SWS Senior Editor Alex Suescun shares some of the great sights that made his Bahamian vacation memorable, and based on his experiences, he recommends where to fish for bonefish, where to find the best food and drink, and how to best get around if you travel to the Abacos.
WELCOME TO HOPETOWN
Where does someone unwind on a beautiful beach with warm breezes and turquoise waters, within walking distance of good food and tropical libations, and NO crowds? Alex Suescun says Elbow Cay, Bahamas. He and his wife recently spent a week in Hopetown, a little settlement in the middle of the small island, just six miles across from larger Marsh Harbour in Great Abaco.
THE MISSION
The trip was to include not only relaxing by the ocean, but also chasing bonefish with a fly rod. Alex had been to the Abacos several times, and was confident that it was a great destination to do both. So he packed his tackle and wading booties, and convinced his wife to tag along. No arm twisting was necessary, but she insisted in also searching for the best piña colada on the island. Again, no arm twisting was necessary.
LOOKING FOR BONES
Abaco is renowned for its excellent bonefishing, and Alex had sampled the action in various parts of the island in the past. To help him and his wife make the most of their fishing time, Suescun contacted Blackfly Lodge in Schooner Bay (Great Abaco), where manager Clint Kemp was happy to set up guides and arrange for transportation from Marsh Harbour.
PROFESSIONAL HELP
Abaco is renowned for its excellent bonefishing, and Alex had sampled the action in various parts of the island in the past. To help him and his wife make the most of their fishing time, Suescun contacted Blackfly Lodge in Schooner Bay (Great Abaco), where manager Clint Kemp was happy to set up guides and arrange for transportation from Marsh Harbour.
MOORE’S ISLAND
Suescun had fished Moore’s Island once before, and he couldn’t wait to go back. Light wind on day one offered the best conditions for his wife to connect with her first bonefish on fly, and the bones soon showed up in droves. And with 20 to 25 mph winds in the forecast for the next couple of days, Mary wouldn’t have a better chance. So the permit and muttons of Moore’s Island would have to wait.
THE SIGHT FISHING
Cloudy skies were not conducive to sight fishing, but the lack of wind and the light bottom of the beautiful, wide open flats made it possible to spot cruising bonefish.
BONEFISH HEAVEN
Suescun and his wife encountered bonefish schools at the first couple of stops, but blacktip sharks circling had the bones more preoccupied with survival than with feeding.
SKITTISH TAILERS
The third stop was a small protected cove laden with mangrove shoots, and the shiny tails and dorsals of several bonefish could be seen breaking the surface just out of casting range. It was time to abandon ship and try to sneak up on the fish on foot.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Moguls and dips, and the somewhat soft bottom in the cove, made wading a bit of a challenge, but the guide suggested Alex and Mary split up and approach different pods of fish from opposite directions.
FIRST TAKER
Tailing and finning in a mere 6 to 8 inches of water, the bonefish rooting in the cove were pretty skittish. But after several blowups and a few follows and refusals, a hungry bone tracked down Suescun’s fly and took it.
SUCCESS!
After a couple of nice runs, Suescun got his hands on the first bonefish of the trip, a chunky 3- to 4-pounder with pronounced green stripes on its back — suitable camouflage for the surroundings.
QUICK RELEASE
Since it was spring — when the water is not yet very warm — and the fight hadn’t lasted too long, the bonefish required little CPR for a healthy release.
SPRING LOW
Once a few of the tailing fish were hooked and fought, the rest of the bonefish in the cove panicked. So it came time for anglers and guide to hop back on the boat and go elsewhere. By then the tide had reached its lowest point, so they waited for more fish to move in with the rising water to continue their search.
BIGGER BONES
Day two was a complete washout! As expected, the wind blew 20 to 25 mph, but it was lightning that forced all the guides and their customers to return to the boat ramp by 11:00am. On day three, however, the skies cleared and Alex and Mary resumed their pursuit of bonefish. This time, Patrick Roberts, head guide at Blackfly Lodge, lead the hunt that yielded a number of larger bones, including a nice 6-pounder Suescun caught and released while wading a rocky shoal northwest of Sandy Point.
ABACO ARSENAL
A selection of proven bonefish patterns, including the Kwan, Borski Swimming Shrimp, Gotcha, Bonefish Special and others, both weighted and weightless, covered the variety of fishing situations expected on Abaco flats.
FINAL APPROACH
Despite several near misses, Suescun’s wife hadn’t yet hooked a bonefish, and the last day of fishing was coming to an end. But at the very last stop — a small flat bordering a narrow strip of mangroves and coral — a single bonefish came cruising happily with its back out of the water and Mary zeroed in.
MARY’S FIRST
From the bow of the skiff, Mary delivered the fly. The bonefish turned, followed and ate it. Then, it immediately peeled off 100 yards of backing from the reel, and Mary found out the hard way that you don’t try to grab the reel handle at that time. Her right thumb paid the price. Ouch!
ENDING THE BATTLE
The drag on Mary’s reel did its job, and after a couple more exciting runs and some fancy rod maneuvering, the bonefish was eventually coaxed back toward the boat.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
An elated Mary was only too happy to claim her prize. She carefully cradled the bonefish, her very first on fly, and lifted it waist-high for a quick snap shot.
PROPER SENDOFF
Quickly returning the bonefish to the water with the required TLC, Mary revived the fish until it signaled it was ready to return to parts unknown.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
After thanking the guide for the great experience, Suescun put away the tackle in preparation for the run back to the boat launch, and he couldn’t help but think of all the tailers he and his partner in crime had seen and the incredible beauty of the pristine flats they’d been fortunate enough to fish. Still excited about releasing her first bonefish, his wife broke the silence and said: “Yes, I can definitely do this again!”
AWARD CEREMONY
Upon returning to Blackfly Lodge, Mary was treated to a celebration in honor of her catch that included a small bonefish carving (made by a local artist) bestowed upon her as a memento and a couple of photos with Patrick Roberts, the veteran guide that helped her hook and land her first bonefish.
THE FERRY
The Albury Ferry provides passage between Marsh Harbour (Abaco) and Hopetown (Elbow Cay) several times a day. Suescun and his wife made it back to the ferry dock just in time to catch the last one of the day, leaving Marsh Harbour at 5:45pm.
RETURN TO HOPETOWN
Back in Hopetown, the view of the tranquil harbor highlighted by the famous Elbow Cay lighthouse, made it easy for Alex and Mary to get back to chilling mode.
ISLAND TRANSPORTATION
If you plan a trip to Elbow Cay, Suescun says to consider renting a golf cart, a popular form of transportation on the island that makes it easy to shop for groceries and travel to and from Hopetown. Several companies offer carts and they deliver them right to the place where you’ll be staying.
QUEEN’S HIGHWAY
Elbow Cay is divided in two sections, north and south. Hopetown is the only town in the north section, and there’s but one road leading from the town to the north end of the island.
ISLAND RESIDENTS
Suescun claims the local residents in Elbow Cay are a friendly bunch, and that includes curly tail iguanas, which are plentiful on the island. A couple of them greeted him and his wife at breakfast time every day, and apparently they enjoyed coconut bread and other Bahamian delicacies.
FORK IN THE ROAD
While there is only one road from Hopetown to the north end of Elbow Cay, there is a fork on that road providing access to harborside restaurants and small shops if you go left, and similar establishments down the center of town if you go right (photo shows the fork while northbound).
THE NIGHTLIFE
Like Suescun and his wife, most people come to Elbow Cay for the peace and quiet, so don’t expect much in the way of nightlife in Hopetown.
LOCAL EATERIES
Alex and Mary sampled the food at several restaurants in Elbow Cay. They concluded that Harbour’s Edge offers the best and most varied menu, along with a wonderful view of the harbor. Suescun explained that several restaurants on the outskirts of Hopetown will send someone to pick you up, if you contact them ahead of time on VHF channel 16. So it pays to pack a handheld VHF radio.
AND THE WINNER IS…
Suescun stuck to his word, and he and his wife sampled the piña coladas at a different establishment every day of their stay in Elbow Cay. The couple ranked each based on overall flavor, ratio of coconut vs pineapple, creaminess, presentation and size. Both agreed the winning piña colada came from Firefly, a small resort with an ocean-front bar and grill just 10 minutes outside of Hopetown.
