The Right Gear for the Job
The Right Gear for the Job
Castafly Travel was built on the foundation of simplifying the trip planning process and making remote destinations more accessible to you. You won’t find equipment meant for Mongolia or Montana on our site. You will find all that you'll need to fly fish the Bahamas. Every product in Castafly Travel’s Bahamas Fly Shop is hand-picked specifically for your island adventure. You will find everything you need to make your next Bahamas trip a great success.
Flies – The Most Important Items
Unlike Alaska and many places in the continental United States, flies are not provided or readily available in the Bahamas. You’ll need a deep and wide inventory of bonefish flies because you’ll fish a variety of situations that require the right tools for the job. In deep water, you’ll need heavy flies. You'll catch a lot of bonefish and you're going to lose some flies. In skinny water, you may need unweighted flies. While you will be primarily fishing for bonefish, you may come across permit at Crooked Island and on the west side of Andros, you could find tarpon. You simply won’t catch as many fish as you could unless you have the right flies. Don’t expect the guides to provide you with flies. Some will, but most will not. Bahamas Fly Shop has every fly you will need for this Caribbean jewel. Pick the flies you need from our site or give us a call and we’ll pick out an assortment that will meet your fishing needs.
Bonefish Will Eat your Trout Reel for Lunch
Your fly reel is one place where you should not be looking to save money. This is not to say that you can't get a reasonably priced saltwater fly reel, because you can. But, it has to be well designed with a smooth drag system to handle the long runs that you will inevitably experience while fishing in the Bahamas. After your first screaming bonefish run or the tremendous tug of a tarpon, you’ll understand completely. Stay with name brand merchandise. It is tried and true. Fly reel companies come and go. Experienced saltwater fishermen know this. If you are not experienced, you do not want to learn this lesson the hard way. A good reel is quite often the difference between success and failure in the salt.
Castafly Travel has had the opportunity to try many different reels on our adventures to the Bahamas. Without doubt, we are glad that we chose proven manufacturer's equipment. You will be too. Buying a new and better reel from a company that has not proven its longevity could prove to be a costly mistake when warranty service is no longer available because the company has gone out of of business. What’s worse is that there are no locations in the Bahamas where you can buy any fly reels if yours fails. All of the reels you find on Bahamas Fly Shop have been tested in reel world situations. They have been around for many years and have been proven tough.
Can You Cast into the Wind?
All fork-tailed flats fish will give your equipment a test. Let’s face it, without a functioning fly rod, your trip to the destination of a lifetime will be in vein. Big, powerful fish like those found in the ocean surrounding the Bahamas, will quickly show you why you need quality equipment. Low quality equipment will have its lunch eaten. Even the best of the best will be given an endurance test when a 10+ pound bonefish makes its runs, or when a 100+ pound tarpon leaps, and dives. Having a rod that can cast into the wind yet has a delicate tip to play thin leaders is not found at WalMart. Stick to premium manufacturers that have a proven history in the salt. You won’t be sorry.
It's Hard to See the Ghosts of the Sea
All sunglasses are not created equal. The glare from the water’s reflection and the intensity from the sky need to be tamed for the best fishing results. Without polarized glasses, you simply won’t be able to see the fish you’re trying to catch. Stalking the ghosts of the sea is hard enough because they are difficult to see. Quality, polarized glasses are a must. The difference can be night and day. Make sure you have glasses for differing light conditions – gray for bright conditions and copper or amber for low light conditions. Have a back-up pair of glasses in case your preferred pair is broken or lost. You won’t find a good pair of polarized fishing glasses anywhere in the out island of the Bahamas. Most importantly, wear sunglasses at all times while fishing for safety. Sharp, barbed hooks in all sizes will be flying towards you. Hooks will come out of your skin. Your eyes are another matter and cannot be put at risk. Be careful. Be smart.
Keep the Sun as your Friend
Your equipment will stand up to the sun, but your body won’t. You need to protect it. In today’s world, there are lots of ways to save your body from the harmful rays of the sun. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you won’t find a shady tree to give you a break from the sun. You have to bring the protection with you.
Of course, bring lots of sunblock with the highest UPF rating you can find. Since you’ll be in and out of the water, it’s best to have water resistant sun block. That’s just the beginning.
Be prepared to cover up. Most fly fishing clothing is treated to be sun protective. Look for high UPF ratings in your clothing and your sun block. Have a hat that covers your head and your ears. It doesn’t take long before you start to feel the heat on any part of your body that isn’t covered. Buffs and other face guards may seem confining, but they are trip savers. Try one, you’ll likely find that they are not confining and help to keep tropical burns away from your face. Additionally, they protect you from the wind while running and help cut glare from the ocean. Long pants seem like an odd thing to wear in the heat of the sun. Today’s garments, however, are lightweight and UPF rated to save your skin. If you’re fishing Andros, you must wear long pants and long socks to protect you from biting flies. They are viscous little creatures that always seem to appear right when the fishing gets good. They’ll hunt you down until you kill them. Convertible pants are nice for times when you the sun isn’t intense and the flies are lying low. Standing on the deck of a flats boat will leave the top of your hands exposed. Sunblock helps, but doesn’t always do the trick. Carry and use a pair of sungloves for maximum protection.
Save Your Feet. You'll Need Them.
Wade fishing the ocean is filled with natural hazards. Sharp rocks and coral will cut right through your skin. Coral cuts are particularly nasty and can easily become infected. In a sand environment, you can use lower cut boots. In the marls of Abaco, higher topped boots will protect you from rock outcroppings. Most will tell you that fishing barefoot from the boat is the only way to go. You can feel the line under your feet and have a sixth sense when it comes to line management. Many big fish have been lost because the angler was simply stepping on his fly line. If you’re fishing from the boat barefoot, your feet are exposed to the sun and are poised to get a nasty sunburn. Your trip will be remembered for the nasty sunburn your feet received while standing on the deck rather than all the big fish you caught. Where lightweight sandals or keep your feet covered at all times with sunblock. White socks reflect the sun, enable the sixth sense and provide you with complete coverage of your feet.
Keep Saltwater Off of Your Gear
Saltwater eats seemingly everything. It’s in the air, it’s in the boat, it’s everywhere in the Caribbean. Walk up and down the beaches of Roatan, Honduras, and notice how the casings on metal appliances are rusted away and the core is exposed. The same thing will happen to your gear if you don’t protect it. Truly waterproof, not water resistant, gear bags are a must. Whether you’re wade fishing or making runs in a boat, saltwater will be looking for your gear in an attempt to destroy it. From our trips, we’ve found that the Patagonia Great Divider is the best bag on the market. It’s airline friendly (can be carried on) and is truly waterproof.
Use New Leader and Tippets
Ocean fish are fast, strong, and big. Old monofilament tippet that’s been in your closet for a couple of years is close to worthless in the salt. You should stock up on fresh leaders and tippet before your trip. In most cases, fluorocarbon is preferred. If you prefer monofilament, make sure it is fresh. Monofilament degrades with exposure to sun and air. Like most fly fishing products, you can’t buy leader and tippet in the Bahamas. You have to bring it with you.
Castafly Travel was built on the foundation of simplifying the trip planning process and making remote destinations more accessible to you. You won’t find equipment meant for Mongolia or Montana on our site. You will find all that you'll need to fly fish the Bahamas. Every product in Castafly Travel’s Bahamas Fly Shop is hand-picked specifically for your island adventure. You will find everything you need to make your next Bahamas trip a great success.
Flies – The Most Important Items
Unlike Alaska and many places in the continental United States, flies are not provided or readily available in the Bahamas. You’ll need a deep and wide inventory of bonefish flies because you’ll fish a variety of situations that require the right tools for the job. In deep water, you’ll need heavy flies. You'll catch a lot of bonefish and you're going to lose some flies. In skinny water, you may need unweighted flies. While you will be primarily fishing for bonefish, you may come across permit at Crooked Island and on the west side of Andros, you could find tarpon. You simply won’t catch as many fish as you could unless you have the right flies. Don’t expect the guides to provide you with flies. Some will, but most will not. Bahamas Fly Shop has every fly you will need for this Caribbean jewel. Pick the flies you need from our site or give us a call and we’ll pick out an assortment that will meet your fishing needs.Bonefish Will Eat your Trout Reel for Lunch
Your fly reel is one place where you should not be looking to save money. This is not to say that you can't get a reasonably priced saltwater fly reel, because you can. But, it has to be well designed with a smooth drag system to handle the long runs that you will inevitably experience while fishing in the Bahamas. After your first screaming bonefish run or the tremendous tug of a tarpon, you’ll understand completely. Stay with name brand merchandise. It is tried and true. Fly reel companies come and go. Experienced saltwater fishermen know this. If you are not experienced, you do not want to learn this lesson the hard way. A good reel is quite often the difference between success and failure in the salt. Castafly Travel has had the opportunity to try many different reels on our adventures to the Bahamas. Without doubt, we are glad that we chose proven manufacturer's equipment. You will be too. Buying a new and better reel from a company that has not proven its longevity could prove to be a costly mistake when warranty service is no longer available because the company has gone out of of business. What’s worse is that there are no locations in the Bahamas where you can buy any fly reels if yours fails. All of the reels you find on Bahamas Fly Shop have been tested in reel world situations. They have been around for many years and have been proven tough.
Can You Cast into the Wind?All fork-tailed flats fish will give your equipment a test. Let’s face it, without a functioning fly rod, your trip to the destination of a lifetime will be in vein. Big, powerful fish like those found in the ocean surrounding the Bahamas, will quickly show you why you need quality equipment. Low quality equipment will have its lunch eaten. Even the best of the best will be given an endurance test when a 10+ pound bonefish makes its runs, or when a 100+ pound tarpon leaps, and dives. Having a rod that can cast into the wind yet has a delicate tip to play thin leaders is not found at WalMart. Stick to premium manufacturers that have a proven history in the salt. You won’t be sorry.
It's Hard to See the Ghosts of the Sea
All sunglasses are not created equal. The glare from the water’s reflection and the intensity from the sky need to be tamed for the best fishing results. Without polarized glasses, you simply won’t be able to see the fish you’re trying to catch. Stalking the ghosts of the sea is hard enough because they are difficult to see. Quality, polarized glasses are a must. The difference can be night and day. Make sure you have glasses for differing light conditions – gray for bright conditions and copper or amber for low light conditions. Have a back-up pair of glasses in case your preferred pair is broken or lost. You won’t find a good pair of polarized fishing glasses anywhere in the out island of the Bahamas. Most importantly, wear sunglasses at all times while fishing for safety. Sharp, barbed hooks in all sizes will be flying towards you. Hooks will come out of your skin. Your eyes are another matter and cannot be put at risk. Be careful. Be smart.
Keep the Sun as your Friend
Your equipment will stand up to the sun, but your body won’t. You need to protect it. In today’s world, there are lots of ways to save your body from the harmful rays of the sun. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you won’t find a shady tree to give you a break from the sun. You have to bring the protection with you.
Of course, bring lots of sunblock with the highest UPF rating you can find. Since you’ll be in and out of the water, it’s best to have water resistant sun block. That’s just the beginning.
Be prepared to cover up. Most fly fishing clothing is treated to be sun protective. Look for high UPF ratings in your clothing and your sun block. Have a hat that covers your head and your ears. It doesn’t take long before you start to feel the heat on any part of your body that isn’t covered. Buffs and other face guards may seem confining, but they are trip savers. Try one, you’ll likely find that they are not confining and help to keep tropical burns away from your face. Additionally, they protect you from the wind while running and help cut glare from the ocean. Long pants seem like an odd thing to wear in the heat of the sun. Today’s garments, however, are lightweight and UPF rated to save your skin. If you’re fishing Andros, you must wear long pants and long socks to protect you from biting flies. They are viscous little creatures that always seem to appear right when the fishing gets good. They’ll hunt you down until you kill them. Convertible pants are nice for times when you the sun isn’t intense and the flies are lying low. Standing on the deck of a flats boat will leave the top of your hands exposed. Sunblock helps, but doesn’t always do the trick. Carry and use a pair of sungloves for maximum protection.Save Your Feet. You'll Need Them.
Wade fishing the ocean is filled with natural hazards. Sharp rocks and coral will cut right through your skin. Coral cuts are particularly nasty and can easily become infected. In a sand environment, you can use lower cut boots. In the marls of Abaco, higher topped boots will protect you from rock outcroppings. Most will tell you that fishing barefoot from the boat is the only way to go. You can feel the line under your feet and have a sixth sense when it comes to line management. Many big fish have been lost because the angler was simply stepping on his fly line. If you’re fishing from the boat barefoot, your feet are exposed to the sun and are poised to get a nasty sunburn. Your trip will be remembered for the nasty sunburn your feet received while standing on the deck rather than all the big fish you caught. Where lightweight sandals or keep your feet covered at all times with sunblock. White socks reflect the sun, enable the sixth sense and provide you with complete coverage of your feet.Keep Saltwater Off of Your Gear
Saltwater eats seemingly everything. It’s in the air, it’s in the boat, it’s everywhere in the Caribbean. Walk up and down the beaches of Roatan, Honduras, and notice how the casings on metal appliances are rusted away and the core is exposed. The same thing will happen to your gear if you don’t protect it. Truly waterproof, not water resistant, gear bags are a must. Whether you’re wade fishing or making runs in a boat, saltwater will be looking for your gear in an attempt to destroy it. From our trips, we’ve found that the Patagonia Great Divider is the best bag on the market. It’s airline friendly (can be carried on) and is truly waterproof.Use New Leader and Tippets
Ocean fish are fast, strong, and big. Old monofilament tippet that’s been in your closet for a couple of years is close to worthless in the salt. You should stock up on fresh leaders and tippet before your trip. In most cases, fluorocarbon is preferred. If you prefer monofilament, make sure it is fresh. Monofilament degrades with exposure to sun and air. Like most fly fishing products, you can’t buy leader and tippet in the Bahamas. You have to bring it with you.