Bonito, A.K.A. False Albacore, A.K.A. Little Tunny

Depending on whether you launch your boat out of Martha’s Vineyard, Harker’s Island or West Palm Beach, your name for this member of the mackerel family may change, but they’re all the same fish. Willie Howard of the Palm Beach (Florida) Post discusses the standard Florida bonito fly fishing technique of chum-and-switch: “We pitched out chum baits and worked up the bonito again within casting range. After about three casts and a lot of frantic stripping, Gibson was hooked up. He palmed the reel to add drag, smiling as the bonito took off.”
If you want to extend your knowledge of bonito/tunny/false albacore fishing, Tom Gilmore has written the most up-to-date book on the subject: False Albacore: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Hottest Fish (Countryman Press, September 2002). And a couple of days ago we mentioned an excellent article on SaltwaterFlies.com.