Stoned Architect

Don’t know  what kind of drugs that guy was on when he built that house but I bet it was good  stuff. This is just north of Andros Town near Love Hill.

What a perfect day it was today. Winds less than five mph and blue sky all day. Tommy and Dennis went to Red Bays and I’m waiting for a report from them. They could not have picked a more perfect day to go there.

As for Hank and I it was back to a little competition bottom fishing outside the reef. It was pretty even for awhile and after we moved to another drop he started catching four or five to my one. I accused him of not throwing any chum on my  side of the boat. He said you saw me throw a conch  shell on each side. But I told him he never put the chum in the shell he threw on my side. I’m not sure how many fish we caught but it was a lot. I have a big plastic wash tub I keep in my boat to use as a stripping basket and it was near full. Strawberry grouper, yellowtail snapper, porgy’s, grunts etc. All pretty tasty fish.

Another great day forecast for tomorrow with temps. approaching ninety.

Ocean Flat

Current temp. 77  Tomorrow forecast 86 wind SW10 partly cloudy.

I was on an ocean flat  yesterday and what  day it was. I had walked for quite some time without seeing anything. I picked a rocky point ahead as my final walk. Getting closer to the point two schools of fish  came out  of nowhere. I got a bonefish out of the  first  school and then made a long cast to the second. Well wouldn’t you know it but this school consisted of a bunch of small  permit. I wound  up getting three permit and three bonefish and I didn’t move more than twenty feet. Finally they had enough of me and moved up the shoreline.

So last night I go to the dock to see about getting a tarpon.  I had one shot at one but no luck and there went my chance at the grand slam. The night before I had a big tarpon that this Bahamian kid spotted for  me that came for the fly, rolled and either just missed it or  refused it at the last moment.

The day in Nassau with Hank was just a lot of fun and I was laughing all day. The dentist I went to wound up to be a childhood friend of Gogie’s from Red Bays.

We rented  a car and  of course Hank did all the  driving. Other than the fact he tried  to kill  me a couple  times it was ok. One time he pulled off  a roundabout and  another car  almost tboned us. Another time he was talking about  driving in the states and before I know it he  is  driving on the right side of the road. I almost crapped my pants and was yelling,  left,  left. At the airport going through  security was the highlight. He kept setting  off the alarm even after emptying all his pockets  etc. The security  lady there was not very nice. So  after setting off the alarm about five times he said I have no problem taking my pants off  too  if that’s what you want. The one lady behind the xray machine told him to go for it  but the other one just scowled. By this time I was laughing hysterically. There were other humurous  events but their best told over a couple kaliks.

Soon to  come is the story of a day in Nassau with Hank. Pretty funny stuff.

Audrey and friend in Jungle Pond

Jan and Dr. Hall in Jungle Pond

Close Ocean Flat

Current temp. 64 (cold) wind N10 Cloudy

It was cold, cloudy and windy yesterday. Not a good day for fishing by  any means.

Audrey and Jan came by and asked if I wanted to go on a road trip and Jan would show us Jungle Pond. I have heard her talking about this place before so I said sure, too wet to plow anyway.

They had made  arrangements to meet Dr. Hall from Nassau and friend as they were also very interested in seeing this place. At first I will have to admit I was kind of a skeptic. I knew Jan was a plant freak, I mean horticulturist, botonist or what ever their called.

This place was actually amazing. We walked through pine forest for a ways and then all of a sudden we come to this depression and it’s almost like walking into a Jurassic Park setting with hundreds upon hundreds of orchids hanging on the trees. I expected at any moment for a platotyrexsauris or some ting like dat to come charging through  the ferns at us. All the plants seemed larger than normal.

This place was originally discovered by an employee of Forfar. Forfar is an educational facilitator here on the island for science, education and marine research . Jan asked me not to disclose the exact location and I respect that. Hell I probably couldn’t find it again anyway. All in all it is a pretty cool place.

Jan will comment on this post and give some history of Forfar and more info on the Jungle Pond.

Couple days ago I was driving just a couple miles  north of  town and I took this little  road down to the beach.  I was basically looking for pilchers which we use for bait when bottom fishing. I didn’t bother bringing my fly rod along as I thought this close to the settlement their would be no bonefish around. The wind was out of the west which made for good  conditions there. It was approaching low  tide. I decided to take off my shoes and wade out a ways just to see what I could see. At first there were three bonefish right in front of me and then a school of about ten came by. A little further and another school of around eight showed up. I hurried back to the truck and back to my room to get my fly rod. Didn’t take long before a hookup. I had never fished this area before being so close etc. With low tide and west  wind I be dere lots from now on.

Cory's first bonefish

Dolphin

Current temp: 79, wind, dead calm, partly cloudy

Conditions never got  good enough when the Montana boys  were here to go out to  the buoy in search of Dolphin. Two  days after they left Hank and  Mike went there and you can see the results. They said there were lots of them. Catching one of them on a fly when their in a feeding frenzy is  easy and it doesn’t really matter what kind of fly.

As for me this morining, I’m just about to head up the creek and look for tailers. There are lots  of clouds  but the sea is like glass  and it’s approaching high tide—perfect for spotting tailers.

Tomorrow looks good weather wise with light east winds so Tommy and I are planning on exploring areas known for permit and tarpon. Also the moon is just right. Sometimes we find them, sometimes we don’t, but don’t know if you don’t go.

Fresh Creek Harbor and The Bradypus

Justin and Cory from Tightline Outfitters in  Dillon, Mt. and some of their friends from Nashville were here on their first bonefishing trip last  week. They were guided by Herman Bain, Tommy Kee  and Bonefish Bradley. First couple days  were good with everybody getting several hookups. They ranged in location from  the North Bight and the west side to Bowen Sound, Young Sound and Fresh Creek. Last couple days were tough with lots of wind and clouds. Even with that they found fish.

The other night I  went with Justin  and Cory to the  government dock looking for tarpon. The tide was right but there were not many shrimp coming down the creek for some reason. They were blind casting into the channel  anyway in hopes of a hookup. I was with Cory when all of a sudden Justin screamed. I looked over and this big tarpon was coming right on his  fly. In his excitement, he did the cuda strip  and took the fly right away from . I yelled to slow strip but it was too late and the tarpon was gone. Next couple evenings we tried again but saw no more tarpons mon.

I have a couple good pics of the boys with big cuda and bonefish but can’t load them for some reason. Will get them on later. This was their first bonefish experience and definitely not the last.

part of the mother lode

west side sunset

In a west side creek

Current temp: 82 Wind SSE15

Yesterday we found the lode of bonefish up the creek. Three big schools and all good size fish. Often up the creek when you  find these schools they mostly juvinels but these great. To get there you have to through Labowski Straits and then head east toward Pedro Island. This is actually the most bonefish I have seen in one area up the creek.

I have had lots advice on how to get those tarpon on the  west side to eat. Many of  the techniques we did try. Like tiny little jerky strips or just let the fly hang there. I still believe none of the above would work and they were just not eating anything. Most of the fish were laid up as if they had just finished lunch and were napping. It sure gives something to look forward to on the next trip over there and I have a new pattern that will definitely work. Not sure if it has ever been tried on tarpon before but will let you know the results. As for me I have complete faith in it.

Erik was asking the average size of those tarpon and they  were in the 30 to 60 pound range. One large one may have been pushing 80.

Weather has been very warm but lots of wind last few days. These are the type of days you just hang out. There is a special technique to hanging out here and Morton and I have perfected it in the last couple weeks. Anne has several pics she will be sending me on the  proper way to hang out here.

Stupid Bonefish

West Side Flat

West Side Near Williams Island

Safely  back from  another adventure on the remote west side.

Sorry to say there are no pics of tarpon. That does not mean we didn’t find any. On this one particular flat I saw more tarpon than I have ever seen over there. We had several shots but they would just not eat. We changed flies several times, did slow strip, fast strip. At times they would be just inches from the fly and I was sure of a hookup any second, but none came. They were all pretty much laid up and they would just look at the fly and slowly swim away seeming to give us the middle fin. That’s tarpon fishinng.

The pic of the stupid bonefish was just that. We hit him right on the head  and instead of blowing out  like on the east side he just turned and ate the fly.

The exploring again was super, just not enough of it. We went up a new creek which was loaded with turtles, snapper and all  kinds of fish. Gas was getting a little low so I turned around much sooner than I would have liked. Even with three days it seems there is not enough time to do all we want there. That’s why plans already in the  makes for another excursion.

My friends Gerald and Carlton from Red Bays were again very helpful with info and taking care of the rig. In a couple weeks Gerald is opening a new conch stand up there.

I will  post more  photos from there when I load em up.

I’m sure those tarpon will be at the same area and ready to eat next time.

Went to a couple sounds  south of here today. Nice weather and light wind. Easy riding out beyond the  reef. Found lots of fish on the rising tide but had a little trouble getting them to eat. Some really big tailers that just did not want what I had to offer. Clouds came in mid afternoon so we went out beyond the  reef  looking for dolphin with no luck.

We will be going to Williams Island on the west side for  a few days. I  hope to come  back  with pics  of tarpon and  big bones. Weather looks good with light east winds for next four days. Should be a great time and am looking forward to it.