Andros South January th 2011

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Arron Derek Stanley
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Andros South January 22-29 th 2011 To get to the lodge, we fly from Denver to Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday, typically through

Once we arrive in Nassau and clear customs, we take a puddle jumper from there to South Andros where the Lodge will have a

At South Andros, each angler gets his or her own single occupancy room which is actually quite nice.

conditioning and bathrooms with showers. All food and drinks are included in the price of the trip, and this includes alcohol.

1 Andros South January th 2011 To get to the lodge, we fly from Denver to Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday, typically through Atlanta or Charlotte. Once we arrive in Nassau and clear customs, we take a puddle jumper from there to South Andros where the Lodge will have a van waiting for us. About a half hour drive from the airport we'll arrive at the Lodge and get settled in our rooms. At South Andros, each angler gets his or her own single occupancy room which is actually quite nice. South Andros is not the fanciest lodge I have ever been to, but the rooms are comfortable and well appointed with air conditioning and bathrooms with showers. All food and drinks are included in the price of the trip, and this includes alcohol. There is a little tiki hut they have set up on the beach called the "Slack Tide" where we all hang out in the evenings for drinks and appetizers. Meals are usually Americanized fare with a Bahamas flair. Pork Roast, Conch, Broiled fish and the like are a typical dinner.

Each morning you'll be awakened with a knock on your door, and then you can roll over to the kitchen and get a cup of coffee and some breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit are typical.

Grab a few drinks and beers from the fridge and load them in the guides cooler for the day and you are ready to head down to the dock.

2 Each morning you'll be awakened with a knock on your door, and then you can roll over to the kitchen and get a cup of coffee and some breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit are typical. The lodge will have a variety of lunch meats and bread, condiments fruit etc. set out for you to prepare your own lunch, so you can make as much or as little as you like. Grab a few drinks and beers from the fridge and load them in the guides cooler for the day and you are ready to head down to the dock. The fishing day starts at about 8 am each day with a short van ride to the boat dock. The guides will be waiting and after a few minutes to load up your gear for the day, you'll be off for your day of fishing. Andros has the biggest flats I have ever seen, and last year I fished one that spanned to the horizon. Seriously, it was hard packed white sand and went on for miles. The bonefish run in the 2-10 pound category with an average fish of about an honest three pounds. There are schools of fish, singles, doubles and small groups, so finding the right fit and challenge level is easy.

3 The wading is usually quite good and the light color of the flats makes the fish easier to see than many other places I have been. You can also fish from the boat, particularly when covering a large flat or fishing slightly deeper water. I find that I can see the fish better from the boat myself. Given my short stature, wading doesn't give me the height advantage I like for spotting fish. The guides are all pretty good, and I caught plenty of fish with all of them. I have fished with Josie, Torrey, Sparkles, Norman, and Ellie. I have heard good things about the other guides but have not yet had a chance to fish with all of them. Josie is an older guide, and is great fun to fish with once you get him to loosen up a bit. He knows all there is to know about the bonefishing down there. He has a dry sense of humor and really keeps you on your toes. Torrey is a younger hot shot guide who prides himself on getting his anglers into fish. He talks big and produces big too, so it's always a fun day to hear him boast about all the fish you'll catch. Norman, Sparkles and Ellie are quieter and have no trouble finding the fish. The maze of flats down there amazes me and each of these guides have their own favorite spots. Andros is a mostly bonefish destination, particularly in January. While there are plenty of barracuda to be caught, we've seen nothing in the way of permit or tarpon on the three trips we have made down there. A typical day of fishing would produce between three (very low) and 15 bones landed, and I think I probably averaged about 8 or so per day in the 2-4+ pound category. The Boga Grip scales make lying about the fish size much harder these days and I mention this because everyone seemed to think the four and a half pounder I caught was closer to seven or eight. Either way it was a damn nice fish and one I would be happy to catch anytime.

Eight or nine weight rods and reels with floating lines are really all you'll need for the bonefish, but we usually bring a ten weight rigged up for trolling cuda flies on the way between flats.

They really crush the top water plugs and the takes can be spectacular. The flies we used were basically variations of the Gotcha, in tans and browns with a bit of orange thrown in here and there.

4 Eight or nine weight rods and reels with floating lines are really all you'll need for the bonefish, but we usually bring a ten weight rigged up for trolling cuda flies on the way between flats. The lodge has some heavy spinning rods available as well and we found it great fun to chuck big plugs at the barracuda when they presented themselves. They really crush the top water plugs and the takes can be spectacular. The flies we used were basically variations of the Gotcha, in tans and browns with a bit of orange thrown in here and there. Size 2 seemed about right although some of the guys used fours as well with good results. I would venture to say any fly in tan color with a bit of length to it would catch these fish. They really didn't seem picky about the fly, just the presentation. The cost for the week at Andros is $3950 and as I mentioned, includes all meals, drinks and liquor, lodging and guided fishing each day (two anglers per boat). What is not included in the price of the trip are tips for the guides (about dollars a day, really up to you), tips for the housekeepers and kitchen girls (about for the week) and the cost of your airline ticket. The flight from Denver to Nassau is currently running about $475 round trip, and Nassau to Andros round trip is about $150. We will get that all booked once we know how many folks we have lined up. Please don't hesitate to give me a shout if I can answer any more questions or shed any light on anything. This trip is great fun, scheduled at the best time of year for the bigger bones to be on the shallow flats. We have always had a great time and just typing this out has got me all excited about it. I never thought I would say this in October, but now I can't wait for January!

5 Charlie s Fly Box 7513 Grandview Avenue Arvada, Colorado Charlie@charliesflyboxinc.com

We will be hosting a trip to Andros South on Feb 6 th

We will be hosting a trip to Andros South on Feb 6 th 13 2010 Package options include staying for the full week or staying for a 3 day /4 night which can be done at the beginning or middle of the week