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.
Archives
17
May 10
Insult to Injury
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.
16
May 10
Andros via Field and Stream
I thought I’d talk a little bit about Andros here before the guys from FIBFest start relating their own stories about fishing for bonefish at Andros South.
First let me tell you everything I know about South Andros, all my fishing stories from my time in South Andros and share some pictures of fish I’ve caught on South Andros.
…
OK, now that we have that out of the way, I can relate to you the experiences of folks that have actually been there, fished and caught some of those Andros bones… folks like John Merwin, writing for Field and Stream back in 2005.
You are standing on the flat front deck of a bonefish skiff, hoping to see a fish, while a guide slowly poles over white sand shallows that stretch into forever. Enough fly line for a long cast lies at your feet. A long winter’s worth of anticipation knots the small of your back. The warm sun and soft lapping of water against the hull are hypnotic, leading your mind to wander across the intense pastels of the Bahamian landscape.
Yes… I want to be there… so… badly.
Now, you don’t have to stay at a lodge… there are DIY/self-guided options. I’ve even had one such trip suggested to me. However, it doesn’t sound easy and the guy that recommended the Andros DIY had a really bad trip down there a couple months ago.
If you have the scratch, a lodge/guide is a good deal.
13
May 10
Andros South
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.
05
May 10
Deneki on the Wind
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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XLDGhpLrPA&hl=en&fs=1
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.
- 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.
20
Apr 10
Interview with Andros South’s Rick Sisler
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!
05
Apr 10
Deneki Cold to the Bone
Deneki Outdoors owns and operates the Andros South lodge. Back in January when Florida was seeing dead snook, tarpon and bonefish from icy weather the folks down in Andros were still fishing, although with an extra layer of clothes.
In this blog post on the Deneki Outdoors site, Andrew shares some thoughts on cold weather bonefishing (here’s the secret, it might just mean a shot at a beeeeg bonefish).
Cool water bone, photo by Louis Cahill, angler Bruce Chard
24
Mar 10
Tag Ends – 3/24/10
Bits and pieces from around the blogosphere:
- I saw that the Fly Fish Chick made it to Exuma recently… and that seems like a very good place to be.
- Even the Trout Underground is getting in on the action, finding the Louis Cahill photo gallery of Andros South.
- Flatswalker has been talking Tarpon.
- Life on the Cay has a first bonefishing lesson in Belize.
16
Mar 10
Andros South
Well… it is 12:30 AM, I am home from a long journey back from Vallarta. My 3 year old let loose with a full fledged ninja barf attack on the Bay Bridge around 9:00, which is just about as much fun as that sounds (actually, much, much less fun). I’m going to put “Daughter barfing in car while driving on the Bay Bridge” on that list of “Things That Suck.”
So, with barely two firing synapses working in my otherwise bonefish-ful brain, I’m going to direct you today to Andros South and a trip report put up by the good folks over at Deneki Outdoors.
I’m a fan of Deneki although I’ve never been to Andros South and likely won’t for the next few years at least. Looks like a great operation though and the Deneki website is all full of bonefishing goodies and tid bits. You can follow them on Twitter, sign up for their newsletter or just make them a regular stop.
