Fishing the Flats

There is nothing quite like the thrill of fishing the flats. "The bright, brutal sun pierces the water's surface," say the authors, "and illuminates the bottom with the intensity of a mammoth searchlight. You are standing atop the casting platform of a specially designed skiff that will float in a puddle, straining your eyes to scan the panorama of light and shadow that stretches in every direction. Concentration becomes tension. Your hand tightens around the rod grip and you rehearse the procedure for the hundredth time."And then, with the suddenness of an electric shock, a fish strikes.This is the world of the flats. This is the world of bonefish, tarpon, permit, mutton snapper, seatrout, stripers, and a host of other prime game fish, from Massachusetts to Key West, along the Pacific Coast, throughout the world wherever the ocean is shallow and fish of the flats are found. It is an immensely exciting world - one of the great fishing "theatres" where the drama is always high.Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh, two veteran and expert flats fishermen, detail the tackle and boats best used in "thin" salt water. They help take the mystery out of the tides and show how an understanding of this phenomenon is crucial to successful flats fishing. They teach how to pole the flats and how to spot and find fish. There is particularly full treatment of all the gear and techniques needed for successful fly-fishing, spinning, and plug-casting. And there are separate chapters on each of the major game fish of the flats.This book is essential reading for anyone who would fish this exciting shallow world of the sea. (6 3/4 X 10, 160 pages, b&w photos, illustrations, diagrams)