Blackfly Lodge

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

The Abacos consists of its own 120-mile-long island chain, basically a mini-Bahamas complete with its own Out Islands. Stretching out from Great Abaco Island and Little Abaco is a string of barrier islands separating them from the Atlantic. The body of water is the calm, shallow Sea of Abaco.

Marsh Harbour is the principal town on the island and is only a 35 minute drive from the lodge. It has the largest protected deep water harbor in Abaco and an international airport serviced by major US and Bahamian carriers. Naturally, it has many shops, restaurants and marinas.

Package Cost:
The cost of the 7 night/6 day Blackfly Lodge package is $4850 per person (single occupancy - Sep. 15, 2012 - Jan. 31, 2013) and $5150 per person (single occupancy - Mar. 1 - Jul. 31, 2013)

•  Additional options in regards to length of stay and occupancy are available.

Inclusions:
Your angling package at Blackfly Lodge includes lodging, alcohol, meals, laundry service, guides, transfer to and from Marsh Harbour (Abaco) airport, free wireless internet and Vonage phone, 1 full day fishing at Moore's Island (weather permitting).

Non-Inclusions:
Not included in your Blackfly Lodge package are airfare, additional day fishing Moore's

Blackfly Lodge is open all year as it is part of the larger community of Schooner Bay. Schooner Bay is a new Bahamian town built on the premise of new Urbanism and is committed to all of the practices of conservation of all resources, land or sea.

Summer fishing, although it can be hot, has the most predictable weather. Calm days with afternoon showers are the norm. Because south Abaco is surrounded by cooler deeper water, fishing on the incoming tides are usually very productive for not only bonefish but permit and tarpon as well.

October through the mid-winter months lures the big ocean bones out of the deeper water to the now-cooler flats and is a time to expect the biggest bones of the season.

Abaco is unique in that unlike the majority of other islands in the Bahamas, it is possible to fly directly to Marsh Harbour from the US mainland. While it is also possible to fly via Nassau, a direct flight from Florida is by far the easiest.

At the airport you will be met by your host and a driver. Once your bags are loaded into our air conditioned transport, you will be driven straight to the lodge about 20 minutes away.

Blackfly Lodge has been accepting fishing guests for over two and a half years but the newly constructed Blackfly Lodge is open as of March 1st, 2013. The owners are very excited about the new lodge and have succeeded in creating what they believe will be one of the legendary bonefish lodges in the Bahamas. Partner Vaughn Cochran has filled the lodge with his remarkable artwork and has created all of the portraits for each of the suites which are named after all of the well known fishing legends in the industry. Blackfly Lodge manager, partner and host Capt. Clint Kemp and his team of expert guides have spent the last several years exploring this untouched network of islands, creeks and flats and we sure you will be as impressed as they were. "The diversity of the fishing here is astounding," says Capt. Kemp, "whether targeting double-digit bones on seldom fished flats, or stalking tailing permit, you will be amazed at what we've found." With access to the legendary 'Moore's Island', and its large tarpon run, along with a few more of our newly discovered "secret" fishing spots, a 'Grand Slam' becomes a real possibility.

With the new fleet of the specially designed bonefish skiffs by East Cape Skiffs, fly fishing will enter a new era for anglers in terms of comfort and "fishability". Additionally, with access to more and diversified flats, Blackfly also brings more opportunities for wade fishing to the table, and we realize that wading is a popular opportunity for many bonefish anglers.

Blackfly Lodge consists of 8 very well appointed private rooms, a fully stocked bar, a private chef and incredible views from our lodge balcony overlooking the harbor of Schooner Bay and the ocean beyond. You can fish all day and not miss a beat of what is going on at home; high speed internet is available for the clients, as well as a wireless connection. Vonage phone service is available and fly-tying equipment is on hand for those that wish to use it. The lodge's main bar is fully stocked with spirits, cold beer, soft drinks, plenty of ice, a blender, and mixers for cocktails.

There is no question as to the unique opportunities that will be available at Blackfly with the addition of a 31' Yellowfin center console sportfisher. With access to the legendary offshore fishing just outside of the Schooner Bay harbor, sails, marlin, tuna and mahi are within 10 minutes of the harbor entrance. Just a few miles south on the oceanside is one of the top five offshore fishing spots in the world, "The Hole in the Wall" where only the most adventurous anglers have had access to….until now! South Abaco and the legendary inshore and offshore fishing has been a long held secret for many years and Blackfly Lodge looks forward to sharing it starting this year. Blackfly also brings more opportunity for wade fishing to the table, and we realize that wading is a popular opportunity for many bonefish anglers.

The electrical system in the Bahamas is the same as the U.S. (110 volts). Blackfly Lodge is on a standard electric grid and has 24 hour electricity. In the event that power is lost, Blackfly Lodge has a back-up generator.

Lodge guests can access the Internet and send emails via WiFi. Internet and phone service are provided by the local provider, but it is not 100% reliable.

There is GSM (AT&T, not Verizon) cell phone coverage in the area, but you should check with your provider to ensure that your phone will work on Great Abaco Island. If necessary, you may use the lodge Vonage phone to call home. Check with your provider to see if international calling is available on your phone. We use texting on the island frequently as text messages to the US are only .50 cents per message. We strongly suggest that you turn off "Data Roaming" on your phone upon arrival in the Bahamas as charges for downloads of photos etc. can be astronomical.

Schedule:
6:00 am: Coffee ready on the buffet table
7:00 am: Breakfast
8:00 am: Depart Dock
4-4:30 pm: Return to lodge
4 pm onwards: Cocktail hour
5:30 pm: Appetizers
7:00 pm: Dinner

Blackfly Lodge access to 6 distinct fisheries, each offering a unique fishing experience. They cover the areas north and south of Schooner Bay, the Cross Harbour Flats, Cherokee Sound, and Moore's Island. Expect huge shoals of Bonefish, many that have never seen a fly, and a good number of 10 lb. + fish.

This is a genuine Permit fishery and arguably the best Permit grounds in the Bahamas. Their location boasts a summer Tarpon run, also.

Great offshore fishing for Wahoo, Tuna, Dorado, Billfish, Snapper, Barracuda and Grouper add to the limitless potential fishing here provides.

First class, professional, sincerely personable guides will accommodate you. A fleet of specially designed East Cape Blackfly Lodge Edition skiffs along with a Hewes Redfish 21's gives added comfort during longer runs across open water. Plenty of wading opportunities exist. The runs to the flats vary from 10- 45 minutes. Loaner rods and reels are available free of charge. Blackfly Lodge is strictly a catch and release fishery.

The guides are some of the best in The Abacos'. We are proud to have them working with the lodge. They are highly professional and hard working. Guides do more than meet the high standards of the lodge's operation. They are also commercial fishermen for lobster and conch in the off season, and as such they know these waters inside out. They understand the effect of the tides and know where to go under different weather conditions. They also know the honey holes where a Permit, Snook, or Tarpon can be found-- this can be a nice addition to bone-fishing! With their skills as boat handlers, and great eyes developed over years of spotting bonefish, they will put you on fish and give you as much or as little guidance and instruction as you want. Each day your guide will decide where to go, given the weather conditions and guest preference as discussed with the lodge manager. You should express any special preferences to the lodge manager, such as wading versus boat fishing. If you only want to target large individual bones, or if you prefer to fish to large shoals of fish, just let us know. We will work with your guide and try to tailor your day accordingly! Our policy of rotating guides, gives anglers the opportunity to fish with all of these top notch guides. We would be hard-pressed to recommend one over the other!

Fishing for larger bonefish and permit, along with the tarpon, in deeper water, we found

About Bonefish

The bonefish is probably pound for pound the strongest and fastest running of the salt-water fishes . It is of the species of Albulidae, or bonefishes. Its scientific name can be translated as "white fox."

Bonefish are amphidromous, living in inshore tropical waters, moving onto shallow tidal flats to feed with the incoming tide, and retreating to deeper water as the tide ebbs. A big bonefish, a lifetime fish would be any fish in excess of ten pounds or more. It is a heavily schooling fish, with some of the larger individuals traveling singly or in schools.

As prolific as bonefish are, relatively little is known about them. The Bonefish Tarpon Trust is doing a great deal of scientific research on bonefish currently, and if you desire further information, they are an excellent and angler friendly source. Visit www.tarbone.org.

Bonefishing is a shallow-water pursuit done in depths ranging from 8 inches to several feet. Flats sporting currents; drop-offs along the edge and clean, healthy seagrass beds produce abundant small crabs and shrimps that

About Permit

As Brian Kaminski once wrote, "the permit is not just another pretty pampano....." Indeed, the Permit or Trachinotus falcatus is also known as the Round Pompano or Great Pompano. But among anglers, it is the Permit, and it is the Holy Grail of light tackle saltwater fishing. Permit are found throughout Florida, in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean. They are found in the surf, near inlets and move frequently from the deep water to the flats.

Deeper bodied and blunter headed than the Pompano, The Permit's large, sickle-shaped tail often protrudes from shallow water as it feeds. Permit are chrome silver overall; and