Green Turtle Cay & Bonefishing Blog
Steve & Chrissy Cronan, Crows House, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
A beautiful 11lbs Bonefish
Back to the ocean.
A beautiful creature.
Hi, welcome to our Green Turtle Cay & Bonefishing Blog. This website is a diary of our visits to Green Turtle Cay. It also has information about what you will need to go bonefishing, whether in Green Turtle Cay or in fact anywhere in the Bahamas. If you have any stories or photographs from bonefishing trips anywhere in the world, we would love to hear from you. The first set of pictures show some of the beautiful places in Green Turtle Cay where you can fish. If you would like any further information about Green Turtle Cay or Bonefishing, just e-mail us (see e-mail address at the bottom of the page)
Green Turtle Cay from the air
Our personal bonefishing equipment
Rods: Orvis 2 piece 9ft 8 weight tip flex & Penn gold medal 3 piece 8 weight..
Reels & lines: Orvis Vortex 7/8 with Orvis tropical saltwater floating-sand W/F 8. Penn gold medal with Orvis tropical saltwater floating-sand W/F 8.
In addition to the fly fishing gear, we also take a range of spinning and heavy duty shark fishing equipment.
Travel & equipment hints for fishing in the Bahamas
Always take a spare rod, reel and fly line with you. If you break something it won't be the end of your fishing. In most of the Islands there are no tackle shops. Make sure you put your name on all you equipment, get it engraved if you can. You might think you will be the only one with the latest Sage, Orvis rod or Abel reel but when you get to your destination everyone will have the same equipment. Putting your name on everything makes sure there is no confusion. Take some really good sunglasses with you. They are very important. We use Costa Del Mar but there are quite a few other makes on the market, Ocean Waves and Action Optics to name a couple. A good pair of sunglasses can be expensive but if you look after them they will last you years. In fact, always take 2 pairs if you can. Cocoons clips-ons are also very good and inexpensive, around $35.00. Get the amber/light brown coloured lenses, they are perfect for the flats. If you can't see the Bonefish you won't catch any. A good hat or baseball cap is also very important. Columbia clothes are also very good. They keep you cool and dry quickly when they get wet. Don't forget the sun block. Factor 30-50. You will be out in the sun all day and getting burnt will ruin your trip. Always remember the sun can burn you even on cloudy days. We hope this helps, have a good trip.
Bahamian stamps painted by Alton Lowe
Here are a couple of the beautiful stamps from the Bahamas. They are painted by the famous painter Alton Lowe. Alton live on Green Turtle Cay. His house is just outside the town of New Plymouth. He has a lovely house and beautifully kept gardens. There is at gallery at the house if you would like to view or buy an original painting. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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How to get to Green Turtle Cay from the UK
Green Turtle Cay may be 4,350 miles from the UK but it is not difficult to get to. Flights go regularly from London Heathrow to Miami. Unfortunately you can not go straight to Green Turtle Cay as the flight get into Miami between 3.00pm and 4.30pm EST depending on which airline you choose. BA or Virgin. The connection to Treasure Cay using Silver airlines only leaves from Fort lauderdale. This means you will have to stay the night in Miami or Fort lauderdale. Don't stay at the MIA (Miami International Airport). The rooms are very ordinary and you will miss out on the sights. We have stayed at the Crest Hotel and Whitelaw Hotel in South beach but if you want to stay in a 5 Star hotel, I would suggest the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, South Miami. (see pictures in 2011 diary). The Biltmore Hotel is in land but never far from the bars and restaurants. If you like golf (we hate it) you will love the golf course. There are other hotels in Fort Lauderdale & Miami we have stayed in that are not too expensive. The Mayfair in Coconut Grove, Miami and The Tranquilo in Fort Lauderdale
The taxi fare to all the hotels is around $35. The Yellow taxi fares are fixed by the state, so there is no chance of getting ripped off. The Whitelaw and Creat hotels hotels are close to Ocean Drive and the beach where there are loads of restaurants & clubs. Both these hotels are also close to Lincoln Road. This is a fantastic shopping area. The cost of hotels range from about $100 to $350 per room, studio or suite and depending on the time of your stay.
Great hotels in Miami
One of the rooms at the Biltmore Hotel.
Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134. Telephone number: 001 855-311-6903.
Mayfair Hotel, 3000 Florida Ave, Miami, FL 33133. Telephone number: 001 305-441-0000
Crest Hotel, 1670 James Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33134. Telephone number: 001 305 531 0321.
The Crest Hotel & pool. 
The Crest Hotel restaurant.
Whitelaw Hotel, 808 Collins Avenue, Miami, Florida 33139. Telephone number: 001 242 554 3123.
The Whitelaw Hotel.
A nice hotel in Fort Lauderdale
Tranquilo Hotel.
Tranquilo Hotel, 2909 Vistamar St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304. Telephone number: 001 954-565-5790
Treasure Cay is on Abaco which is the largest island close to Green Turtle Cay. (see the map at the start of the web site). The flight to Treasure Cay takes about 55 minutes. You travel in a small planes, about 35 seaters. The views from the plane on a clear day are spectacular as you fly at about 16,000 feet. Once you arrive in Treasure Cay it is a 3 minute taxi ride to the ferry dock. The taxi fare is $10.00. Keep a few $1 bills with you so you can tip the lads who carry your bags onto the ferry. At the dock you get on the Green Turtle Cay ferry which take you to the Island. The ferry service coincides with the flights form Miami so don't worry there will always be a ferry to take you over. Just tell the ferry captain where you are staying and he will drop you off. The cost of the ferry is about $15.00 each way.
The other way to get to Green Turtle Cay is via Nassau, Bahamas. British Airways fly from London Heathrow. The advantage of this flight is that you can go direct to Treasure Cay all in one day but you miss out on a night in Miami. The plane is also much larger, about 50 seats for those of you who prefer a bigger plane. The rest of the trip once you reach Treasure Cay is the same.
The price of flights does vary. The best way to get the good deals is phone around. Depending on what month you go or which class you are in can have a huge effect on the price. March, April and October, November and early December are very reasonable. In the high season May to August and late December over New Year the cost is about double. Flights range between £800 - £2,700 return per person, London - Miami. The Treasure Cay flight & return is around £350 per person.
Our bonefishing & Green Turtle Cay diary
2018
Update 18th July 2018:
We have just got back from Green Turtle Cay. We have sold our property after 20 years. It didn't take as long as we thought, only a few months. The decision was difficult, as we love the Cay and the people but due to illness we think it was best to sell the house. Thank you for the great times and hopefully see you again in the future.
Update 25th April 2018:
We have just got back from Green Turtle Cay. We had a great time with our friends Don & Sandra Stewart. Weather was great 85F+ most days. Didn't do much Bonefishing but did manage to get out with Rick once.
We have decided to sell the property, due to my heart illness. It is not serious but being so far from a specialist hospital is a worry. We have had 20 years of fun with great friends. Let's see what happens with the sale of the house, as it could take a while.
Update 26th April 2017:
Just got back to the UK after another great trip to the Bahamas and Florida. Sorry for not updating over the past few years but I haven't been over to the island. My wife and a girlfriend went over last year and I stayed in the UK due to other commitments.
We haven't been to the Bahamas or Florida this time of the year before. The weather was great, around 85F most days and it only rained for 10 minutes on one of the days.
I managed to get out Bonefishing with Ricky a couple of times. I caught quite a few, including a couple of nice ones.
We had a trip to Nassau for 4 days with our great friends Lin & Peter. They showed us around Nassau, with trips to Atlantis and some fantastic restaurants.
When we got back to Florida we visited our friends in Fort Myers Beach. I went Snook fishing and managed to catch 12 beauties. My mate Steve caught a nice large trout.
We now have roads in Green Turtle Cay. It might not sound much to most people but we have just had very bumpy dirt tracks ever since we arrived 20 years ago. A big thank you to the Bahamian government!!!
There are also more good restaurants and clubs to go too. Leeward Yacht Club has been taken over and the new owners have done a brilliant job. Looks great and the food is super. There is also a happy hour from 4.00pm - 6.00pm, which includes bar snacks. There is also a really good Asian restaurant in town, which cooks Chinese, Japanese, Thai food.
There is one trip you must take when on the Island. Take a boat trip with Wade & Adam Cash of Sunset Marine to Great Guana Cay. It leaves most Sunday's at 10.00am from their dock and returns around 6.00pm. Sunset Marine dock is at the entrance of Black Sound. It costs $45.00 per head, which includes a rum punch. There is great music on board by MC Adam. You travel from GTC to Treasure Cay, then on to Great Guana Cay, where you can visit the famous Nipper bar & restaurant and Grabber's bar & restaurant. The boat leaves Great Guana Cay at 4.30pm stopping off at Noname Cay (Piggy Island) to see the swimming pigs. It was that good a day Chrissy and I went twice!!!!!
The only problem, the currency exchange rate. At $1.30 to the £1, it makes everything a lot more expensive, as it was $1.60 to the £1 last year. Let's hope that changes soon.
Sunset Marine boat trip to Great Guana Cay
Nipper beach on Great Guana Cay.
Grabber's restaurant & bar
Feeding the piggy's on Noname Cay
Update 25th August 2014:
Just got back to the UK after a brilliant trip to GTC and Florida. It was a very restful stay. Again, not a lot of people on the island.
I managed to get out Bonefishing with Ricky only once this trip for a morning. I caught a couple of nice ones. Ricky was busy and to make matters worse I turned my ankle and found it difficult to walk or go on the skiff.
Chrissy and I then went to Florida to stay with friends in Fort Myers. My mate Steve Mac and I went out Redfish fishing with a great guide called Ozzie. We both caught some beautiful Redfish.
We are due back in March/April for 5/6 weeks, can't wait.
Update 4th September 2013:
Once again, sorry for the gap in my updates but time just flies when you are having fun. Just got back from a fantastic time in Florida and Green Turtle Cay.
Chrissy and I spent 3 1/2 weeks not doing a lot. We love our own company and there wasn't too many people on the Island. In fact, I only managed to get out Bonefishing with Capt Ricky Sawyer once but managed to catch a very nice 6lbs fish. The weather wasn't great but still warm.
We spent a lot of time at Pineaple's as always having drinks made by the wonderful,Yvonnie, the best Pina Colada's maker ever!!! We also met 50cents or what we called him "half a dollar". He made a wonderful Conch salad straight from the sea.
When we were in Miami we stayed at the Biltmore Hotel. This is about the 5th or 6th time we have stayed at the hotel. If you haven't been, you have go to go. It is brilliant. It has the best pool I have been in. There is a great bar and barman, Juan at the pool bar who makes the best Mojito's.
We also spent a few days with out great Friends Steve & Janette in Fort Myers. What a ball, great dinners and we drank loads. We needed a few days to recover.
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Update 8th November 2011:
I am sorry for the huge gap between my last post. I can't believe that it has been 2 years. We have been to GTC four times since my last post.
The island is still as beautiful as ever. We now have running water piped into most houses if you choose to have it.
The island had very little structural damage from the latest hurricane but the gardens and trees suffered. There were a lot of trees down. We were very lucky at Crows House, a few trees and one or two roof shingle missing. Take a look at this fantastic photo of the hurricane.
Bonefishing has been as good as ever, with a lot of big fish being caught. Unfortunately not by me but I have has my fair share over the years, so I am not too bothered. Here are some pictures of Ricky and I with some nice fish caught on town flats this year.
While you are on the island don't forget to visit Pineapples. The best cocktails in the Abacos.
Thought you might like to see a hotel we have been staying at over the past few years when we stop over in Miami. It is the Biltmore in Coral Gables. If you get a chance try it, you'll love it. Here are some pictures of the hotel and the fantastic swimming pool.
Finally, this picture was takes from Bensons dock in Black Sound, beautiful!
Update 17th March 2009:
Well, sorry for the break in the diary but we have been really busy in the UK & Europe. We were last in GTC in October/November in 2008. Never been to the Island during those months before. Very quiet and the weather was beautiful.
Bonefishing was not bad either. There are some huge fish around. I managed to get out with a friend to do some Wahoo fishing off shore. We hit a purple patch and managed to get a few nice size fish to the boat. Lost a few Rapala's but that only gives me an excuse to go and buy soem more at the Bass Pro shop in Fort Lauderdale.
We are back on the Island for the whole of June. Can't wait. I'll give you all a fishing update as soon as I return.
Here are some pictires of our visit. We had a great picnic on Fiddle Cay with Rene, Clifford, Leigh & Ricky and caught some nice but small Bonefish.
Tight lines.
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Update 14th January 2007:
This was our longest stay in GTC, nearly a month. Weather was a little rainy up to Boxing day but after that it was beautiful. The wind was around 8 - 20 mph.
Managed to get out fly fishing a few times for Bones with not a lot of success but still a good time. Chris Dale and I went out off shore for Wahoo and were quite successful. The three fish pictured below were the result of a few hours off Munjack Cay.
Friends of ours, Marion & David came over for a week for New Year. Pictured is the four of us celebrating the first of three New Years - Dubai, UK and finally the Bahamas. The New Year Parade in town was fantastic. The costumes were huge and very colourful. I believe that some of the masks and costumes came from Nassau.
This is Sassy our rent-a-dog. It belongs to our neighbour Willis but while we are on the Island she seems to spend most of her day sitting on our porch. The perfect guard dog.
We are back in Green Turtle Cay in a few months when I will be doing a lot of Bonefishing as the weather is just about perfect. Until then, tight lines.
Update 23rd June 2006:
On this visit Chrissy and I decided to spend some time with our good friends, Steve & Janette in Fort Myers. We had a great time and went fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. We chartered Capt Joe Verdino. He was a great captain and put us on some great fish around 60 miles out. We caught Amberjacks to 40lbs and I managed to catch mylargest Barracuda, 46lbs 8oz and 5 1/2 foot long. We also caught a lot of Yellowtail up to 5lbs. Check out his website: www.captjoeverdino.com
Green Turtle Cay was lovely as usual. It was surprisingly green and the weather was beautiful. Got out Bonefishing with Ricky a couple of times. Largest fish was 8lbs.
Fortunately we have some good friends with a nice big boat. We spent many a day and evening cruising around Munjack swimming and drinking cocktails.
Let’s hope the hurricane’s stay away. Until next time.
Update 27th February 2006:
The weather this trip was brilliant. It rained only once and the wind stayed away. In fact it was so still that the Bonefish were extreamly spooky. Ricky and I got out a few times and went to all the usual places, Munjack, town flats and Coco Plum Creek. We found fish on the ocean side of Munjack and managed to get a couple of decent fish out of a school of about 60.
I am fortunate to have good friends with great boats. Our friends Bob & Sue took Chrissy and I out for a days Bluewater fishing on their beautiful 48 foot boat, The Big T. Chrissy caught her first Tuna, not huge but a good fight and it tasted great! We made Maki rolls and Sashimi. I caught a Wahoo, again not huge but it ate great. The finale to the trip was the boating of a huge Barracuda, my biggest yet. It weighted over 20lbs and was around 4 foot long. Another great fishing trip. Well that's about it, new update in July. Speak to you then.
My huge Barracuda in the late afternoon sun.
Chrissy fighting her Tuna with Bob & Sue looking on.
Update 3rd February 2005:
Arrived on the Island on the 20th December. The weather was OK, if a little blowy. There was some damage to our house but easily repairable but the garden on the other hand did not fair s well. At least it will grow again, eventually.
Managed to get out with Ricky a couple of times and tried a new spot, which was productive. On our second trip I managed to hook and land 4 good size Bonefish. The top weight was around 7lbs. I also Christened an Orvis 8 weight 9-foot rod, which I brought from the UK. It is extremely tipy (tip flex:10.00) but is fantastic in a strong wind.
The damage to the Island after the hurricane was bad. A friend of house was virtually destroyed. I was told that 3,000 tree were felled. There was one thing I was really upset about. Town flats are probably my favourite place to wade for Bonefish. I have caught many large fish there over 10lbs. Unfortunately the hurricanes have deposited about 2/3 foot of sand over most of it. At high tide that does not cause a huge problem as there is still some water to fish. But at low tide, there used to be 18 inches of water, which was great for wading. Now it is above the tide line. If the tide does not change this over the next few months, I believe there will be a small island there is a couple of years. Big shame!!!
We will be back on the Island around June/July time. Until then, tight lines.
Once again the weather was very very hot. It Topped 103 degrees F in the garden most days.
Got out with Ricky a few times and managed to catch a few good Bonefish. The largest being around 6lbs. We were troubled by Sharks most days we went out fishing on the flats. There seemed to be more sharks this year than ever before. On one of our trips we decided to stop bonefishing and catch a few Sharks. We hooked up with about 3, ranging from 5 to 7 foot. I managed to land one of the smaller ones. I am one of the few people that likes eating Shark, so we cut off a few good filets and I had it for supper. It was fantastic.
4th July festivities were good as ever. Went over to the 'Stranded Naked party on Fiddle Cay. There were about 100 boats and hundreds of folks having a lot of fun.
Looking out for the hurricane's, hopefully we will not get any this year.
Missing Green Turtle already. Tight lines
Update 12th February 2004:
Sorry for the lateness of my update but I have been rather busy at the office in London. As usual had a great time over Christmas & New Year. Didn't do a lot of Bonefishing as unfortunately I cut my finger rather badly on a glass and the Doc said I couldn't get it wet. But before I damaged myself I managed to break in my latest Abel reel Chrissy got me for Christmas. A beautiful Abel Super 7 in a Marlin design. Ricky & I spent a few hours on Town flats in a very overcast day but managed to connect with a few fish. I landed a 7lbs Bone just off the shoreline by the cemetery.
We had friends over from the UK for about 5 days, David & Marion. Ricky & I managed to get David out in the flats boat and bag his first Bonefish. A lovely 5 pounder. We also did some bottom fishing and caught a nice feed of fish.
Chrissy is back on the Island in March but I will have to wait until June. Got the David Smades memorial fishing tournament to look forward to. 15th June to 19th June. I will be a great even to remember a very nice guy. Speak to you all later.
The weather this trip was very very hot, around 92 degrees in the shade. We have not had any rain for most of the year so the water tanks are very empty. Hopefully rain will come in the next few weeks.
The Green Turtle Classic Billfish tournament was great fun. It was the first time I had been asked to fish in the tournament. We managed to catch a 175lbs Marlin thanks to Heather and Leigh and I caught some Tuna & Dolphin. Heather was the Lady Angler of the Tournament. I would like to thank Deddie Smades, the owner of Wreckless for the opportunity to be part of their family for a few days. Born in the USA will always bring back great memories.
Went out Bonefishing with Ricky and as usual caught fish. This trip we had a passenger in the flats boat. Klaus Schuller, a prominent Florida artist. He was taking shot of Ricky guiding and me fishing for some of his future paintings. I will post these on the website as soon as I receive them.
Well that's about it until the next time. Tight lines
PS Don't forget to go to Ricky' website for all you saltwater flies!
Well, that was the worst 6 weeks I can ever remember. Two hurricanes over Green Turtle Cay. They caused a huge amount of damage to houses, dock and trees. Fortunately no one was injured. I was able to keep in touch with the Island on the Abaco message board (http://69.5.26.243/). This is a fantastic website. It put my mind at rest over the weeks when there were no telephones. People posted messages and information.
Here are a couple of pictures taken from the air after the Hurricane.
I have spoken to Lenny Lowe, Don & Sandra Stewart and Ricky & Leigh Sawyer regards the Island. They told me everyone is working hard to get everything back to normal but there is a lot of work to do. One really good thing, Ricky has seen a lot of Bonefish around the Island. After Floyd they seemed to disappear for a few weeks.
Chrissy and I are going over in December for 3 weeks. We wanted to get over there a lot quicker to check on the house but due to my work commitments it will have to wait until December. The house is OK but it's nice to go over and see it, you know what I mean.
We will send an update of the fishing in January. Until then, tight lines
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Update 14th Jaunary 2003:
As usual Chrissy and I had a great trip in Green Turtle Cay. Our friends Steve & Janette came over for a few days and Steve & I went out with Ricky Sawyer. Steve Caught his first Bonefish of about 4lbs. I managed to catch another double of 10lbs 4oz. That is 3 in 3 visits with Ricky Sawyer. This trip Chrissy and I decided to try fishing from the beach. We had a great time catching 16 different species: Black tip reef Shark, Spanish Mackerel, Blue Runner, Needle fish, Mutton Snapper, Yellow Tail, Black Grouper, Nassau Grouper, Reef Squirrel fish, White Grunt, Silver Porgy, Queen Trigger fish,Lane Snapper, Gray Snapper, Horse-eye Jack & Bonefish.
Chrissy also caught her first Shark, about 40lbs.
The weather was very kind to us, so Christmas day and New Years day were great. We had Christmas lunch at our friends beach house on Gillam Bay. On New Years day we spent most of the day in New Plymouth watching the Junkanoo celebrations. They were fantastic.
I was given a brilliant present which I think you would all like to see. It was carved by Chris Moorjohn of Hell Bay flat boats fame.
One final thing. I managed to do a couple of things I have never done before, both very very embarrassing. I hooked my guide in the ass and put a size 1/0 crab fly through my nose. OWW!!!!!Fortunately both were not serious. Chrissy is back to GTC in about 8 weeks so I will give another update then.
Chrissy and her girlfriend are off to Green Turtle Cay this month for a couple of weeks. When she returns I will give you a full update of the fishing. Until then...
Well just arrived back from a 3 week trip to Green Turtle Cay, and as always we had a fantastic time. This is the first time in all the years we have been going to GTC that the fishing didn't come first. There is a reason. Our friends Rene & Clifford from Rochester, New York got married on the Island and a very good friend Scott Roberts had his 50th birthday party. These two important events plus all the other parties, get togethers and boat trips, we didn't really have a lot of time.
But we did get some fishing in. Went out with Ricky Sawyer and caught a few Bones. Had a great time as always. We also managed to catch four very large Mutton Snappers off a friends dock. Those Mutton Snapper really do pull your string in light spin tackle. The weather was great, warm and sunny but the 10 -20 mph breeze made it difficult to fly fish for Bones. The full moon didn't help. A little tip: In a full moon the Bones feed at night and are very spooky during the days after.
Don't forget to visit the tackle shop on the Island or order your selection of flies when you book a charter with Capt Ricky Sawyer. (see links) Well thats about it.
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Update 16th January 2002:
Well that was a long trip, nearly a month. The weather was not perfect for bonefishing as the water was churned up and very mucky. This meant it was difficult to see the fish. I managed to catch a 15lbs Mutton snapper while reef fishing with Ricky Sawyer, our bonefish guide. Steve Macksey a good friend of ours caught a 4 foot shark that gave him a good scrap. Junkanoo was the best ever, we partied all day. Chrissy is due back on the Island in 8 weeks so we will update you all in early April. Tight lines.
What can I say, I caught my biggest ever bonefish, 11lbs thanks to our guide Ricky Sawyer. It fought like hell and took 27 minutes to get to the skiff. I also caught another good size bonefish of about 10lbs. It seemed a trip for records because I also caught my largest ever Cuda.
The weather for the first part of the trip (12 days) was fantastic. We were out most days flying kites, boating or fishing. We had some bad weather for about 6 days. All the guides on the island were busy and as it is getting towards 4th July it will only get busier. Hope you like the photo's.
A report from Robert Benoist - 2nd October 2002
Whilst talking to the locals at the Ocean Blue bar I was told that both Ronnies were aware of their presence. Unfortunately the weather on that side of the Island was not conducive to bone fishing with clouds and high winds although I though on at least two occasions I was trout fishing at Rutland or Graffham when I saw the fish head and tailing upwind wiht their dorsals out of the water.
Whilst taking my partner Jennifer sunbathing in the first bay at No Name Cay (where I have caught big trigger fish on a regular basis I saw two or three bonefish in very shallow water between the turtle grass and the shore. I subsequently caught one when I cast at a cruising trigger fish. Again I am told that Bonefish dont go into that bay. I think not.
Bill and Leslie, the owners of the majority of Manjack Cay were good enough to show me all the bonefish holding areas there. He said that one particular narrow channel between the mangroves leading to his inland lagoon was usually not fished and held at certain times of the tide very big fish indeed. Interestingly enough the fish only travel so far up the mangrove channels and in the ten years they have lived there bonefish have only entered the inner lagoon once that they are aware of.
There were a number of Magnificent Frigate Birds about which is unusual for August and vast numbers of cormorants, the population of which has exploded over the last year or so.
I saw and caught some big Barracuda (fun as usual) and nice mutton snapper. There is a very good deep area with small a reef just inside the entrance to inner white sound which is teeming with very big mutton snappers but the strength of the current coming in and out of the sound makes it very difficult to stay in one place even with anchor and chain down. Further into the sound you can see large individual bonefish which cruise araound generally very quickly and they are easily spooked.I saw few bonefish at the top end of Coco Bay where it is usually quite usual to see them.Otherwise plently of mudding fish off Gillam Bay and in the deeper water off New Plymouth
Thats the report. August was as hot as anyone can remember with the midges being intolerable. Can't wait for my next trip (probably in February). Robert
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Update 10th January 2001:
Just got back from our beloved Green Turtle Cay. Unfortunately the weather was not very kind this trip. We had a couple of fronts come over so the winds were between 15 - 25mph not good for bonefishing. I got out twice but we had to come in after a couple of hours as the wind was far too strong. It churned up the sand as well so you couldn't see anything. I did manage to catch a nice bonefish while I was walking along Gillam Bay beach. The fish were 3 feet from the shore line so it was a very easy cast. I christened my new Abel No2 Camo Coral reel. I was given a new Sage SP 5 piece to try out by Farlows of Pall Mall (thanks Brian), what a great rod. It's really light and cast a good tight loop even with heavy flies. New Year was a real blast. There were about 2000 visitors to the Island to watch the Junkanoo. Junkanoo is a very colourful parade performed by the locals. They have drums, whistles in fact anything that makes a noise. A great time had by all. Sorry I haven't got a lot to say regards the fishing but we are off again in four month at peak bonefish time so I'm sure I will have much more to tell you. Tight lines! PS: Take a look at the Junkanoo pictures, it show the beautiful coloured costumes
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Update 6th February 2001:
Chrissy and a girlfriend are off to Green Turtle Cay in March for a couple of weeks. The weather is perfect at that time of year and the bonefishing is also great. There should be a lot of large schools feeding on Town flats and in Gillam bay. When Chrissy returns I will get her to write the update.
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Update 26th March 2001:
Chrissy and her girlfriend arrived home safely from Green Turtle Cay. The weather was very warm for the time of year, some days in the 90's. Chrissy and Maz didn't do a lot of bonefishing but as usual the bonefish were in Gillam bay. The girls walked along the beach on numerous occasions and saw fish on the sand bar at the top of Gillam bay and also a few feet from the beach. They also walked town flats and again saw bonefish. Chrissy and I will be going over to Green Turtle Cay in June/July and I will give you a full update on the fishing then.
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Update 6th June 2001:
We are off to Green Turtle Cay in July for a couple of weeks. We will give you a full update when we return. I am planning a trip to the Marles. The Marles are off the west coast of the main Island of Abaco. From the reports I have had there are schools of about 100-200 fish. They are not huge but plenty of them.
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Update 18th July 2001:
The trip went very well. Unfortunately I only managed to go out bonefishing for 4 hours with no success. I was supposed to go to the Marles but there was a mix up with the guide, so I never made it. I met another bonefishing guide on the Island, called Ricky Sawyer. He comes highly recommended and he is a very nice and knowledgeable guy. I'll go out with him at Christmas with my mate Steve Mackesy and let you all know how we get on. The weather was very hot and humid. The water on the flats was very warm, perfect for bonefish. During our stay Chrissy and I saw huge numbers of fish on the flats. Chrissy and I spent quite a few days on different friends boats which meant we could visit some of the other Cay near Green Turtle. We visited Hope Town and Guana Cay which were beautiful. On one of the boat trips we managed to get a little reef fishing in. We caught a lot of Trigger fish, which we had for lunch. I also caught a couple of Ocean Trigger fish of about 3-4lbs. They fought really well. We dived for Conch which we ate, they also tasted gorgeous. We had a great time on the 4th July, had far too much to drink but the 10th July (Bahamas Independence) was better. We had a great fireworks display and the party in town was rocking. Our friends, Don & Sandra's house on the Bluff is finished after a couple of year. It is absolutely beautiful with a fantastic view. As usual we can't wait to go back. We will speak to you all soon after our next visit. [Hope you like the selection of pictures.]
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Update 14th November 2001:
Chrissy has just got back from her latest trip to Green Turtle Cay. She is now an official member of the Green Turtle Cay Hurricane club. While Chrissy and her friend Marion were over staying at our house Hurricane Michelle decided to pay a visit. Fortunately there was not a lot of damage to the Island and our house stood up to what nature could throw at it once again. Many thanks to James & Marilyn Saunders for looking after Chrissy and Marion while the Hurricane was raging. I would also like to thank Lenny & Mary Lowe and Don & Sandra Stewart for making there stay very enjoyable. Chrissy didn't manage to go Bonefishing on this trip. Chrissy and I are back over in December, so I will be able to give a full update on the Bonefishing when we get back.
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Update 6th January 2000:
Happy new Year to everyone. Hope you had a good one. We will be in Green Turtle Cay in the next couple of months so we will give you all a bonefishing update then. But in the meantime we have spoken to a guide in Green Turtle cay and he told me the bonefishing is very good with some large fish being seen and caught. The people of Green Turtle Cay have worked very hard to get the Island nearly back to normal. Hotels are starting to do business again. Bluff House was just about destroyed during the hurricane but it looks even better after the rebuild.
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Update 25th February 2000:
Chrissy is going over to Green Turtle Cay next week so we will have an update on the bonefishing in a couple of weeks on her return.
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Update 18th May 2000:
Sorry we have taken so long to update you all but here goes. The Island is looking beautiful once again. There are some trees still down but that is understandable. A bonefish guide told Chrissy that the bonefishing flats are full of fish, with some schools of 150 fish. They range from 4 lbs up to 10 lbs. The guide also said that most of his customers were catching 3 to 6 fish a trip. We are hopefully going off to Green Turtle Cay together at the end of July and we will give a full update soon after. Tight lines.
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Update 14th August 2000:
Just come back from Green Turtle Cay after 2 weeks. The weather was really warm and humid. Ranging from 90-110 degrees. We went out bonefishing about 5 times. We did not see so many fish as we did earlier in the year. This was mainly due to the very overcast weather. We managed to catch quite a few with the biggest being about 7 lbs. The very warm water kept a lot of the fish off the flats. The large fish (to at least 14lbs) we did see were very very spooky. All you had to do was lift your rod to cast and they were off.
The crawfish season opened and just about everyone with a boat went off for 3 days to catch as many as they could. We gathered from reports that there was not as many as previous years. We tried some at a BBQ with Lincoln Jones and they were really sweet.
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Update 25th October 2000:
Only 8 weeks to go and we'll be in Green Turtle Cay for Christmas and New Year. It also means we can get some bonefishing in. Four months is a long time to wait to feel that searing bonefish run. There are no tourists at the moment in Green Turtle Cay so the guides have not had too many customers. The bonefishing is still great at this time of year, you get a lot of very big bones cruising round the flats. When I say big, I'm talking about 10lbs to 14lbs fish. I'm waiting delivery of a couple of Abel No2 Camo Coral reels. I'll let you know how Chrissy and I get on with them when I return in January. I will take some photos to show you the designs on the reels. To be honest, they are Abel reels so I know they will perform brilliantly. Chrissy and I have always used loop reels for bonefishing and the guides keeps telling us to get a couple of Abel's as they are the best fly reel in the world. They only uses Abel's So they will be please we have taken there advise. Well speak to you all soon when we return to England, Bye for now!
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We have just returned home from another trip to Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. Our guide, Chrissy and I had a great time. There was not as many fish as there were in May, June and July last year but the sport was still very good. This was due to the water on the flats being about 10 degrees cooler. All the fish we caught were about 5lbs but we did see some very large fish, as much as 12lbs.
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Update 16th March 1999:
Thank you all for your e-mails and logging into our web site. Send us some pictures with any details and we will put them in the Gallery.
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Update 18th March 1999:
We spoke to a guide in Green Turtle Cay yesterday and he told me the bonefishing is fantastic at the moment. If you are going over to Green Turtle Cay check out htere website. It's in the LINKS section further on.
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Update 19th May 1999:
Well, we just got back from Green Turtle Cay. The bonefishing was as usual, fantastic. Every time we were on the flats we saw a lot of bonefish in schools of 50-60. There were also some very large fish. They never seemed to swim alone, always in twos and threes. We managed to catch some good fish, the largest being 7lbs. It was nice to see the bone's close in on some of the beaches. Chrissy and I came across a large school (about 60 fish) as we were walking down Gillam bay beach one afternoon. We managed to hook up with 7 bonefish and landed 4. Our fly choice was a bit different this time. The bonefish seemed to like light tan flies rather than the normal colours. While we were on the island we tied a lot of different variations in size and colour but still found the light tan was the most effective.
Hurricane Floyd update 22nd October 1999:
It's a month now after hurricane Floyd. It caused a lot of damage on Green Turtle Cay. Everyone is doing everything they can to get the Island back together again. There is a lot of building repairs to be done. Obviously the bonefishing has taken a back seat. The hurricane moved a lot of the sand bars so it's going to take a little time before the flat are back to their best. We will keep you informed. Take a look at the satellite shot. You can see how big hurricane Floyd was. The eye is over the Abacos very close to Green Turtle Cay.
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Check out the weather forecasts in Miami and London.
2017
Steve's nice trout
Beautiful Bonefish.
Snook.
2014
Redfish 9lbs 8oz
Another nice Redfish.
2013
Another nice Bonefish.
View from Pinapple's bar.
Pineapple's sign post.
50cents pile of empty Conch shells..
The Biltmore hotel at night.
2011
The BIG one!!!
A nice 7lbs Bonefish caught on town flats.
Pineapples
The Biltmore Hotel Tower
The Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore Hotel swimming pool
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2009
Chrissy & Leigh in the beautiful warm water
Picnic on Fiddle Cay
Small but perfect.
Ricky releasing a Bonefish
2007
A good Wahoo
A pair for Chris
New Year with Marion & David
Rent-a-dog. Sassy
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2006
A big fat me and a big fat fish!!!
Barracuda 46lbs 8oz
Amberjack 40lbs
Chrissy's Amberjack 35lbs
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2005
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Update 21st July 2005:
Nice Shark.
'Stranded Naked'
Lots of boats.
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2004
David with his 5lbs Bonefish
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Update 1st July 2004:
175lbs Marlin
Dale Sawyer holding on!
The Crew
The awards
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Update 6th October 2004:
Town flats & harbour from the air
New Plymouth from the air
2003
Chrissy's catch
Bonefish by Chris Moorjohn
10lbs 4oz Bonefish
Ricky Sawyer releasing a good Bonefish
45lbs Black tip reef Shark
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Update 5th March 2003:
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Update 21st July 2003:
2002
15lbs Mutton snapper
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Update 24th June 2002:
11lbs Bonefish, caught on Town flats
A large Cuda
Back to swim with his mates
Kite flying at the south end of Green Turtle Cay
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REPORT:
2001
Fantastic colours.
You can't imagine the noise of horns and beating drums.
Everyone enjoying themselves.
Great costumes.
The Albert Lowe museum
The light house at Hope Town
The beautiful view from our friends Don & Sandra's house
2000
Perfect rod & reel in the perfect setting! (Sage & Abel)
Chrissy with her Abel No2 Camo Coral reel
1999
Abel bonefish art!
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