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

This is the place I’ve spent the most time bonefishing. My first fish came from right near McLeans Town on a trip with my dad. I caught my first DIY bonefish on a little flat on the East End. My last vacation with my mom was on Grand Bahama, which is also when my wife and I began to suspect she might be pregnant. I fished out of Deep Water Cay and visited Water Cay Lodge. After my mom passed we went on a family trip to Abaco and got to see Abaco Lodge. I took my daughter down to fish with the only female guide in the Bahamas. I fished out of Abaco Lodge again before heading up to Little Abaco. I fished for a week out of East End Lodge and enjoyed rum and fishing with Rob and Cecile.

Damn… a lot of good times in that area just leveled by Dorian. Abaco Lodge was destroyed. No word on status of East End Lodge, but I’m not optimistic. Deep Water Cay appears heavily damaged. I understand that just about all the guides and staff are accounted for in most of the fishing lodges, so, that’s good, but they’ve all lost so, so much.

Go Fund Me for Little Abaco.

Go Fund Me for Abaco/Abaco Lodge folks.

Go Fund Me for the East End folks.

It is bad… real bad… and the people of the Bahamas are going to need a lot of help.

Abaco Lodge is destroyed (Oliver says they’ll rebuild and most of their crew is accounted for).

No idea yet if East End Lodge is standing (seems highly unlikely) and Rob is in the same camp as Oliver re: rebuilding, but has less clear info on the fate of many of his people.

Cameron over at TFM has a good page going of ways you can help. Here’s a link to that page.

Only thing I’d add is the GoFundMe for the East End Lodge folks, which is here.

Some of the best moments of my fly fishing life have been on the waters around Grand Bahama and Abaco. Heartbreaking to see the destruction.

Things don’t look real good right now for Abaco and Grand Bahama. Keep them in your thoughts.

Well… this was a recommendation from a reader. Yeah, this is now what I’m going to be listening to for a bit.

Ron Sheepstra goes missing in Xcalak.

This is a production of The Flyfish Journal.

I don’t think I want to go for a swim in here, but the tarpon look FUN.

I really need to get into another tarpon.

I’m just going to say this… there is usually no point to just casting your fly back and forth more than, oh, twice. I call that “casterbating” while you may use another term. Whatever it is, it isn’t shadow casting from a river runs through it, which isn’t a thing anyway.

In that video the angler is doing two things I’d change. First… cast closer to the shore. If you are as short as he is, so frequently, that’s not doing you any favors. Put the fly in front of the fish. Second… get that fly out of the air and into the water.

Costa Rica… yeah… on the list, but the list is too long.

Few figures in fly fishing right now are as compelling as Oliver White. Owner of Abaco Lodge (and I think Bair’s Lodge) and co-founder of IndiFly, Oliver is the kind of guy you’d want to spend a day on the water with.

Here’s a well done video (the Felt Soul guys) with some of his story.

(Looks like they took this video down… not sure what is going on there, but it is no longer on the Felt Soul site)

When I think of Sudan I don’t think of fly fishing… but… maybe I should. This video looks super intriguing and I have a newfound appreciation for triggers after fishing Christmas Island.

I mean… there is this from the US State Department…

” Reconsider travel to Sudan due to terrorism and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk.”

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/sudan-travel-advisory.html

I doubt Sudan is going to be really high on my list, but I’m sure that’s just part my ignorance of what’s happening there.

Do love the triggers though.

I love this river. I tried to name my daughter Ahdina (there’s a spot called Ah Di Na just upstream from where these guys were). The Conservancy property, Ash Camp, Fowlers… it is one of the most beautiful rivers I’ve ever set foot in. I didn’t fish it last year, but this has made my mind up to make a trip up there this year for sure.

Not bonefishing. Not triggers or tarpon, but a special place. Hope you enjoy.