fiwanab
03-26-2007, 02:10 PM
Well can't believe I've been home nearly a week and haven't had a chance to review.
Many reports on Eleuthera so don't know if I can add anything of further value but thought I'd summarize my experience and conclude from my last (perhaps slightly panicked thread) for those who are interested.
All in all we had a great two weeks. Don't know where else I could take the family and have bonefishing literally right outside our front door. We flew from Thunder Bay via Toronto to Nassau by Air Canada, then took Bahamas Air (it's actually a contractor/charter company) to Governour’s Harbour. This was not a through-fare, I bought the tickets separately on-line and we had a long wait in Nassau in both directions (but I've learned it's a good idea to allow several hours for connections in the Bahamas).
We packed one suitcase with frozen chicken and beef which I wrapped in my wetsuit and sweatpants. We also piled in other dry goods in our bags like breakfast cereals, drink mixes, coffee, crackers etc. etc. we ended up with 4 checked bags (one each) and no overweights.
People of Eleuthera are friendly and easy going with that great island mentality. I did see a hint of western hip-hop culture creeping in which is does not bode well for the future based on what we see in other parts of the Caribbean.
For the four of us (three adults and one child for airfares) for two weeks:
Airfare: Air Canada $1750 Bahamas Air $440
House rental: $2206
Car: $630
Gas: $70
Food and misc. (not including what we bought with us but including one night out): about $400
Total: $5496
I fished mostly half days because after all it was a family vacation and lost two or three days to weather. I hooked 12 or maybe 13 fish of which 3 unhooked, one broke off and one knot came undone. Should have checked closer after releasing the prior fish.
I am disappointed that the problem of trash continues to get worse. On the islands. Some say the trash comes from cruise ships and military vessels, most of the trash I saw on the beaches looked local to me. Regardless of where it comes from, the beeches are the islands only “Export” you’d think there would be some effort at clean up. I released all but one fish without touching the fish, but one was wrapped in a plastic bag by the time I landed it and had no choice but to handle the fish.
The burning of trash is also bad news and this happens most week days on E. Burning trash releases toxins into the air. The toxins rise in southern areas so have no real detrimental impact locally. The problem is what goes up must come down and the toxins, following the natural convection action of the planet fall on northern communities…yup affecting me and perhaps you too.
Now the fishing:
I Took a 10wt Winston BIIx, 9wt Thomas & ThomasH2, 9wt G loomis Slate, 8wt G loomis slate, and Winston BIIx 6wt. All rods are custom built by me. I carried the rods as carry-on along with one real and one box of flies.
Note: I've travelled many times with flies in my carry-on baggage and NEVER had a problem. In fact the TSA recommends-take expensive and fragile items "like expensive rods and flies in your carry-on baggage.” Anyway CATSA is not as clear and long story short, they took my box of flies.
Fortunately I had packed a small fly-away fly-tying kit so my first evening in E was spent madly tying my bonefish pattern from memory.
I'd have to say the weather was not ideal, over the two weeks we had two fronts come through, which is typical for the Bahamas in winter, but I'd hoped that mid March would have seen more stable conditions. The cycle for each front is generally predictable with some southern humid flow followed by rain and wind out of the NW followed by clearing and strong cool wind out of the NE. I had perhaps 3 days of fishing where the wind wasn't 20-30 knots out of the NE.
I thought that heading south would get me out of the NE wind, but E is relatively flat so there really is no leeside. The wind was blowing so hard across the southern flats that the water was whipped up and so was the bottom i.e. zero visibility.
I walked over a lot of good looking bonefish flats in the south and never saw a fish (you can believe me or not, but if there'd been a fish I would have spotted him). I suspect the cold wind/water had much to do with this.
I spent too much time going from place to place and too often the sun was out while I was driving, but clouds blocked the sun while I was fishing!!!
There is no doubt that fishing pressure in E has had a dramatic affect on the fish in the more frequently fished spots. One day when I arrived at savannah sound there were 6 anglers on the white flat and not a fish to be seen (and they're easy to see there). I saw more fish here on the falling tide then on the incoming, WAY more, likely because I was the only one there. I also fished there during no-sun conditions, then there were even more fish. On time I was on the main flat and literally surrounded by fish, tough to see when there's no sun but of course the advantage is the fish couldn't see me either!
As far as SS is concerned I don't remember ever casting to so many fish without a pickup. I even fished here in bare feet to improve stealth! I eventually did get a hookup using Catspaw's pattern but this may have been a foul hook, I can't say for sure. The fish did a tight 360 at lightning speed and was gone (unhooked itself). I was using my 9wt with a Rio bonefish line 12' floro leader with 2' of 8# tippet added. The first time I presented Catspaw's pattern was typical...I saw a large single coming at me from the south a long way away. With the wind out of the NE these fish follow predictable paths, in to the shallow water (well below the knees) then cruise north routing around, then heading back to the deeper water after they found a bight. With the wind I could cast the whole rio, that's about 114' to the fly. I still had a few wraps of line on the real so let's say the cast was 95'. the fly landed well ahead of the fish (further than I would normally lead a fish) such that me and the fly were laying in waiting of mr. bone. I moved the fly as the fish approached but only barely. When the fish saw the fly he bolted. I say bolted because it wasn't just a turn and head off in another direction, it was panic as if I'd nearly stepped on him or something. I don't believe the fish could have possibly seen me, and I don't think he saw the line or leader, given he was coming head on. As I said this experience was typical for me on the savannah main flat. When the fish are digging its different, then you can just about knock ‘em on the head with the fly and they’re still ambivalent. So you wait patiently with the fly in position a couple of feed away. They fish stop mudding, look up see the fly and spook!
Fishing in the surf can best be described as kool. The fish are large and aggressive, and to see a bonefish or two flopping about in the surf more out of the water than in, will bring a chuckle. The fish move fast and you find yourself having to cast with the wind at all different angles. My biggest fish (28”) came from the surf on the Atlantic side from a cast over my left shoulder.
As impossible as the fish were on the SS main flat, the fish cruising the beach were more focused. One amusing time I had two large fish approaching me head-on. I crouched down in the surf and tried a cast... smack, fly in the back of the head. I reached up and retrieved the fly easily (another advantage of barb less) but by this time the fish are very close. I froze and tried not to look. These two fish coasted by me not more than 5' away. they seemed to be looking right at me, but didn't spook. After they went buy I slowly swung around and to my surprise they were in the surf tails out. This time I made the cast and one picked it up. That fish ran along the shore until my fly line was in the water then made a hard right through the turtle grass. I never felt the instant when he came unhooked but I reeled in a bail of turtle grass.
Needless to say I had fun, saw lots of life on the flats including stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, assorted jacks, lemon sharks (several in the 5' region) and even a 5' reef shark which is not common on a sand flat. I got my fly stuck in more than one tree which is a new bonefishing experience for me and had both my daughters age 11 and 13 on the flats a GHB with fly rods in hand. Unfortunately no fish that day but then where else could they just walk to shops instead?
Ten Bay where our rental was, was great for the family, good snorkelling and for the most part calm water. The bonefish were panicked most of the time because of the swimmers, anglers and as many as ten Barracuda that sunned themselves in the pools almost every day. I say almost because our last evening while I was taking apart my rods etc, I looked out and saw bonefish with no anglers or barracuda in sight. I waded out and got myself up wind made a long cast and for the first time saw the fish moving TOWARD my fly. Hooked three fish before the light was gone.
I had a few of those barracuda take a run at flies cast with the 10wt but always seemed to run out of stripping room before a strike, or perhaps they were just playing with me.
E is definitely a place we’ll look at again for a vacation. It wouldn’t be my first choice specifically for fishing however.
Many reports on Eleuthera so don't know if I can add anything of further value but thought I'd summarize my experience and conclude from my last (perhaps slightly panicked thread) for those who are interested.
All in all we had a great two weeks. Don't know where else I could take the family and have bonefishing literally right outside our front door. We flew from Thunder Bay via Toronto to Nassau by Air Canada, then took Bahamas Air (it's actually a contractor/charter company) to Governour’s Harbour. This was not a through-fare, I bought the tickets separately on-line and we had a long wait in Nassau in both directions (but I've learned it's a good idea to allow several hours for connections in the Bahamas).
We packed one suitcase with frozen chicken and beef which I wrapped in my wetsuit and sweatpants. We also piled in other dry goods in our bags like breakfast cereals, drink mixes, coffee, crackers etc. etc. we ended up with 4 checked bags (one each) and no overweights.
People of Eleuthera are friendly and easy going with that great island mentality. I did see a hint of western hip-hop culture creeping in which is does not bode well for the future based on what we see in other parts of the Caribbean.
For the four of us (three adults and one child for airfares) for two weeks:
Airfare: Air Canada $1750 Bahamas Air $440
House rental: $2206
Car: $630
Gas: $70
Food and misc. (not including what we bought with us but including one night out): about $400
Total: $5496
I fished mostly half days because after all it was a family vacation and lost two or three days to weather. I hooked 12 or maybe 13 fish of which 3 unhooked, one broke off and one knot came undone. Should have checked closer after releasing the prior fish.
I am disappointed that the problem of trash continues to get worse. On the islands. Some say the trash comes from cruise ships and military vessels, most of the trash I saw on the beaches looked local to me. Regardless of where it comes from, the beeches are the islands only “Export” you’d think there would be some effort at clean up. I released all but one fish without touching the fish, but one was wrapped in a plastic bag by the time I landed it and had no choice but to handle the fish.
The burning of trash is also bad news and this happens most week days on E. Burning trash releases toxins into the air. The toxins rise in southern areas so have no real detrimental impact locally. The problem is what goes up must come down and the toxins, following the natural convection action of the planet fall on northern communities…yup affecting me and perhaps you too.
Now the fishing:
I Took a 10wt Winston BIIx, 9wt Thomas & ThomasH2, 9wt G loomis Slate, 8wt G loomis slate, and Winston BIIx 6wt. All rods are custom built by me. I carried the rods as carry-on along with one real and one box of flies.
Note: I've travelled many times with flies in my carry-on baggage and NEVER had a problem. In fact the TSA recommends-take expensive and fragile items "like expensive rods and flies in your carry-on baggage.” Anyway CATSA is not as clear and long story short, they took my box of flies.
Fortunately I had packed a small fly-away fly-tying kit so my first evening in E was spent madly tying my bonefish pattern from memory.
I'd have to say the weather was not ideal, over the two weeks we had two fronts come through, which is typical for the Bahamas in winter, but I'd hoped that mid March would have seen more stable conditions. The cycle for each front is generally predictable with some southern humid flow followed by rain and wind out of the NW followed by clearing and strong cool wind out of the NE. I had perhaps 3 days of fishing where the wind wasn't 20-30 knots out of the NE.
I thought that heading south would get me out of the NE wind, but E is relatively flat so there really is no leeside. The wind was blowing so hard across the southern flats that the water was whipped up and so was the bottom i.e. zero visibility.
I walked over a lot of good looking bonefish flats in the south and never saw a fish (you can believe me or not, but if there'd been a fish I would have spotted him). I suspect the cold wind/water had much to do with this.
I spent too much time going from place to place and too often the sun was out while I was driving, but clouds blocked the sun while I was fishing!!!
There is no doubt that fishing pressure in E has had a dramatic affect on the fish in the more frequently fished spots. One day when I arrived at savannah sound there were 6 anglers on the white flat and not a fish to be seen (and they're easy to see there). I saw more fish here on the falling tide then on the incoming, WAY more, likely because I was the only one there. I also fished there during no-sun conditions, then there were even more fish. On time I was on the main flat and literally surrounded by fish, tough to see when there's no sun but of course the advantage is the fish couldn't see me either!
As far as SS is concerned I don't remember ever casting to so many fish without a pickup. I even fished here in bare feet to improve stealth! I eventually did get a hookup using Catspaw's pattern but this may have been a foul hook, I can't say for sure. The fish did a tight 360 at lightning speed and was gone (unhooked itself). I was using my 9wt with a Rio bonefish line 12' floro leader with 2' of 8# tippet added. The first time I presented Catspaw's pattern was typical...I saw a large single coming at me from the south a long way away. With the wind out of the NE these fish follow predictable paths, in to the shallow water (well below the knees) then cruise north routing around, then heading back to the deeper water after they found a bight. With the wind I could cast the whole rio, that's about 114' to the fly. I still had a few wraps of line on the real so let's say the cast was 95'. the fly landed well ahead of the fish (further than I would normally lead a fish) such that me and the fly were laying in waiting of mr. bone. I moved the fly as the fish approached but only barely. When the fish saw the fly he bolted. I say bolted because it wasn't just a turn and head off in another direction, it was panic as if I'd nearly stepped on him or something. I don't believe the fish could have possibly seen me, and I don't think he saw the line or leader, given he was coming head on. As I said this experience was typical for me on the savannah main flat. When the fish are digging its different, then you can just about knock ‘em on the head with the fly and they’re still ambivalent. So you wait patiently with the fly in position a couple of feed away. They fish stop mudding, look up see the fly and spook!
Fishing in the surf can best be described as kool. The fish are large and aggressive, and to see a bonefish or two flopping about in the surf more out of the water than in, will bring a chuckle. The fish move fast and you find yourself having to cast with the wind at all different angles. My biggest fish (28”) came from the surf on the Atlantic side from a cast over my left shoulder.
As impossible as the fish were on the SS main flat, the fish cruising the beach were more focused. One amusing time I had two large fish approaching me head-on. I crouched down in the surf and tried a cast... smack, fly in the back of the head. I reached up and retrieved the fly easily (another advantage of barb less) but by this time the fish are very close. I froze and tried not to look. These two fish coasted by me not more than 5' away. they seemed to be looking right at me, but didn't spook. After they went buy I slowly swung around and to my surprise they were in the surf tails out. This time I made the cast and one picked it up. That fish ran along the shore until my fly line was in the water then made a hard right through the turtle grass. I never felt the instant when he came unhooked but I reeled in a bail of turtle grass.
Needless to say I had fun, saw lots of life on the flats including stingrays, eagle rays, turtles, assorted jacks, lemon sharks (several in the 5' region) and even a 5' reef shark which is not common on a sand flat. I got my fly stuck in more than one tree which is a new bonefishing experience for me and had both my daughters age 11 and 13 on the flats a GHB with fly rods in hand. Unfortunately no fish that day but then where else could they just walk to shops instead?
Ten Bay where our rental was, was great for the family, good snorkelling and for the most part calm water. The bonefish were panicked most of the time because of the swimmers, anglers and as many as ten Barracuda that sunned themselves in the pools almost every day. I say almost because our last evening while I was taking apart my rods etc, I looked out and saw bonefish with no anglers or barracuda in sight. I waded out and got myself up wind made a long cast and for the first time saw the fish moving TOWARD my fly. Hooked three fish before the light was gone.
I had a few of those barracuda take a run at flies cast with the 10wt but always seemed to run out of stripping room before a strike, or perhaps they were just playing with me.
E is definitely a place we’ll look at again for a vacation. It wouldn’t be my first choice specifically for fishing however.