The more time you spend preparing for your trip prior to departure, the more you improve your odds for a successful and enjoyable saltwater adventure.
via EIGHT TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT SALTWATER ADVENTURE | Yellowdog Fly Fishing Trips.
Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures has a blog on their site and that is where I found their 8 tips for saltwater travel. Check it out.
This business appears not to be in operation anymore. I can understand why. Decent idea on paper, but I’d think it would be hard to make it work.
I saw a little link on The Trout Underground to a new business that is renting rods and reels. This is one of those things that is hard to see how it plays out. It could be that someone rents an Xi3 and takes a trip to Belize and realizes that he/she needs to do this every year and they go back and buy that rod. It could be that the angler who has a once in a lifetime trip to the Bahamas rents that Xi3 and never fishes the salt again. Does the “industry” come out ahead or does it lose out? I don’t know. My crystal ball is in the shop at the moment… can’t wait to get that thing back!
You can rent a Sage 6000 series reel for $15. That reel is normally $600-$700. That sounds really reasonable as the rental is for a week.
You can rent a Sage Xi3 for $100 for a week. The rod normally $725 (for the 8 weight). That sounds a bit high, really.
Xi3 – a great stick.
In saltwater the rod is kind of important, but the reel… that’s where your trip falls apart really, really fast if things go wrong and there are way more things that can go wrong with a reel than there are with the rod (me thinks). Am I off base on this?
For the consumer, it offers you another choice… you can rent a rig for a week and see how you like it (so long as that rig is either a Sage or TFO rod and one of two Sage model reels). You could take that trip without dropping $1,400 for the reel and the rod… what you’d pay for that Sage rod/reel combo.
If it means fewer sales at your local fly shop… well… that’s bad. Enough fly shops are shutting their doors these days. Each local fly shop is a gem and each time one closes, we are poorer for it, as anglers.
I’ve been a fan of the folks over at Skinny Water Culture ever since I found their website a couple years back and ordered my first shirt from them. They’ve continued to up their game as I’ve continued to up mine.
For my trip to South Andros they sent me some shirts to try out and I gladly wore them. These are micro-fiber, quick-dry, sun-protecting type shirts. There aren’t the dozens of pockets, back vents and buttons of the standard “uniform” type flats shirt and more and more manufacturers are offering this kind of technical wear for folks that don’t want all that extra “stuff.”
The shirts do what they do very well. I was cool and comfortable and didn’t get a sunburn. Plus… I looked goooood.
I love that graphic.
Check these guys out and buy some stuff. They are good peeps at the starting point for building something really fantastic.
Yup, got the email today… just a short time ago, really. I don’t remember entering any sort of contest and I’m not sure why I would have been entered into a drawing for something to do with something in the UK, but they wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true, right? There are laws about this sort of thing, so, I’m feeling pretty confident… my bank account should soon have an additional 1/2 million in it. It is just going to show up there… all I had to do was send over my bank account number and my social security number and I’m told, within the week… I’ll be looking to get some new gear.
With my windfall here’s what I’ll be buying…
Sure, look, I have an extra $500K, but there’s no need to go and get reckless. The Hydros is the same blank as the Helios, meaning it is light and responsive. It is also $300 less than the Helios. See… that’s value right there. The 10 is the hole in my arsenal at the moment… the most glaring one, anyway. I suppose I could use a switch rod for big trout and little steelhead, but no need to get greedy.
I had one of these down in Belize and I liked it… a lot. There are so many (SO MANY) reels out there these days that are kind of awe inspiring. It is a shame one can’t fish more than one at a time. The NV is pretty sweet. I’d like to tangle with something big and burly with that reel.
My friend Shane is just about the fishiest person I know. He’s in the Bahamas right now with his wife and they both caught bonefish today. Shane has taken his Torque 8 all over the world… if he trusts it, I’d like to as well. I am needing a new 8 wt. reel now… and I’ll have all that money to burn.
This I want, because it looks awesome and I love the look of a sleek flats boat. I would sell it soon after buying it when I realize I don’t live in Florida and I know nothing about boats and if I took something out in the back country by myself, I would probably die.
Patagonia all sorts of stuff
They are good people.
Skinny Water Culture – everything they make except redfish stuff
I love their stuff, but I haven’t caught a redfish, or a snook, so I can’t wear that stuff… that feels like lying.
The rest of my money… hmmm… I’ll see what I do with that. I just put all this on my credit card, so I’ll wait for the money to pay it off and then I’ll go forward from there.
That’s just being smart.
The race to get ready for Andros turned out to be a bit of a sprint. I was waiting on three packages that ended up all coming on Thursday (I left on Friday). One of those packages had gear from Redington… two rods, a 7 and a 10, and two reels. When they arrived I could finally really get serious about what I was bringing with me. So… here’s my quiver for Andros.
Main Bonefish Rod – Rise Level 9′ 8 wt. ($250)
Fun Bonefish Rod – Redington CPX 9’6″ 7 wt ($330)
Barracuda/Tarpon/Other Rod – Redington RS4 9′ 10 wt. ($220)
So, all told, $800 of rods along.
When I went to Belize in November I had three rods along, but the combined value was closer to $2,200 (two Sage Xi3’s and an Orvis Helios). So, I’m taking a different approach on this trip.
The two Redington rods are loaners and the Rise is a rod I own, but didn’t pay for (to fully disclose all that should be disclosed).
I’ve only cased the Rise rod once on grass and the Redington rods are totally virgin. In fact, I didn’t realize that the 7 wt. was a 9’6″er until a few minutes ago. Longer is usually not encouraged for bones due to windy conditions, but I caught my first bonefish on a 9’6″ St. Croix 7 wt., so, this is like coming home a bit.
I thought about bringing a 9 along, but in the end I figured three rods was probably good and I was pretty close to the recommendations made by Deneki for South Andros fishing.
As you read this, I’ll probably be in the air or waiting for flights on my way to FIBFest. By the time the day ends I will have a Kalik in hand and I’ll be on Androsian soil.
If you bonefish you have likely come across the Fly Fishing the Bahamas book at some point in time. Authors Stephen and Kim Vletas put in some major time to get all of that right. I’d love to have that breadth and depth of Bahamian knowledge (I guess I do, kind of… since I own the book, but that’s now what I mean). I contacted Stephen about doing an interview for the blog and he agreed. I hope you enjoy.
Kim and Stephen, your book, Fly Fishing the Bahamas, is a pretty important book for anglers. Is there anything you’d put in the book now that didn’t make it in the first time?
There are always new lodges or resorts that open, some lodges and guides that fade away, plus new travel options in terms of flights, etc. We use our web site www.bahamasflyfishingguide.com to keep our readers updated as much as we can. The web site is the first place readers should check for updates and changes since the book was last published.
For example, on Andros, Charle and Fatiah Neymour now have their own lodge on Cargil Creek, and Andy Smith has his own private island lodge in the North Bight; Broad Shad Cay Lodge. Nervous Waters, the company who owns Bair’s Bahamas, has opened a new lodge on Abaco to access the Marls. Abaco, in general, has really developed, much more so than any other island. You have the Winding Bay Club, the huge Baker’s Bay development on Great Guana that has caused environmentalists to hit the roof, and the new Delphi Club, as examples. Links to all these new projects are on our web site.
On Bimini, Bimini Bay Resort has transformed the island of North Bimini. The resort is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, and offers world-class marina services and luxurious home and condo rentals. Many anglers don’t like this development, but the fishing is as good as ever. Check it out.
On Eluthera, Harbour Island has become even more luxurious, with additional hotel remodels (the best being Coral Sands) and some top new restaurants. Surprisingly, the fishing on the town flat to the north remains fantastic. Kim and I recently stayed at Coral Sands (wouldn’t stay anywhere else now on Briland), and I fished the town flat twice. Never saw another person, and I caught a over half dozen nice bones each day. They were spooky, as you would expect, but a longer fluorocarbon leader worked fine with a standard #6 Gotcha.
OK, see the web site for more updates and recommendations.
Fishing with Frankie
Since you’ve spent some quality time getting to and from the Bahamas, do you have any travel tips for anglers heading that way?
If you are flying to the islands from the East Coast, it’s easy to arrive in one day, even to the Out Islands. >From the West Coast, or from Mountain time, it’s difficult to reach the Out Islands in one day. Central Time, depends on where you are coming from or going. So….we like to fly to Nassau and spend the night. That way we can enjoy a fun night out in Nassau (At Café Matisse or Greycliff or Café Martinique), relax, and arrive at our Out Island destination the next day, and if you are eager to fish, you can arrive early enough the following morning to fish a full day. And if your time is important, we highly recommend you considering using charter flights from Nassau to the Out Islands, and especially between the Out Islands. You’ll save many hours in time, and a lot of aggravation, and you’ll be able to spend those hours fishing. Check out our book and the web site for the best charter flight operators.
Also, Kim and I are now back in the Bahamas fly fishing booking business. We book a very select group of lodges and guides, with the idea of matching up each client with the location that is best suited for them. If you are interested, contact Kim.
“The One that Got Away” is a story most anglers carry around with them. Do you have a bonefish that got away that still haunts you?
Of course, who doesn’t. Kim and I were fishing the shoreline near the entrance to Flamingo Cay with Simon Bain. It was one of those ideal days, sunny, just enough breeze, perfect visibility, and an uncountable number of bonefish eager to commit suicide. We caught too many fish to count in the 5 to 8 pound range. Then….Simon pointed out a huge shape coming down the shoreline. Kim was on the deck. I was sitting down fooling around with a fly box and tying a new leader. I listened to them assure each other that huge shape was a shark. But the kept talking about it, watching it, saying for sure it had to be a shark, way too big for a bonefish. I paid no attention. Then Simon said it might be a bonefish. Kim got ready to cast. Simon said no way, it’s a shark, it has to be. NO, no, it’s a bonefish, he said. Jesus, cast Kim. I looked up. The fish was on the mangrove shoreline, about fifty feet away. It was huge, and definitely a bonefish, dark, broad, lazing along without a care in the world. Big bonefish almost never do that, especially this close to a boat. Kim made her cast….behind the fish. I couldn’t breath. I hoped she could pick up the fly quietly and cast again. She stripped to get ready to recast, and the huge bone, no more than thirty feet away now, and at least 40 inches long, whipped around, charged and ate Kim’s fly. She set the hook and it was on. It went crazy, through up water in large circles and ripped by the bow of the boat, no more than five feet away. We all saw it perfectly, the massive fish that was in the 20 pound class. We occasionally see fish this size on Andros, but usually in much deeper water. This fish just blazed out into the bay, where there was absolutely nothing to break off on. We have this fish, I thought, we all thought. Simon is now screaming, and Kim is clearing the final part of her line as it flies up off the deck. And then, disaster. We had eaten lunch at Flamingo Cay, and after lunch Kim had forgotten to take off her watch. Normally, she wouldn’t have it on, but this day, that watch band caught the last few inches of fly line, and that enormous bonefish snapped the line like it was a string of cotton candy. No one spoke. We looked back and forth at each other in horror. Silence. Heartbreak. Y bueno. Listo.
What’s your favorite rod/reel at the moment for bonefish?
We like Sage rods, especially the older RPLXi series, and the 5-piece models are so easy to travel with. The new 4-piece models are great also. Reel is an Abel Super 8. No reason to fish with anything else.
Having spent so much time in the Bahamas, have you noticed changes in the Islands over the years?
Sure. Abaco has changed a lot, and is probably the best island for overall enjoyment, combining luxury accommodations with sensational fishing. Islands like the Biminis, that were once sleepy, with legendary guides, and the lore of Hemingway, are now party towns with a major resort and luxury marinas. And we hear many anglers complaining of overcrowding in some areas, and more anglers wanting to DIY, yet wanting to be told how to do it. The truth is that some areas have become crowded, but only a very few areas are like this. In many ways, from a fishing perspective, nothing has really changed other than the quality of guiding has improved across the spectrum. The great guides are still the great guides, but you have a lot more very good guides now. You have more accommodation options, and service on many of the Out Islands has improved. With the economic crisis recently, the Bahamas has cooled off on development, and many lodges that were always booked now have some availability. And on Andros, our favorite place to fish, the fishing is as good or better than ever.
Development always seems like an ax hanging over favorite fishing locations. Is there anywhere you are particularly worried about at the moment?
Not really. People are worried about the reef on Great Guana due to Baker’s Bay, and the Bimini Beach Resort has certainly put more people on the flats there, but overall, Abaco for example, in spite of a lot of development, it’s still the same. The Marls are still wide open, and north of Cooper’s Town, you can be on flats in a few minutes where you always see big tailing bones. The West Side of Andros is still one of the most beautiful flats areas on earth, and many of the areas or seldom fished. If any serious development were ever planned for the West Side of Andros, then that would be something to worry about.
What do you wear on your feet for a day of stalking bones?
Marlwalker’s for coral flats, and simple neoprene booties with socks for sandy flats. The socks are important, and when you’re in the boat, on the deck, you should wear the socks only, to keep the doctor flies from killing you.
Anything else you’d like to add?
People often ask us, if you only had one day left to fish in the world, where would it be, and with which guide? For Kim and I, that is an easy question, and the answer hasn’t changed in 15 years: Both of us would fish on Andros Island (exactly where, we won’t say). Stephen would fish with Charlie Neymour, and Kim would fish with Andy Smith. In the world of flat’s fly fishing, for us, that would be perfection.
Charlie
Thanks. I appreciate your time.
I posted on the Dan Blanton board asking what some of the unusual suspects were that folks might have on their packing lists.
One of my fav items is Desitin…the diaper rash ointment. Yeah… get a rash between your thighs and your wading becomes a lot less fun.
Here are some of the other items folks had on their lists… some real winners in here.
Some good advice there. Might put at least a couple of those into the pack for Andros. I won’t need Gatorade… there will be plenty of beer.
Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com
I’m big on value, so I was interested to see the Field & Stream pick for best gear of 2011 being the Pursuit from Redington.
Of the fly rods tested (some pushed $800), nothing could touch the Pursuits for value.
via Field & Stream Picks The Best New Fishing Gear of 2011 | Field & Stream.
The reason nothing could touch them might have something to do with the Pursuit coming in at about $120. They run up to a 9 weight and comes in 2 or 4 pieces. Basically, if you are looking for a back-up, or if you are getting into the sport or if you just like value… well… $120 is kind of hard to beat.
I was going to get a Pursuit loaner for Andros, but it turns out they weren’t going to be able to get it to me in time, so I’m bringing a couple other Redington rods along, in addition to my Rise 8 and maybe one or two other rods… I’m not going for long enough to get all the gear I want out into the field, that’s for sure.
Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com
I saw the review of the NRX in the latest email from Angling Trade (anyone can sign up for these emails, and you probably should if you have more than a passing interest in what’s happening in “the Industry”). The rod got top marks from Kirk Deeter as he field tested an NRX down in Argentina. The review doesn’t talk about what weight the rod was, but I assume it was a bit lighter than would be used out in the salt, and indeed there is an NRX Trout and NRX Saltwater, although I’m not sure what the difference in those rods is, action wise.
I got a chance to cast an NRX at the California Fly Shop back in November and I recall liking what I felt/saw, but 10 minutes in the parking lot doesn’t tell you a whole lot in any way that is useful. My impression, casting the 9 weight, was that it felt like I was casting a 7. It was light and crisp and bristled with power… or so it seemed.
I’m sure the NRX is a great rod and I’m sure it is comparable to the other great rods out there… the Helios, the Xi3, the BIIIx, the S4S. If you got 10 anglers together and asked them which was the “best” you would likely end up with 12 answers. So much in what makes a rod great is down to the angler. I’d say it is easy to tell when you have a great rod, but sorting out something like “the greatest” becomes a very subjective affair. Still… I’ll bet it is pretty sweet.
The price… the price is steep. I know that these folks have done the research and figured out that there is a market for a rod that is $760. I’ve cast some of these rods and caught fish on some of these rods, but I’m not “there” yet in my mind. Maybe it is just too far from where I was when I first fell in love with fly fishing… when a ball-busting rod was $400. Those were good days and I saw a lot of water and I caught a lot of fish (just none of them bonefish).
If you’d like a tour of the G. Loomis factory, you can check out the YouTube video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfL2xSW6NoQ?rel=0
Have you ever wondered how the different reels really stack up?
Sure, I’ve read field testing reports, but that is a very uneven way to really test reels. Even if you had a great day of fishing, how much of a workout did the reel really get?
What happens when you get the reel wet or drop it in the sand? Will it still handle the big pulls after you drop it off the table after your 7th Kalik? All reels work great on the first pull. How about the 100th?
Well… I figure I’m going to find out and I’m going to tell you all how it goes.
I’ve begun soliciting reels to undergo a battery of tests, all off the water, and I’m going to create a page for those tests and their results.
I’m still working out the kinks, but the initial response from reel makers has been really good. So far I have positive responses from Sage, Redington (they pulled out, which is a bummer), Orvis, Nautilus, Able, Allen, Tibor, Okuma and Loop (add Ross to the mix) with a flood of other emails and phone calls in to just about every reel maker I could think of with a saltwater reel suitable for an 8 wt. (Hatch Reels became the first to decline today… bummer)
I have zero qualification to be doing this. I’m just curious and I have this blog as a platform so I’m going for it.
None of the reels will be kept by yours truly, sad to say. I imagined it would be easier to get folks to send me reels if they didn’t know I was just trying to score free gear it didn’t look like I was just trying to score a free gear.
I’m putting the finishing touches on exactly how I’m going to carry these tests out so when the first one gets here I’ll be ready to roll. I put together the set-up for doing the mechanical pulls and this is the first trial run with my newly acquired Lamson Lightspeed 4 (which is really mine). I think this is going to work.
In the immortal words of Eric Cantona… “Watch this space”
My wife was quick to point out that not only am I not keeping any of the reels… I won’t be making any money by doing all of this work and I’ll get to foot the shipping to send all the gear back. Such is life. I’m still excited
Yeah… I’m going to enjoy this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEYM3Lpbg4?rel=0
I should note, for the reel makers – mechanical pulls with the drill will be done in the range you might expect from a big bone or big Jack… 100-200 feet at a time (I won’t run the drag for 10 minutes straight or anything like that).
