The Fly Shop

GPS Coordinates

Trip Questionnaire: Please click on the link below. This will take you an electronic questionnaire form that we ask you to complete and submit to The Fly Shop. Please be sure to click the “Submit” button at the end of the form. The information provided will help us — and the outfitter best coordinate your trip. THANK YOU!

Trip Questionnaire: Click Here

Welcome To Soul Fly Lodge
We’ve designed this planner to be your go-to guide as you check all the boxes in preparation for your upcoming trip to Soul Fly Lodge. We’re beyond excited to have you visit us in the Berry Islands. Now’s the time to get excited and count down the days until you’re wading endless miles of white, sandy, Bahamian flats.Soul Fly Lodge is nestled into the east side of Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Island chain in the northwest corner of the Bahamas. The Berry Islands are often referred to as “The Fish Bowl of the Bahamas” because of the rich biodiversity found in these bountiful waters.

Haven’t heard of the Berry Islands? We’re not surprised. These islands come up in hushed conversations about big bonefish and permit over white sand. This is a special place that our fishing guides and talented staff are excited to share with you.

Getting Here
Now that you’re booked, it’s time to reserve your flights to Great Harbour Cay. Booking flights is the responsibility of each guest but we’re here for you and happy to help. The newly rebuilt Great Harbour Cay Airport is only 120 miles East of Miami. Great Harbour Cay (GHC) is an official port of entry and can accommodate private aircraft both large and small. Soul Fly Lodge will provide your transfer to and from the airport.

LeAir | Nassau to Great Harbour Cay | 20 min flight
Suggested to arrive in Nassau at least 2 to 3 hours prior to LeAir flight departure time. LeAir typically flies twice a day to Great Harbour Cay. You’ll clear customs & immigration in Nassau. Departure Location: Lynden Pindling International Airport, Windsor Field Road, Nassau, Bahamas

Tropic Ocean Air | Ft Lauderdale to Great Harbour Cay | 1 hr flight
Ticketed and charter options available
Comfortable flight, a more expensive option than LeAir but gets you to GHC faster and more easily. You’ll clear customs & immigration right on GHC.
Departure Location: Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Sheltair Terminal, 1050 Lee Wagener Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Makers Air | Ft Lauderdale to Great Harbour Cay | 1 hr Flight
Ticketed and charter options available
Comfortable flight, a more expensive option than LeAir but gets you to GHC faster and more easily. You’ll clear customs & immigration right on GHC.
Departure Location: Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, 2331 Northwest 55th Court, Hangar 19, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

Traveling To The Bahamas
Travel to the Bahamas is relatively simple but please keep in mind a few key pieces of info that will help to make your journey go smoothly.

Travel Documents Required
A valid passport with at least two blank pages and an expiration date over 6 months A copy of your return ticket

Highly Recommended
Travel insurance is a MUST! It’s inexpensive and protects your trip investment. We recommend Global Rescue for both Trip Insurance and Medical Evacuation Insurance. To purchase a policy, click https://partner.globalrescue.com/theflyshop / or call +1- 617-459-4200. Purchasing a policy within 20 days of making your initial trip deposit gives you the widest range of policy options including “cancel for any reason” coverage which we highly recommend.

What to Expect
Soul Fly Lodge marks the opening of the first fly fishing lodge in the Berry Islands. With that accolade comes an unpressured fishing experience over white sand flats, lush turtle grass and a backcountry system that holds some true bruiser sized bonefish. Extensive wading opportunities on firm sandy flats offer anglers the chance for an incredibly intimate experience targeting tailing bonefish in the skinniest of water. The permit fishing throughout the Berry Islands provides an opportunity for ambitious anglers to connect with a fish that you’ll never forget. The chance to target bonefish, permit, triggerfish, barracuda, mutton snapper and other flats species from the bow of the skiff or on foot will help you sharpen your skills while fully captivating your attention. Short runs to nearby flats will have you fishing within 15 minutes. Combine these endless opportunities with a brand new fleet of boats and a team of legendary guides and the result is a trip you may, very well, never forget.

Setting expectations accurately is a key element to looking back at your experience with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. We’re all about transparency in our sales and marketing process. We strive to attract anglers that are the right fit for Soul Fly Lodge. The Bahamas is a dynamic location with ever changing weather conditions. There are times of year that may offer more stable weather patterns but there is never a guarantee on a good weather window. In short, anytime during our season can potentially deliver the trip of your dreams. The Bottom Line: get here when you can and we’ll guide you to a truly unforgettable experience.

The Lodge
Soul Fly Lodge sits 22 feet above sea level, overlooking the churning Atlantic Ocean on the east side of Great Harbour Cay. We are less than 5 minutes from the newly rebuilt airport and only a few minutes from the Marina. A short, palm lined path leads you past our 20′ x 50′ freshwater pool down to an idyllic, expansive Bahamian beach.

While Soul Fly Lodge is surrounded by a rugged Bahamian landscape, the soft comforts at the lodge will allow you to enter full relaxation mode. Our four private guest rooms each have two comfy beds, individually operated AC units, and en suite bathrooms.

Wireless internet will keep you as connected to the outside world as you wish. Cell service is available across the majority of the island (check with your provider: typically an international pass costs about $10/day). A landline telephone is also available.

At The Carriearl Roost, our head chef impresses our guests with an inventive menu designed around local ingredients and unique takes on Bahamian fare. The restaurant is also open to the public Wednesday-Saturday evenings and Sunday brunch. Our full bar has you covered from spirits to beer. Choose from multiple lounge areas that will give you plenty of room to spread out. And finally, visit our fly shop for last minute additions to the fly box and gifts for friends back home.

Staff & Gratuities
We are incredibly fortunate to operate Soul Fly Lodge in the Berry Islands. From the lodge’s maintenance staff to the head guide we are grateful to work with talented folks born and raised in the Bahamas. We are guests in this country and everyone is working hard to meet and exceed the expectations of people traveling from all over the world
to fish and relax here on Great Harbour Cay.

We welcome you to engage and get to know the wonderful people that work at the Lodge. You might forget your 10th bonefish of the trip but you’ll never forget people like Percy Darville and the rest of the crew here at Soul Fly Lodge.

Currency
The Bahamian Dollar and the US Dollar are interchangeable in the Bahamas. There’s no need to exchange currency for your trip, US Dollars will suffice.

Guides: We recommend tipping at the end of each day so that the tip is directly connected to the hard work that your guide just put in. We rotate guides each day so it’s possible that you won’t fish with that guide a second time. We recommend a standard of $100 – $120 per day, per boat. If your guide did a phenomenal job, worked exceptionally hard or connected you with a memorable fish it’s absolutely reasonable to tip more than the recommended amount.

Chef & House Staff
We recommend settling up on your Chef & House Staff tip at the end of your stay. $20 – $30 per person per night is the average tip that we recommend. This tip should be given to managers to disperse to the staff appropriately. The chef, wait staff, kitchen help, maintenance staff, etc. will all get a cut of this tip.

Managers: There is no expectation around tipping your hosts/managers for the week but if you would like to leave a tip it is most graciously appreciated.

Our Ethos
While our business in the Bahamas is new, the Soul Fly brand has a track record of activism and fighting for our natural resources; especially the ones that are connected to the services we provide. We believe in protecting what we love. Soul Fly promises to advocate for abundant fisheries, climate change resilience, and equality. Our compass is pointed in this direction and, each year that we’re in business, we strive to make a bigger and bigger impact. We are committed to positive evolution – consistently reflecting on areas of growth and welcoming challenges to improve.

Our Mission
Cultivating a sustainable bond with our planet, the surrounding fishery and the local community through consciously crafted angling adventures in the Berry Islands.

People & Community
We hold our local relationships in the highest honor. By investing in the local people and community we are investing in ourselves, our collective future, and lastly, our business. People first, always.

The Resource
It’s a privilege to be a guest on the waters surrounding Great Harbour Cay. We are caretakers of the lodge and this beautiful landscape for merely a brief moment in time; we vow to leave the resource better than we found it by:

Reducing catch & release mortality
Teaching our guests ethical fish handling tactics
Expanding the presence of sound science & research in the Berry Islands Empowering advocates for the Berry Island fishery, ensuring it flourishes for generations to come

Service
Service at Soul Fly Lodge has been diligently crafted to be personal, detailed and flexible; your experience in the Berry Islands is designed to meet YOU exactly where you are. The complexities of our simple service is hidden between grains of sand, tailing bonefish and gently rolling waves.

What to Bring

The Essentials, Travel Docs, Etc.
Passport, Copy of Passport and Driver’s License
Important Phone Numbers: Soul Fly Lodge Direct Number & Emergency Contact Flight Itinerary
The latest necessary COVID travel documentation
Cash for tipping and other purchases Essential First Aid and any needed meds Books or a Magazine

Clothing & Soft Goods
UPF Long Pants & Shorts Swimwear
UPF Long Sleeve Fishing Shirts Wading Booties
Hat
Lightweight Rain Gear
Buff and/or Sun Gloves (optional) Comfy Post-fishing Clothing
Fleece, Puffy or something warm (Bahamas can get chilly certain times of year) Socks/Underwear
Footwear: Sandals or Tennis Shoes 2 pairs Polarized Sunglasses

The Good Stuff
8 wt for Bonefish
9 wt for windy days or other species 10wt for Permit & Barracuda
Saltwater reels with reliable drag to match rods with 200+ yds backing
Modern floating tropical flats or bonefish specific fly lines to match rods
Leaders: Bonefish, Permit and Barracuda Tippet: 12lb & 16lb Fluoro and 20lb wire Flies & Fly boxes for Permit, Bonefish, Barracuda, etc.

The Nitty Gritty
Hemostats or Pliers for hook removal Nippers on a Lanyard
Croakies, Hook Hone
Camera or Phone Camera Waterproof Backpack or Boat Bag Toiletries
Sunblock & Lip Balm – Chemical free, reef- safe, avoid plastic packaging if possible Bug Repellent

Please Note
This checklist is simply a guide to help you prep and pack for your flats fishing trip. This list may or may not include all of the items you’d like to bring. We have loaner gear for folks that need help with equipment but please be sure to reserve ahead of time through The Fly Shop. Our fly shop at the lodge has flies, tippet, leaders, and a couple of fly line options but we recommend coming as prepared as possible!

Contacts & Additional Resources
soulflylodge@gmail.com | Lodge Email & Kitri Schaefer
kyle@soulflyoutfitters.com | Kyle Schaefer
+1 (603) 969-3050 | US Sales & Service
+1 (242) 367-8785 | Bahamas Landline

The Fly Shop®
1 (530) 222-3555 | 1 (800) 669-3474 | travel@theflyshop.com

Fly Fishing for Bonefish

Clothing and Equipment Check List

Hat with bill and neck protection (a dark underside on hat bill is best.)
Polarized sunglasses (copper or brown) – take an extra pair! Lens Cleaner
Bandana (always a handy item for neck protection, lens cleaner, rag etc.)
Long sleeve shirts (light colors, light weight such as The Fly Shop, Simms or Patagonia)
Short sleeve shirts
Buff® Face Mask (great for sun protection of face, neck, ears, nose, etc.)
Long pants for wading (light colored, light weight cotton)
Shorts (much of the time you’ll wear these)
Sandals, flip flops or camp shoes
Deck/Boat shoes (no laces, non-skid) Crocs are excellent!
Specialized flats (wading) boots or booties Neoprene socks to be worn with boots or booties
Raingear (very light weight and packable)
Sunscreen (at least SPF 30+, waterproof, PABA-free, UVA, UVB)
Tools: Nippers, good pliers and hook sharpener.
Lip balm with sunscreen (highest SPF you can get)
Insect repellent with DEET 30%
Camera, extra batteries, charger and memory cards
Waterproof bag and Zip-Lock Bags (to carry camera, other gear while in the boat)
Small flashlight or headlamp
Zip-lock bags
Garbage bags or waterproof bags for laundry, wading boots
Smart Phone, tablet and charger
Sun gloves, Striper fingers, Flexx Rap Tape
Passport and travel documents
2 Copies of passport (***packed separately in Ziploc bags***)
Airline tickets and itinerary
Cash (small bills for tips, bar tab, gift shopping, etc.), credit card
Notebook and pen
Emergency telephone numbers
Liquor (if you wish special brands)
Toiletries, including shampoo, hand lotion, bandages, roll of athletic adhesive tape
Aspirin, other over-the-counter medications like antacids
Prescription medications (packed in your carry-on bag)
Swimsuit
Prescription glasses

The Fly Shop 800·669·3474

Soul Fly Lodge Tackle & Travel Planner

800 • 669 • 3474

GPS Coordinates

What to Bring

Fly Fishing for Bonefish

Clothing and Equipment Check List

Tackle & Travel Planner