Every trip is likely to have a day like Day 4...Just hope you don't have more than one.
We woke at predawn and the wind was already clipping. I couldn't tell if the lack of light was the hour or the cloud cover. By launch time the sky was partly cloudy. That would become "mostly" in a few hours.
We started fishing shortly after leaving the dock. It seemed that all three guides knew that the day was going to erode quickly as they all cut engines and started poling a few minutes after departure.
We went some time before seeing a fish and I don't recall whether we got a shot at it and blew it or if the fish took off too quickly. One thing was apparent, the tide was moving in fast and by mid morning the fish had full access to the mangroves. A place we couldn't reach them.
CA got the skunk out of the boat at around 10 am. I hooked another but it tore hell into the mangroves and popped me.
We took a break for lunch and poled around the lee of an island to get out of the wind. By now the sky was gray, the wind was still bucking and we weren't seeing bonefish.
I reeled up and suggested a plan "B". Kay, the nicest lady you'll ever meet and the head cook at the lodge loves to eat pan sized snapper. Greg, CA and I held a brief council and decided that the day would be better spent trying to bring some fish back for Kay.
Greg knew a few spots and the snappers were happy to chow down on our flies. By 4:00 we were headed back to the dock.
To the surprise of nobody, the other two boats were already moored when we arrived. The story was the same from all. No light, stiff wind, high tide, few fish.
CA and I grabbed a Kalik and our 8 wts and headed down the shore to the big dock to try and tempt some more snapper. I got delayed sifting through some flotsam and by the time I caught up with him, CA had landed a beauty of a gray snapper. For my delay, I picked up a Cuban beer bottle from the 1940' or 50's to add to my Bahamian bottle collection.
Each clutching our own treasures we made our way back to the lodge. Dinner wasn't quite ready so I headed up the hill behind the lodge with my camera to try and get some shots of the resident vultures. It was worth the time. There was a full flock of them and they had no discernible fear of me.
After dinner, I poured myself the last glass of Gray Goose vodka that Sidney had sent out to the island for me. It was a "Thank You" gift for designing the lodge logo after my last visit here. I emailed him the logo after that trip and wasn't sure if he'd gotten around to using it. When Greg picked us up at the airport the first day, I was happy to see the logo embroidered on his shirt.
It's always great to see your designs getting used.
Not a great Bonefishing day, but a good day, nonetheless.
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