Andros, Bahamas... Bonefish

Our expectation was high as we landed on Mangrove Cay, Andros, just 20 minutes from bustling Nassau!

The weather was good the first day, and with bonefishing, and all flats fishing, you need sun and light wind to be successful.

If you can't see them, you can't catch them!!!

(Note the "wall" of conch shells in the background.)

A perfect morning.....

On the hunt!

It didn't take long before I was deep into my backing, pulling on my first Andros bonefish!

Although the clouds, and wind, were always present, there were a few moments when we enjoyed the bright sun, and instant visibility on the seemingly endless flats!

It is amazing how fast these fish can streak across the flats, flyline and backing trying to catch up!  A good quality reel, with a smooth drag, is certainly a must.

Speedster of the flats!

A nice start to the trip!

***

However, the next 6 days the wind would blow, day and night, as a low pressure system moved in and clouded the sky.  The bonefish weren't happy either, and we had to look hard to find them.

Strong winds also limited our fishing grounds, as well!

Fortunately, my partner, Mark Kuipers, was always the optimist, and ready to go, even with the poor conditions.

(note the dark sky in the background! ;  )

With the occasional sun peaking through, we were able to connect with some very nice bonefish!

(Yep, dark clouds in the background, and ready to rain!!  Grin!)

Prince Moxey was our guide, and he was superb!

Rather than staying at a fishing lodge, we opted to stay at a small hotel (Another Moxey family member); and we enjoyed all of our meals at Deana's (you guessed it....Prince's sister, Deana)

Conch fritters, were incredible, and we enjoyed wonderful, traditional, Bahamian cuisine every day!  (And a bottle of Kalik beer was always nearby!)

***

One of our primary goals was to teach Prince to tie bonefish flies, so that he might provide quality flies to anglers, and boost his income.  Every evening we would spend a couple of hours at the vise.

Kudos to Mark for supplying a huge box of materials and tools!

Even after a long day poling us on the flats, Prince was eager to sit down and learn how to tie bonefish flies.

I was proud of his attitude and quick learning curve!

Mangrove Cay, Andros!  

What an amazing corner of the world!