Back From Deadman's Cay, Long Island

I've just returned from fishing with Captain Samuel Knowles of Deadman's Cay Bonefish Adventures on the fabulous salinas, transitional, and ocean flats of west central Long Island in the Bahamas. I am excited to report that photographer Art Blank of Right Angling Images and I have logged an all-time high of over 120 bonefish releases in our three days of fishing there. One of my fish was the largest of the group, and it topped six pounds. In addition, I experienced mutton snapper schools on the outside flats that were staggering to behold! I watched as a school of about twenty five fish- some topping twenty pounds- fought to grab my yellow- orange 1/8 ounce Spro baby bucktail. I caught one fish out of this school that took us over the flats for twenty minutes in a see-saw fight that ended in the fifteen pounder being bested by me and boated for the table. In addition, we caught loads of big mangrove snapper, jacks, and nassau grouper to eighteen pounds in the channels right next to the flats.

Meals served at our lodge- Smith and Wells- consisted of conch, chicken, grouper, rice, peas, and lots of ice -cold Kalik! The value of these trips is astounding, and Sam Knowles, Wayde Smith and their guides Frank and Jerry Cartwright stand ready to give you the fishing trip of a lifetime! Their website is www.deadmansbones.com/ I'll be writing about this trip extensively in the next few months.

Jan