Locations

Locations — 2 Comments
01
Jan 16

What is going to happen in the Bahamas in 2016?

bahamas-marine-life

2015 saw some pretty acrimonious discord for the Bahamas. Efforts to shut down the DIY fishery in spirit, if not in fact, were brought out and paraded around and the ensuing arguments left no one happy.

And then… nothing happened. It has been at least a couple of months since the Attorney General’s office took the proposed legislation and we’ve heard not a peep out of them. The potential reasons for this are many. Here are a few possibilities:

The AG’s office is waiting for US anglers to be distracted by something shinny before breaking out something really controversial.
The AG’s office is waiting until they deal with more pressing issues, like hurricane relief, before picking something like this up.
The powers that be are just letting it die a quiet death, knowing there is no interest in estranging Yank and European anglers who come to the Bahamas and drop some serious coin, year after year, especially with Cuba coming on-line and other destinations like Belize and Mexico still being pretty competitive.

All of that is just total speculation and speculation is all I can really conjure up because the news out of the Bahamas is just the sound of the wind through the mangroves.

As I write this, here on January 1, it seems very likely nothing much will change in the Bahamas in 2016. So, plan your trip. If anything does happen, it won’t be over-night and you’ll have plenty of time to alter if things go badly, but I think the odds of the most odorous of the proposals coming to pass is fading away like that school of bones moving off the flat into deeper water.

Locations — 1 Comment
07
Dec 15

In and Out in Florida

I was in Florida for DAYS and not one of them was a fishing day. I didn’t manage to get a day tacked on to the trip and so, for the first time, I went to and left Florida without casting at anything (which is almost how my actual fishing trip to the Keys went back in June).

I am starting to get my head up a bit and starting to look out at 2016 for a saltwater session. Amazing what that does for the mood.

Not sure when… lots to navigate, but I’ve told my wife I want to Christmas gifts… just a trip… just a week of me in the sun trying to find fish under the shifting and hypnotizing patterns of moving water over the flats.

It’s going to happen… likely back to the Bahamas, and likely more on the DIY side of things with maybe a couple guide days thrown in so I don’t get skunked.

So good to have something to look forward to, even if it hasn’t exactly taken form yet.

Flies / Locations — 2 Comments
02
Dec 15

The most awesome fly ever

I know this has made the rounds, but damn… this is just the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time. I love everything about this. Makes me think about getting that trip to Christmas on the books… 2017?

Fish Tails / Locations — 7 Comments
27
Nov 15

Stripe-ah

I’ve had a revelation in fish form.

Stripers, fly caught, in my home town.

See… a couple weekends ago we were doing a family photo shoot at a local park. It went well, as you can see from the nice photo below.

The Fam

As we were leaving I saw a guy with a fly rod. I asked him what in the name of all that was holy and good he was fishing for. He said he was catching stripers right there. Like… right there. just a hundred feet or so away. He gave me the skinny and I thanked him.

I’ve been thinking of that nearly non-stop ever since and today, when my wife got home a little early, she said she thought I should go fishing.

I agreed.

And then this happened.

striper one 12311433_10154484612391808_320635074_o

Stripers. On the fly. Many of them. Without a boat. Minutes from home.

And in an instant, my fly fishing life just changed. I realized my son may have his first fly caught fish be a striper, not a trout. How wild is that?

As I was leaving that spot tonight I saw that same fisherman and I thanked him again for changing my whole perception of the Bay… for changing my life, in fact.

Pretty awesome.

Locations — No Comments
28
Oct 15

Florida vs. The Bahamas

In that latest news story out of the Bahamas the comments section provides the usual entertainment in race-card playing and poor economics.

One comment seemed to say studies showing the economic impact of recreational fishing in Florida, valued at $800M, has to mean that the Bahamas industry is worth way more than the estimated $141M because the Bahamas has more flats.

So you do the math……Also really, only worth $141M from 5 years ago! What about Permit, Tarpon and Snook value? They say the Florida Keys flatsfishing is about $800M! Wow! Now take a look at Google and look at their flats to the Bahamas’!

This, of course, is idiotic. Yes… the Bahamas has more flats than Florida does. That is true, surely. However, Florida also has just shy of 20 million people vs. the Bahama’s 400K. That’s roughly 50x. There is also a vibrant fishing culture in Florida that allows anyone to fish in just about any way they want to. You don’t need a guide to go out and fish and the guides don’t own any spots that you, the out-of-state DIY angler, can’t fish if you get there first.

The idea that the Bahamian fishing industry has to be bigger than Florida’s, solely based on square-mileage is dumb. By that measure, the economy of New York City (304 square miles) must be dwarfed by that of Kazakstan (1M square miles). Guess what… that doesn’t work either. New York City has a GDP of about $1.3T vs. $231B for Kazakstan.

The Bahamian economy has a GDP of about $8.4B. Tourism accounts for about 60% of that amount.

Telling one whole group of anglers they, and their families, aren’t welcome in the Bahamas is a very poorly thought out plan and, luckily, it is all coming tumbling down. The odds these regulations are going to pass and become law diminish by the day as more and more people wake up to the economic disaster represented by these proposals.

Locations — No Comments
26
Oct 15

People are paying attention in the Bahamas

The argument has always been economic. Sure, there was some noise about conservation, but the idea catch and release anglers were somehow a major threat to the entire Bahamian fishery was always a bit of misdirection. It’s the economy, stupid.

Folks are paying attention and they are starting to do their own math and that math reveals what so many of us have been saying for so long… banning DIY is a great way to cut a big chunk out of the Bahamian economy.

Ellison Thompson, Deputy Director-General of Tourism, said “The question is do you want to alienate the DIYs when you look at the economic impact. You can say everyone who comes has to have a guide, but I think you would be cutting off a lot of money.”

Exactly.

Read the whole story here.

The thing we have to keep sight of is that this was never a plan embraced by everyone. There have been plenty of Bahamians who thought this whole business was a disaster from the get-go. That’s why I’ve never been a fan of the whole “boycott” idea. Why punish the people who saw this for what it was and fought tooth and nail against it?

Sure, you can catch bonefish in Belize and Mexico and Cuba and Hawaii, Christmas Island, Australia, the British Virgin Islands, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Cook Islands, Los Roques and more. Even if the Bahamas was shut down 100%, you could still go catch a bonefish. So, you could boycott the Bahamas, but that seems misguided to me. Go where you want to go. Fish the waters that call out to you. If you love Belize, go to Belize. If you love the Bahamas, go to the Bahamas. It looks more and more likely you won’t have misguided and unfriendly legislation to contend with.

Fingers crossed and thank you to all the Bahamians who have been pro-angler. We’ll repay your effort with days walking Bahamian flats and evenings of cracked conch and cold Kalik.

mmmmm

Locations — 5 Comments
18
Oct 15

The Bay Keeps Her Secrets

I continue to be surprised by the SF Bay. Odds are if you live in the Bay Area, you don’t actually fish the Bay. You go other places to fish. You travel, often far, to throw at all manner of things.

Fish live here too.

It never occurred to me that anything lived in the Bay when I first moved here. I figured it was a dead-zone, polluted and killed off long ago. And… that would be partly right. The commercial herring and anchovy fisheries collapsed long ago. There were toxic salt ponds in the south and the steady stream of heavy metals from the gold mining days. It just never seemed like much was living here.

The Bay doesn’t really let you get to know it easily. Since I found out there were, indeed, fish swimming in the Bay I’ve been soaking bait for sharks with my daughter. You never see the sharks. The water is generally not clear enough to see much of anything. There aren’t schools of bait-fish blowing up. There aren’t rays flying out of the water.

Sure, there are the seals up around San Francisco, but I’m guessing they are there for the Blue Bottle coffee (although one did just get munched on by a Great White).

This weekend I walked out to walk the flat in Alameda with a spinning rod and a Kastmaster. The water was flat and glassy, which is a bit rare. The Bay is a windy place and the water is usually whipped up. With the glassy water I could actually see schools of bait-fish moving about in two feet of water. There were a couple of smaller swirls, but nothing major.

And then… there was a hit on the spinner and a small halibut was landed… and then a schoolie striper followed by another schoolie striper. These were on a spinner, but if I can find them with any consistency, a fly is going to be deployed in short order.

There are stripers swimming around just a couple hundred feet away.

I am starting to wonder what else I don’t know about the Bay.

Locations — No Comments
13
Oct 15

Press Release from the Bahamas

Here’s a recent press release out of the Bahamas. Basically, they want to remind you that nothing has changed and that the Bahamas is still a fantastic place to visit, even after Hurricane Joaquin screwed a few of the islands up. Hard to argue with any of these points.

This press release should not be taken as a defeat by the BFFIA (Bahamian F-ed-up Fiduciary Insanity Association). This points in that general direction and may be a sign some of the people in positions of power realize the LAST thing needed at this point is a confusing and xenophobic message telling some tourists they are not wanted.

The Cliff Note version of my take on things is this… You want to go to the Bahamas, go ahead. You’ll be able to fish, DIY, semi-DIY, fully-guided, partially-guided, at least for now, and that won’t change abruptly or in the really short-term. Of course, I’d urge you to support those who have supported us, the anglers. And… you may also want to chip in to help those who got leveled by Joaquin to get back on their feet, which you can do here.
—–

BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR BAHAMAS FLATS FISHINGNASSAU,

BAHAMAS, October 8, 2015 — The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMOT) wishes to advise that all categories of anglers are welcome to fish The Islands Of The Bahamas this 2015-2016 season and that the vast majority of the islands are ready and open for business as usual after Hurricane Joaquin.

Anglers are further advised that no restriction on fishing, no new taxes, no across the board increase in prices or licensing fees have been introduced. In the event there are any changes, be assured that Ministry officials will notify the global fishing community well in advance.

Throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas you will find a mix of international and locally owned upscale, mid-priced and economy lodges with a range of affordable packages and options. Each bonefish lodge has its own charm and certified guides.

Local guides have been trained to provide a safe and customer friendly angling experience based on globally accepted sustainable principles. The practice of “Catch & Release” fishing is strictly observed.

The Bahamas continues to be the ideal flat fishing destination for avid fishermen with 100,000 square miles of the most renowned fishing flats in the world, and an abundance of fish species including bonefish, permit, tarpon and other tropical sports fishing species. The Out Islands of Abacos, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, and The Exumas are premiere flats fishing locales.

With close proximity to the Continental United States, just 50 miles from Florida and a 30minute flight via commercial airlines, and average winter temperatures ranging from 21°C to 27°C (or 70°F to 80°F), anglers can still make it for the perfect fall flats fishing experience. Visit http://www.bahamas.com/fishing for more details and to book your fishing trip to The Bahamas today.

About The Islands Of The BahamasThe Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles withsome of the world’s best golf, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with pre-clearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It’s Better in The Bahamas.

For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com.

Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Media Contact:Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism ajohnson@bahamas.com

Locations — No Comments
07
Oct 15

Permit are a-holes. Go chase a-holes with Hatch magazine.

I don’t like permit and I have a feeling it’s a mutual thing.

Permit. Not a world record, but a frigging permit!

I caught one in Belize in 2010. It was a small permit, but it was a permit. I almost hooked one in Cuba… but I didn’t. I’ve seen a handful, but I haven’t fished for them too much. I haven’t fished for them because I like fishing to a fish that wants to eat and isn’t such a jerk.

I know people get the permit sickness and those who have it have generally already let the bonefish illness run its course… maybe tarpon too. If you have it, there is no cure. It is a chronic condition that will rob you of your free time and spending money.

Now, if that sounds awesome, you should check out a hosted trip that Hatch Magazine has going on. The trip is in February down in Ascension Bay in Mexico, which is, like Belize, a place you can actually catch those bastards.

There are still some openings and that should be a good time, maybe easing the permit sickness just a tad for a couple of months.

Locations — 3 Comments
02
Oct 15

The Drake’s Take

A great satirical look at the Bahamas situation came out in The Drake’s on-line incarnation. I feel honored to have been mentioned for the small role I’ve helped play in keeping people informed.

One of the humorous items on the list was:

6) DIY angling still allowed, but only in two Designated DIY Zones: Swimming Pig Beach on Great Exuma, and Stingray Lagoon at the Atlantis Resort. DIY anglers must fish standing on one foot, wearing only a banana hammock, while singing “March on, Bahamaland.”

See, that’s funny because it sounds a lot like the Unguided Angler areas proposed by our pals over at the BFFIA.

It seems on the surface of things that they are not going to get their way with their long list of power-grabbing proposals. At least, ya know… on the surface.

So… is this it?

Recently, a Department of Marine Resouces spokesperson had this to say:

“It was also noted that there are persons and companies that offer accommodations throughout the Bahamas who cater specifically to DIY fishers. Given the significance of the DIY portion of the sector, the management measures being contemplated now will require these fishers to obtain a personal license to engage in flats fishing, provide access by these fishers to all fishing flats except those under special management, and also ensure that DIY fishers have the latest information with regard to catch and release methods and fishing etiquette in the Bahamas.”

See… that sounded pretty good at first glance, but I wasn’t the only one to wonder “So, what are these special management areas?”

Is that pre-spawn aggregation points or is that every easily accessible flat on Long Island, Acklins, Crooked, Eluthera and Cat? Basically, is this the Unguided Angler areas in different packaging? Maybe this is everywhere but good ole Singray Lagoon, more or less.

The warm cozy feelings are being replaced by the paranoid questionings as I’m starting to really want to see a map of what they are talking about.

What do you think? Am I being paranoid here?

Bonefish on the Brain Bonefish and all that relates (maybe a bit about tarpon too).