Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of fishing a lot of destinations in the Bahamas. The fact that it’s so close to Florida coupled with its vast schools of my favorite catch on the fly, bonefish, make it hands down my choice destination. Despite all those opportunities I had never fished what is widely known as the birthplace of bonefishing, the middle bight of Andros Island.
Arguably one of the richest flats fishing locations for bonefish on Earth, the middle bight of Andros holds vast opportunities. I had my first experience there the third week in March when I visited the Bering Point Settlement and Frankie’s Two Boys Inn. I first heard of the lodge from Robert Fischer, a Tampa native and a longtime member of the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club. Years ago, Fischer and I fished South Andros, so when I heard he was a veteran of the area and lodge I reached out to him. I wanted to explore that area and, in the process, experience the place where I planned to introduce some friends new to fly fishing to the thrill of bonefishing. In the process of organizing the trip, another new fly-fishing friend, Andy Grosso of Sarasota, signed on as did Fischer and Tony Piazza, a member of the Suncoast Fly Fishers in St Petersburg.
We met at the Tampa International Airport on a Wednesday morning for a flight to Nassau and then to Andros Town. There we were met by a taxi for a 45-minute drive to the lodge on Bering Point. After settling into our rooms, we all met in the lodge’s great room for libations and snacks. The morning began early with coffee at 6 a.m. and breakfast at 7 a.m. As soon as breakfast was complete, anglers made and boxed their choice of sandwiches, chips and fruit, assembled tackle and walked across the street to the lodge’s dock on Cargill Creek. The day’s fishing started at or before 8 a.m. and finished with lines out at 3 p.m. While 3 p.m. sounded a bit early to finish, after experiencing the short run to fishable water, it became clear that the actual fishing time was probably longer here.
Weather and wind were challenging six of the seven days we fished, something I had become accustomed to (well, almost) fishing the Bahamas. Despite the weather and the wind, everyone caught fish including the two anglers fairly new to the sport. Actually, they bested the “old salts.” On the first day, Grosso and I fished the east side of the island with Calvin Bowe and had shots at schools of fish on the flats and at a creek mouth near the lodge. The shots we had were plagued by clouds and wind but we still managed to land, break off and make presentations to numerous bonefish. Our second day was tough as well but we got a wonderful introduction from owner and head guide Frankie Neymour to the vast and unbelievably beautiful middle bight through all-too-infrequent windows in the clouds. When the sun did break through, it revealed a kaleidoscope of varied and eye-popping colorful flats laced with deep azure channels.
The weather improved over subsequent days and the fishing did as well, with everyone at the lodge catching bonefish. I caught my first-ever mutton snapper on fly the third day and Grosso caught one the following day that fed everyone at the lodge. On the fourth day when the weather broke and the sun shined all day, I caught five fish before lunch. Two days after we arrived at the lodge thee more anglers came including an old friend of mine and one that had connections with Grosso. While the fishing and weather were challenging, the camaraderie was excellent and we all looked forward to sharing stories from the flats as well as some very funny jokes at the end of each day. While fishing is the main focus of any trip, the time spent with other passionate anglers really enhances the experience.
I’ll have to admit this was one of the most challenging bonefish trips I’ve ever taken, but also one of the most memorable. The fishing was tough, a combination of weather and the fact that bonefish don’t flood the flats in as great a number during the mercurial change from winter to spring. I was so impressed with the experience as a whole and accounts of fishing there in the late spring and fall that I booked space for six anglers this coming November. Frankie Neymour and his wife, Melinda, run a tight ship and the locals were friendly and accommodating. I can highly recommend this reasonably-priced experience that is sure to please even the most discriminating angler as well as anyone new to or wanting to experience bonefishing. To inquire about availability and book a trip, contact Melinda Neymour at Frankie’s Two Boys Inn at 242-375-2054 or visit their website at www.twoboysinn.com.
