A fishing buddy of mine recently returned from Great Inagua where by the sounds of it he and his group had a wonderful trip while staying at Henry Hugh’s Inagua Outback Lodge. Great Inagua holds a special place in my heart and is one those spots you should put on the “Bucket List”. Let’s let Dave Eaton tell us all about his trip. “We just returned from an epic week of DIY bonefishing on Great Inagua where we had good weather, great food and fine accommodations. We booked our trip through Vince Tobia of Cattaraugus Creek Outfitters and stayed at Inagua Outback Lodge. My companions on this trip were three, experienced Bow River guides, accomplished anglers and a pleasure to fish with. We fished hard, walked long and had a great time. Inagua Outback Lodge is run by Henry Hugh. Henry was a fabulous host, eager to do whatever he could to ensure that we had a great time. Finding something good to eat on was never a problem. Henry served up hardy helpings of fresh Grouper, Snapper, pork ribs, lamb and of course the ubiquitous Conch, with sides of potatoes or rice and fresh veggies and Henry’s Conch was superior to anything we have found in Nassau. Henry was up with us early in the morning, serving up a hot breakfast, and he stayed late to socialize with us at night. He also came swiftly to the rescue when two of our group got the Bronco stuck in sand near Lighthouse Flat. Your book “DIY Bonefishing” was most helpful when we actually slowed down enough to thoroughly digest and absorb the contents. We failed to fully heed your advice for the first couple of days and paid the price by walking very far, on some extremely empty flats. Henry Hugh was also a very valuable source of accurate information on when and where to fish. The second day two of us made the trip by kayak to Henry’s Creek, a vast and stunningly beautiful creek system just east of Outback Lodge. The bonefishing was spectacular, so much so that at times it was almost too easy. Later in the week all four of us caught a ride in Henry’s boat and paid the creek a return visit. If anything the fishing was even better and the area of fishable flats within the creek is so vast that I only twice that day did I catch a far off glimpse of one of my companions. On other days we also experienced some tough fishing conditions, with spooky Bones who seemed to have extensive knowledge of the two legged creatures that wave skinny sticks. It was just enough to keep us humble when we might have started to think we knew it all. We learned new things about Bonefish behavior and successfully adapted our approach to deal with unfamiliar challenges, contributing to a satisfying sense of accomplishment. On the evening of our fourth day I stopped at Palm Tree Flat. The tide was low and rising and the wind was down. A flash of fins, illuminated by the low angle sun, drew me out to a sandbar, several hundred yards off the beach, where I soon found myself completely surrounded by groups of tailing Bones. The failing light made them bold and I hardly moved as group after group of them fed towards me, frequently standing on their heads and wagging their tails in the air like a pack of happy dogs. Enticing one of these Bonefish to take was not much of a challenge and even when a fish raced through his companions, blowing them up, another school moved into range by the time I released it. This continued unabated for a couple of hours until darkness drew a curtain over the spectacle and I was forced to reluctantly retreat back to the beach. The pumps that maintain the water in Lake Rosa had been off for two weeks prior to our week on GI, only returning to full function on the day after we arrived. As a result the water was lower and warmer than usual, which made the Tarpon quite sluggish and uncooperative. Nevertheless over the course of our stay we all managed to catch some Tarpon, along with too many Ladyfish, some enormous Cudas, Triggerfish and Boxfish. Thanks again for your sage advice.” Thanks Dave.
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