Red Bay Sunset Lodge

Accommodations

Comfortable Guest Lodge Rooms // Capacity - 6 Anglers

Season

Year-Round

Species

Primarily Bonefish

Ideal for

Families, Solo Anglers & Friends

Settled on Andros' Famed Northwest Coast

Located a few miles north of the historic sponge settlement of Red Bays on Andros’ famed northwest coast is Benry Smith’s new Red Bay Sunset Lodge. Built in 2018 by Benry himself, this six-person operation specializes in trophy bonefish, resident tarpon, and the occasional large, ocean permit. Benry is the son of Captain Charlie Smith, The Godfather of bonefishing on Andros, and also known as Crazy Charlie. Benry has been in the fly fishing industry since he could walk and tied flies for his father. Yellow Dog has been close friends with the Smith family and Benry for decades.

Lodging Details
Red Bay Sunset Lodge is a small, quaint, family-operated lodge that accommodates six guests in three double-occupancy rooms. Each bedroom has two full-sized beds, reading lamps, AC, a private bathroom, and plenty of storage for your gear. An exterior deck overlooking the flats of the west side connects the bedrooms to the living and dining rooms. The lodge has a fly-tying bench and plenty of comfortable social space. This lodge is totally off the grid, so the freshwater is treated from Andros pure groundwater, and all power comes from the lodge’s generator.

Food and Beverages
Benry and Diane Smith will be your friendly hosts during your stay at Red Bay Sunset Lodge. Breakfast is typically American style cooked to order eggs, meat, and fresh fruit, with plenty of juice, treated water, tea, or coffee. A cooler lunch is provided for your days on the water. You can expect plenty of fresh seafood during the evening meal. Traditional Bahamian dishes are served with pride. Cocktail hour appetizers include conch salad, grouper fingers, conch fritters, chicken wings, or a soup. Fresh conch, crab, lobster, fish, chicken, or pork are the main dishes that are accompanied by a starch and veggie. You will not go hungry at Red Bay Sunset Lodge.

Typical Length of Stay
Trips and packages of any length can be arranged. All trips are completely customized. Call Yellow Dog for details.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
This is a fishing-focused destination with few non-angling options.

Internet / Communications
The lodge and flats have fair cell service for those with an international plan. The lodge has a cell-based wifi connection and DirectTV.

How To Get There
Most travel to Andros Island should route through Nassau International Airport (NAS) due to the frequent flights and reasonable costs. Whether flying into San Andros (Western Air), Andros Town-Fresh Creek (LeAir), there are two flights daily into every small airport on Andros. The first flight is typically early in the morning (approximately 7:00 AM) and the second is usually scheduled for later in the afternoon (approximately 3:30 PM). We always suggest a buffer of at least two hours between all arriving flights and departing connecting flights while in Nassau. Charter flights from Florida to Andros can also be arranged. Contact Yellow Dog for more information.

Arrival and Departure Times / Details
The Lodge’s location in Red Bays is one hour and thirty minutes from Andros Town Airport (ASD), and thirty minutes from San Andros Airport (SAQ). A cab driver will deliver you to the Lodge from either airport. This taxi transfer is not included in the fishing package price.

Documents Required
All U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of trip dates. Please be sure that your passport has at least two blanks, unstamped pages remaining in the back, and that it is not torn, delaminated, or damaged in any way.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes.

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
Andros is the largest island in the Bahamas and is surrounded by pristine saltwater flats. The northwest coast is one of the most unexplored or fished zones of Andros. There are no other fishing lodges close to Red Bay Sunset Lodge. Freshwater drains onto the flats of the west coast from hundreds of island freshwater blue holes. This freshwater acts like a magnet for a variety of saltwater species, including resident tarpon that are accessible any time of year during settled weather. The true target species are large bonefish. The guides pole the vast white, silty bottomed flats that extend from the coast to the Great Bahama Bank many miles offshore. Massive bays and inland lagoons provide unlimited opportunities for both solid numbers of schooling bones or for anglers seeking truly large fish. Seven pounds to double-digit bonefish are common when visibility is good, in addition to plenty of fish in the 3-5 pound range. Benry’s guide staff are excellent instructors, very relaxed, and tons of fun to fish with.

During the warmer months and when the weather is settled, this is one of the most productive permit areas in all of the Bahamas. Large singles and doubles can be fished to with crab and shrimp flies, but occasionally large schools of floating permit can be targeted early in the mornings. These fish are rarely fished for, so if you get a shot it might be the first fly these ocean permit have ever seen!

Resident tarpon cling to the blue holes and creeks since they love fresh water. Larger migratory fish move through the area in the late spring and summer months. These tarpon are aggressive to flies since they rarely see them. While we do not consider Andros to be a permit or tarpon fishery, this operation can produce solid opportunities when the weather cooperates. Specific tides and moon phases can hedge the odds and Yellow Dog can easily get you dialed in.

Since the flats on the west side of Andros consist of mainly soft, silty mud, the flats are temperamental and susceptible to getting stirred up on a rare west wind. It is also difficult to wade fish due to the soft bottom. Fortunately, the Joulters Cays and Mastic Point are a short trailer ride from the lodge and fish well for bones during any weather. These are also the areas for wade fishing enthusiasts since they are both made up of hard white sand flats. The prominent trade winds come from the north and east, making Red Bay Sunset Lodge on the lee side of the island, which is around 20 miles wide in the north. That landmass can knock down the strongest winter winds.

The lodge can accommodate anglers that are new to saltwater or those seeking a remote, trophy fish hunting vacation. Rest assured, you will be very well taken care of during your stay at Red Bay Sunset Lodge.

+ Read a Quick Guide to Fly Fishing Andros

Boats and Equipment
The Red Bay guides run Actioncraft, Maverick, and Dolphin Super Skiffs that all have poling platforms, 75 HP Yamaha engines, rod holders, and plenty of dry storage. Each guide has cell phones, radios, first aid kits, and emergency equipment.

2023 Package Rates
Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are entirely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter. All prices listed below are per person and quoted in US dollars.

Double Occupancy (2 Per Room / 2 Per Boat)7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $5,100.006 Nights / 5 Fishing Days = $4,500.005 Nights / 4 Fishing Days = $3,750.004 Nights / 3 Fishing Days = $2,875.003 Nights / 2 Fishing Days = $2,350.00

Single Occupancy (1 Per Room / 1 Per Boat)7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $8,300.006 Nights / 5 Fishing Days = $7,250.005 Nights / 4 Fishing Days = $6,200.004 Nights / 3 Fishing Days = $5,150.003 Nights / 2 Fishing Days = $3,600.00

What’s Included:

All accommodations at the lodge
Daily guided fishing
All meals while at the lodge
Bottled water and soft drinks
Complimentary house wine with dinner and local beers
Fishing equipment is available for use at no additional charge.
All VAT taxes and resort fees

What’s Not Included:

Air transportation to and from Andros Island
Airport transfers to and from lodge (Taxi)
Flies and terminal tackle
Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
Bahamas fishing license

Red Bays Sunset Bonefishing Lodge (Andros Island, Bahamas)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A non-refundable deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking to hold both space and guides on all Red Bays Lodge packages. For cancellations, all deposits and payments are non-refundable. Because of the lodge’s strict no refund policy, Yellow Dog strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation insurance. Red Bays Lodge will not refund payments in the event of a hurricane or poor weather, and no refund can be made for unused arrangements or fishing time lost due to inclement weather. If a cancelled package is resold by either the lodge or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 per person cancellation fee charged by Yellow Dog Flyfishing. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages. Once again, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for this trip.

Payment Terms For All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings
In order to lock in your trip reservation, we ask that you please remit payment at the time of receipt of invoice. For your convenience, Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a direct and secure ACH platform – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Note that all Yellow Dog invoices include a live link that takes you directly to the Yellow Dog ACH platform for fast and easy payment. For open and existing invoices with a remaining balance, payment reminders also include this easy link to the ACH page.

Other customary forms of payment that are accepted are checks or wire transfers. If you would like to pay in a different way or have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (888) 777-5060 or (406) 585-8667. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Beginning September 1st, 2020, Yellow Dog will apply a 3% convenience fee for all credit card transactions.

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures Standard Forms For Payment

ACH online payments (for US banking institutions only).
Traditional checks (sent via mail)
Electronic wire payments (client is responsible for any wiring fees)

*Please contact us if you prefer or require a different payment option. Convenience fees may apply for other payment methods.

**Please be aware that the ACH platform is only available for US financial institutions and bank accounts. International payments can be made via wire or with a credit card.

“Great people, Great fishing, and Great food = A Great Trip! They only take 6 anglers at Red Bays so the guest experience will always stay at a high level.” – Kurt L.
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“Loved the smaller intimate sized lodge. Loved the ability to fish different tides on each side of the island. The area may be the best of Andros. Benry and Diane are gracious hosts. Can’t wait to go back!” – Russ H.
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“It was amazing, for only my second saltwater experience I don’t have a lot of others to compare it to. But I do have a feeling I will have this resort and fisheries be the bar for years to come.” – Tony B.
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“Benry has created a world-class operation with unfettered access to some of the best fishing on Andros. The trip lived up to all expectations and expectations were high, we will be returning soon.” – Thomas B.
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“We had a great time on our first guided bonefishing trip. We can not say enough about how welcoming and enjoyable the Smith family made our trip. Benry has years of experience fishing and guiding and Diane is the best hostess and Bahamian cook ever. The lodge is simple but has everything you need. We had lots of wonderful food, hot water, and the rooms are extremely clean. The fishing grounds are expansive and unspoiled with a lot of big bonefish!” – Tim C.