The Redbone Tournament - “To Catch the Cure for cystic fibrosis”

by Howard Taylor

I have fly fished for as long as I can remember - one could call me a fanatic.  Many moons ago I worked as a river keeper in the beautiful Test valley.  From there, I eventually started my company that specialises in letting guided chalkstream fly fishing.  Seven or eight seasons ago I was introduced to a wonderful American couple who sought a local ‘guide’ whilst they were fishing here and that was the beginning of a beautiful fly fishing friendship as they say!

For the past two winters, my friends have kindly invited my family and I, to their beautiful Florida Keys home in Islamorada to fish the Cheeca Lodge Redbone Tournament.  My long suffering wife has heard the expression, “It’s the chance of a lifetime darling” one too many times, so to have a ten day family holiday in the Keys with a few days fishing carefully woven into the agenda works very well for us (well me!).

Redbone was founded by Gary Ellis, a famous Keys guide who’s beautiful daughter Nicole was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.  The family were told that with special care she would survive into her early teens.  In 1988, Gary and his wife Susan set out to find a way to fight the disease their way.  With the help of some friends they founded the Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund the research to cure CF.  Guides, anglers, and celebrities teamed up to fish for two species – redfish and bonefish – the Redbone was born.  From raising $16 000 in that first year,  that small acorn has grown into a staggering 27 fishing tournaments spanning the whole of the US, Bahamas, Mexico and this year even Wales!  Over the last nineteen years the Redbone has raised a staggering $10 million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation due to Susan’s and Gary’s amazing efforts to ‘Catch the Cure’.  Nicole is now studying hard at university.

Having never really fished competitively before I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.  A three day tournament that starts with the fly only ‘Superfly’, followed by a two day competition where any method is allowed and points are awarded with fly caught fish being the highest scorers. 

In November 2005 Islamorada took a battering from Hurricane Wilma, but this did nothing to dampen the December tournament.  Last year the event was based at the enormous Bass Pro Shop in Islamorada as the usual ‘Lorelei’ venue was undergoing a rebuild.

The night before the ‘Superfly’ I was introduced to my guide, Captain Pier Milito over a beer or two.  The rules state that only one fly pattern may be used to catch both target species of fish.  The team must select their super fly – we chose the Borski Bonefish Slider as I love this fly and have taken many bonefish on it in the past.  As a redfish virgin, Pier advised that it would also be avidly eaten by the other quarry we were targeting. 

At the 6.30am registration the following morning, each guide and angler team is issued with a disposable camera and a Redbone measuring board.  The chosen fly pattern is photographed on the desk and logged, and as all Redbones are catch and release, each fish caught is photographed in the bottom of the skiff, on the official measuring tape with the fly in its mouth as proof of capture.  For each ‘slam’ caught (a redfish and a bonefish) – 200 additional points are awarded – hence Redbone.

The slam is not so easy to achieve as the habitats that each species prefer are an hours skiff ride apart.  The bonefish prefer the ocean side of the Keys, mainly feeding on the flats that look out into the Atlantic Ocean.  Whereas, the redfish live in the ‘Backcountry’, this is the Everglades National Park on the opposite side of the Keys peninsula.  In this timed competition, tactics are crucial as during the day the team realistically gets only one shot at each species.  Tides, feeding habits, water clarity and temperatures are all important in deciding where to go first.

We opted for the redfish first and at the ‘off’ headed for the backcountry at a vast rate of knots – literally!  We jostled for position with the other entrants that had a similar plan as we left the dock.  Without time for sightseeing, we passed dolphins feeding on mullet, spooked several large lemon sharks and sting rays before arriving at a small mangrove key alive with birds of all kinds – ospreys, great white pelicans, mergansers, kingfishers, egrets to name but a few.  I even saw a pink flamingo, what a wondrous place and I haven’t even picked up the fly rod. 

Pier cut the outboard and we drifted closer to the shore.  The water was alive with fish cutting bow waves in the mirror calm water as they darted clear of the boat.  Pier pulled out my nine weight and asked me to take up position on the bow.  He climbed onto his aft platform and began to pole us alongside the mangrove lined island.  The water was still a little murky after Hurricane Wilma weeks before.  This made sight fishing difficult to say the least and I didn’t really know what I was looking for.  “What does a redfish look like?” I asked, tongue in cheek.  “I’ll show you in just a moment Mr Taylor”, was the answer I deserved.

After an hour or so of hunting, Pier pointed to my one o’clock and said “Cast 30 feet”.  As I looked, I at last saw that sight to behold – a redfish tail, complete with ‘false eye’ spot come clean through the calm water, as the fish routed into the mud beneath.  “Hit him on the nose,” Pier said, as I carefully aimed my cast.  Thankfully, the fly landed inches away from the target and as I began to retrieve the fish turned and followed for several yards.  The anticipation seemed to last for minutes instead of split seconds, just as the large single redfish turned away as if to gesticulate rudely in my direction.

The tide began to run and we watched two small shoals of redfish make their wakes as they migrated over a shallow oyster bed into a deeper gulley.  Pier positioned the skiff on the edge of the deeper water and stuck his push pole into the mud to hold the boat’s position.  As the fish gave away their position in the shallows I placed the fly in their path and stripped.  What a take!  The rod and I nearly went for a swim.  I tightened into my first redfish which fought hard and doggedly.  After several hard runs, Pier netted him, placed him on the measure, took a picture, returned the fish and shook my hand vigorously.  “We could win this thing”.  He said.  None of the other boats in sight had caught and we were only an hour and a half into the competition with a good ‘red’ in the bag.  Three or four cast later and I was in again using the same tactics.  As we photographed and returned the second redfish, Pier suggested we should leave and head for the ocean side to look for a bonefish.  Who was I to disagree even, if we were catching fish?

The bonefish is the more difficult of the two as they are far spookier, there are fewer of them and, in the Keys they are fished for regularly, so they are wise to the fisherman and his ways.  On the other hand, I love fishing for bonefish and I have a good few under my belt. 

As the boat started to aquaplane away and Pier wound up his big Mercury four stroke, we yelled to each other that we were gonna win this thing!  Could a ‘limey’ win the Superfly?  Could I be lucky enough to beat some of the best saltwater anglers in the world?  These anglers invented the saltwater fly fishing of today.  Redbone entrants have included saltwater fly fishing legends such as: Tim Borski, Stu Apt, Sandy Moret, Flip Pallot and Lefty Kreh.

We fished two or three flats on the back country side on the Keys and spotted some single bonefish, although I didn’t get any good shots at them.  The wind had picked up and as usual the fish appeared on the upwind side of the skiff.  I put the rod back in the holder as we left for the ocean side.  We ran under one of the famous road bridges, joining one Key to the next and in front of us was the Atlantic.  Pier worked hard against the wind for several fruitless hours.  We spotted one other bonefish over the next four or five flats and our confidence took a severe battering.  I looked at my watch as we were about to return deflated with our two redfish to go on the score board.  It was a quarter to three.  With the last cast of the day at three o’clock, it was time to call it a day.

I turned to thank Pier for his hard work; he seemed to ignore me and squinted over my shoulder.  “I don’t ******* believe it”, he yelled.  “Bonefish tailing a yard off of the beach!”  I looked where he was pointing and asked for a reference.  About 300 yards away, right on the beach he had somehow seen the flash of a bonefish tail as it caught the rays of the Florida sun.  I squinted and saw nothing.  “I’m sure that was a tail”, he said as he poled frantically towards the beach.  I looked at my watch again and said “twelve minutes”.  Pier smiled as the tail and dorsal fin of a very large bonefish mirror flashed again, flagging the position of the fish to both guide and angler this time.  I fixed my eyes to that spot like a man over board drill.  Another tail appeared – two bones were busy feeding literally a yard from the land.  Pier continued to skilfully work the skiff closer over the grass flat between.  Another fish gave itself away – there were three double figure bonefish now just feet out of reach of my longest cast.  “Any one of those is a tournament winning bone – they’re all over 10”, said Pier.  I started to shake – “No pressure then!?” I replied.  “Concentrate Howard”, I thought, “Don’t mess this up”.  The skiff slowed to a halt as it bottomed on the grass – the water they were in was only inches deep – too ‘skinny’ for the boat.  “That’s it, we’re all out of water” Pier said.  I stripped some extra line off of the reel, knowing I needed a really long cast to reach the fish.  “Wait ‘till they have their faces in the mud and lead ‘em a few feet”, Pier said. 

I started to haul for all I was worth and shot my fly towards the feeding bonefish.  The first cast fell short by a couple of yards and they moved along the beach a little.   I retrieved as fast as I could and set the line up tangle free in the boat as I went.  I wound up another cast – the line shot beautifully and I just stopped it short to turn over the fly.  It landed with a gentle plop.  “Wait” said Pier, as the bonefish moved towards the fly.  “Now strip it once to puff the sand”.  As I gave the fly a sharp strip, the lead bonefish accelerated after my offering.  I waited for the pull – telling myself to remember to strip strike – nothing.  The fish turned off and again started to tail.  I threw another cast which landed in front of the last bonefish.  As I touched the line to ‘puff’ the fly again, a big tan dog ran along the beach – “NO!!” I yelled in total disbelief.  The bonefish erupted in a spectacular boil, as they shot toward the refuge of deeper water.  We both held our heads in our hands.  I looked at my watch – 3 o’clock, end of day – and absolutely gutted!

Now, I am a dog lover, with three in the kennel at home, but at that moment, I could have done things to that big tan dog that would have...well you know.

So, that was my first Redbone experience – we returned to the dock and chalked up our two redfish on the score board.  We were the only team to have caught two redfish that day, but there were two others with Redbone slams, giving a ‘limey’ a respectable third place in the Superfly.  In fact, I’m pleased to say it was won by my host, who, from the start, did mention that if I had the good fortune to beat him, I would be living on the street for the rest of the holiday!  Maybe it was just as well.

This December, things did not go so well.  In fact, I failed to get on the scoreboard completely.  However, my fishing partner in the Redbone was the legendary Sandy Moret, owner of the Florida Keys Outfitters.  He was a joy to fish with and a true master of the salt.  He managed to boat a nice snook, but neither of us unfortunately took bone nor red.  We watched several rays with redfish on their backs – I had one take the fly and in a moment of panic I made the fatal error of a trout fisher – I raised the rod on the strike and pulled the fly clean out of the redfish’s mouth!  I did account for some nice speckled trout and a super jack cravelle from the back of a large stingray, but none scored Redbone points.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, fishing with and learning from Sandy was an absolute highlight – thank you Sandy.

I would thoroughly recommend the Redbone experience to any UK fly fishers who feel they are fairly handy in the salt.  If freshwater is your bag and you don’t like the idea of flying to the US, this year sees for the first time, the Redbone coming to the UK.  The ACA Red Dragon Redbone comes to Wales on the 13th and 14th June 2007.  This is an excellent opportunity to do your bit for a very worthy charity and experience some first class fishing.  Not forgetting the wonderful ‘après fish’ atmosphere of the Redbone.  The Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA) is inviting competitors to come and fish the river Wye in Wales.  Competing Anglers’ lodging will be in the historic and beautiful Llangoed Hall and 25% of the money raised will support the ACA fighting pollution and other threats to UK aquatic environments.  The remainder will support the Redbone charity as usual.

For further information on the Redbone contact Gary Ellis on:
Tel (001) 305 664 2002 
redboneinc@aol.com
www.redbone.org

Or for information on chalkstream fly fishing on the river Test, accompanied saltwater and freshwater trips and the Redbone contact Howard Taylor on:
Tel 01425 403209
howard@upstreamdryfly.com
www.upstreamdryfly.com