|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
VISIT Eleuthera - Spanish Wells - Harbour Islands Mayaguana - Great Inagua - Ragged Islands San Salvador - Rum Cay - Conception Islands
|
GUIDES, TIPS & TACTICS
Wading is very different from fishing out of a poled skiff. First, you don't necessarily want to strip off as much line as you can cast accurately (as you would fishing from a skiff), especially if you can cast over sixty feet. We recommend stripping off forty to fifty feet of line, then trailing it behind you in one long open non-tangled loop. This will allow you to break the water surface tension on the line and make a good cast quickly. You should still have at least a rod's length of line out of the tiptop guide, and be holding your tippet just above the fly in your non-casting hand. In general, wading anglers can get closer to fish without spooking them than boat anglers can. To balance this out, however, wading anglers are often fishing to tailing fish. Bonefish in skinny water will usually be more spooky than fish in deeper water. It is important to notice a fish's behavior. Is it cruising, stopping occasionally to feed, or is it feeding aggressively? This will tip you on how you should present your fly. We like to cast very close to aggressive fish, especially when their heads are buried and kicking up mud. Fish feeding sporadically need a longer lead. Cruising fish need the longest lead, and especially if they're bunched into large schools. When we see a school of ten or more fish in skinny water, tails and fins breaking the surface, we often drop a fly twenty or more feet in front of them, then just let the fly sit. A small Yarn Crab is our favorite pattern for this tactic. As the fish reach the fly, we give the fly just the slightest twitch. This method works most of the time, even on the spookiest of fish on flats that are hammered by anglers. The mistake most anglers make is to strip too soon, or too long. A longer strip makes too much commotion. You just need a tiny twitch, and patience, patience, patience. Another tactic we employ when wading is casting directly into the wind. By doing this you will be able to straighten out your backcast, then drive it forward with ease. You can crouch low and use a sidearm cast to avoid most of the wind too. But most of all, the wind will be carrying any sounds or disturbances you make away from the fish. You'll be able to get close for good visuals on the hook-set. The last tip is on how to walk
when you wade. Shuffling or sliding your feet is a good option when fishing
on flats with a lot of stingrays, though there are not many of these in
The Bahamas. If you shuffle, be careful to do it slowly and smoothly.
You don't want to put up a wake that will alert nearby fish. Our favorite
method, taught to us by some long-legged Bahamian guides years ago, is
to walk like a heron if the water is shallow. Pick your leg up slowly,
completely out of the water, then point your toes and ease your foot back
down to the bottom. Total silence is the goal here. No splashing. No wake.
Stealth is key when stalking tailing bones. Independent Guides Section - Last additions/updates - April 2, 2005. Charlie Neymour and Nottages Cottages, Behring Point, Andros Island - One of our favorite guides in the world--Charlie makes every day on the water fun. The cover photo of that big bone Stephen's holding was courtesy of Charlie. He had us in the right place at Yellow Cay at the right time. And he does this consistently, year after year. Nottage Cottages is at the end of the road at Behring Point, about a five minute drive past Tranquility Hill. Charlie and some friends have remodeled Nottages motel-style rooms, put in new floors and furniture and spruced up the bar and dining room. Charlie also has rounded up some of the best independent guides on the island to work with him. Charlie and Co can take up to 10 anglers at a time. Some prime dates are still available now through the prime months of spring. You can book Charlie and friends directly by calling us toll-free at 866-963-7870, or e-mail Stephen. David Lightbourne and Felix Russell have recently received good reviews from some boaters staying at Chub Cay. They hired these guys for several days of fishing and report they were fun to fish with, and showed them lots of bones, including some double-digit monsters and a couple of permit. Lightbourne and Russell can be booked through Chub Cay Marina. The marina also charters a 36' Hatteras, "The Passage" for full and half-day reef and offshore charters. The wahoo fishing right now of Chub Cay is excellent. Green Turtle Cay, Abaco - The perfect blend of a remote cay with gorgeous beaches, classy small resorts, and good fishing. A romantic spot for a honeymoon, or plenty to do for a family vacation. So, all this means we get lots of requests for guide recommendations on Green Turtle. Here they are. Rick Sawyer (242-365-4261) or Ronny Sawyer (242-365-4070) are the bonefishing guides we recommend. You can visit Capt. Rick Sawyer's web site at: Abaco Flyfish. Freeport, Grand Bahama
- Our Lucaya, now the Westin Lucaya and the Sheraton Lucaya (but all the
same resort in spite of the different names) draws the general vacationing
public to Grand Bahama, and some of you want to go bonefishing while on
a family vacation. There are a number of independent guides who can take
you out. Here are a few we like. East End, Grand Bahama - There are some good options on the East End of the island as well fishing with independent guides in this area and staying in Freeport, or choosing a nice relaxing lodging option on the beach away from it all. We have heard good reports from readers about guide Bill Humes. Bill can be contacted at www.rainbowreeftours.com or by phone at: 242 353 6013. Bill has lodging options on his web site for beachfront locations near McLeans Town. Captain Perry Demeritte, out of McLeans Town has received excellent recommendations from readers. Capt. Perry will pick you up at your hotel for a full or half day of fishing. He also has fly rods and spinning rods for rent. You can contact him at 242-353-3301, or e-mail , or visit his web site for full details of his services, his rates, etc. Capt. Perry is a licensed guide with a customized 17-ft Maverick Mirage powered by an 85hp Yamaha. Deadman's Cay, Long Island - Captain Phillip Cartwright has received high recommendations from readers who have fished with him a number of times and keep going back. you can contact Phillip at: 1-242-337-0143. Harbour Island, North Eleuthera - This swanky little island is one of the most upscale in the Bahamas and home to a number of full-service resorts (including our favorite, Pink Sands), numerous rental homes and cottages, and of course, three famous miles of pink sand beaches. Visitors fly in to North Eleuthera Airport, then take a land taxi, and then a water taxi to reach the island. A number of well-known bonefishing guides work from the main Harbour Island dock, including the legendary Bonefish Joe Cleare and Bonefish Stanley Johnson. Most of the guides can be contacted through the hotels and resorts. Guided bonefishing prices on Harbour Island are the highest in the Bahamas, but not quite as high as in the Turks & Caicos, so be prepared. Stanley Johnson's grandson, Jermaine Johnson, offers a reliable guide service, and easy communication through his web site, e-mail,, or by phone--home: (242) 333-3205; mobile: (242) 464-0760.
|
|
©
2003 Stephen and Kim Vletas
|
||||
WADING
THE FLATS: We're seeing more people interested in fishing on their
own than ever before. With that in mind, here are some things that you
might find useful.