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Fly Fishing Green Turtle Cay - Abaco, Bahamas
by Larry Miri - Fly Fishing Connection – Apr 15, 2001 |
Within an hours flight of the major Florida Airports, you can fly into Treasure Cay; hop a 3-minute cab ride to the Green Turtle Cay ferry dock and within 15 minutes, your in Green Turtle, one of the many Cays that lie to the east of Abaco Island. If you are a serious fly fisher looking for a remote location for a do it yourself trip, this is the place. Green Turtle is one of only a few inhabited Cays in Abaco, with a population of approximately four hundred, year round residents. It is a tiny area, 1 1/2 miles wide and 3 miles long. Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Barracuda and Sharks are just some of the game fish that can be found here in great numbers. Average size Bonefish are between 8 and 12 lbs., with the possibility of getting into a fish in the 15+ lb. class on the ocean side of this Cay. If you're a fly fisher seeking a remote area and big bonefish, Green Turtle is a great place to start.
New Plymouth is the point of entry to Green Turtle Cay on it's southeastern shore. On the western side and traveling north, you will find Black Sound, White Sound and Coco Bay. On the eastern side Traveling south is the Atlantic Ocean, then further south, Long Bay and on the southeast shore, Gillam Bay and then the 'Town Flats'. Traveling around Green Turtle Cay is done mostly by golf cart with three productive bonefish flats, easily accessible, for the wading fly fisher. If you book with a guide, as many as a dozen or more are at your disposal. | | |  | | A RARELY FISHED FLAT | For the wading fly fisher, a short 3-minute walk from New Plymouth, will put you on the western part of the 'Town flats'. The Town flats run for Approximately 1 mile with an average depth of 18 inches during low tide. This flat runs along the south shore of Green Turtle consisting of a mostly weedy bottom, with a few homes and brushy areas lining its banks. Bonefish can be found throughout in decent numbers, during all tidal stages. As the tide comes in, more bonefish will arrive and you can see muds as large as 30 yds in circumference, with tails everywhere. Fish will average a little smaller here, in the 7-10 lb range. Don't think you have to wade into the middle of the flat. Check the shoreline before stepping in the water, you may see a few cruising fish.
As the fly fisher moves east on this flat, the bottom becomes a bit more sandy, making it a little easier to spot fish on an overcast day. If you're going to fish this area of the Town flat, be here during the incoming tide when the water is a little deeper. Look for cruising, single or paired fish here. As you move towards the end, don't be shocked if your target is a Permit and not a Bonefish.
The next and easiest accessible flat for the wading fly fisher is at Gillam Bay and Sand Dollar Flat. Within a 15-minute walk from the main town in New Plymouth, you will arrive at a picture perfect flat with Pelican Island as its backdrop. Sand Dollar Flat is protected from wind out of the north and east because of the way Gillam Bay lies. Certain areas along this flat are also somewhat shielded by Pelican Island from west winds. | | | | | BONEFISH, BONEFISH, BONEFISH | Starting at the southern most point, Sand Dollar Flat is made up of a white sandy bottom with very few weeds. Incoming high to 2 hours into the turn is when you will want to be here to target fish on the white sand. When the water is at dead low tide, most of the area is out of water. This will allow you to walk out and fish the deeper, weedier areas a few hundred yards from the beach. Darker ocean Bonefish and many other species will cruise in through the weeds, come onto this white sandy flat and look as if a log is floating by.. If you're casting into the weedy area at low tide, it will be difficult to see these darker fish.
Permit upwards of 30 lbs. frequent this area, frustrating most with a fly rod. They will occasionally cruise the shore line within casting distance from the beach. Most times you will be quietly stalking this fish a little further out on the flat. If you are lucky enough to fool one, hold on. Permit are a strong, long running fish so quite a bit of backing to your fly line is necessary.
As you move north on Sand Dollar Flat, the water gets a bit deeper with a few more weeds. Bonefish will cruise this area in large schools in search for a good feeding area. They will always be on the move digging the bottom, making the water look like milk in spots. This deeper area will fish through the tidal changes. As Gillam Bays shores turn east, the water becomes deeper, with weeds and a gravely bottom. This is a difficult area to wade fish and will be targeted best by boat.
Most of Sand Dollar Flat in Gillam bay is very accessible by foot. While wading, watch your toes for the numerous stingrays that will swim right to you. Also keep an eye out for an occasional Lemon, Black tip or Tiger shark. You will also see quite a few Barracuda as large as 48 plus inches. | | | | | A NICE GREEN TURTLE BONEFISH | The Last Flat accessible by the wading fly fisher is at Coco Bay. If you're staying in New Plymouth, you will want to rent a golf cart to get you there. Located on the northwestern part of Green Turtle, as the crow flies, its roughly 2 miles away, but the way Green Turtle is shaped, it's about 4 1/2 miles by road. Coco Bay is a shallow area consisting of a mostly weedy bottom. with a few large sandy spots. Well protected from the winds, you will find both darker and lighter colored bonefish here at almost any time. Seeing a school of a hundred fish in the 9+ lb class is not uncommon with the Atlantic Ocean just to your north. The local guides consistently see three large schools of fish that make their way onto this flat during the incoming tide. These fish will hang around feeding through most of the tidal changes, with a few to be found all day. Access along the beach is very good with most of the flat wadable. There are two channels running about 5 feet deep, and a few yards wide, that come in perpendicular to the beach. Larger boats will use these deeper areas when coming into dock. This is where you will see quite a few sharks swimming around. There are also plenty of large Barracuda that you may want to take a shot at.
Unlike many other Islands in the Bahamas, there are no Bonefish clubs here. The Government in the Bahamas only allows native Bahamians to guide for sport fish. In Green Turtle Cay, there are only two bonefish guides and 1 guide who strictly fishes off shore. The bonefish guides can mix it up and can take you out for Durado, Wahoo, Tuna and other big offshore gamefish if you want.
Even though the bonefish fish are not pressured by fishermen and women, they are extremely smart and spooky. They did not get this big by being dumb. It is best to book a guide on Green Turtle, well in advance of your trip. A guide with a flats boat will get you to many other flats on and around Green Turtle and other uninhabited Cays. Coco Plum and Manjack Cay are two very productive areas not accessible by foot from Green Turtle. Once there you can be poled around or walk the area. Moving further up the chain of Cays, a guide will have you fishing flats and creeks that do not see anyone for weeks at a time, all with large Bonefish and many other species that will put a huge bend in your rod. | | | | | MUTTIN SNAPPER | For Bonefish, you will want to plan your trip around the new moon, or a few days after the full moon. Late February through June are good times. July into the beginning of August are tough on the flats for bonefish. The flats will warm up quickly during the day and you will find most of your fish mudding in the deeper, cooler water just off the flat in weedier areas. Do not discount this time though as it can be very productive. You will also find Tarpon here during the warmer months. As the month of August continues, the bonefish will start to frequent the flats in good numbers again, taking you all the way through the end of November. As the water cools in late Fall, the Bonefish will head out again into the deeper water. Into mid December, you can see the water warming for a few weeks, bringing the bones back onto the flats.
If you are planning a trip with a partner; you can get seven days lodging and 5 days with a guide for under 00 per person. You can also check some of the other Inns and lodging on Green Turtle, putting together your own package, depending on weather you will want a guide or not. There are a couple of good places to eat as well, serving both native food and American food. Keep in mind that once here, there is very limited access to cash. Most places will take a check.
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