As I wind up my trip to Tasmania it’s time to turn my attention back to what I’m supposed to be doing……writing about bonefishing in some far off tropical land. And what better hotspot to focus on then the island of New Providence, Bahamas. That’s right the “Disneyland” of the Bahamas. Where cruise ships dock by the dozens, the T-shirt hawkers are everywhere and massive resorts line the beaches. This is not where I would go for a bonefish specific trip but periodically I here stories of vacationers and locals actually doing fairly well along the beaches. Here is a great guest blog from Guy Jacobson of Washington State who took his family to New Providence for a family holiday over Christmas. Proving once again, there is nothing wrong with putting your fly rod in one of the suitcases when heading to the tropics for a family vacation. “Hi Rod, Just wanted to say thanks for the excellent info from your website. It really helped, both with trip planning and fishing. When it really mattered I was prepared when a very unexpected opportunity presented itself on Yamacraw Beach on SE New Providence. This DIY bonefish was icing on the cake for what was intended as a mostly kid-centered, splash-and-giggle family vacation. I figured the “real” fishing was done after getting back to Nassau from a 3-day side trip to Eleuthera with just my son and daughter (who are decidedly more outdoorsy than my wife and her 3 girls). The research I had done on fishing New Providence didn’t leave me hopeful for catching anything other than some small jacks or needlefish off the public beach a short walk from our rented house south of Nassau. At least without the assistance of a guide. And yet, on Christmas afternoon with the tide going out, I spotted 3 sizeable bones. Through sheer luck, or a massive accumulation of fish karma, (probably both) I managed to hook two of them. Seeing the first bonefish only 10 feet off the beach rooting in wave-stirred sand seemed too good to be true and it took a few seconds to sink in that I actually had a shot. And not just at catching a bonefish, but a respectable one at that. Somehow it didn’t spook, and I fired a quick cast with an epoxy crab – once reality finally set in. The next thing I know 50 yards of my backing is gone and the fish is off due to a straightened hook. Thinking that was my one shot (and happy at that) I continued walking down the beach to meet my wife and girls who were just setting their towels on the sand – when I spotted a 2nd larger bone. Unfortunately, my lingering disbelief at the presence of good-sized bones kept me out of full stealth mode, and it spooked before I could pull my head out of my posterior. The girls did a good job of feigning interest while I yammered on with my slimy fish story. Then tied on another crab pattern (with a heavier hook) and walked the beach again. This time much more carefully in full-on Elmer Fudd wabbit hunting mode (at one point I saw the girls snickering at me out of the corner of my eye). Halfway back down the beach, I spotted the third fish in roughly the same area as the second. A nice 2′ deep, semi-sheltered sandy flat protected by a limestone shelf a 100′ or so off the beach. Initially, I thought I spooked it too as it was moving slowly away at a right angle to the beach. Fortunately that put me in it’s blind spot so I laid out a quick cast in front, and to the side, of where the fish was moving. The fish passed the fly as it was sinking, then with one short strip it did an immediate 180. On the second strip I could feel a slight resistance, but just barely since the fish was moving straight towards me at that point – and waited a very long second for it to turn. Just as it did, I gave one solid strip-set and it was game on. Several blistering runs later I was holding one of my best Christmas presents ever.” Thanks for a great story Guy. I look forward to hearing from other subscribers who may have had some luck on New Providence.
↧