Do not slow your retrieve. If the barracuda does not eat the fly at this point, continue stripping quickly until the fly is 30-40 feet from the boat and then sweep the rod tip through the water while extending your arm to the side, bringing the fly right to your feet. Barracuda are reluctant to eat flies if they have become aware of the boat. However, if a barracuda focuses his attention on a fly before he sees the boat he will track the fly within inches of it. If the skiff comes too close to the barracuda before the cast is made, the fish becomes aware of the boat and becomes agitated.
Anglers can witness the fish turn away from the boat or slowly move away.
The ideal shot is to the single fish facing the boat. Sometimes the fish are aggressive towards all flies thrown in their direction but because of weather conditions and the general mood of the fish, even long casts will not convince them to eat the fly. In the case of spooky barracuda, anglers can change their terminal tackle to accommodate the situation. I routinely use a 12 foot tapered leader made of hard monofiliment. I use a standard bonefish or permit taper for my leader construction and usually taper to 12-pound test.