Blog

 We have had two beautiful days of weather down here in Honduras.  Bonefish are tailing all the time but very spooky here and hard to catch.  Monte and KK saw and casted at 4 groups of Permit today.  I saw 2 Permit in front of our cabin this morning (Permit are here).  Dirk Johnsrudd landed his first bonefish today and got it all on film (he knows the strip set...wait for the video).  Lou also landed his first few Bonefish today.  Paul and Dan caught us lunch this morning and went out with Grahams in the deep sea boat this morning.  The caught some Cuda's, Wahoo, and Bonitas.  We had some great fresh grilled Wahoo today at lunch.  We have been trying to catch one of the big Trigger Fish that are all over the flats and this evening we finally did it.  Just past the lodge La Manazana (Steve) landed a big Trigger.  Christie, Paul, and Sam all broke off  some big bonefish on the flat yesterday.  La Manzana landed his first Bonefish.  There is some action here but it is well earned here.

 Rough weather today made spotting fish really tough.  High winds and socked in with clouds today, with patches of rain.  However, I did get a few big Bonefish by the lodge this morning.  Monte landed a really nice 7lb-ish size Bonefish which was the highlight of the day.  KK had 4 Permit behind his fly today and followed him all the way to about 10 feet from him.  We saw lots of trigger fish and parrot fish.  Shrimp, Lobster, and Grouper tonight for dinner.  We are sitting on the deck listening to country music and drinking our favorite flavors... until tomorrow!

 KK, Christie, Paul, La Manzana, and Alisha just finished up a big breakfast on the porch at Graham's Place.  Landed two Bonefish this morning on my way back to the cabin, KK rowed over a big Permit, and Paul just woke up.  We are now sitting at the bar sipping coffee waiting for tailing Bonefish.  The Bonefish here are really fat and wide shouldered.  I've never seen this stout of Bonefish before (bring backing).  It's 85 degree here, the sun is coming out... Life is Great.

 We are having an okay time down here in Guanaja, Honduras... (haha!)  We have the island all to ourselves, there are super sized bonefish, Dan and Monte saw a school of 100 permit today (no permit caught yet), Paul had a bonefish pull the eye off the hook today, Steve showed up today and we are sitting on the water having cocktails and eating lobster!  Paradise!



















We caught numbers of Bonefish today... Boxfish were landed, Parrot Fish, Trigger Fish, Jacks, Barracuda...

Can't wait to share more pictures but the upload process here is very slow.

Until tomorrow....

KK, Paul, La Manzana, Christie, Alisha, Dan F, myself and a few others are headed south today.  I think everyone is fairly excited at this point.  KK didn't sleep last night (tied).  Same with Sam (well I retired at about 2 from the vise).  Paul slept like a bear.  La Manzana and Sam are playing phone tag.  Alisha and Christie are gathering their things ( I think Alisha was packed last week... KK, Paul, and Sam still haven't packed).  We have enough rods though, at least we think so.  Got 2 rods from Beulah, some Winstons, some Scott's, some other random sticks, and borrowed an extra 2 Winston's from Mike B last night just in case.  Paul Bloch helped me tie last night and Paul C. DJ'd some of the worst music I have ever listened to for more than an hour from the kitchen table. 

Gear List that I Plan to Pack:  Simms Flats Boots, Fishpond Rod Tube, 2 Loop Opti Reels, 1 Ross Momentum, 1 Hatch Reel, 2 Scott STS Rods, 1 Scott X2S Rod, 2 Winston BiiMX Rods, 1 St. Croix Rod, Simms Neoprene Wading Socks, Flies, Flip Flops, Shop Hat, Camera, Patagonia Lumbar Stormfront Pack, Passport, Leader/Tippet, Kaenon/Costa Shades, Simms Shorts, Patagonia Shirts, Bottle Opener, Aspirin, Lines, Skull Candy, Cutter/Plier, and Sanuks. 

If half of this list makes it in the bag, I would consider today's packing a huge success. 

Things I know will make it in the bag:  Sanuk Flip Flops (The Beer Cozy Flops from Sanuk are unreal nice flops), Scott STS 8wt, Hatch Reel, Flies, and Bottle Opener. 

Much shorter list, and more realistic...

More updates about our trip coming soon.

We have officially set dates for our trip November 6th-10th of 2011 we will be heading to Guanaja, Honduras in search of Bonefish, Permit, and relaxation.  We want to fill the lodge if possible and the lodge can hold a maximum of 22 spots.  Here is a detailed description of the trip from the view point of Jim Klug from Yellowdog Fly Fishing which is who the trip is being booked with.  Trip cost is $927 plus international airfare.  Here for more info.

"Old-school Merle Haggard blared from the bar as we waded off the flat and onto the boardwalk in front of Graham’s Place Island Resort. We had been a week on the island of Guanaja and had become well accustomed to the fact that there were basically two kinds of music played throughout Honduras’ Bay Islands: country and western. It’s a strange thing that country music is king in this part of the Caribbean, but apparently the only station in the islands adopted a western format years ago, and ever since, the people of the Bay Islands have loved their twang. In a setting that is a much better fit for the likes of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, or Burning Spear, it is indeed strange that Nelson, Jennings, Cash, and Haggard seem to be king.

The three “Islas de la Bahía” (the Bay Islands of Honduras) of Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja are situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northern coast of Honduras and on the far southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-longest coral reef in the world. Guanaja (pronounced “Gwa-nah-ha”) is the eastern-most of the Bay Islands and by far the least-visited of the three. With brilliant, wide-open beaches on its northern side, magnificent reefs and flats that surround the island on all sides, and a total population of less than 10,000 people (almost all of whom speak English), Guanaja in many ways is what the rest of the Caribbean must have been like before being discovered by mega-resorts, cruise ships, and aging snowbirds dressed in madras shorts. Compared to most other Caribbean island destinations, Guanaja is relatively small at only eleven miles long and three miles wide. A shallow, networked coral reef that is both hard-bottomed and wadeable encircles the island and its fifteen smaller cays. Home to many of the island’s shallow bonefish and permit flats, this reef system is what makes Guanaja so ideal for shallow-water fishing.

When he explored the Bay Islands on his fourth and final voyage to the New World in 1502 and visited Guanaja, Christopher Columbus found a mountainous island covered in forests of Caribbean pine. He quite naturally christened it the “Island of Pines.”  Sadly, most of the pine trees that covered Guanaja (along with everything else on the island) were destroyed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. More than ten years later, however, Guanaja seems to be recovering well, although evidence of Mitch still exists. Shipwrecks liter the shallows and reefs throughout certain areas of the island, and along the hillsides and coastal areas, the majority of trees are still missing their bark, completely blown off during the storm. Despite the fact that Mitch – a Category Five storm – sat over the island for nearly two days with sustained winds in excess of 200 mph, the island has since regained much of its beauty. Today, about 90% of the island has been declared a national forest reserve and marine park.

With an off-the-beaten track feel, limited transportation options, and only a handful of hotels and restaurants, it is no mystery why Guanaja has always been the least visited island in the region. What makes Guanaja special for tourists (and specifically for anglers) is its seclusion and the fact that it is fairly hard to travel to. You can take a weekly ferry from the mainland, catch a private boat from the nearby island of Roatan, or hop a small commercial flight from the Honduran city of La Ceiba. Either way, getting to the island itself takes both time and effort. Once on Guanaja, there is only one small road that links two of the three towns (Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight), which means that almost all transportation on the island is via water. A channel on the island known as “The Cut” allows access from the south to the north side of the island without having to go all the way around.

Aside from the two small settlements of Savannah and Mangrove Bight, the majority of Guanaja’s population lives on Bonacca, a small micro-cay located in a harbor half a mile off the main island (also known as Guanaja Cay, Low Key, or simply, “The Cay”).  Over 7,000 of Guanaja’s approximately 10,000 people actually live on this densely-populated land speck, a cay less than 100 total acres in size. While some have described Bonacca as the “Venice of Honduras” because of the waterways that run through the small city, to many, this densely-packed, multi-leveled stilt city in more reminiscent of something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, with houses, businesses, shops, and warehouses spilling off all sides of the island, far over the water. There are no normal streets, and certainly no cars or motorcycles. Even bicycles are prohibited. Everyone on Bonacca walks along the sidewalks and paths that serve as the “streets” for this small city.

The people of Guanaja (the Caracol) are very friendly and easy-going, and the attitude and character of the Bay Islands in general is much more Caribbean than Central American. In fact, the residents of the Bay Islands are quite adamant that they are “islanders first, Spaniards second.” The English-speaking Caracol, mainly of British-Caribbean descent, have established themselves on the Bay Islands since the early 1800’s. Caracol is a Spanish term that literally translates as “conch” and refers to all people born in the Bay Islands region. The primary source of income for the islanders is fishing and shrimping, and tourism is largely undeveloped and confined to a handful of small resorts that cater mostly to divers, snorkelers, and adventure travelers. Angling pressure (especially fly fishing) on Guanaja is and always has been extremely light.

While activities on Guanaja are somewhat limited, it is an ideal destination for both anglers and non-anglers looking for an inexpensive, remote, laid-back island getaway. Aside from the islands’ fishing opportunities, other activities include hiking and exploring, kayaking, snorkeling, playing in the islands’ waterfalls, searching for ancient Mayan artifacts, and relaxing on the white sand beaches. In general, prices on Guanaja remain very low, making the island a great destination for do-it-yourself flats fishermen or those looking for a great economical fishing package. The do-it-yourself aspect of Guanaja is fantastic, and this may be one of the best saltwater flats destinations in the region for people that want a low-cost, economical lodging and meal package coupled with the ability to wade fish on their own. Depending on where you stay (or anchor, if you are staying on a boat), you can literally walk out your door, wade out onto the flats, and walk for several miles along the shallow sand, turtle grass, and crushed-coral flats in search of bonefish and permit.

The primary fishing opportunities on Guanaja largely revolve around the long network of reef flats that surround the small island, specifically the shallow flats on the southern side of the island. This chain of shallow, easily wadeable flats stretches east to west for more than eight miles, offering great wade fishing opportunities for those willing to lace up the flats boots and head out on foot. These flats are home to large numbers of bonefish, most of which are found in medium to large-sized schools. While the typical Guanaja bonefish averages two to three pounds, fish five pounds and larger are not at all uncommon. As with most bonefish scenarios throughout the Caribbean, the smaller fish are usually found in schools that number anywhere from a dozen to well over a hundred fish. The larger bonefish are usually solo or travelling in much smaller schools of anywhere from two to maybe a half dozen fish.  Anglers can expect a dozen or more legitimate shots a day when wading for bonefish, and many of the resident schools can be found on the flats or on the edges of the flats throughout the day regardless of tides and water temperatures. Large numbers of “schoolie” permit in the four to twelve pound range are also found on the flats on a regular basis, especially in the early morning and late evening hours. It is not uncommon to find schools of a dozen of so permit tailing and feeding through the shallows, and when the winds are calm and the water somewhat glassy, their black fin-tips and sickle tails can be seen from hundreds of feet away. Larger permit – usually singles or doubles – are also found on these flats, many times in the outer reef-break areas adjacent to the deeper, blue water. When you wade the flats of Guanaja, it is easy to fixate on the tails and nervous water of the bonefish schools inside the reef. Be sure, however, to scout the outer-edge wave-breaks for the larger sickle-tails of big, feeding permit. For those looking for diversity of species, there are other angling opportunities to be found, including great bluewater action for wahoo, tuna, and Dorado. A number of local boat drivers offer bluewater trips, although it is best to show up with your own rods, tackle, flies, and other important gear. Other flats species include trigger fish, Bermuda Chubs, barracuda in all sizes, and several different types of jacks and snapper.

 The one thing about the flats on the southern side of Guanaja is that they are without a doubt fairly technical for most anglers. Chunks of coral and rock liter these shallow flats, and many anglers will no-doubt lose and break off a good percentage of the fish that they hook. It is not at all uncommon to find some of the larger bonefish and permit tight into the reef, feeding amongst the “boulder gardens” and exposed corral heads in less than twelve inches of water. Again, it is important to scout these shallow areas well, as they are often-times overlooked in favor of the more obvious, larger schools of smaller bonefish that create wakes and moving, nervous water on the slightly deeper, inner flats. Because of the corral heads and high potential for losing fish in the “rock gardens,” many anglers quickly figure out that 16 lb. fluorocarbon tippet is just about the minimum that you want to fish. Some will even bump up to 20 lb. fluoro, as many of the fish seem to be less leader-shy than in other areas throughout the Caribbean. Long leaders and small flies are pretty standard, however, so come prepared with a good number of bonefish flies in #4, #6, and #8. Weedguards are a must, as many of these flats are characterized by a combination of crushed corral, rock, and turtle grass. Be sure to have a large number of lightweight and eyeless flies as well, as many of the bones will be found in six to ten inches of very skinny water. Effective fly patterns for Guanaja include the Missing Link, tan puffs, small eyeless Charlie’s, the Turd, the Squimp, and various lightweight versions of the Gotcha. Bonefish flies in #6 and #8 tied with small bead-chain eyes and tan rabbit fur seem to be especially effective on most of Guanaja’s flats. For permit, a variety of small crabs in size #2 and #4 in tan, olive, and brown seem to work the best. As with the bonefish flies, weedguards are essential.

A seven or eight weight rod is ideal for most of the flats fishing scenarios on Guanaja. A seven is perfect for bonefish, and an eight will work perfectly for both bones and most of the permit found on and along the flats. Floating lines are the only thing to fish, and – as mentioned above – long fluorocarbon leaders are key. Don’t be afraid to fish a 12 ft. to 16 ft. leader that tapers down to either 16 lb. or 20 lb. tippet.  While on most days you can wade the flats with a bonefish set-up, always have a small box of permit crabs in your shirt pocket, easily accessible at a moment’s notice. Other key pieces of equipment include high quality flats wading boots that can protect your feet while walking over and through the sharp coral and rocks that cover the flats. Do your feet a favor and leave the open-toed wading sandals and thin, neoprene water shoes at home. On Guanaja, you’ll definitely want hard-soled, high-topped flats shoes and a pair of socks that will help cut down on chaffing caused from sand and grit getting inside the boots. Comfortable flats clothing in colors that are somewhat subdued are also recommended, unless of course you can cast 90 feet and deliver a small fly with total accuracy (in which case you can go ahead and wear your neon orange supplex shirt and electric blue bandana).  A quality pair of polarized glasses, a good fishing hat, plenty of sunscreen, and a handful of bills (U.S. dollars or Honduran Limperas) round out the required flats items, with the bills to be used at the bar at Graham’s Place Bar for mid-day beers when the temperature is at its highest. When wading the three-plus mile long middle flats on the southern side of Guanaja, Graham’s is a small island that is easily accessed by foot. Pulling up a stool in the shade of the bar after a five hour morning of casting to tailing fish is truly one of the finer parts of any day spent fishing Guanaja.

 Accommodation and hotel options on Guanaja are surprisingly few, and hands-down the best land-based option for anglers is Graham’s Place Resort. This small and funky lodge operation is located on one of Guanaja’s small cays (directly attached to several miles of wadeable flats) on the southern side of the main island. Graham’s is a colorful, laid-back operation that can accommodate a dozen or so people at a time. Graham offers a full restaurant, and menu heavy with seafood, and the coldest beer in the Bay Islands. Several small cabanas offer comfortable beds, air conditioning, and private baths, making them perfect for hard-core anglers or for couples looking for a low-cost, romantic island getaway. The small cay is ideal for families and kids as well, allowing anglers to wade fish on their own for a few hours in the morning and evenings, while the rest of the family swims, snorkels, or enjoys the best white-sand beach on Guanaja. Graham has also built a “private aquarium” in his small marina area, where a large fenced-in enclosure contains a couple dozen sea turtles, tarpon, barracuda, nurse sharks, and several grouper that easily tip the scales at three hundred pounds. The best aspect of the aquarium, however, is a school of bonefish that all easily fall into the eight to ten-pound category. These are some of the largest bonefish you’ll ever see and give you an idea of what may be out there on “the other side of the fence.” You can look down from the edge of the dock at these gigantic aquarium bones, and then look up to see the “free range” bonefish that are usually tailing in the shallow waters of Graham’s home flat. Each afternoon at mid-day, you can retire to Graham’s bar for a shady break and beers, keeping rods at the ready, as it is a regular occurrence to spot cruising and tailing fish from atop the barstools. The tailing fish, cold Salva Vida beers, killer scenery, and the Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings that usually emanate from the bars’ speakers all combine to create what is hands-down the greatest drinking establishment in the entire universe (or at least in all of Honduras).

Aside from Graham’s Place, another fantastic option for fishing Guanaja is with an all-new mothership fishing operation called Three Amigos. Bob Stevenson, until recently the fishing manager at El Pescador Lodge in Belize for the past five years, has teamed up with two partners to start an exciting new liveaboard operation that will focus on fishing both the Bay Islands of Honduras as well as the waters of Southern Belize. With their fifty-foot mothership (aptly named “The Host”), Three Amigos now offers week-long packages in the Bay Islands that split time between the permit-rich waters of Roatan and the shallow flats of Guanaja. Utilizing the mothership as a base of operations, up to eight anglers can rove the waters of Roatan and Guanaja, accessing different areas and covering large amounts of fishing territory over the course of a week. And while the tight quarters and motion of a mothership operation may not be for everyone, the guides, equipment, food, comfort, and constant  mobility all combine to make Three Amigos one of the most unique and exciting operations in the region. One of the best aspects of this mothership operation is that can literally wake up every morning on new flats. When fishing a chain of islands such as Honduras’ Bay Islands, this is a service that no land based lodge can match.

Overall, the fishing on Guanaja can best be described as moderately technical. The fish can be picky, small flies are the norm, and the scattered corral heads and rock gardens that liter the flats all combine to make Guanaja a fishing destination that may be best suited for slightly more experienced flats fishermen. While first-time flats anglers can certainly find and catch fish on the flats of Guanaja, this may be a destination that is slightly more ideal for someone who has a few flats trips already under their belt. That said, this is an area that sees very little pressure and is home to a good number of large bonefish and moderately sized permit. This is also an ideal destination for anglers looking for both an economical flats trip or a do-it-yourself fishing destination. Experienced anglers looking for a budget trip can stay at Graham’s and fish every day on their own, simply by walking the miles of connected flats or by paddling a sea kayak (part of Graham’s packages) to other nearby flats. For those that prefer a guide (always recommended in new and foreign waters) then there are a number of experienced, professional, and reasonably priced guides based in Savannah Bight that can be hired on a daily or a weekly basis.  While the fishing on Guanaja is year-round, the months of October through May tend to be the most productive weather-wise and conditions-wise.

As of 2009, access to Guanaja is only by air flights from the Honduran mainland city of La Ceiba or a weekly water ferry from Trujillo. While there is no direct transportation between Guanaja and the other Bay Islands, private boat and air charters are available from Roatan. Guanaja is served by a small but new airport (GJA), which opened a new “terminal” in 2008. The increased landing of small planes related to drug trafficking over the past few years, however, has motivated the Honduran Naval Forces to construct a small base in Guanaja to better patrol the area. The beneficial by-product of this is that the island will certainly benefit from a higher degree of security.

If you’re planning a trip to Guanaja, then bring your sense of adventure, a good selection of lightweight bonefish flies, extra leaders, and an appreciation for country music. It can be a hard place to get reach, but once there, you’ll wonder why you didn’t come sooner. Willie Nelson never sounded so good."

-Jim Klug - Yellowdog Fly Fishing

We have set official dates for our trip to Guanaja, Honduras this fall which are November 6th-10th.  This is obviously not your typical or traditional bonefish and/or permit destination.  Guanaja Island is one of three islands that make up the bay islands 30 miles off the coast off the Honduran mainland.  Honduras is located in Central America, south of Belize, north of Nicaragua and El Salvador, and East of Guatemala.  The capital city is Tegucigalpa.  We will be flying in to the island of Roatan and then catching a plane to Guanaja.  I, myself, am already planning on staying at least one or two days in Roatan to check out the more populated island.  The main language here is Spanish, so buff up from high school, however contrary to the extreme Latinoamericana culture of the Honduran mainland, the Bay Island or Las Islas de la Bahia are much more "Carribean" in culture www.guanaja.honduras.com.   

In fact, recently Jimmy Carter spent a week fly fishing for Permit and Bonefish on the island of Guanaja with his wife Rosalynn http://featherridge.blogspot.com/2010/05/busy-week.html.  President Carter landed lots of bonefish, and according to his article in the last Fly Fisherman magazine, their are lots of Permit there as well, and he had lots of good shots at them during his stay.  According to the article and many others, Bonefish are caught frequently wade fishing the flats in front of the lodge.

The resort that we will be staying at in Guanaja is a total beach bummers paradise.  It is called Graham's Place and can accomodate a maximum of 22 people www.grahamsplacehonduras.com.  The bar and lodging at the resort is footsteps from the flats, and there are kayaks and snorkeling gear to use for free the duration of the trip.

The fly fishing opportunities on the trip are relaxing.  This is not the get up at 4:30am and fish for 16 hours and do it again atmosphere.  Most guides will tell you if you relax you will catch more bonefish... sounds good.  However, we want to keep expectations of the fishing realistic.  This is not a pampered trip, there are not many guides on the island, and the ones that are there not trained fly fishing guides.  The bonefish and permit hang out on a lot of coral which makes wading tuff from time to time.  This is a DIY (do it yourself) style fly fishing trip.  This is a great trip to catch some bonefish and permit and bring the significant other for a drink in the afternoon on the beach.  Yellowdog Fly Fishing who is reasponsible for the trip actually has rated Graham's Place their #3 place to bring a significant other out of all of their different destinations in their new 2011 catalog. 

More information about the trip will be continuously posted at http://www.bigrflyshop.com/destinations/graham-s-place-honduras
So please check their for updates and more information on the trip.  Or feel free to give us a call at the fly shop anytime.  We want to fill the resort if at all possible with northwest folk and have a fun week before Montana winter sets in here up north. 

The price of the trip is $927 + international airfare.  The $927 will cover 3 meals per day, all drinks, domestic airfare from Roatan to Guanaja ($252/person if booked seperately) transportation, lodging, accomodations, and kayak and snorkeling gear.

A new short clip from Shallow Water Angler.

January 4th WESTBAY from SHALLOW WATER EXPEDITIONS on Vimeo.

Here's the new Catch Magazine from Brian Okeefe and team.

















Close the blinds in your office, grab some coffee and take a quick break...get motivated for 2011!