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ROLLETOWN, EXUMA BAHAMAS
Where peace and plenty of action abound
ROLLETOWN, EXUMA BAHAMAS
As Martin poled his 15-foot skiff closer to a shoreline clump of mangrove trees, I couldn’t help but become completely mesmerized by the turquoise water surrounding us. Water depth was a mere foot or so, and my eyes scanned the shallows for the tell-tale signs of those dark shapes. Bonefish were the targets of opportunity, and here, in the midst of one of the southern-most islands of the Bahamas chain of magnificent coral atolls one could easily understand why so many stateside anglers come to this warm paradise. Those dark shapes in fact turned out to be schools of bonefish hunting for their favorite meals, bottom-hugging shrimp and crabs, scurrying around the white sand bottoms and mud. “Twelve o’clock, straight out, in front of the boat,” guide Martin Clarke whispered in his Bahamian accent. “Right there,” he continued, “four fish-hurry, cast now.” It was my turn now on the front casting deck, while friend Paul Melchior urged me on. Even though I considered myself a fairly decent fly fisherman, I felt intimidated. Just by Melchior’s sheer presence in the boat, I had cause for concern. I didn’t want to embarrass myself with a sloppy cast. Here was a champion fly and baitcaster; instructor; and real-life living angling legend who still gets as much joy and excitement from an 8-inch Wisconsin brook trout as he does from a Honduran baby tarpon. With the wind at my back, I made three false casts with my 8-weight rod while continuously stripping line off the fly reel. My hands trembled from excitement and nervousness, but I managed to land a pink-colored shrimp in front of a decent bonefish. Martin gently called out from the stern, “sweet cast.” Affirmation is wonderful. The fish turned to approach the fly and Martin called out the movements. “He sees it-he’s coming, steady now, strip line-strip-strip” he ordered, “carefully, careful, he’s got it.” The line tightened, and the fish took off like it was on fire, maybe heading for Cuba. In fact, we estimated that almost every fish we hooked ran a minimum of 80-yards, with some stripping off line to over a hundred yards. With Paul’s coaching, and the guide’s great boat positioning, it was easy to look like a pro. When the bone stopped running I retrieved line back on to the reel and in minutes Martin leaned over the side to release a beautiful, silver-sided bonefish. On a previous day, Paul and I waded across a huge expanse of crystalline, shallow water, casting our flies to wary fish. These were the famous Bahamian flats, that serve as feeding grounds for one of the all-time greatest saltwater fish known to swim. Melchior and I wore neoprene wading shoes as we gingerly stepped across through the knee-high water. Every time we encountered a school of fish they spooked and swam off. I didn’t care, because this kind of environment was far better than any prescription a doctor could write. Just standing in the warm water was the equivalent of 20-mg. of Valium. I had caught dozens of bonefish on prior trips to Florida’s fabled Keys, but Exuma is truly special. Our headquarters for this jaunt was the Peace and Plenty Bonefish Lodge, located on the southeastern fringes of the island. And when I tell you this land is loaded with history, I am not exaggerating. The peaceful Lucayan Indians had lived on Exuma and throughout the Bahamas for centuries prior to Columbus' discovery of the islands in 1492. After the Spanish enslaved the Lucayans to work in Central and South America, Exuma and the rest of the Bahamas were left empty and uninhabited until the arrival of the British to Eleuthera around 1648. The Bahamas then became slave colonies. When one arrives at the airport you are greeted by some of the friendliest people on earth, the Exumians. I laughed because I noted the term Exumian sounded as if it came from a Star Trek episode. Lodge managers Bob and Karen Hyde run a first class operation, and have a cast of guides that truly know the flats and where the bonefish could be at any given moment. Karen also thrills guests with a shark feeding session in a small lagoon on the property. Several lemon sharks come in every night when she turns on the underwater lights. She then feeds them table scraps until the bowls are emptied. Sometimes the sharks want seconds and thirds. Getting here is easy. We flew from O’Hare to Miami International, and then took a shuttle flight to Exuma which lasted 90-minutes. Air fares vary from week-to-week, but there’s lots of great deals available. Paul and I caught lots of bonefish ranging from 2-5 lbs. We saw much bigger fish, but they wouldn’t eat what we threw at them. One side note. When I was retrieving a three pounder and finally got it fairly close to the boat, a 7-foot long shark swooped in and made off with it. I wasn’t equipped to tangle with that brute. But I certainly want to go back to the tranquil waters of Exuma and soak up more of Peace and Plenty `cause I certainly didn’t get enough.
WHERE: Peace and Plenty Bonefish Lodge, Exuma, Bahamas When: Year `round COST: 5 nights, 4 days guided fishing, lodging, and meals included, $2,095 TRIP BOOKED THROUGH: Angling
Escapes: 847-441-3195
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