It's been a week since my trip to Water Cay Bonefish Club on Grand Bahama Island, and part of of the fishing experience there has lead me to a new form of advocacy. I believe it has become essential in all the linear, "crescent- shaped" Bahamian Islands- such as GBI, Abaco, Eleuthera, Cat, Long- that bonefish guides utilize trailered skiffs or preplaced or trucked kayaks to access lee side shorelines in times of sustained frontal or weather cell winds. Unlike Andros, which is a squared-off huge island with loads of creeks, bights, and interior bays to "tuck into" into to avoid high sustained winds, the crescent islands may lack the landmass and shoreline complexity, and hence take a wind pounding, with their opposite lee shoreline as only sanctuary. For instance, last weekend on Grand Bahama Island saw high pressure cell winds after a cold front that sustained at 35 mph from a NNE quadrant. Water Cay Bonefish Club sits on the North side of the island and was taking the winds "right in th teeth."
My feelings about these conditions- and the flexiblility of owner Iram Lewis Jr. and guide Sidney Thomas-formed a fishing strategy to utilize Sidney's trailered skiff to launch and fish the leeside Southern coast beaches- and the bonefish were there in very large numbers! Unless there was the opportunity to trailer the skiff to the lee side, fishing would have been poor as well as slightly hazardous! All bonefish camps and lodges are stationary, but they can diminish their windward side vulnerablity with trailers and trucked 'yaks. For instance, many of the bonefish guides in Marsh Harbor, Abaco stay permenently portable and have their skiffs on a trailer in their backyards intead of stuck in the water. This way, they are free to fish either side of Abaco in times of high sustained winds. This gives their arriving anglers more fishing time, and less vulnerablility to windy conditions.
Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com
No comments:
Post a Comment