The sun was rising over Big Harbour Cay. The luxuriant light gave the water a pinkish tinge that slowly morphed to a brighter reddish-orange. The young mangrove shoots just offshore were bathed in the sweet light and the coconut palms in the foreground burst with color. I ve always been a morning person, and today, like so many, many days before, I m glad I am. This little part of the world on the East End of Grand Bahama Island came alive with the erubescent sun. And as the crepuscular critters softly ceased their serenade, the tide would begin to ebb, schools of bonefish would come out of the mangroves, and I was ready to meet another day in paradise. After a glorious day of bonefishing in the 250 square miles of near-pristine saltwater mangrove flats that comprise the Deep Water Cay, like many bonefish lodges around the world, participates in fish-tagging programs for the Florida-based Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. (Photo courtesy of Deep Water Cay) The Iconic Deep Water Cay Grand Bahama Island Story and Photos by King Montgomery
Florida Keys angling guide Harp Heffernan casts to a bonefish directed by guide Meko Glinton and encouraged by fellow angler Jim Nix of Falls Church, Virginia. eastern part of Grand Bahama Island (GBI), I paused again to gaze out as the setting sun slipped slowly and magnificently beneath the watery horizon. Pinks, then reds appeared in the sky in almost the reverse order of this morning s spectacle. And the now-fiery water darkened as the twilight creatures again took up their stations and tuned up for their symphony at the gloaming. Indeed, the whole scene this day, from start to finish, truly was a theophany. There are many days like this all across the cathedral of the Caribbean saltwater flats with the sky for a ceiling, mangroves for walls, clear, warm, shallow water for a floor, and many bonefish for a congregation. Where the Big Fish Play And so it is at the Deep Water Cay (DWC), a bonefishing destination since the late 1950s. Under new ownership, this luxurious, Orvis-endorsed lodge recently completed phase two of several million dollars of renovations and construction giving the place serious surgery. Everything here is 10 The Virginia Sportsman June/July 2014 first class except the price, which is similar to other, less nice, bonefish establishments in the Bahamas archipelago. This is one of those very rare places where you actually get more than you pay for. Several episodes of the Outdoor Channel TV show Buccaneers and Bones were filmed here with luminaries as Lefty Kreh, Tom Brokaw, actor Michael Keaton Patagonia s Yvon Chouinard, and Dr. Bill Klyn from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Kreh, who first fished here with A. J. McClane in the late 1960s or early 1970s, remembers the
excellent bonefishing and that the fish were larger on average than elsewhere in the Bahamas. Lefty would fish here now and then over the years. He was very pleasantly surprised when he returned in 2011 and in 2012. Deep Water Cay has grown up from a very rustic fishing camp to a boutique, full-service resort where fishing still rules, but there are many other options for entertainment as well. In particular, the new diving programs include professional dive instruction and certification beginning in the infinity pool and culminating in local dives at various depths. Other water outings available include snorkeling, paddle boarding, sailing and kayaking. When I last visited Deep Water Cay two years ago, there was extensive construction just east of the main lodge and across the water in nearby Mcleans Town. Today, these phase-two projects are completed. The Mcleans Town marina and boat storage facility is the departure point for the private water taxi for the less than five-minute boat ride to the private cay; and the new guest house is open for business expanding the resort s capacity without crowding things. All the other resort facilities have been renovated and the private macadam airstrip is always well-maintained making Deep Water Cay a premier destination in the Bahamas archipelago. There are a number of lots where folks are building second homes, and soon new real-estate opportunities will be available including beach/waterfront lots. Even with the building efforts, the cay remains wild and scenic, and is a testament to the beauty that sand and mangroves lend. This nice blue runner, a spunky jack, smacked the fly. The Meko Special lodged in the jaw of this bonefish is tied by Deep Water Cay guide Meko Glinton. This and other traditional flats flies will take plenty of bones and the occasional permit. The Engaging Flats Mangrove flats always have held a revered place in my heart. Peering into their shallow, clear and fertile waters from the front-casting deck of the boat is as if you were floating suspended over a giant aquarium. Mangroves are an incredibly adaptable plant, usually growing in shrub or small tree form. Not only are they one of the few plants that grow in saltwater; they also thrive in wild swings of salinity, and can stay high and dry exposed to the sun for long periods. One of the mangrove s greatest characteristics is that bonefish 11 The Virginia Sportsman June/July 2014 love them. Mangroves serve as anchor spots for a number of marine organisms; these small creatures draw larger animals, including fishes and crustaceans that, in turn, are eaten by larger fishes including
Lefty Kreh, Tom Brokaw, Michael Keaton and other luminaries slept in these cabins. As the tide withdraws, the bonefish move with it out of the mangroves. It pays to stake out some of the known mangrove exit routes to intercept the fish as they swim into deeper water. Good guides, and the lads at Deep Water Cay are superb, know many of these spots and can put you onto fish as they depart the mangroves. At slack low and in the first few hours of the incoming tide, the bonefish will seek water that is comfortable for their needs. This could be shallow water less than three or four feet deep, or deeper to seven or eight feet or more. The shallower fish can be spotted and sight-fishing is possible. If the bones are feeding in deeper water, the moving school creates a mud, visible to the observant angler and seldom missed by a good guide. Blind-fishing these muds for bonefish is frowned on by purists because you are not casting to a visible fish. I normally don t fish muds either, unless the guide and I want fish to tag and release to support the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust program. I believe, however, that fish in the muds are a valid target for beginners to get the feel of the bite and the fight of these noble creatures. I call them bonefish with training wheels and see nothing inherently wrong with catching them if you wish. Other Fishing Patterns The fish act differently in places 12 The Virginia Sportsman June/July 2014
where mangroves are not a factor, but the fish still move and feed with the tide only in different places. On the east side of Grand Bahama Island mainland and on many of the cays, there are a number of sandy beaches, some that extend for miles. High tide often finds some fish tailing along the beach-water interface. Waves here are virtually nonexistent except during storms so this is a good place to feed. Here is where flies with little or no weight are best. I ve heard that San Juan Worms tied on size 2 to 6 hooks sometimes will take these shallow fish, but haven t tried them yet. The bones follow along with the outgoing tide, often feeding as they go. They will cruise along, either feeding or just going from here to there. Even while just transiting bonefish will take a wellpresented fly. If a poor presentation makes the fish skittish but not spooked, it s best just to move on because they won t eat your fly. Folks often ask me when is the best time to go bonefishing, and my initial answer always is whenever you can. Bonefish are caught year-round on GBI and the other Bahamian islands. And they are taken during all stages of the moon and the tides. But if I could pick optimal conditions, it would be in April/May and October/November during a quarter to a new moon, and on the last several hours of an outgoing and the first few hours of an incoming tide. On GBI, particularly in the tangle of cays on the East End, the tide progresses at different rates, and many good spots are in range of Deep Water Cay s slick Hell s Bay flats boats. You literally can chase the tide for excellent bonefishing. Regardless of the time of year or stage of the tide, the most important condition that guarantees plenty of bonefish action is consistency in the weather. Marine organisms that inhabit the saltwater flats don t like changes in the weather, particularly with shifts in barometric pressure and extended periods of rain. In addition to a zillion bonefish, the waters of GBI have tarpon, permit, barracuda, and plenty of sharks. Various snappers and groupers also are available. DWCC offers reef-fishing trips and offshore outings for billfish, wahoo, and other offshore species. Deep Water Cay s accommodations are upscale and comfortable with all the amenities of home. The meals in the lodge make a gourmand smile, and the wine selection is excellent. Your lunch on board your Hell s Bay skiff is prepared according to the choice of fare you selected the evening before while having a cool Kalik or dirty Grey Goose martini at the bar. The cay is romantic too, so bring along your non-angling partner. There aren t many places where you can fish, swim, dive, sail, relax, have a message, eat 13 The Virginia Sportsman June/July 2014
good food, do nothing or do just about whatever you wish; and be treated to a colorful sunrise and a dramatic sunset all by just turning around at different times of the day. For further information, contact Deep Water Cay at 1-888-420-6202 or visit www.deepwatercay.com. For information on land and building options, contact RealEstate@DeepWaterCay.com. King Montgomery is a well-known outdoors and travel writer-photographer who recently moved from Burke, Virginia, to Kennebunkport, Maine. Contact him at kingangler1@aol.com. The Virginia Sportsman A State of Mind A Way of Life Subscribe online $9.95-1 year (6 issues) $18-2 years (12 issues) 14 The Virginia Sportsman June/July 2014