IAN & TOM | BAHAMAS REPORT
Greetings from the Bahamas! Between the Marlborough, MA and Somerset, NJ Fly Fishing Shows, Tom Melvin and Ian Davis explored Grand Bahama Island. The concept was to escape the Montana cold for the Bahamas, but on the contrary, a brief cold front rolled through the Caribbean fisheries. For Ian and Tom who hale from Montana it was balmy, but for locals, it was on the cusp of freezing. The bonefish did not seem to mind.
The boys woke up to crystal clear blue skies after a night of rain, and the bones were invading the inland flats without hesitation. Water temperatures were slow to rise, but when the fish came on the flats, it was an absolute feeding frenzy. The guides at East End understand the fishery better than anyone in the area and knew exactly where to go. Ian and Tom waded the flats in the morning and fished from the boat in the afternoon with the world-renowned East End guides, and their reputation lived up and by far exceeded our lofty expectations. Cecil Leadon, Simion Higgs, Perry Demeritt and Walter Reckley are the absolute best in the business and each hold experience in excess of twenty years. Visibility was outstanding, and the fish preferred the Cecil Special, Doug McKnight Crimp (Doug is our in-house fly tyer and Bahamas Program Manager), our trusty gotcha clousers, and smaller, standby Mantis Shrimp patterns. The guides at East End are wonderful educators, making this the ideal destination for experienced and novice anglers alike.
East End Lodge is a comfortable destination for those seeking a fishing-focused lodge experience on the eastern horn of Grand Bahama Island. The vast bight system (literally, East End’s backyard) is an angler’s playground, with over 250 square-miles of fishable flats and bight systems. With East End’s opportune location, anglers may fish optimal tides throughout the day, utilizing the numerous bight systems and wind protection throughout the fishery. This means that the guides can always position you in prime tides no matter the moon phase, time of year, or wind direction. These inland flats allow for maximum protection from the winds, in turn making for one of the most stable and vast fisheries in the entire country.
With its close vicinity to Freeport, East End Lodge offers hassle-free access for travelers connecting from Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Palm Beach airports. The accessibility makes this destination perfect for an overnight trip, weekend get-a-way or longer stay package. East End Lodge has quickly become one of the most sought-after trips in our entire Yellow Dog line-up, so much so that availability is extremely limited. We suggest you book this trip far in advance. Great guides, wonderful staff, comfortable accommodations, and outstanding food make East End a bucket list for the hardcore angler seeking an accessible, economical option for the Bahamas.
