

They are both pretty darn sporty if you ask me and they live in the most beautiful places on this watery planet! If you love bonefish and tarpon fishing, then you too must accept the responsibility and the privilege of helping to protect them from the problems facing all wild creatures on our shrinking globe.

I have been fortunate to work with the Executive Committee of the newly formed Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited for several months and this dynamic group is developing rapidly. BTU is going to grow into the driving force that coordinates research and education related to bonefish and tarpon worldwide.

We have virtually no real scientific understanding of these two species in comparison to snook or redfish or many other species. A big part of our initial work involves gathering information on the spawning, growth, life cycle and migratory patterns of bonefish and tarpon. To effectively research these areas requires information obtained through tagging and recapture. We have tagged almost 500 bonefish in the Florida Keys and a group is going to the Seychelles to tag for a week in September. We are also beginning to develop dialog with lodge owners and the ministry of natural resources in the Bahamas.

As a fellow angler you know better than most that those of us who love the sport must provide it’s stewardship if we wish it to continue as a viable and healthy angling resource for each of us and our children in the future. That’s why Bonefish & Tarpon, Unlimited is for me and I know this exciting organization is for you.

Tight loops,

Sandy Moret