The next two days, I fished with Capt. Phil’s head guide, Harryo Beavans. On the east end of Grand Bahama, Capt. Phil’s guides fish basically the same flats as the Deep Water Cay Club, an exclusive bonefishing resort on a private island a mile or so from McClean’s Town. We started off fishing the edge of Harbor Creek on the north side of Sweetings Cay. I landed my first fish of the day and second fish of the trip in the first five minutes on this flat. With the arrival of a group of rain clouds though, I reeled up my line and we continued our trek north.

The author, wading, releases a fish.

The next flat was outside of Rumor Creek. It was large, open and wadable. We saw gray marks all over on the flat bottom, each representing the feed mark of an individual fish. There were hundreds; some were still “smoking.” Unfortunately, the wind was up again. With the weather conditions we had shots at only a fraction of them (probably 30 to 40 fish in five different schools). I had the sense that if the wind was down, we would be able to see tails waving at us as far as the eye could see. But, I was not complaining.

Harryo piloted his 17-foot skiff along a winding creek channel, carving snaking curves across the flat with the boat rotating from 45 degrees to port to 45 degrees to starboard and back again until the channel broadened and straightened for a couple hundred crystal clear yards. Harryo then resumed his nautical acrobatics for another hundred yards or so until we reached our next destination. When we arrived at the flat, it was well protected from the wind. I probably would have paid for the boat ride alone, but my second fish of the day was a nice bonus.

At lunch, which consisted of a tuna sandwich purchased at Kenny’s Take Out and Arcade across from the government dock, I asked Harryo, if I could bring only four types of flies, what would he recommend? His number one choice was a Pink Puff in pink, khaki or brown tied on a No. 6 hook. Second choice was a Gotcha on a No. 4 or 6 hook, silver, with a tan body. Third choice was a spawning crab tied on a No. 6 hook in brown with an orange body. His fourth choice was a Simran.

Harryo pointed out, though, that if you put the fly on a Grand Bahama bonefish’s nose, it will eat just about anything. All of my hookups came on either tan Gotchas or tan Charlies, fours and sixes.

There are choice bonefish flats within a short drive of Freeport, Grand Bahama, and a growing number of local guides who offer daily charters.

There is definitely an opportunity to travel to Grand Bahama for a weekend trip on your own, with the family, with first time anglers or with non-anglers and have plenty to do. There is the obvious touristy destination of Freeport, with its straw markets, casinos and beaches. And then there is the national park and the more isolated beaches such as Crabbing Bay Beach. There are also birding opportunities. Walking the shell road in to Crabbing Bay Beach, I spotted a number of birds that I had not seen up close before, including a warbler, a flycatcher, a catbird and a hummingbird. The blue holes and reefs provide amazing snorkeling opportunities.