You find yourself with a free weekend, and want to do a little bonefishing in The Bahamas. Is it possible to arrange a trip on short notice,without the reservations and rates of a dedicated bonefishing lodge?

They're generally smaller than Florida bones, of course, but those eagar Bahamas fish are worth traveling for.

Grand Bahama and the nearby Abaco cays offer some convenient and surprising opportunities. It’s possible to travel to either Freeport or Marsh Harbor on direct flights for around $209. Bahamasair and several commuter airlines all make the trip out of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

Recently, with a little time off from my busy personal and professional life, I did some research and found two options that fit my time and budget constraints. One that looked promising was a trip to Sandy Point in the Abacos, but it turned out that all the flights to Marsh Harbor were booked.

The second option, and the one that I took, was to fly from West Palm Beach to the bustling city of Freeport, Grand Bahama, and fish with a local bonefish guide—of which there seems to be a growing number. This route is akin to hiring a flats guide in any Florida city, such as Miami or Islamorada, but offers the allure of a real Bahamas experience. I chose Capt. Phil and Mel’s Bonefishing Service out of McClean’s Town on the east end of Grand Bahama. This afforded me enough time for a half-day fishing on my own and two days guided fishing. Captain Phil helped locate lodging in the McClean’s Town area for Friday and Saturday nights for $50 per night (I just wanted to fish, eat and sleep) and he agreed to take me to a flat where I could fish on my own on my arrival day. Capt. Phil picks up and drops off clients who choose to stay in Freeport at no extra charge, and this is the case with other island guides.

After a 30-minute flight and 10 minutes in customs, I was greeted by Harry Rolle, a guide with Deep Water Caye Club who, as a friend of Capt. Phil’s, drove me out to McClean’s Town.

On the drive, Harry showed me a couple of the other places I had found when doing my Internet research: Smoking Reels Bonefish Club in Pelican Point and Bishop’s in High Rock. Both provide accommodations and are located on nice beaches. Bishop’s no longer provides bonefishing packages, but Capt. Phil and Mel’s often provides bonefishing trips for Bishop’s clients. I understand that the beaches at both locations also hold bonefish, but I did not have time to conduct any primary research, as I was scheduled to go to another flat near McClean’s Town.

Upon arrival in McClean’s Town, Harry showed me the government dock and the flat just beyond. He pointed out a school of bonefish feeding 200 yards away on the town flat. I knew that I’d come to the right place. After dropping my gear at Ricardo’s, a modest room with air conditioning and a shared bathroom (one for men and one for women), Harry took me to Crabbing Bay Beach, about a mile west of town.

The beach was deserted except for a couple snorkeling the blue hole near shore, two Germans who were camping at the far end of the beach and (I hoped) several large schools of bonefish. Harry picked a tan Crazy Charlie from my fly box and suggested wading along the edge of the seagrass by the blue hole and scanning for fish over the sand flat. I thanked him for his help and said goodbye.