fly fishing in Spanish Wells bahamas

[marlindoc]

Flew into Spanish wells, Bahamas on Sunday for a few days of fun in the sun and figured I would try to throw the fly rod and hook up with a bonefish or a cute mermaid. I met a retired dentist that was a fishing machine. We shared a couple of beers, he said that my flies should be kept in florida, so he gave e some he had tied. We ate some almonds and appetizers while we talked of fishing stories and the huge bonefish that lurked in the adjacent waters. My friend, Vic fishes eight days a week and his record is eighty seven bonefish in one day, with the largest being between seven and eight pounds. He offered to take me fishing the next morning and i was more than obliged because I couldn't find a guide. I know a bonefish looks like a stream lined mullet, but I had no clue on where they hang out and what they eat. Now the wind was 20 knots and of course, last week, the natives told me bonefish were jumping out of the water and literally sunning on the beach by the hundreds!
We went to Russell island and the wind prohibited us from seeing anything. Vic took me to a spot a couple miles away where he saw them schooling earlier in the week. We,or should I say he saw a cloudy bloom and said " Let's Go". We poled up close and there was a school of roughly 300 bonefish 20 feet from the shoreline. We parked the boat, took out the 8 weight flyrods and snuck up on the school of fish. Vic told me only to false cast a time or two before casting into the school. Nervously, I extended roughly forty feet of line, got the perfect cast ( my first cast) and landed in the middle of the school. As I slowly stripped the fly, I felt a tug , and set the hook . It was game on and the fish started ripping out the line unlike anything I have ever experienced, He ran out over a hundred yards,smoking line off and my drag was screaming! I managed to reel him in, I called him Charlie, and just as he was three feet away, he managed to spit the hook back at me. What a dissapointment. I was upset that i didn't land him, but Vic reassured me by saying he chartered two guides before even seeing a bonefish. We managed to snag several great bonefish and eventually trolled with a yellow jig and caught several yellow tailed snapper, which we had for dinner along with six lobster tails. If you never caught a bonefish on a fly, I highly recommend it. What a great trip


Headed toSt. george island tomorrow. Plan to cast net for some mullet, fish for reds and trout. If you guys want to come down, I have some extra rooms in my house and we will have a blast. Call me at 545-7484 if you are around.

Marlindoc

[WannaDoDat]

Wow!! What a great report to wake up to!! Sounds like you had a blast and met a great friend to boot.

[Shorewalker]

Great read only now I don't really feel like going to work today. Thanks for sharing. I don't know if it fits in your plans but WB Saturday should be loaded up with fcka' rs.