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24
Mar 11

This River is Wild… more bonefishy goodness

As I’m getting ready to head to Andros the This River is Wild blog has been spewing bonefishery as of late.  Basically… he had a really nice DIY trip somewhere in the Caribbean.  I don’t know where… maybe you do… if so, I’d keep it to myself (and then plan a trip there).

This was, easily, the best fishing I’ve ever experienced to date. In those two full days on the flats, I saw not another soul.

The This River is Wild bonefishology is broken down in three parts over the three days of his trip… Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Read them.  Read them all.

 

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19
Jan 11

Andros – Bonefish Capital of the World – FLYBOX.DK

DIY Andros from Flybox.dk.  A good trip with bonefish, sharks and a 12 pound lady fish.  Andros… I’m coming for ya!

At the breakfast table we decide to go up the creek and target the large schools of bonefish that is gathering there. After breakfast we go to the store and buy lunch and drinks and then return to Hanks were the boat is waiting tanked and ready to go.

via ANDROS ISLAND – BONEFISH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD – FLYBOX.DK.

That's a good size Ladyfish!

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Fish Tails / Locations — 6 Comments
20
Oct 10

Some NICE bones, somewhere in the South Pacific

I saw this tweeted recently and had to share… I’m not sure where these guys are… somewhere serviced by the airline from the Cook Islands, which gives me an idea or two, but not knowing is what these guys were looking for.  A few very, very nice bonefish in there.  Looks like a DIY adventure.

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26
Jul 10

Idaho potato head goes bonefishing

My Bonefish senses recently tingled letting me know  that a bonefishing story was on the web that I hadn’t read.  Thanks to Google Alerts I soon found it.

The Canyonwren Travels blog has a couple of recent stories about bonefish from Spanish Wells.

Now that I have finally got this figured out a bit, we have to leave tomorrow. I have learned quite a bit about fishing the flats for bonefish. There is a lot to it.

Dean is the guy who did the figuring out.  He’s from Idaho, spending more time on rivers than flats, which I have some understanding of.

Nice bone Dean.

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Locations — 7 Comments
03
Jun 10

An Acklins Option

Saw a new-to-me Acklins option, Salina Point Lodge.  You’ll actually find them on VRBO and they have a very nice deal going right now.

This won’t be available forever, but they are offering $630 (double occupancy) for a week of self-guided fishing.  They will feed you, house you, drive you out to  a flat, leave you there and pick you up later… and they’ll do that for a week.

If there is a heaven and I go there, it will look something like that.

Basically, you don’t need anything else once you are there (well, except Kalik, which I don’t think is included, so, add another $100).

Go, bring a friend, fish hard, sleep easy and enjoy Acklins.

I wish I was here.

Cheap and Bonefish can get along… see?!  I told you so.

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14
Feb 10

DIY Mexico Youtube

From the wide world of Youtube.

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14
Jan 10

Interview with Eleuthera Guide

I recently found this interview on Discover-Eleuthera-Bahamas.com, an interesting interview with guide Paul Petty.  Eleuthera is, as you may know, considered a DIY/self-guided bonefishing mecca.  Access is the key… a rental car is your tool to access miles and miles and miles of wade-friendly flats.

Read the interview, learn a bit about Eleuthera.

Paul Petty with an Eleuthera Bone

Paul’s a pretty good deal at $200 for a half-day and $350 for a full.

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09
Jan 10

Flats Boat to GO!

My last trip to Grand Bahama I managed to find some flats to drive to/walk on.  However, I have a very clear recollection of a little trough I couldn’t get across with a massive flat on the other side.  Made me think a bit about how nice it would be if I could get on the other side.

Enter my portable, packable, piscatorially perfect little flats transportation platform… a borrowed inflatable kayak.

My borrowed flats transportation

A mesh float tube anchor will ensure it doesn’t go floating away on its own.

Sticking to the mangrove lined coast should ensure I’m not pushed out to sea, never to be heard from again, fading away into fly fishing lore.

Not going to fish from the thing, just use it to get from one flat to another or to skirt the mangroves  in search of better fishing grounds.

My mind is absolutely bouncing around inside my skull with the possibilities.

The thing packs down pretty well and weighs about 40-50 pounds, I figure.  I’m going to have to pay something for bringing this along, I’m just not sure how much.  There are other makes/models that weigh less or pack down smaller (probably both), but this little IK should work wonderfully.

My daughter very much enjoyed jumping on it too… good indoor play structure for the cloudy, cool days we’re having here in the Sierra.

Thanks Tim and Serena!

UPDATE:

In the end, I didn’t use it.  Luckily, it didn’t cost ANYTHING to bring along on American Airlines… second piece of checked baggage. The wind just was too much on the day I was really looking to use it, blowing 20-25.  The fact that it was so easy to bring along as me thinking of places I should bring it, but this trip wasn’t the trip.

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All the other stuff / Locations — 1 Comment
27
Oct 09

Field and Stream, Bonefish Ideas

In my eternal search for bonefish content, I stumbled upon an article in Field & Stream about bonefish lodges by John Merwin.  Now, John Merwin likely knows a thing or two about angling, as the list of books attributed to the name would imply.

The places he lists are probably fantastic.  Most are probably still in business (this was from 2006, so, ya never know).  That said, a couple lines from the article stuck in my craw and annoyed me to no end (well, not to NO end, but ya know… just to be dramatic).

Unless you’re a well-traveled Bahamas veteran, there are two rules to follow. First, go to a well-established lodge. Second, use a reputable U.S. sporting-travel agency to make your bookings.

So says John, to which I say “Bah!”  There are scores of DIY, self-guided folks out there who neither require well-established lodges nor US sporting-travel agencies to make their bookings.  If you have the money to do those things, great, it probably would result in a smoother trip more pointed at the heart of success.  However, you no more NEED to go to a lodge and pay someone to book the trip than you NEED to bring an $800 rod.

I guess that’s one of my underlying beliefs… it doesn’t take $5K, it doesn’t take a Sage or an Able.  Bonefish are within reach if you are OK with a bumpy ride, a lumpy mattress and store bought beer.

Just say’n.

Another DIY GBI bonefish

Another DIY GBI bonefish

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08
Oct 09

Los Roques DIY Bonefishing

One of the most common searches I’ve seen landing folks here on Bonefish on the Brain is  “Los Roques DIY.”  So, I decided to look into it.

Los Roques is hard to get to, that seems clear.  I found a great little story from the NYT about Los Roques, complete with a quote from a Maine Game Warden who bonefishes there every year.  The article says you can hire a boat, find an island and be alone with your thoughts (and bonefish).  The details on how one does that, of course, is where the real questions have to be asked.

Los Roques… looks nice. Wish it cost more like $140 to get there instead of $1,400.

I have read at least one account of folks catching bones in the harbor and also read that flats around the main town get hammered.  You need a license, there are prohibited areas… sounds like you can certainly get yourself into trouble.

Oscar Shop, according to the NYT, can take you out to uninhabited islands, that sounds like the best bet to me (but what the hell do I know?).

There are tourist “posada” on Los Roques that range from $45 to $400 a night, I’m sure they very dramatically in quality, as you’d expect.

Now, it’s great to get a room for $45, get a boat to take you to some isolated island for $20-80 a person, but the real problem seems like the transportation there… Kayak puts a flight to Caracas from SFO at about $1,200.  The puddle jumper is about $220.  The budget angler might need to re-think Los Roques as a DIY location if just getting there will cost you $1,400… you end up at $2,000 pretty fast and if you are going to drop $2,000, you might as well get a guide.

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