Bonito on the Rocks

"Drop everything. It was that good."

Those were the words of Phil Sheffield to me on Wednesday. He had found the bonito. Lots of them. I needed a bonito, and this sounded to good to refuse, so Mark Alpert and I found ourselves waiting on the rocks with Phil the very next morning. Fish were in sight, but they were a long way away. The truth of chasing a bite had manifested itself: it usually doesn't work out the way it is hoped to. Probably more so with hardtails than any other fish I can think of. These fish move constantly and necessarily. They never stop moving.

Bonito are exceptionally elusive these days. The albie action, when they come around later, is far more consistent. The bonito schools are fewer and farther between and also less widespread than they used to be. Much of Long Island Sound devoid of bonito right now. But there are fish to be found if you are willing to travel and wait.

Travel we did, and wait we did. After a couple hours without a shot at our starting point, Mark, Phil and I went elsewhere. We found ourselves doing some more waiting on a different pile of rocks with a few new faces. Steve and Mike had held this spot since earlier morning and had gotten a few shots. It was already boiling hot, and fish hadn't shown in a while. It was oppressively hot, and we were all feeling it. My confidence wasn't great. But then they came. A pod of fish came in and stayed up in one place down the rocks from us. I thought about it for a little bit then decided I had to give chase. I picked up and went after them. I thought they'd go down and stay down before I got to them, but they didn't. A large pod of bones shredded through a school of silversides with speed and precision. It was a stunning show, but I didn't have time to just watch. I got probably five casts out before I hooked up to my first Atlantic bonito. It was strong an tenacious fish. Not even close to as hard running as a false albacore. It didn't even get into my backing. But what it did do was totally forget I had it hooked partway into the fight and start feeding again! I kid you not! As the fish tired I handed Mark my camera. With these tunoids it is imperative to make any photo op as quick as possible and to get them back into the water via plunge release. They don't handle well.

And that was that. Life lister #87, Sarda sarda. I really do believe it to be one of the prettiest fish on my life list. I have always had a thing for toothy fish, and the combination of a bone's stunningly painted tunoid body, fins made for speed and dog tooth filled mouth made for chopping through bait is just magnificent.

I wish I could say that it was all blitzes and hooked fish for the rest of the tide, but it wasn't. We got a couple more shots, but the elusive bonito had given up the only one of their own they were willing to that day on the rocks.

Even though bonito are widely considered the lesser cousin of false albacore in size and power, I really do hope I get a few more this season.

Steve, Mike, Phil... I will see you all again soon. Mark, I'm glad we were able to chase the bite together, slow though it turned out to be!