ABACO LODGE

Summary

• The only lodge directly on the famed Marls.
• Short runs from the lodge, usually less than half an hour and as fast as five minutes.
• Tailing fish, and lots of them.
• The marls is shallow water for as far as you can see. Incredible logistics make this the easiest fishing lodge in the Bahamas to reach – 8 commercial airlines flying to Marsh Harbour regularly.
• A surprising number of juvenile tarpon are around-- providing almost weekly excitement.
• One of the most under-pressured fisheries of this caliber in the Caribbean.
• The most knowledgeable guides in the Bahamas, they know the Marls and the ocean intimately and they possess an uncanny ability to find fish.
• The latest Hells Bay skiffs, widely recognized as the ultimate flats boat, allow us to access the shallowest flats in maximum comfort.
• Guests have individual private rooms with ensuite bathrooms and air conditioning.

The Abacos are a string of Bahamian islands located approximately 175 miles east of Palm Beach, Florida. The "mainland" is Great Abaco, third largest island in the Bahamas.

Abaco Lodge is located on the western side of Great Abaco Island which is home to the “Marls”, a unique environment that provides the perfect habitat for Bonefish. For twenty miles the average depth is four feet. Abaco lodge has unrivalled access to all of the most productive flats the Marls has to offer. Although it would take a lifetime to fish the entire Marls, Abaco also offers some incredible fishing on the eastern side of the island as well.

Marsh Harbour is the principal town on the island and is only a 10 minute drive from the lodge. It has the largest protected deep water harbour in Abaco and an international airport serviced by major US and Bahamian carriers. Naturally, it has many shops, restaurants and marinas.

Historically different from other areas in the Bahamas, the population of the Abacos hails from Loyalists during the War of Independence from the United States. These blonde-haired, blue-eyed Abaconians still work at traditional occupations, such as farming, fishing, and boat building. Guests can embrace the relaxed culture and before long will feel like locals.

The Fishing

The typical trip does not fish on arrival or departure, but we can arrange this if your flights allow and upon special request. Breakfast is served at seven and we leave the dock at eight. We will plan to return around four. This schedule can be tailored to your needs with advance notice. Picnic lunches and cold drinks are taken to the flats in a cooler, by your guide.

The Marls encompass a huge area of flats on the west side of Abaco. For twenty miles the average depth is four feet. The lodge is centrally located directly on the Marls side of the island with access to them all directly from the lodge dock. This location gives our guests easy access to the flats, while providing many sheltered locations irrespective of wind direction.

The majority of the fishing is done from the boat but wading opportunities exist. Runs to the flats vary from 10 to 45 minutes. Cherokee Sound, the Bight of Robinson and Snake Cay are minutes from the lodge and offer opportunities at incredible, challenging Bonefish.

The flats on the ocean side require only a short drive. All of the skiffs are equipped with padded seats with backrests and a lean bar in the front.

The bonefish on the Marls average 2-4 lb., with the occasional shot at bigger fish. The ocean side flats offer opportunities at some of the largest bonefish in the Bahamas, but they are incredibly wary creatures. The Bahamas is primarily composed of bone-fisheries, and Abaco is no different. There are the occasional shots at Permit, Tarpon, ‘Cudas, Jacks, and sharks. We recommend you bring the appropriate tackle just in case. There is nothing quite as frustrating as seeing a 20 lb Permit tailing, or the juvenile Tarpon cruising the flat while not having the right gear set up.

Bair´s Lodge

Summary

• Perfectly situated with access to the Southern Flats, the intricate creek systems and the fabled West Side.
• Diverse fishing grounds offer unprecedented options in inclement weather and wind.
• The West Side offers one of the best opportunities in the world to land double digit bonefish. You'll see them!
• Fish see little pressure-it is not unusual to see fish turn to eat flies that land just short.
• Excellent wading opportunities.
• Veteran guide staff is one of the best in the Bahamas. An excellent flat in front of the lodge when the tide is right.
• A saltwater classic since 1989, providing the highest levels of service and comfort, and getting better each year.
• A la carte menu with exception fresh, local dishes.

Bair's Lodge is located on the eastern side of South Andros Island, in the Bahamas. Congo Town is the nearest town, just 10 minutes drive from the lodge.

Andros Island is the largest island in the Bahamas, and still one of the least developed. This unique and unspoiled island is divided by inland creeks and large channels, called bights. Bair's Lodge is situated between Deep Creek and Little Creek, neither being more than a 5 minute boat ride from the Lodge. These creeks open out into a broad area of inland flats, with hundreds of small cays and connecting channels covering over 120 square miles.

The pace of life on the island, as with the rest of the Bahamas, is very gentle. On South Andros Island the local community is relaxed and very family oriented. Small-scale commercial fishing, for fish and lobster, is the mainstay of the island.

The Fishing

Andros has long been synonymous with the biggest bonefish in the Caribbean. The south and west of the Island have built a reputation as the place to try for a 'Giant'. The flats in Andros are some of the largest and most varied in the world, offering opportunities to both wade and fish from the boat in the ocean flats or creeks and bights. This incredible choice of classic bone-fishing environments, as well as the numbers and size of the bonefish, is what makes South Andros the bone-fishing capital of the world. Bair's Lodge, famed for its access to the vast and largely under-fished flats of the south and west, is strategically situated between the South Bight and Water Cays, near Little Creek. This location gives our guests easy access to the flats of the south, while providing many sheltered locations, irrespective of wind direction. In addition, from Bair's Lodge, guests have the opportunity to try for occasional Permit and Tarpon, as well as offshore and reef species such as Wahoo, Tuna, Dorado, (Seasonal Billfish), Snapper, Barracuda, and Grouper. Offshore fishing should be arranged in advance or once at the lodge. Offshore fishing does have an addition cost.

Every morning you step out of the lodge into a boat and can be fishing within a few minutes, or you can choose to ride further a-field to explore the more remote, pristine white sand flats Andros is famous for. Deep Creek and Little Creek, a few minutes run from the lodge, open into large bay areas dotted with many small cays. Here there are always flats that offer protection from the wind. Both creeks allow access to the fabled West Side and other remote cays to the south and south-west that may provide lucky anglers with the possibility of trying for Permit and Tarpon to complete the famous "Grand Slam". The Southern Flats are home to some of the largest schools of Bonefish. Grassy Creek is a 40 min boat ride from the lodge. Weather permitting you can ride on to Hawksbill Creek and onto Cistern Point. This area sees little fishing pressure and is regarded as the place to come for great numbers of fish. The flats stretch as far as the eye can see and wading next to these huge schools is the experience of a lifetime.