Fall Fishing
at Abaco Lodge
The Fall season Abaco
Lodge started with our first hurricane test as category 3 Irene passed directly
over the lodge. With little damage and
some major cleanup we were ready for the bonefish and they were there in abundance. We found our typical large volumes of fish
throughout the Marls. Tailing fish are a
daily occurrence and more often than not they are quite forgiving on our anglers. A cast on their tail often spooks them a few
feet before turning around to eat your fly.
This is also the time of year we tend to find our largest bonefish of
the season and this was no exception.
The average size of the fish caught jumped closer to 5lbs and fish in
the 5+ range were becoming the norm. We
had numerous Marls fish landed that were 7-9lbs and few of the mythical double
digit giants from more remote flats with access to deeper water. Some exceptionally windy conditions forced us
to explore the island a little more and get creative to find calmer cleaner
water. Not all of these adventures were
a success but a few were home runs and our repertoire continues to grow.
The juvenile tarpon
we found in droves last fall were a little sparser. We still managed to hook nearly 20 these last
few months but that is a far cry from the numbers we had seen last year. Still trying to unlock the secret of where
these things hang out and hide.
Permit and mutton
snapper occasionally appear tailing on the flats and should continue to
increase as the water warms up.
Our weather has been
warmer than usual, so the flats have yet to cool and fishing should continue to
be hot throughout the winter. Only real
variable for the next couple of months will be the wind and cold fronts, but we
will work around them!
By Oliver White
Abaco Lodge Manager