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Locations — 4 Comments
12
Apr 21

Lost Key

Years ago I tried to put together a trip to a lodge on Ragged Key in the Bahamas. I couldn’t pull it off. No regular flights in or out and charter companies to sort though and, yeah, never got it to happen. I ended up diverting to Long Island, which had regular flights, and had a good trip. But Ragged has always kicked around in the back of my head.

It is isolated. It is small (~60 people live there, maybe less). It looks juicy.

Flats on the west and deep water to the east looks like a very good big bonefish scenario.

So, I was excited to talk to Will Blair, who happens to be making a go of it at the newly opened Lost Key Lodge. He was just about to fly out there when I got a hold of him for a few minutes to chat. Seems he might have the flight situation more or less sorted out, which is good. He’s keeping the numbers low, four anglers a week, and there’s a lot of water to cover. Sounds a bit like paradise.

I just checked, and… well… it might be going well. I stole this pic from his facebook page. Holy bonefish.

Yeah, this place is going to be stuck in my head for a while longer.

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Locations — 1 Comment
14
Dec 13

Looking for Two Good People

You know who you are (maybe). You are fun to fish with, fun to have at dinner, fun to share a boat with.

You clear your boat-mate’s line.

You don’t bitch because it’s windy (it’s always windy).

You want to get out and explore a bit. You want to go to Ragged Island.

Lovely.

Lovely.

I need two more anglers to make the trip happen March 15-22. Cost is about $3,100, when you account for the charter flight from Exuma into Ragged.

You can’t get on American to get there. There are no regular flights… just charters and the mail boat.

If you want to go, get in touch (bjorn (at) anglingdestinations (dot) com). We need to lock in our group.

Could be, should be a truly unique experience.

Yes... there are bonefish there. This one was caught there.

Yes… there are bonefish there. This one was caught there.


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All the other stuff — 3 Comments
29
Oct 13

The good news and the other good news

You may, or may not, know I’m going to be having a boy here in a little less than 2 months. You may, or may not, know I’ve been largely unemployed for the past 70 days.

Twinsies

Twinsies

Do you see the problem there with the whole “baby on the way” and “no steady paycheck” thing?

Well, that problem no longer exists. Happy to say I’m back in the world of the fully-employed. Even better, it isn’t training Orcas.

Fun, right?

Fun, right?

This is good news.

I’m also doing some work with Angling Destinations and the good news is that I got both of my hosted trips for 2014 cleared ahead of time (Water Cay on Feb. 15-22 and Ragged Island on March 15-22). So, glad to be back among the fully employed and very excited to maybe fish with some of you folks in 2014.

Let’s go.

Let the good times roll.


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Locations — 3 Comments
17
Oct 13

March 15-22 – Ragged Island… it’s on

yes please.

I wrote a week or two ago about wanting to go to Ragged. Well, I’m going to Ragged, hosting a trip there March 15-22nd. This should be a very interesting trip and I’m very much looking forward to it. There are only 4 spots open (and two may be taken already).

There is no regular air service. That means there is no parade of tourists. There are only 68 people on the whole island. You aren’t going to share the flat with another lodge… there is no other lodge.

Not that many people have been to Ragged. It’s unique like that. The few who have been there liked it. I hear good things.

There are downsides. Ragged is not a place with the classic Bahamian guides who have casts like butter, but smoother. The guides here are fisherman, “boatmen.” The food should be standard Bahamian fare, but it won’t be fancy. You trade the excellent guides for unfished waters with uneducated bonefish. It is a bit like exploring, but with a couple of Beavertail skiffs.

We’ll fly into Exuma and take a charter from there to Ragged on the 15th. We’ll head back on the 22nd.  The cost of this trip is $2,495, plus the charter from Exuma ($600 each).

Lightly explored waters on a lightly populated Bahamian paradise. Sounds pretty good, no?


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Locations — 3 Comments
25
Sep 13

Ragged

I’m thinking about Ragged.

Ragged Island sits about half-way between Long Island and Cuba, to give you an idea of where it is. There aren’t a lot of people on Ragged. The 2000 census put the number of residents at just 72. That’s 72 people on the whole Ragged Island chain (one of the islands is called “Double Breasted Cay”).

There are no regular flights.

Think those fish get much pressure? I’m thinking not.

There are two Beaver Tail Skiffs and an off-shore boat sitting there, waiting for a trip to get put together.

Doesn’t this sound like a kind of awesome trip?

A cuda from Ragged Island

February sounds like a good time. Who is up for it?


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