Today we continue our series on rod quivers – combinations of rods that you should think about bringing to our lodges at various times of year.
On South Andros, our fishery is really consistent during the period that we’re open from October through May. It would really be splitting hairs to claim that you need different equipment in December versus May.
So we’ll cover South Andros with one post – your any-time flats quiver for Andros South! We are just covering the flats here though – if you’re interested in fishing offshore you should check out our post on Offshore Fly Fishing Gear.
Must Have
- A fast-action 8 weight for bonefish. If you’re going bonefishing in the Bahamas, you really should bring along a fast-action 8 weight. There’s a reason these rods are the standard – they provide enough power to cut most wind and fight most bonefish, but they’re light and responsive enough to provide decent feel and to be fished all day long.
Nice to Have
- In addition to your 8 weight, you should bring a 10 weight for barracudas. We see lots of barracudas up on the flats, and sight-fishing for them is just great sport. You don’t really need to dedicate time to looking for ‘cudas – you’re going to see plenty while you’re looking for bonefish. It’d be a shame not to be rigged and ready when a big one swims by.
- A fast-action 7 weight for bonefish can come in really handy. Many of our shots at bonefish are quite short, but require a fast presentation. Saltwater 7 weights tend to load up more quickly at close range than 8 weights do, and that can make the difference between showing the fish your fly in time, and not. You need to have some experience under your belt to use a 7 effectively though – they’re more affected by the wind, and you really need to know how to fight fish with a 7 to ensure that they’re not exhausted at the end of the fight.
Dream Quiver
- If you want to be prepared for any shot that you’re likely to have, you should bring a 9 weight for permit, and keep it strung up with a crab pattern. During most weeks at Andros South you’re probably not going to see permit, but they live down there and over time we’re seeing them more and more. If it’d be painful for you to see a permit and not be ready…yeah, bring your 9 weight and keep it handy. You never know.
Looks like my Bahamian adventure will involve a 7 wt, 8 wt and 8/9 wt… hope the cuda’s aren’t too big, I guess.
How many rod holders are your boats equipped with?
I bring a 7wt rod in a waterproof tube, not rigged. I bring a Sage One 8wt, and a ultra fast Sage TCX in a 8wt. Matching the correct line
for the rod makes a huge difference. I use a Orvis Bonefish on the Sage
one rod. It’s weight is 210 gr.The head is about 50 ft. On my Sage TCX I use a short head Rio quick shooter. This short head on the TCX works great as a boat rod. The new Orvis H3 may make it in to the rotation this year.