There’s a quiet power in simply deciding to go. For Steve Farrelly, a self-proclaimed question-asker and first-time author of Bonefish Barehanded, that decision came to life in the Bahamas, on a saltwater flat, rod in hand, chasing a fish he’d only recently learned existed.

What began as a birthday gift—a guided fishing trip courtesy of his wife—quickly evolved into a full-blown passion and a deep appreciation for the world of fly fishing. As Steve tells it, the idea of booking a guide once felt foreign. “Maybe it’s the Irish in me,” he jokes, “[but I] would never think about money to hire somebody to do something that I otherwise think I’m perfectly capable of doing myself.” That all changed the moment he stepped onto the water with renowned guide Stuart Cleare.

Music and Fly Fishing

It wasn’t just the bonefish that hooked him. It was the rhythm of the flats. The nuance. The storytelling. The poetry in how Stuart navigated the tides, tracked the wind, and read the body language of the fish. For Steve—a blues fingerstyle guitarist by background—the experience felt like spending time learning from an expert musician. “It was almost like if you were able to happen upon Eric Clapton in the studio with a couple of guitars and ask him, ‘Hey, can you show me a little bit of technique or tell me what’s your philosophy on playing?”

That sense of overlap between music and fishing became a theme. Like music, fly fishing has a cadence, a feel, a moment when instinct and experience intertwine. And like the best blues riffs, the magic often lives in the spaces in between—the pause before the cast, the tension of the line, the first flash of silver in shallow water.

Passing Down the Knowledge

As his relationship with Stuart deepened, Steve did what he always does: asked questions. Lots of them. Eventually, their conversations became a manuscript, and then a book. But Bonefish Barehanded isn’t just about casting technique or saltwater tactics. It’s about connection—to the place, to the fish, and to each other.

“The real story,” Steve says, “is about Stuart and his dad, Bonefish Joe. That lineage, that passing down of knowledge and love for the water—that’s the heart of the book.” And in many ways, that legacy mirrored Steve’s own experience fishing with his father in the UK, a 75th birthday gift and a memory now bound in hardcover and sitting on a coffee table.

The Importance of Community

The podcast conversation touched on much more than technique. Steve reflected on the Fly Fishing Film Tour, the eye-opening realization that people fish all over the world for species he’d never considered, and the visceral thrill of a bonefish running deep into the backing. He talked about learning to cast into the wind, getting skunked but still smiling, and discovering that the best part of fishing isn’t always the catch.

It’s about community, too. The fly fishing world, he noted, is full of welcoming, curious people—the kind who are always eager to talk gear, share stories, and plan the next great trip. “You might not make a dime on a book,” someone once told him, “but you’ll meet the best people.” That’s been true for Steve, and then some.

Just Go.

So here’s the takeaway, the quiet nudge at the heart of Steve’s journey: just go. Book the trip. Take your dad. Call your friends. Get out of the office and into the water. Whether it’s for bonefish in the Bahamas, trout in Montana, or a chalk stream in the UK—it’s worth it. The laughs, the stories, the unexpected friendships, the caviar moments on sun-drenched flats—they’re all waiting.

If you would like to hear more from our discussion with Steve Farrelly, check out the full podcast here. You can purchase a copy of his book, Bonefish Barehanded, here.  All proceeds go to the Bonefish Tarpon Trust organization. Or if reading and listening to stories of chasing bonefish on the flats has you ready to “just go”, contact our Bahamas expert, Joe Linscott.

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