The goodness that was FIBFest continues to give… this time, it gives another post from Michael Gracie on the Deneki Blog where he takes aim at a few bonefishing myths.

More Bonefishing Mythbusting

Last year I conveyed some myths about bonefishing in The Bahamas, and how those tall tales were nothing but. This time around I’m adding to the list, with more myth busting on guides, gear, and getting to the prime fishing spots.

via Bonefishing Myths Busted | Part Two from Michael Gracie.

Photo by Gracie

I didn’t start out too good.  The first success I had was with a guide that either didn’t know, or didn’t practice good C&R. The results were lots of grip & grin shots with the fish out of the water for way, way too long.

Since then, I’ve read, I’ve listened and I’ve learned. The general math looks like this… (- air exposure) + (- handling) = Good Release

Here’s me putting that into practice…

A nice shot from Cameron at FIBFest II with Andros South

Ok… so, not everyone has a professional photographer as totally awesome as Cameron hanging out with you all day, so, here are others.

Tom Larimer took this pic.

A pic I took down in Belize

Another pic from Belize with El Pescador.

A DIY Bone from Grand Bahama.

I found this little video about Grand Bahama Island’s Deep Water Cay.  I’ve never fished at the lodge, but I’ve fished the waters around DWC and I’ve been past the lodge.  I think the piece might overstate things a bit… the lodge certainly didn’t look like it was in “disrepair” when I went past it and I’ve talked to folks that have fished it in recent years.  The piece makes it sounds like the thing had vines growing on the buildings and rust overtaking anything metal.  They got a new owner who revamped things, but the place wasn’t a ghost town.

It has had its own landing strip for a long time… that’s not new.  I don’t think there’s any time in my life when I’ll be landing on that private landing strip… that’s not the tax bracket I’m in.

Still… it is a storied lodge in a place that is kind of awesome.

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I’ve been in touch with Johan for a little while… folks that love the same things tend to cluster.  Turns out my friend Shane met Johan in a bar out that way recently.  I just found this little vid on Vimeo from Johan.  Johan is Norwegian, which is a good thing to be.  1/4th of my genetic make-up comes from there and while I understand it to be beautiful country, I can only imagine my ancestors left for the same reason Johan was down in the Bahamas… there are no Norwegian Bonefish.

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It just so happens that there’s a great local bar at the put in. It’s commonly know as the ‘Little Creek Bar’ even though its real name is the ‘New Ocean View’. The Sands family runs the bar, and yes, that is indeed the clan of our legendary guide Josie Sands.

via Little Creek Bar | Local Bar at Andros South.

Yeah… it’s a nice place… a very nice place.  It isn’t really too fancy (or fancy in any way, shape or form).  It is right where you want a bar though… right at the put-in/take-out down there in South Andros.

Those beers taste extra good, somehow.

A beer at the end of the day... nice.

Photo by Cameron.

PS – Today is my first day on the new job… Business Development Manager at Whodini.  I’m guessing there will be fewer co-workers walking around in their underpants than in my last job as a stay-at-home dad… I hope, at least.

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From October 17th through 23rd, Bonefish Tarpon Trust worked with guides from the Abaco Fly Fishing Guides Association, Black Fly Lodge, Abaco Lodge, Delphi Lodge, and Pete & Gay’s Guesthouse to tag 339 bonefish on Abaco. We also surgically implanted sonic tags in 25 bonefish and placed sonic receivers at a suspected spawning location as part of a study to identify important spawning sites.

via Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

That sounds like it was probably a lot of fun to be a part of, no?

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I’m not going here… there is no airline ticket about to be purchased… I am not tying flies for this trip… I am not scouring Google Earth… but if I were looking to spend a month in the Bahamas right now… a full month… I might look to this place right here.

I could stay here...

You can stay there for a month for $1,800.  A month.

It turns out I’ve had a fantasy very similar to this in the past.  One day I’m going to have to actually do this.  I guess I’ll do it when I need to do it.

There’s also a place in Exuma for $1,200. For a month.  Like… 30 days…

How well would you get to know a place after 30 days of fishing?  I’ve begun to get a feel for some places after just a couple days.  Thirty days sounds pretty damn good.  Very good.

This is my guest post for Deneki Outdoors, the owners of Andros South.  Love that place.

Photo by Andrew Bennett, fish catching by me.

While out stalking the phantom of the flats, it turns out you can do more than just catch and release. You can fish for science!

via Bonefish Science | Tagging and Fin Clipping Bonefish.

Tagging and fin clips… two great ways to help the folks at the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

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Exuma, Bahamas, June 2010. It was our first trip to the island and definitely not our last. When my husband, Todd, asked me how I would like to celebrate my 40th birthday I told him, “Saltwater fly fishing of course!” He asked me “Where?” so I suggested we try the Bahamas since we had yet to fly fish there. It did not disappoint

via Bone Lake Country Living: One More Sweet Song.

I can’t wait to turn 40 so I can get a trip like this.

They said it couldn’t be done.

They said it was impossible.

They called me crazy… or worse.

“You need bait” they said.

I had something they lacked…  I had belief.

I knew it could be done.

I knew it was possible.

In fact, I knew it was inevitable.

Once I had focused in on the task it was going to make it happen.  There was no doubt.

Behold…

Behold...

Photos by Cameron Miller…

OK… maybe it wasn’t the best fish of the trip, but I am the only FIBFester that caught one!  Hand-lined that mo-fo!  Yeah!

Thankfully, I still had a few #8′s on my box from the last trip.  No way those fish could fit a #6 in their mouths.