June 2006
Greeting from Vieques.
There are few places better than Vieques for the
do-it-yourself angler. Depending on the time of year and
conditions, everything from tarpon and bonefish to jacks and
snapper can be caught by wading from shore. Nearly every
accessible part of the island holds some kind of fish and the
only species I’ve yet to land with a fly rod from shore is a
permit, but I’ve come close several times.
A successful self-guided trip is possible for any angler but
you’ll need to prepare a few things at home in advance. For
starters, there are no real tackle shops in Vieques, not yet at
least. For now, you’ll need to bring everything from rods and
reels to flies and lures. The good news is that our local fish
are not too sophisticated and a small selection of tackle will
cover most situations.
For fly anglers, a 9 weight rod will do it all down here,
although you can get away with a couple weights smaller. I’ve
used my 9 weight Sage for everything from 5 pound bonefish up to
an 80 pound tarpon. This should be a three piece outfit or
smaller since you’ll want to carry it on the plane. Avoid
checking fly rods if you really want to see them again. Any
saltwater reel is fine but keep in mind that sand and salt will
be getting all over it. Some of the less expensive models can
have problems with this but rinse them well and they’ll be fine.
A weight-forward floating line is all that’s needed. Several
tapered leaders from 10 to 20 pound tippet are necessary and for
tarpon you’ll need at least a foot of 60# fluorocarbon as a
shock leader.
For flies, you’ll need a small pocket size box that will hold
about four dozen flies. Half of these should be Clouser Minnows
in both green and white and brown and white. In fact, they’re
really the only fly you’ll need. I’ve caught nearly every
species down here on a Clouser with the exception of permit.
Tarpon, snook, and bones all grab them without hesitation. A few
other patterns are always good to have such as Cockroaches,
Deceivers, and Merkins. You’ll occasionally find small tarpon
hitting bait on the surface, and poppers or sliders are great
fun to use in these situations. One thing you’ll want to
remember for tarpon flies is to keep them small, no larger than
2/0 and on very sharp hooks such as Owner or Gamakatsu. Most of
our tarpon are in the 10 to 20 pound range and the smaller hooks
penetrate and hold better.
Spinning rod anglers have a lot of flexibility but also only
need a small handful of gear. The best bet is to bring one
travel rod and a reel with 12 pound test. You can go up or down
a little bit but this is a good middle ground for all our
species. The tarpon are your top target and floating lures such
as Pop-R’s or Zara Spooks work great as do shallow swimming
Mirro-Lures. Color is not really important. These will also
catch snook, barracuda, and big jacks. As with a fly rod, you’ll
want to use a foot or two of 60 pound fluorocarbon as a shock
leader. Our bonefish and permit will eat small jigs and the 1/8
ounce Back Bone skimmer series is the best. An even better bet
for these two species, especially permit, is a live blue crab,
no larger that a half-dollar, on a 1/0 hook. You’ll have to
catch these yourself which only takes a little time walking the
beach with a small dip net and a container such as an empty
water bottle with the top cut off. De-claw them by squeezing
their pincers with a forceps or pliers and they’re safe to
handle. Tossing a live crab in front of a tailing permit is like
tossing a set of Corvette keys to a teenage boy.
That covers the tackle but there are a few other essentials that
are must-haves. The most important is footwear. Do not walk the
shallows barefoot. The coral is sharp and full of urchins. Flats
booties are the best choice but Teva sandals or even old
sneakers will work. A small pair of forceps is necessary for
removing hooks from toothy fish and can usually be carried on an
airplane. Needle nose pliers or a Leatherman tool will probably
be confiscated nowadays. Polarized sunglasses are a must and a
cheap pair are far better than an expensive non-polarized set.
Strong sun block and a wide hat is obvious for northerners
coming down any time of year. Our Caribbean sun will fry you
within minutes. Finally, a small water-proof bag for cell phones
and digital cameras will save you from an expensive fall when
chasing after a fleeing bonefish. I’ve had to relearn that
lesson at least three times in the past few years.
Once you’re on the island, a rented Jeep will get you everywhere
you need to go. Make these arrangements in advance, especially
during season. The rental agent will hand you a Vieques map and
then simply start exploring. There are more beaches and flats
than I can write about in one column. Once you’re here feel free
to give me a call and I’ll gladly give you a few hints to point
you in the right direction. As a guide, I know that not everyone
can fork over the money for a week of charters, but this is no
reason an angler can’t bend a rod every day down here in
Vieques. And a self-guided fish is the best trophy out there.
Capt. Gregg McKee,
WildFly Charters
