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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On day 1 of Deneki FIBFest at Andros South last month, your fearless editor decided to sport a nice new red shirt that was really going to look good in hero shots. The problem? You have to catch a fish before you can take a hero shot.
via Fly Fishing Lodges | Deneki Outdoors — Blog | Bahamas | Chile | BC | Alaska.
I saw that shirt in the morning and thought to myself “Interesting choice.” Red is supposed to pop in pictures though… you go through some fly fishing photos and you’ll find some strangely bright colors.
I sometimes wonder if it is a bad thing being tall… 6’3″. Do the fish see me more? Do I see the fish more? There are so many factors to consider… but do yourself a favor… leave the red shirt at home!
A few folks have asked… so… I gave it some thought. I think this patterns was the one I wish I had more of down there in Andros at FIBFest.
Reverse Gotcha... bunny tail... rubber legs... ya know... "stuff"
Maybe this has a name… I’d think it is just a bit too similar to other patterns to have it’s own. It’s goodness. I added some UV Cure whatever to the back of the fly, which is a move I really, really like. Some folks said it would make the fly land too heavy… I didn’t see that, but it is possible that would be an issue in really skinny water. This fly is a #2… so… not little, but after reading some of Aaron Adams’ thoughts on the matter, I think we should probably move up a size or two on most of the flies we throw.
Hope this helps.
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.
Bonefish are really fantastic. I love the stalking, I love the precision, I love the speed of the fish.
Sometimes, though, you want violence and big, pointy teeth.
Enter the Cuda.
While down at Andros South I got a tiny bit fixated on catching a barracuda. I went out every day after we got back from fishing in the hopes of finding and catching one. I largely succeeded on the first part of that (the finding) and utterly failed in the second (a few flies attacked, but nothing even hooked).
After a few days it was starting to get to me.
I kept after it and I kept mentioning to the guides that I was hoping to catch a cuda. I had the 10 wt. rigged with 45 lbs. wire leader and either a gurgler or needle fish fly ready for action. The opportunities just didn’t come or, one day when I had a good shot I put the fly right on the fish’s head and spooked it.
The last day Kyle Perkins and I were teamed up with guide Freddie. Freddie is the biggest guide at Andros South and has the smallest boat. He likes getting in the skinnier water. He also likes to sing and laugh and overall he was a fantastic guide to fish with both in terms of his knowledge of the water, but also his mentality that put a smile on your face even after you blew the cast.
Freddie = fun
That last day we ended up having some prop trouble deep into Deep Creek and when it was clear we weren’t going to get up on plane for the ride home, Freddie told me I might as well break out the cuda rod. This was very, very welcome news for me. It meant an extra HOUR of fishing. Awesome.
Now, there are probably people that say trolling isn’t really fly fishing and that this was cheating and that it doesn’t count. I… don’t… care.
Fishing with a fly, even if you don't call it fly fishing
I took all the fly line off so I had half a wrap of fly line left and we started the slow troll back to the dock. It wasn’t long before I got a first grab. Then I got a second. The third stayed on for four good jumps and a couple nice runs and then it came unbuttoned. The fifth strike didn’t stick and I missed the sixth.
“Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” goes the saying. I reeled up, saw that the tail end of the fly was destroyed and decided to cut the fly in half. It was a long, bright yellow superhair fly with no trailing hook. The fish were obviously biting the tail and nothing pointy. With half this fly left I threw it back out. About 10 minutes later I connected and the fish stayed on.
It jumped in anger. It made vicious runs. The rod throbbed from the power of the fish. This is not bonefishing, but this was pretty much distilled awesomeness.
"Why don't you come home and meet the wife."
The fish got invited home to meet Freddie’s wife. Androsians will eat a Cuda so long as it isn’t caught off a reef.
Blissed Out
I got a cuda tooth pulled from the fish to give to my daughter, who at four years old has a passion for dangerous and deadly creatures (I love that girl something fierce).
Note to self… next time use more glue… lots and lots of glue.
Glue! I need glue!
Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com
A post from Eric of Moldy Chum about Andros South Guide Norman. I fished with Norman one of the days I was there… he’s good at what he does.
If I were to guess, Norman is probably in his mid-thirties. It’s hard to tell though, as most guides on the island are in pretty g’damn good shape. When he’s not hunting Walter on the Westside, he owns and operates a nightclub just south of Congotown.
Norman picking out a fly. Photo - Shadow River Media, Cameron Miller
Photo – Shadow River Media, Cameron Miller
Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com
It was always going to be a long day of travel to get from South Andros back to San Jose, CA in a day. If I was an East Coaster, it would have been easier. It took four flights, one airport sprint session and the slowest van ride ever (he drove 50 in a 65) to make it back… but I made it, about 11:30 PM (also known as 2:30 AM on Andros Time).
My bag… not so much. It should get here later this morning so I can give my girl the shells I bought from the Shell Man.
While FIBFest is now very much over… the memories of the week will last a long, long time and the friendships I’ve made this past week will last even longer.
That said… it isn’t too bad being home either.
One reasons to be home.
I fished today with the infamous Michael Gracie. I got back to the lodge and went fishing. Then, I went night fishing for tarpon (seen, but not caught).
I’m soaking it all up… I’m sham wowing the experience.
For the big sliver of the fishing I was with MG and guide Ellie. We went to Grassy Creek on the South End and, for the most part, we were out of the boat, on foot. We fished for science today, collecting fin clips for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.
The fishing was a little slow, but we had a good time. Gracie is a fun fishing partner and he tried to calm my frustrations after I broke off a very nice fish on the last cast of the day. That was 16 pound tippet… first fish I broke off all day.
We had lots of sharks around today… all Lemons and some very interested in us. After clipping one bonefish fin I wiped my hands on my pants and then a little three foot lemon showed up and began circling me. Got to about 2 feet away and I was about to hit it on the nose the the butt of my fly rod, but it then noticed I wasn’t a bonefish and took off.
The last shot of the day was back on the boat with Ellie on the platform. He poled us up this little side channel and I wasn’t sure where he was going. Then, on the right, appeared a nice little flat and on the flat a school of nice fish coming right towards us. I made one, 50′ cast that was just about perfect. The fish ate, but coming toward me, it was hard to set the hook. I did, but found myself spread out and when the fish took off it just separated from the tippet. Fish gone and day over. Still… how Ellie knew just where to take us… that was a special moment… that was local knowledge. That move impressed me a lot. I should have landed that fish. My guess is it was a nice fish… maybe 7, maybe 8, probably not 9, but it was a really nice fish and Ellie… he knew where they were going to be. I love that.
Back at the Lodge I grabbed my rod and went to the jetty in search of the cuda I’ve been stalking for the past few days. He was there and the gurgler pulled him out of hiding and into the open, but he wouldn’t commit. Another shot gone.
When I got back to the lodge from my Cuda hunting I was informed there was a possibility of doing some night tarpon fishing. I jumped at the chance. So, fellow guest Robert and I met guide Sparkles and headed off in the dark to try and find tarpon. We found tarpon, but they wanted nothing to do with us. I managed to catch a Jack and also managed to fall into a hole in the sharp limestone bank of Deep Creek. Nice.
Basically, I’m sucking up every moment of Andros and bonefishing that I can. I am trying to go as hard as I can here because who knows when I’ll get back. I’m pushing it… maybe breaking a little around the edges, but I’m going full tilt and I’m going to run this bad boy right up onto the beach.
Now… the photos from the day…
Guide Ellie pointing out a fish while Gracie tries to remove a hook from his shirt. Priceless!
Gracie with a nice bonefish
One of my bones from today.
An MG bone
Fishing... for SCIENCE! Fin Clips.
Throwing a lot of line withe the Redington in search of Cudas.
Night time fishing Jack. The flies outfished the chum!
It isn’t every day you get to go fish and have a kick ass photographer along for the trip who is going to do nothing more than take pictures.
That was my day.
So… instead of cluttering up things with my words, I’m going to let Cameron’s pictures give you a sense of the day.
Norman picking out the fly... only fly we used all day.
Ready for action
The magic fly for the day.
A tagged bonefish... nice.
Fish on.
Tagging the fish.
Casting
Joy
Today… it was a tougher weather day, but still had two perfect moments. I was paired up with guide Josie and Andros South (and Deneki Outdoors) owner, Andrew Bennett. So, I knew I was going to have to reduce the number of botched jobs today.
Andrew Bennet, hooked up.
We went down south, which turns out is a very, very bumpy ride. It is totally worth it though.
When we got where Josie wanted to go we set up. Andrew gave me the bow first and I stepped up. Soon Josie called out “Bonefish, 11 O’Clock, 60 feet” and I got to work. Oddly, I delivered on the very first cast of the day. 60′. Right in front of the fish. It ate on the first strip. I didn’t get a picture of that fish but it was a nice 2-3 pound fish or so. Andrew was then up and so were the clouds.
Clouds… I know we kind of need them, but I wish there were fewer of them around… really. They turned the lights out on the flats for large periods of time today, which was kind of a bummer.
We reeled in and headed off to find better fishing grounds. After a short run we stopped to see if we could see any more fish. A school happened to be about 100′ off the boat. Now… this was not a little school of fish. Josie estimated it was about 10,000 fish. TEN THOUSAND BONEFISH!
Yeah… I love this place.
I got out and started wading with just my bare feet. White sand bottom, 10K bones in front of me… this does not suck. I caught up to the school and cast into it and quickly caught a little 2 pounder. I managed to pull it out of the school so it didn’t spook the rest of the fish.
I cast right back into that school and pulled out a nicer fish. It had me in my backing a couple of times and was just beautiful.
photo credit – Andrew Bennett
The first fish and the big school… two perfect moments.
I didn’t catch a lot today, but I experienced a really beautiful place and I got to fish with Andrew, something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. A good, solid time was had by all and now… now I’m going to the Slack Tide… yeah… I know… I suck.
I kind of love this place.
PS – I have fished my new Rise 8 wt. for the past two days, with shark fishing taken over by the Redington 10 wt.. I am liking what I’m seeing from both.
