On 4/9/2011 10:16 AM, jeff wrote:
THE FISH and THE FISHING ...
...

http://www.captain-miller.com/

a guide is essential for anyone serious about making a first effort at a
bonefish, in my opinion...especially around south andros. however, there
are a lot of flats accessible to those willing to explore and walk. but
a do-it-yourself venture is tough, and spotting the singles and doubles
is harder when wading. the guide can follow the tidal flow as it moves
from one side of the island to the other, especially through south
bight, and can get you to locations inaccessible by foot. the west side
of the island can only be accessed by boat and is a beautiful, unspoiled
fishery. it's about 25 miles through the south bight.

....to be continued...




we fished 4 days straight with capt. marvin miller. left the dock at
about 7:30 am and returned at about 4 pm. usually, we ate lunch (bring
your own food and drinks) while moving from one spot to another. cooler
with beer, water, and food. not much ice. we never found an ice machine
and we never found a place that would sell us ice. fortunately, the
rental had a good fridge and we had adequate ice for our evening
libations and the beer was kept cold there. marvin brought only a small
chunk of ice...not sure where he got it. though the beer wasn't as
chilled on the boat as i prefer, in contrast to the heat of the day,
they were just fine and none were wasted.

the bahamian beer is kalik...pronounced kuh-lick. it comes in a "gold"
version with 7+ per cent alcohol. that was very tasty to me...better
than the regular. most bars sold the regular only, so we bought the gold
at the liquor store. the local bars are also small grills. we ate
several very good meals at those spots, and met some very interesting
and friendly folks. more about that later.

south andros has a number of blue holes, some are located in the waters
of the south bight. interesting to see their deep blue contrast with the
emerald green of the shallower waters. we observed 10 or more tarpon
rolling in one of the blue holes in the south bight on the west side.
marvin and willi said the tarpon weren't eating, just gulping air. quite
a sight. willi fished for them anyway, and if they could have been
caught he's the one i'd bet on... but no takers. they kept rolling but
not eating.

moving water and good sun on the water are key necessities for
bonefishing. "no sun, no fun". we were very fortunate. we had only a few
days where the clouds created a temporary problem.

the water is constantly flushing through the south bight cays and flats
located between mangrove cay and south andros, from one side to the
other and back. marvin always sought areas where the water was
moving...we always found bonefish in those waters. the nice thing about
a boat is you can follow the tides and find the water movement. marvin
knew what was happening, and the happening places, every hour of the day.

ok...so, it went like this...angler of the moment gets on the deck at
the bow of the boat...looks around for the grey ghost image in the
water. we fished flats and canals along the mangrove flats wherever
marvin could push pole the boat, which drafts about 12". he looked for
the mouths of small creeks flowing from the mangroves, and there always
seemed to be fish in those areas. he generally spotted them long before
we did, though we saw a few he didn't. some that he saw, i never saw
until i hooked them following his excellent directions/commands. "coming
in at 11 o'clock, 3 fish, cast about 40 feet, let it sit, ok strip,
strip, strip, stop, strip, stop...fish on" and then you strip strike to
set the hook. once hooked up, even the smaller fish take you into the
backing in a hurry. that's fun guys! of course, there are a lot of
commands that beguile..."no, pick it up...now shoot it at 9
o'clock...pick up, 12 o'clock...shoot it...again!!... awwww jeff, what
was that?" usually said after my line fell in a heap or i went left
instead of right. that pesky clock stuff was confusing. i told marvin
he'd have to speak slow southern for me to get the gist. though i
improved in the final days, i've a lot of practicing to do. still, even
a poor caster like me can successfully catch bonefish. but a good
flycaster will always catch more.

one thing about the bonefish...usually, if you make a good presentation
and catch their eye with some movement, they're gonna eat the fly. they
generally tip down and take it off the bottom, but some charge it. they
don't jump or take on top. if they did, i suspect the bahamas would be
overpopulated and flush with fishermen. still, once hooked, like a false
albacore, that first run is impressive...and, coupled with the need for
precision in making the offering to a moving target, they are a
satisfying challenge. the big ones are a handful. like trout, they live
in beautiful waters and it's a treat to chase after them.

every day out with marvin involved fishing in a different area, always
chosen based on wind, sun, and tides. we got outside on the ocean flats
of the west side once, and fished the western edge of the south bight
most days. i like the west side. no other boats, pristine, unpopulated,
beautiful, and plenty of fish. it costs the guides more to get
there...all of the guides are on the east side, and its a 25 mile run
one way. gas is expensive down there, and the "bottom line" has to be in
the guide's ciphering. one guide apparently told some folks it would
cost an additional $150 to go to the westside! danl did very well there
alone on the boat with marvin, while willi and i waded in the other
direction along the shore. before we got off the boat for our wading
venture, willi hooked a 40+ inch barracuda. it tail-walked, shot out of
the water tarpon-like, and zipped about before breaking/cutting off.
that was neat and caused me to rig a number of wire tippeted barracuda
flies for use later in the trip. barracuda are fun to hook, and unlike
those here in the carolina atlantic waters, are considered a delicacy by
the bahamians... i landed a big one while wading in the shallows off
mars bay and it was exhilarating to hook it and hold on. if you go, take
some 'cuda flies and 20-30 lb wire bite tippet. i joined it to the mono
leader with the wayno method (2 improved clinches) and it held fine.

jeff