Posted on March 02 2010
Photo: Chris Miller
February started off on a good note as Tom Sharkey and Jim Connell were staying with us for another 7 days!
More merriment and good laughs would be on the horizon for the week to come. Joining Tom and Jim was the group from Anglers All out of Denver, Co. Gary Thompson (owner) met up with his brother Bruce from Baltimore, and a favorite of ours Hal Leavell from Wyoming. We were fortunate to meet Gary and Hal last year at BC West and we were thrilled to see that they were on the roster for the week. Finishing off the guest list was Bill Plankey from Hamden, CT.
The weather was clear with light to moderate winds, allowing the anglers to head south and west during the week. As per previous visits to Andros South, Tom and Jim shifted gears from bonefishing to hunting down the Cudas for a couple of days. With Norman’s expertise they were able to catch enough Cuda to feed many in Little Creek. Bill Plankey had a great week fishing and also had a close encounter with a huge Hammerhead shark. As the week drew to a close old man winter was kicking things up in the Mideast and giving our guests some concern for their travel arrangements home.
Our second week of February started off the beginning of a series of three day trips starting with Paul Jacobs from Reel Action Fly Fishing. Joining Paul were Roger Gentry, Don Gipson, Norm McDougal, Tom Sutherland and Chuck McAtee. This was a great group of guys, all from the Grocery Industry, so the chatter at the Slack Tide and the dining room was very interesting to our Relief Manager Belinda who is also the Chef at BC West. The weather was nice for their stay with us and with the help of our awesome guides the anglers had some great days of fishing out on the flats. The highlight of the trip was watching the Superbowl at Little Creek Pub where the anglers had as much fun watching the game as they did experiencing grilled barracuda and all the other flavours of the Bahamas.
The next 3 day trip we welcomed back the Green Drake group which included Stewart Gordon, Wes McCracken, John Dwiggins, Larry Kinnemen, Rick Wesley and Jeff White. Our first impression of this group was Rick coming off the bus and introducing himself as Captain Magnifico and we were sure that great things were to unfold. Also joining this group was John Smith from Scotland. Seeing how John had the boat to himself we took advantage and let Vado have a day away from the camp and assist with introducing John to all the ins and outs of bonefishing. The weather and fishing was finicky at times, but the guests persisted and some great fish were caught. After dinner the guests retreated back to the Tiki Bar where good cigars were enjoyed and many stories were shared well into the evening.
The third week of February John Smith was still with us and we were waiting for one more angler to join us. Phin Maxson from Chicago was to arrive Saturday but due to bizarre travel circumstances we wouldn’t get to meet Phin until late Sunday afternoon and still his bags had yet to arrive. We outfitted Phin in Rick’s gear and off he and John went to hunt for the bones mon!
The first day the anglers were quite successful and the guys had a great time out on the flats with Charlie. The weather started to get a bit iffy and put a damper on the fishing, but the anglers persisted. Mid week we were joined by Rob Domico from Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters who brought some of his fly shop friends down to join us, They were stoked at the sight and feel of bonefish at the end of their lines. We were happy to have return guests John Jarosz and Ed Roberts and we welcomed first timers Nick and Matt Canter and Bill Stienmiller. A pretty stiff breeze from the North started to hamper the fishing for the rest of the week and it was too chilly to spend much time out at the Tiki Hut. The guys looked like they were headed out steelhead fishing due to all the clothes they had to wear. Fortunately the guests kept a great attitude through it all. We hope to see you guys again and this time we’ll try to work on the weather.
The last week of February we welcomed back to Andros South Pete Durno, Bill Colehower, Bruce Stirling and Tom Hunter. The fellas brought with them John Roberts and Phil Miller, although these anglers were new to our lodge they were not new to fishing for bonefish. John Elmore and his daughter Denali from Anchorage, Alaska were also with us this week. This was John’s second time to visit us, but the first year for his daughter. Denali took the bull by the horns the first day and landed herself her first bonefish.
As well, Bill Cox and his son David were with us for another visit. Bill has been fishing with us for years and it is always great to have families reunite at Andros South and spend the week fishing together. The first day of the trip the weather was pretty good and the anglers had a great day out on the water. Then the weather turned and became unpredictable and we saw a bit of everything. We had it all, but our guides worked hard and gave our guests awesome experiences to sustain them until they can come back and see us again.