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Locations — 2 Comments
25
Mar 13

Bahamas Spring Break 2013, better and better

Thanks to Scott at Angling Destinations and Chris at Deep Water Cay, it sounds like I’m going to get a chance to visit the fabled Deep Water Cay while I’m in Grand Bahama with the fam for my daughter’s Spring Break (coming up in less than a WEEK!).

I feel like I know the place even though I’ve never stepped foot on the property. My first bonefish was caught just behind DWC in a mangrove cut with an independent guide. I’ve also watched all the episodes of Buccaneers and Bones, as well as Pirates of the Flats, a fair bit of which was filmed at Deep Water Cay. The place has occupied a prominent place in my thoughts for years.

Should a treat to see this lodge as it is one of the places which kicked this whole bonefishing thing into the mainstream of destination fly fishing.

The Buccaneers at DWC

The Buccaneers at DWC

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Gear — 10 Comments
23
Mar 13

The Abel Super 7-8n – First look

I recently heard from Abel. I had met a couple guys at the Pleasanton show and they followed up, wondering if I’d be interested in getting my hands on an Abel for my upcoming Grand Bahama trip.

Sure.

The Super 7/8n

The Super 7/8n

I have never fished an Abel. I know people who love them (like, really love them). They are certainly well established as a premier reel maker. As you may know, I think the reel is pretty important. So, it seemed like a good idea to actually fish one. To be clear, this is a loaner. They didn’t give it to me, they loaned it to me, and after I fish it, I’m going to pay the postage to send it back. The reel is more expensive than I’m likely (or known) to go for. The retail price is a cool $700… not a budget guy’s kind of value buy.

First impressions.

The reel is solid. One thing I noticed right away was how narrow it was (0.85″). I asked the Facebook page about this. Eddie says this is good… he says “Benefit, It helps keep the line from piling up and helps with the speed of retrieve.” That’s what they say at the factory too. The “n” in Super 7/8n stands for “narrow.” The idea is that the line piles up faster as you reel.

Out of the box the Super 7/8n is Right Hand retrieve. I know some folks are RH retrieve, but do you? I don’t. I am LH retrieve, which seems more common to me. So, I had to make the switch. It was a little comical looking at the directions, as there were a lot of them. After getting some good stick from the guys on Facebook for complaining about this, I went ahead and made the switch. There are a few steps involved, but it is doable. Took about 7 minutes… not bad.

I got to talk on the phone to the folks at Abel and they said that up to their Super 6, they ship the reels as LH retrieve, but they find most of their buyers do RH retrieve when it comes to the Super 7/8 or higher. Turns out if you are a trout guy, or coming from a trout background, you reel with your off hand. If you are born into the salt, you reel with your dominant hand. Clearly, a lot of my readers are like me… coming from the low-sodium stuff, as the tally on Facebook was 27 to 5, for non-dominant hand reeling.

So, now the reel is ready. I have the backing on and I’m just waiting for the RIO Bonefish Quickshooter line that is on its way. I’m looking forward to taking the Bentley of fly reels out on the waters of Grand Bahama.

Looking forward to hearing this reel scream.

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Locations — 5 Comments
21
Mar 13

Grand Bahama 2013 Countdown

I don’t know if I have ever written as little about an upcoming trip as I have about this next trip, coming up in 8 days, to Grand Bahama.

I think part of this lack of written tonnage comes from my expectations for the trip. It is a family trip, not a fishing trip. Sure, I’ll get to do a little bit of fishing, but but fishing isn’t the point. This trip is about exposing my wife and my child to a place I love. The Mrs. already got to take a look at Belize (and she says we can go back) and now I will show her the Bahamas. My daughter, at 6, has been to the Pacific coast of Mexico maybe a dozen times, but she has never been to the Bahamas and has never walked through the liquid light waters of the Caribbean with me. I’m hoping she likes it as much as she likes the resort style vacations she goes on with the other half of joint custody. This is a girl who has shark teeth and shark posters up in her room, owns a snake and has a real alligator head on her “nature table” along with assorted bones, rocks, leaves and even the ear bone of a whale. I think she might like seeing the sharks, crabs, rays and, if I’m lucky, bonefish of the flats.

This will be my third trip to Grand Bahama. Of all the places one can go to chase bonefish, I know this place the best, which is still not deeply. I aspire to a deep knowledge of the place, but such knowledge comes from years I have yet to invest.

I really can’t wait. I’ve tied and tied and tied and run out of space in the boxes which fit in my pack. I will be sporting a loaner reel from Abel with a RIO line, attached to my inexpensive TFO Clouser 8 wt. rod. I’ll be sporting a new pair of Revo shades, technical clothes from Redington and casual clothes from Skinny Water Culture. I’m pumped (and pimped) for the trip. I’m ready.

Usually on a trip I try to soak up every last ray of Caribbean sun and use it to peer into the water in search of fish. This trip, I’m going to try and soak up every moment I can with my girls, my folks and my brother in a place I have come to love more than makes sense and more than I can really explain.

It will be a great trip and it can’t get here soon enough.

Journey proud.

Prep central.

Prep central.

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