BAIR'S LODGE
The Fishing
The fishing on
Andros has long been synonymous with the biggest bonefish in the Caribbean. The South and
more particularly, West of the Island have built the reputation as the place to try for a trophy fish of ten pounds or more.
The flats in Andros are some of the largest and most varied in the world, offering both
opportunities to wade or fish from the boat, in the ocean flats or creeks and bights. Some are lined or dotted with mangroves for extra challenge while other flats are wide open white sand. This
incredible choice of classic bone-fishing environments, as well as the numbers and size of the
bonefish is what makes South Andros so productive.
Bair's Lodge, famed for its access to the vast and largely under-fished flats of the South and West, is strategically situated between the South Bight and Water Cayes, near Little Creek. This location gives our guests easy access to the flats of the South, while providing many sheltered locations irrespective of wind direction, within the interior of the Island. In addition, from Bair's Lodge, guests have the opportunity to try for occasional Permit, Tarpon and Snook, as well as offshore and reef species such as Wahoo, Tuna, Dorado,(Seasonal Billfish), Snapper, Barracuda and Grouper. fishing areas
Every morning, you step out of the lodge into a boat, and can be fishing within a few minutes, or
you can choose to ride further a-field to explore the more remote, pristine white sand flats
Andros is famous for.
Deep Creek and Little Creek a few minutes run from the lodge, open into large bay areas dotted
with many small cayes, where there are always flats that offer protection from the wind. Both
creeks allow access to the fabled West Side and other remote cayes to the South and South-
West that may provide lucky anglers with the possibility of trying for Permit and Tarpon to
complete the famous "Grand Slam." The Southern flats are home to some of the largest
schools of bonefish. Grassy Creek is a 40 min boat ride from the lodge. Weather permitting
you can ride on to Hawksbill Creek and onto Cistern Point. This area sees little fishing
pressure and is regarded as the place to come for numbers of fish. The flats stretch as far as
the eye can see and wading next to these huge schools is the experience of a lifetime.
fishing techniques
The average flat depth, whether you're wading or poling, ranges from 12"-30". In this depth, a Gotcha or Shrimp pattern with medium sized bead chain eyes should provide close to the perfect sink rate without overweighing the fly (and potentially spooking the fish). A good rule of thumb is your fly should reach the bottom in about 3 seconds. If you find your fly is not getting to the bottom, you should switch to a fly with lead eyes or add a few wraps of lead wire to the eye of the fly. The angler who is willing to fish deeper flats will often be rewarded with the largest bonefish. Big bonefish prefer the protection of deeper flats or shallow flats close to deep water. When you're fishing water 3-4 feet deep, you'll need a fly with lead eyes to get to the bottom quickly. A proven deep water fly is the Clouser minnow and the two best color combinations for bonefish are tan and white and chartreuse and white.
Andros' combination of proximity to the states, tons of bonefish terrain, high numbers and sizes of the fish make it a destination you will never forget. DO it sooner rather than later so you can return again and again.
Our brand-new 16 foot Dolphin flats skiffs acquired in Fall, 2004, accommodate 2 anglers and the guide. They have elevated poling platforms and have a forward casting deck, cushioned seats and rod racks. All of our boats are equipped with a leaning rail and should you require this extra balancing aid please let the lodge managers know on your arrival. Our skiffs are powered by 50HP Mercury engines, which put the boat on plane well, are fast enough to get you to the Southern or Western flats in less than an hour and are light enough not to "bump" the bottom in shallow water. Whilst the hull design on the boats eliminates backache on longer journeys, be sure you have reel covers on all your reels, as they will bounce with the ride out. The guides are equipped with satellite telephones, emergency flares, first aid kits, leatherman tools, IGFA rated 30 lbs Boga grips (for your record bonefish!), life jackets, and a human de hooker!
The Guides: Our guides are the best in Andros and we are proud to have them working with us at the lodge. Between them they have18 years guiding experience at Bair's and have extensive knowledge of S. Andros flats. They are highly professional, hard working, personable, and more than meet the high standards of our operation. Our guides are also commercial fishermen for lobster and conch in the off season, and as such they know these waters inside out. They understand the effect of the tides and know where to go under different weather conditions. They also know the honey holes where a Permit, Snook or Tarpon can be found, and this can be a nice addition to bone-fishing. With their skills as boat handlers, and great eyes developed over years of spotting bonefish, they will put you on fish and give you as much or as little guidance and instruction as you want. Each day your guide will decide where to go, given the weather conditions and guest preference as discussed with the lodge manager. You should express any special preferences to the lodge manager, such as wading versus boat fishing. If you only want to target large individual bones, or if you prefer to fish to large shoals of fish, just let us know. We will work with your guide and try to tailor your day accordingly! Our policy of rotating guides, gives anglers the opportunity to fish with all 3 of these top notch guides. We would be hard-pushed to recommend one over the other!
Off-shore fishing: Reef fishing for snapper, grouper or barracuda as well as ocean fishing for Tuna, Wahoo and dolphin can be arranged for your trip. This can provide a wonderful day off from the flats. Please let us know in advance if you would like us to arrange this.
BAHAMAS!
Bair's Lodge
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Boston MA 02118
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Outside US call: 617-427-4444
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