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Date: April 06, 2008 at 07:57:54
From: MIker, [pool-72-76-160-41.nwrknj.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Andros trip |
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In an effort to add to our southern experiences I thought Id take a moment and give my thoughts on a trip on an Anros bonefish trip last month where I stayed at mangrove cay club for a week. It was my first bonefish adventure to the Bahamas and I was quite excited. To get around hazy scheduling by air bahamas my group flew to Ft. Lauderdale and we chartered a small plane to Andros.Landing in Andros is quite amazing as even though its only an hour flight from the US the island about the size of NJ is lightly populated with less than 10000 residents who are quite spread out.Flying in one sees most of the water that makes this a bonefish paradise.
The island is surrounded by the Atlantic ocean and is filled with bights rivers bays etc that would make it impossible to fish every inch of wtaer in 10 life times.The MGCC is located conviently on the southeastern side of the middle bight and is quite convient to the fishing grounds.
The locals are by and large very friendly and very accomodating.Mangrove Cay club is a very nice high end self sustaining resort with eight buildings that hold up to 16 people. Theres also a main lodge where you eat, watch tv and have a beer or local drink. The food made by CHef Ike is very good as is the service.Because of the nature of the place it takes on the feel of a B+B at breakfast and dinner as you get to chat withthe other guests.We only left the resort once to take a bycycle ride to burn off some of the calories and to visit the local town.I would have enjoyed a pool becuase theres sharks in dem there waters but because the island is built on granite like foundation pools are scarce as very difficult and expensive to install.
The day goes like this. Up by 6:30,at the lodge by 7 for breakfast, after your breakfast order is taken you go to the buffet set up and make yourself a box lunch and set it aside, eat breakfast among the excitement of the mornings anticipation of where your going to head to catch fish.About this time the guides show up bringing the flats boats to the docks and getting their share of food etc.
Inlike Florida Keys you are pretty much responsible for equipment and fly so last minute changes to leaders tippets and flies are made. You are assigned a new guide each day or two shake hands with him load the boat and head off for a days adventure.The guides run from 20ish to 40ish, are all natives and when not guiding either lobster dive for conch or fish commercially. They all know the local waters very well.
Unlike striper fishing from the beach clouds and adverse winds ruin the day. Im used to getting up before sunrise to fish and like snotty weather for my bass. For bonefishing thats a no no. We got blown out the first day becuase the winds were two strong the water too choppy.
The next day we got to fish. One thing I learned right away is that you need sun. The Water on the inside of the island is grayish becuase of a somewhat muddy bottom.I also learned right away that bonefish are a spooky neurotic lot that take off at the site of upcoming clouds, boat noise or shadow, rods waving, line splashing birds flying you name it.Much of the water that you hunt them in is only 6 inches to a foot deep so you can somewhat understand their predicament and then when you see some nasty looking sharks and barracuda it seems somewhat justified.
This is going to take longer than I thought so Ill add a part two later.
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