South Andros Island may be the most informal place on the planet Earth.
Comfortable, casual wear is accepted and encouraged. Flip-flops, sandals, shorts, t-shirts…casual is king. Expect mid-80’s during the days, and high 60’s to low 70’s in the evening and early mornings.
Click here for a printable packing list.
Although casual tropical attire will generally work great during your time on the water, there are three fishing-specific items that are critical for each angler to bring – a raincoat, for boat spray or the occasional cloudburst, polarized sunglasses to help you see the fish, and flats boots or other footwear suitable for wading. Since the flats that we wade vary greatly in their bottom surface (hard sand, soft sand, grass, coral), we do not recommend wading sandals. Boots are highly recommended.
Also, don’t forget your passport, and make sure that it expires more than 90 days after your trip!
We recommend long-sleeved shirts and long pants while on the flats. Liberally apply a waterproof sun block of at least 30 SPF rating to all exposed skin including your ears and lips. After applying sunscreen, scrub your hands with a scoop of sand and water as bonefish can smell lotion on your fly and will quickly turn away.
Even on sunny days we suggest including a rain jacket in your boat bag. Boat spray can occur at any time and a cloudburst can form when least expected.
What Fishing Gear?
Rods
Fly rods for South Andros Island is the topic of this article on our blog.
Summary: Definitely an 8 weight, hopefully a 10 weight, maybe a 7 weight and a 9 weight.
Flies
Here are our top 5 choices for bonefish flies on South Andros.
Summary: Mostly #2, mostly bead chain, Rubberleg Gotchas, Veverka’s Mantis Shrimp, Peterson Spawning Shrimp, Shea’s Bonefish Buttah, ideally.
Lines
We fish only floating lines for bonefish. Since we fish big flies, and presenting the fly quickly is important, we prefer lines with a short front taper, like the Rio Bonefish Quickshooter, Airflo Bonefish Tropical, or the Airflo Tropical Punch.