Bonefishing in the Abaco Islands
The Bahamas are home to 5 out of the world's top 10 fishing destinations

Bonefishing In The Abacos

From Japan, the land of the rising sun and the frigid fjords of Scandinavia, to the Florida Everglades and the verdant farmlands of South Africa, a trickle of diverse, international sportsmen converge on the secluded coasts of Southern Abaco with a single purpose in mind­ to test their skills in one of the best bonefishing locations in the world.

This might be a surprise to many Bahamians, but the writers of some of the top sports fishing magazines in this part of the world can't be mistaken about the legendary rewards of our veritable haven. I first happened across this revelation a few weeks ago at a special reception held at Netica Symonette's Different of Abaco in Casuarina Point.

There were sports writers and journalists from nine sports magazines as well as a popular journalist from the BBC, who was preparing a documentary on Nettie's unique bonefishing lodge. Nettie's Heritage Bonefishing Club is an all inclusive fishing experience where one only has to bring a change of clothes. Transportation, accommodations, meals, entertainment, rods, reels and other fishing gear, boats, bonefish guides and a seemingly endless sea of bonefish are all there and waiting.

Just a few days later, there was a meeting organized through the Ministry of Tourism at a local hotel, to discuss the conservation and preservation of the bonefish. Experts from Mexico, acting on their country's agreement with the Bahamas to achieve this joint aim, were flown in on a fact finding mission. Sammy Gardiner, Manager of Special Markets at the Ministry, facilitated the meeting. Local bonefishermen and guides had been invited to attend and to share their individual experiences and practices in the art with the Mexican experts and with each other. The enthusiasm of the fishermen was almost palatable and certainly, contagious.

The meeting quickly broke into a lively open discussion. With memories stretching back some thirty years, one local Central Abaco fisherman confidently informed us that the bonefish stock is healthier today than it has ever been. The proliferation of mangrove swamps have contributed to this growth. However, one of the problems which threatens this form of livelihood is the constant encroachment of international poachers. Unauthorized fishermen enter the Bahamas, fish long and hard for the most prized trophies of sportsfishing and then leave as they came in through the expansive "back door" of our endless waters.

Mr Gardiner expounded on his ongoing education of the high calibre of experience that the sport offers to visitors. Five of the top ten best fishing destinations in the entire world are in the Bahamas.

This spells big business for Bahamians on the one hand and on the other hand, it means the careful management of a natural resource. One bone of contention among the local fishermen was the use of the "bogo grip" which allows for the handling of the fish and the release of the fishhook without actually touching the fish with the hands. This grip is popular during fishing tournaments because it enables you to hold the fish out of the water and measure its length. Handling the fish in any way disrupts the natural coating which protects against predators, disease and over exposure to the sun. Mishandling of the bonefish leads to a deterioration in its health and probable death.

The attraction of this particular type of fly fishing is that it requires a certain skill and finesse to be able to land this naturally skittish prey. Once hooked, the bonefish, though not that large, puts up such a fight for its freedom that the thrill of the catch is amplified a hundred fold.

Thus the Bahamas has several international bonefishing tournaments during the course of the year, which attract a smorgasbord of sponsors. The sponsors, with the promise of lucrative rewards as an incentive, eagerly await the chance to have a fly fisherman celebrity endorse their company products. As many as fifteen international news magazines and three networks have been present to record the events at the islands of Exuma, Grand Bahama, Andros and the Abacos, which all have Bonefishing Championships. The winners go onto the World Championships.

South Abaco's Patrick Roberts,who won the 1998 Championship of the Abaco Fish-Off, is one of a number of world-class bonefishing guides who would like to see the sport become an "exclusive" enterprise for Bahamians. The Government agrees and therefore, is in the process of regulating bonefishing practices throughout the Bahamas. The acquisition of fishing permits will become mandatory, the use of licensed Bahamian guides a must, and a "season" (the period when they are breeding and growing) when bonefishing is off limits, will be implemented. Mr. Gardiner, noting the interest displayed by the fishermen present in the conservation of this species of fish, encouraged them to continue to note tagged specimens, seasons and sites of active breeding and routes used by poachers.

This information would be invaluable in the formulation of regulations in the near future. Mr. Gardiner discussed niche marketing, a concept which focuses on a singular aspect of an industry at a time and gear all of its resources towards realizing this goal. The sport of bonefishing, which has been referred to as the sportsman's ultimate challenge, is an economic target on which the Ministry of Tourism has fixed its sights and the Bahamas intends to maintain its place as one of the premier venues for this dream to become a reality.