03/18 - 03/27 Exuma

[adrian]

Just returned, in one piece, from the Peace & Plenty bonefish lodge after an amazing 10 days - it just seems to get better and better down there or maybe we're getting a little better at spotting fish and making a good presentation!

Each of the four of us had fish up to 10lb and numerous 5lb to 6lb class.

Best fishing at this time of year (this was our fourth March trip) seems to be on the flats to the north of the lodge (Rolle town flats up to Barra Terre). Be prepared for less than perfect weather at this time of year - expect fairly stiff breezes - 10 - 15mph and the occaisional cold front.

For anyone planning to go down soon, guides to ask for include Michael (the best wading flats on Exuma IMHO), Martin, Steve, Abby and Celey (pronounced 'see-lee').

If your looking for Permit (and the associated frustrations) then get a day out with Willy Rolle Jr, Alston Rolle, or Robert Thompson and head south for Sandy Cay. After four seasons we've seen them and had shots on every trip! Closest call this year was watching five fish in the 15 - 20 lb category peel out of the school and get very very interested in my crab pattern - I thought Willy was going to fall of the back of the boat. Still can't figure why my casting goes to rats when permit show up (?);

Sadly the bonefish arround Sandy Cay mysteriously disappeared a couple of years ago, alledgedly due to commercial fishermen from a nearby island coming in and netting out the schools one night. On the plus side, this is a great area for consistent shots at barracuda on fly - some impressively large. I managed to hook-up with about 10, of which 3 made it to the boat. Cuda on fly (I was fishing 9wt. ) are awesome - expect an explosive initial run, several somersaults and then a head down dog-fight! If you're tackled up for Cuda, make sure the guide can hand you your permit rod in a hurry - I missed a great opportunity by looking at what we both (initially) thought was a large cuda sitting on a channel edge only to realize, too late of course, that it was a large single permit with it's nose well down in the sand. Ah well, next year.........

Looking forward to the start of the striper action arround the Connecticut coast and actually getting out to fish rather than reading about it after the ongoing exercise in futility to improve my golf game.

Best wishes to all for a great up coming season!

Adrian Sharp