advice for andros!

[hairyscotsman]

I am coming over from scotland next january with my girlfriend we are having a week in nassau then a week on andros ..i will mainly be fishing on my own and as we are on a budget i had thought about seascape inn or mangrove cay inn (100 dollars a night) on mangrove cay.Can any one advise me about my choices or suggest other budget accomodation and self guided fishing i may be able to fish with a guide for 1 day so if anyone can suggest a guide in the mangrove cay area i would be a happy man!!Thanks in advance

[Guy]

Have you bonefished before? If the primary goal is fishing, I would strongly suggest you hire a guide for more than one day. Bonefishing on your own is tough enough at the best of times because of generally limited shore access. A guide can get you onto more flats and help you climb the steep learning curve necessary for success. I don't know specifically about Mangrove Cay but I have fished north Andros from Fresh Creek up to the Joulters. You can catch bones on your own in this area but because of the limited ability to follow the tide on foot, there really is only an hour or two window each day to fish the right tidal stage for wading. I would suspect Mangrove Cay would not be that much different. The other issue is wind. January winds will likely be from the east. The oceanside flats (these would be the most accessible for DIY anglers) are fully exposed to the east wind. A guide would be able to get you back into the bights and maybe even the west side and find somewhat sheltered areas to fish. Please don't think I am trying to spoil your party, rather I have seen many people try bonefishing on their own with limited success because they just didn't realize what they were getting into.

Guy