South Andros in March

[ChemFly]

I will be fishing on South Andros the last week of March into the first week of April. This will be my first trip to Andros.

I will be hiring a guide for a day or two, but plan on doing most of my fishing in the DIY-style unless the conditions force me to stay with a guide for the duration of my trip. I really enjoy the challenge and solitude of wade fishing alone in new areas. I am hoping that readers of this forum can help me in obtaining more information on flats access on the southern part of the island.
Thanks in advance.

Jeff Weiss

[Guy]

Jeff, I can't help you with any location information having never been to South Andros myself, but I will advise you to practise casting on the windiest days you can find in preparation. While your timing should be good for finding lots of fish on the flats, the last couple of years have seen some serious wind in the Bahamas nearly all the time. March / April seem to be even windier. Anglers prepared to deal with the wind can still do well, those who aren't are usually disappointed. Good luck!

[ChemFly]

Wind? Never heard of it! --126-3-

Thanks Guy. I appreciate the heads up on the weather conditions. I'll prepare accordingly.
:-%

[rkess]

Last winter I satyed at what is now called The Bonefish Bay Club of South Andros run by a guy named Jerry from New York state (he runs the Hungry Trout there). The fishing in S Andros was fairly good while we were there ( I think mainly due to poor tide selection on my part). I did manage to catch bones every day. I found the lodge to be bad even for Andros terms. We were only there for 4 days of fishing and were given the worst guides (yes, it does make a difference). Two of our group's boat ran out of gas in the morning and lost a day to that. In addition the average run was close to an hour every morning and 45 minutes on the way home. add to that 30 minutes for lunch and splitting the boat with a fishing partner that comes to less than 3 hours actual fishing time/person/day. I could go on for a while longer but I won't. I think S Andros has a lot to offer although I am going to the N bight this month as my experiences there have been much better. More fish, bigger fish, better guides, shorter runs.

[teflon_jones]

I will be fishing on South Andros the last week of March into the first week of April. This will be my first trip to Andros.


where are you going to be staying? i just booked 10 days at the tiamo resorts on south andros for december. i've never been saltwater fly fishing, but i've always wanted to try it. i've been doing freshwater for about 15 years.

[rkess]

I fished out of Tiamo last year. It is fancy, expensive, and georgous! I went there with my wife AFTER the guys part of the trip. If you are going on a "guys trip" with the expectation of bonefishin' and boozin' go elsewhere. I fished near the lodge by myself saw a good # of fish in the early am. I also fished with a guide named Andrew who goes by the nickname "shine." He was very good.

[dennis/DE]

I suggest this website for valuable information on Andros.

www.capecodoutdoors.com/Afishing.html#bonefish

Good luck with the bone fish.

[Andrew Moy]

RKESS,

We just got back a few weeks ago from Jerry's place at Bonefish Bay Club and on the contrary, everyone felt it was an amazing place and trip. I've done a good amount of bonefishing, including in the middle bight at Rupert's Bonefish Club (3 times) and felt the accomadations, food, guides, and overall trip was far superior at Bonefish Bay Club. At Rupert's I was given the worse guides and was charged extra for gas($80-$100) to go to the west side of the island even when conditions forced us there. All of the guides we had were top notch, the food was excellent, and the hospitality was incredible. I think that when you went last winter, Jerry only owned it for a short period of time and was in the process of fixing it up. Since, the place is in great shape. All of the rooms have been redone and fixed up tremendously, the boats have been upgraded with poles and platforms, the guides, Torrie, Harlon, Charlie, Fredlon, and Josie were all excellent. The runs in the north bight aren't any shorter, and if you go to the west side from the north bight it's an hour + ride each way. If you go to a lodge and the guides are running 10 minutes everyday, then your fishing over pressured fish. Part of the experience are the boat rides and seeing the area and terrain. As far as the fish being bigger in the middle bight, it's not true, because we caught a good number of fish between 6-8 pounds and had shots at double digit fish almost every day. More fish? We cast to fish almst non stop every day, how can you say there are more fish up north? I've been to both areas, and I never saw more fish at Rupert's then I saw on the one trip to Bonefish Bay Club. I attached a few photos of some of the guys.....

[rkess]

Cool, I'm glad your overall experience was good. It sound like Jerry turned the place around. I hope everyone who goes there from here on out has an experience more like yours and less like mine.

[ChemFly]

Andrew,
I was on S.A. the week before you and your group arrived and fished a few days with Jerry's crew at the Bonefish Bay Club. I too found the renovated club to be very well run and clean. The manager, John Tokker, did a great job in juggling my schedule because I was staying in a private residence further north near Congo Town. My guide, Josie, was hard working and did his best to get me onto fish with little nonsense. His coaching was firm but polite, no bad manners or attitude. We cast to very large schools of medium sized Bonefish along with many ops to cast to large singles and doubles.

I spent the balance of my time fishing the flats off of Driggs Hill with Stanley "Jolly" Forbes. A real character and an excellent guide. I'll be going back to fish S.A. at a later date but without my bride. She enjoyed the solitude but does not fish. there is NOTHING on South Andros to make life interesting for the non-fishing spouse.
JW

[dennis/DE]

Andrew,

What got the bone in the picture you posted? I am going to SA in June and am a little nervous about wading. This will be my first time going for bonefish.

Thanks,

Dennis

[AlderBrookFarm]

What got the bone in the picture you posted? I am going to SA in June and am a little nervous about wading. This will be my first time going for bonefish.

Don't be nervous about wading. My recent trip to Belize was my first time wading and I was nervous too. For me, wading turned out to be alot more fun than standing on the bow of a boat. At first I was worried about dragging the line around then trying to get it out of the water while casting, but after a few practice casts it all fell in to place. On my trip we used Crazy Charlies & Beck's Sili Legs with bead chain eyes while wading and heavier hourglass eyes in deeper water. Tell your guide that you've never done it before so he can spend a few minutes coaching you before you get to fish, and most important.....Practice your accuracy and ability to get the fly to the fish quickly before you get to SA.

[dennis/DE]

Than you for the information. I have been practicing and feel I can be productive. Just a little nervous about wading and excountering a few Lemon Sharks. Have fished many flats in Florida but always in a boat. Very excited about this trip but a little aprihensive as well.

Never been to Belize, how was your trip? Fished Barbados, Cayman Islands, Mexico and other warm water locations. Best trip was the Caymans. The mosquito control canals held many different and large fish, all at high tide. Caught my first Tarpon there as well as Permit, Jacks and a few Cuda. All from walking along the shore. Every cast produced a fish. I would recommend to everyone. Side note, the largest Tarpon I saw at the Caymans were in the ponds at the golf course. They were landlocked but huge. Could not convince the Manager to let me fish the ponds.

Thanks.

Dennis