Bonefishing In The Bahamas

[Gianni]

Got a bonefish trip planned for the first week of May and I'm just wondering if anyone has fished on Long Island. If so, any spot recommendations and what fly's did you have good luck on?

 

[Conor]

Was in Eluthra last year. Flys seemed to be slightly bigger and gaudier than standard patterns. Pinks, Browns, chartreuse flash etc.

[bowbonehead]

Where will you be located North end Cape Santa Maria...Stella Maris or further south Deadmans Cay....Clarence Town....loads of flats to fish from north to south all on the west side with decent access is you are willing to walk.....easy to find fish if you pay attention to tides

[Gianni]

I'll be staying in central LI in Bower's Settlement 14km north of Deadmans Cay

[creekside]

this ought to help.

http://diybonefishing.com/bahamas/long-island/

Have had great success lately with Cravens bonefish junk. Have some tan and chartreuse clousers, Peterson snapping shrimp and vaverick mantis patterns mostly in size #4 and #6.I always have the usual gotchas and other patterns Great wading on hard bottom not much for mud.

Have a great trip. Long island was hit pretty hard by the last hurricane. Should be some interesting fishing.

[Gianni]

this ought to help.

http://diybonefishing.com/bahamas/long-island/

Have had great success lately with Cravens bonefish junk. Have some tan and chartreuse clousers, Peterson snapping shrimp and vaverick mantis patterns mostly in size #4 and #6.I always have the usual gotchas and other patterns Great wading on hard bottom not much for mud.

Have a great trip. Long island was hit pretty hard by the last hurricane. Should be some interesting fishing.

Thanks Mayfly and Stonefly

[bowbonehead]

Hopefully you will have a car if you are staying around Bowers as the better flats are to the south Deadmans caye area or north in the Stella Maris area....some closer to you flats are acessed just north of the Deadmans airport there is a road thet leads to the public dump park and head east behind the dump to a very large flat which will be a longer walk at low tide but well worth it. Just south of Bowers is pinders....look for a sign marking the boundary between Pinders and saltpond and just past to the south on your right will be a dirt road heading off follow it to the end and fish to the south. This should get you started but i found fish everywhere I went and I drove the island from one end to the other about 80miles with one main road and a lot of trails going off to the flats. If you can get a jeep with clearance but I navigated the island with a compact and went a lot of places I should not have...nothing handles like a rental If you make all the way north hit Columbus harbor at low tide within sight of the monument..... this was really good with larger bones and lots of big cudas.... keep a slip rig handy.....you wont regret it.. If you are into snorkeling hit Deans blue hole for sure. there are also a lot of blues holes around on some of the flats that are always worth throwing a fly into but use wire lots of cudas and blacktips in and aroud them. I would suggest grabbing a copy of either the Bahamas Flyfishing guide or Rod Hamiltons DIY bonefishing as there are a lot of useful info in them. I also got a copy of Explorers Far bahamas chartbook with not only has about 10 pages of detailed maps of long island but also water depths this is very helpful. The first time there I flew into Stella Maris airport on a private flight and got the pilot to do a few loops around the north end which helped me with my bearings later I could see muds from the air. Shoot me a PM if you require further info i will being heading to that area myself late May/June for a week Tight Lines