Bonefish and Brook Trout

[Slipstream]

How many times in your life have you caught a bonefish and southern appalachian brook trout in the same week? In my 50 years, that would be once. Last week.

When the local weather gets hot and the streams get low, it's time to get out of town. That's what the wife and I did. Off to Andros. The weather is quite a bit cooler (mid '80's). It's off season there. Fishing lodges are closed, and the local guides are happy to have a client.

The scenery ain't bad.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2461.jpg

My wife enjoys the rigorous schedule.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2332.jpg

The fishing's not too bad either...

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2163.jpg

My wife manages to catch most of the good fish.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2258.jpg

Occasionally I get lucky too.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2443.jpg

My new nickname is butter fingers....

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2436.jpg

When we quit fishing each day, we head down to the local conch shack for some self-serve Kalik beers.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF2414.jpg

After two weeks, the island was running low on beer, so we headed back to the smokies for the weekend. I checked the fishing report and saw water levels were good. Saturday morning saw me on my favorite stream.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF8498.jpg

The first hour was very slow, but at 9 am someone rang the dinner bell and the rainbows starting taking the beadhead...

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF8502.jpg


http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/DSCF8501.jpg

On Sunday, I thought I'd go back for a return visit, but found that overnight showers had turned the stream into ovaltine. I changed watersheds and went to a small jump-across brookie haunt. Sorry about the shaky pic - kalik withdrawal.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/robfreeman_photos/brookie.jpg

I only brought a couple to hand, but it allowed me to complete my first ever brookie-bonefish slam. Can't say which one was more fun to catch. Guess I'll need to try it again next year.

[David Knapp]

Epic trip report!!! Not a bad way to spend a week or two... :cool:

[kentuckytroutbum]

Nice bones for both of you. And the trout are not bad either.
Thanks for posting.

Bill

[Corbo]

Did you guys stay at a "resort" sort of place or rent a shack and then hire your own guides or do a "package deal" kind of thing?

In THIS economy Bones are not in my budget anymore; particularly those on the Paris Flat at Christmas Island so if there is a way to do bones on a budget I would be interested in learning more on how to do it.

Summer is an awesome time to go to "the tropics" for all the reasons you describe; usually cooler with a nice breeze, less crowded flat, guides grateful & wanting work and enthusiastic when the sport can actually cast well and bones that haven't seen a Crazy Charlie in a while.

Two weeks? Wicked!

[Slipstream]

We stayed in 3 different places on Andros. We rent a room, generally with a meal package and book a guide independently, usually for half days. It's hot in summer and the fish leave the flats after lunch. You can get a nice clean air conditioned room on Andros for about $125 a day and a meal plan for $50 per person in summer. Of course you can spend a lot more too. We generally mix it up and stay economy for a few days and splurge a few. Half day guiding costs $250 a day. We usually fish every other day while we are there. Stephen Vletas's book is a great resource on places to stay and visit. All in all, even with a guide it's not much more expensive than going to the beach here in the USA. The guide will increase your chances of success dramatically, although there's satisfaction in finding and hooking a fish on your own.

DIY bonefishing is a hot topic right now and there are outfitters that put together budget trips for walk and wade. These can be totally on your own or assisted, meaning they drop you off from a boat or car, or give you a kayak. Eleuthera, Long Island, and Acklins all have these trips. These islands have more accessible walk/wade type flats than Andros. Just google DIY bonefishing. If I were doing this type of trip, I'd look real hard at Acklins.

[Corbo]

Thanks! I have done Christmas Island (nearly on the Equator) in early August before and found it fished very well all day long for bones, trevally and humongous tuna but it's frightfully expensive to get there from here (must pass through Oahu & special flight to the Island). A week fishing for two people is crazy expensive and of course the food sucks big time..... unless you like canned meat full of nasty grizzly stuff or Octupus with curry sauce.

I seriously enjoyed the pictures of your bones.

[yonder]

group trip????????????? just asking.................:smile: