Deneki Outdoors has long been one of my favorite websites for my bonefish fix…  he simply puts up a lot of interesting content.

The most recent post is 4 Things to Learn About Bonefish… all from one simple photo.

I’m not going to steal his thunder… go ahead and visit the site and check it out.

Thinking about what I might be able to illustrate in one photo…

4 Things from this photo:

1. The Upper Sacramento does get warm enough to wet wade.
2. A wading staff isn’t just to keep you from filling your waders.
3. I am whiter than is reasonable… or appealing… or healthy.
4. When you are really hung over, you can sleep anywhere.

Ah… my 20′s….

Here is guide Torrie Bevans from Andros South sharing a story about a memorable bonefish.  Andros South is operated by one of our favs, Deneki Outdoors.

Deneki Outdoors recently had a post about putting your rod tip  in the water when you have a bonefish on the line and coming straight at you.  I hope, that my trout and steelhead background would come into play in that situation and I’d instinctively do just that.

Of course, my trout background would probably have me trout set and miss the fish in the first place.

Rod tip up is a common sight and for good reason.

Thanks go to Deneki Outdoors for putting on FIBFest 2010. There was a lovely flow of bonefishy goodness riding the tide from Andros South.

Michael Gracie took pity on me for my inability to escape the gravitational pull of domestic bliss (really a move, house sale and all that goes with it) and sent me an Andros South hat.

My life in a picture... fantasy and reality all there together.

Between all the great writing emanating from Andros South, Michael’s hat charity and my flies keeping Fishing Jones company, FIBFest was a blast, even from the stands.

Thanks Deneki!

It has been fun to watch what’s come out of FIBFest 2010 down at Andros South.  The week has come to an end, sadly, and now it is all  but memories.  Looks like some pretty good ones were made.

Here’s a stellar wrap up by Michael Gracie akin to an Oscar acceptance speech.

Fishing Jones had a rather literary take on things.

This whole thing was put together by Andrew from Deneki Outdoors.  The idea, of course, was to stir up interest in bonefishing and in Andros South.  I think that has been accomplished.

The hunting grounds of Andros South.

The good stuff keeps rolling out of Andros South during FIBFest 2010 and Deneki Outdoors has put them all in one place for your viewing pleasure.

The FIBFest Goodness.

So, I’m sick… just a nasty cold that came on yesterday.  This is the insult part.  The injury part is that I had to miss out on FIBFest due to selling our foothills home, moving, child care cover issues.

You can follow the action on the FIBFest twitter feed here.

You can check out Michael Gracie’s blog to see the line-up of folks.  You’ll notice gold medalist Johnny Spillane there.  Nice.

Nice.

Some fishing bloggers you probably read are headed for Andros South next week.  I would have been among them were it not for moving/childcare hurdles that could not be overcome.  I’m glad that at least some of my flies will be there.  I sent Pete from Fishing Jones about 8 patterns to try out down there.  Hope they work.

I hope to make it down there some day soon-ish.   This recent trip report from Rick Grassett about a hosted trip to Andros South makes it sound like a place I want to be… badly… very, very, very badly.

Andros South... yup... I want to be there.

Deneki Outdoors puts out some really good, quality blog posts in addition to running one of the best lodges out there, Andros South.

This post talks about the wind and how ya need a little of the gusty stuff for the best fishing.  Calm is nice to look at, but tough to fish.

Of course… ya don’t want too much, which is usually the case in the places where bonefish live.

As I said, Deneki also runs Andros South.  There will be a collection of bloggers headed to South Andros in a few days to fish and write/share their experiences.  I was invited to go, but between selling one house, moving and getting ready to sell a second, I just couldn’t make it work.  I will be following the festivities and probably sinking into a deep and troubling depression.

Here’s the line-up from the Deneki website:

• Kirk Deeter.  Kirk and his partner in crime Tim Romano write FlyTalk, the fly fishing blog for Field and Stream.  Also, he’s the Editor of Angling Trade, covering the business of fly fishing in North America.
• Bruce Smithhammer.  Bruce is a regular contributor on buster wants to fish, and his stuff has also been seen in the neighborhood of The Drake Magazine.
• Michael Gracie.  Michael has actually pulled off a blog about technology, finance and fly fishing, and even more amazingly…it’s a great read.
• Pete McDonald.  Pete writes Fishing Jones.  It’s real good.  He also writes about boats.
• Louis Cahill.  You’ve seen Louis’s name on our blog approximately 3.9 times per week since he visited Andros South in January.  He takes real good pictures.

Should be  fun to see what  comes out of the week.

Andros South is a lodge you probably have heard of.  It is the bonefishy offering of Deneki Outdoors located in some of the most prime bonefish habitat you can find anywhere.  Rick Sisler is the manager of Andros South and has been for a number of year.  Rick’s got a background as a guide working the waters of Chile and Alaska prior to his Andros gig.  Rick agreed to an email interview about his experiences.

Rick, as I understand it, you’ve spent some significant time guiding in Chile and Alaska.  Are there similarities between those places and South Andros that might surprise folks?

The shear area we have to fish in each of these areas is probably the biggest similarity. Just endless waterways in all three give you the feeling that you are truly getting away from the hustle and bustle of real life.

Andros South, gearing up for the day.

What do you find is the most common item that guest leave home that they wish they had once they get to Andros South?

An extra set of polarized glasses. Really you should have a pair for low light and a pair for those super sunny days you normally get here. They can make your day!

What was your first impression of the landscape when you got down there and how has that view changed over time?

I grew up on the west coast (Oregon) and have lived in Alaska, when not guiding in some far off place, for almost 20 years now. So I am used to the mountains, The Bahamas has nothing I would call a hill, let alone a mountain!! I am still not used to that. The coconut trees are probably my favorite visual here along with the mangroves, because they shout Bahamas and Bonefish!

No mountains here.

Do you have a favorite bonefishing rod/reel?

Probably a 7wt Sage Xi2, just because they are tough, can huck big flies without too much effort and they handle the environment well compared to other rods I have seen. The salt is very tough on all parts of the rod and the more salt worthy the better!

Bonefishing and wind seem to go hand in hand.  How constant a companion is the wind at Andros South and do you have any tips on dealing with the wind?

Wind is a constant in almost every fishery on the planet at some time or another. Its probably the number one issue most people have with fishing. Don’t believe that you must fish a 10′-14′ leader for bonefish, at least in the Bahamas. if you can get away with a shorter leader and tippet then do it. It will make a huge difference in getting the fly to turn over and lay out cleanly. Plus when you get a close fish you can work the fly much closer to you before you run out of line to strip.

Do you have a favorite bonefish?  A fish that stands out from all the others?

My wife’s 10+ lb bonefish! Her first trip to Andros South, she was 6 months pregnant with our first child, and she had already landed 13 fish that day. The 14th fish that came along was a giant. She spotted it, the guide called it a shark, then a cuda, then big Bone Mon!! She made a perfect 50″ foot cast and the fish ate it on the run. Epic battle ensued and the guide could have been heard in South Florida he was so jacked up. I landed 1 fish that day! And I had my chances!

As the manager of the Lodge you must see a lot of people come through, year after year.  People come with different expectations, experience levels and objectives. Do you have any clients that stand out as having a particularly memorable trip?

One very recent trip with a father and son team. The kid had a great attitude, his dad was super laid back and just wanted the kid to have fun. He did and then some! he was able to land a bunch of fish that week with one being around 8lbs. Not bad for his first time!

Getting clients on fish... nice.

Thanks Rick.  Hope to see you in person, in Andros, one of these days!