Accessible Golden Dorado Fishing

We've been looking for a long time for some great fishing that is easily accessible from Buenos Aires - something special as an add-on to a sea trout or dove shooting trip. Well, we've finally found it. 

Golden dorado are one of the finest game fish in South America, and we've been fishing for them in northern Argentina for quite a while. But here is something different - fabulous dorado fishing within about a 40 minute drive of Buenos Aires.

Golden Dorado are one of the most exciting freshwater fish

The ease of access makes this a perfect bolt-on to one of our other adventures, such as sea trout in Patagonia or dove shooting in Cordoba. If you're in Argentina next year, you've got to try this.

Explosive fishing

This is explosive, floating line fishing, with plenty of visual action and jumps galore. Because the location is so close to the Argentine capital, you can add a day excursion (or a few days) on to your trip and the guides will simply pick you up from your BA hotel early in the morning and drop you back in time for dinner.

Multiple hook-ups are common

The fish are typically in the 2lb-12lb bracket, but there are larger fish there. It's a great chance to see some spectacular scenery, experience a new type of fishing, and get extra value from your trip to Argentina - and all you have to do is book an extra night in the hotel!

Dorado country - beautiful scenery

Of course, for the ultimate dorado experience, there is Pira Lodge, in the Ibera Marshlands in northern Argentina. But for a taste of the golden dorado, this is superb.

Fish up to 12lbs are common - with some larger

- Bob

Fish the Canadian Rocky Mountains

We've just put the finishing touches to a great trout fishing package in the Canadian Rockies.

AAPGAI Master instructor Martyn Armstrong has scouted out the best trout streams and the best guides on both sides of the Continental Divide.

Native Rocky Mountain cutthroat

We've put together our own itinerary that will allow our rods to fish a different trout stream every day for wild browns, rainbows and cutthroats - with plenty of fish over 20 inches and in prime dry fly season, too!

Curtis Lamey and his team of guides will put our team on the best rivers for wade fishing and will float large sections of some of the larger rivers in drift boats - the ultimate way to fish in the Rocky Mountain west.

Typical scenery and mouth-watering fly water

For trout anglers, it really doesn't get much better than this, and the all-inclusive price is great value for such a high quality trip.

Check out our video slideshow on the fishing and read the full trip details.

For more information call Bob Sherwood on 07831 688849 or email fish@halsteadandbolton.com.

Fernie - heart of the Rockies and our base for the week

 - Bob

Kate's salmon from Kjos

Not to be outdone by a team largely made up of AAPGAI instructors, my wife Kate returned with us to Kjos for our annual back-end trip this year and had a lovely salmon on the very first session. 

Lovely fish on the first session from the tributary

The hen of about 9lb came from the small Bugda tributary on a size 16 Green Butt tweaked just below the surface right at the tail of a pool. On a 6-weight single hander, the fight was spectacular.

Not sure who's the more excited, Kate or KJ!

In contrast to the bonanza this team enjoyed last year, fish were much harder to come by as the runs across Iceland this year (with the odd exception such as Midfjardara and Sela) have been disappointing.  But Kate wasn't to give up and landed another one much to the excitement of KJ, our wonderful guide who made the five days fishing an absolute delight. And she lost another fresh fish too.

Waterfall fishing on Beat 1

The team of friends was as much fun as ever and who can fail to enjoy fishing in such fabulous scenery. Beat 1 with its waterfalls was especially spectacular with the good water height.

The team

We'll be back next year for what has become one of the most fun weeks of our year!

- Bob

Midfjardara 2012 - Hosted Trip to Iceland

We were back in Iceland in late August for our annual hosted trip to the Midfjardara system, undoubtedly one of the best salmon rivers in Iceland.

This is classic Icelandic salmon fishing, with a river of waterfalls, a canyon, crystal-clear water and small pools, fished with single-handed rods. It is always intimate, exciting fishing, but this year the forecast rains had failed to materialise and the water was lower than anyone could remember it.

Low water and stunning scenery on Midfjardara

Clearly, this was going to mean the fishing would be at even closer quarters than usual, but the low, clear water meant we could spot fish easily in all the holding pools. Though there did not appear to be as many fish as we had seen the previous year, we could see large groups of fish in all our favourite pools - which was more than enough to get the hearts pounding. 

Salmon clearly visible lying in the tail of the Blue Pool

We kitted up with six- and seven-weight rods, long leaders and small flies. Nick Moody, back for the second year running, and Guy Titchmarsh, started us off in spectacular style with a seven-fish session  from beat four, after finding the famed Tynhylur, or Bridge pool, crammed with salmon.

Nick Moody in action

It wasn't long before the team were into fish. Ailsa Smith had a salmon on beat two within ten minutes of starting, while I watched from high on a rocky cliff face as Richard Williams latched into his first salmon on a single-hander on beat five the following morning (and enjoyed a precarious sliding descent to be at the water in time for the photographs!). Suffice it to say Richard was clearly impressed by the fighting abilities of these fish on the light rods.

Micro conehead Frances flies proved deadly

The team were also quickly into the intricacies of Icelandic salmon fishing, with dead-drifting, upstream casts, short stripping, and micro flies adding new dimensions to the traditional salmon approaches. Particularly exciting was the visual nature of the fishing - not just in spotting fish but in watching the fish move to take tiny flies from on or near the surface, often from deep lies, or to slash at small collie dogs stripped across the top.

Among our 84 salmon landed for the week (any plenty more lost, notably by Nick as soon as Guy had tempted fate by mentioning that they hadn't lost any in the first session), were some truly memorable moments. Nico Stephens opened his account with a spectacular fight from an 84 cm fish while I watched his wife Avril leaning her whole body into the battle with one strong fish.

Avril Stephens gives no ground in a tight spot

Richard and I watched stunned as an 80cm-plus hen rocketed from the depths to take his tiny size 16 fly twitched in the surface, just beating a far, far larger fish to the fly. The resulting battle was nerve-jangling as the fish went ballistic - maybe it's just as well the big one didn't get it, Richard!

Richard Williams watches every run of the fish in the clear water

And then there was Paul Lalwan's continuing incredible run of form. After catching not one but two 26lb-plus sea trout on his first trip to Argentina, Paul insisted he would be happy just to catch a salmon. To no one's surprise, he continued in the same vein, landing a 96cm fish as his first ever salmon. He also entertained us on the final day by catching a fish immediately after going for a short, unplanned swim in just a few inches of water - truly irrepressible.

What a start - Paul Lalwan's first ever salmon

Guy, fishing with the determined Jason as his guide, was a fly fishing assassin all week, even turning his attention to the char when beat one was slow, and landing them to over 5lb on small nymphs. As ever, Rabbi was a great host at Midfjardara and the food and the lodge was superb. Nick Moody has fished around the world in recent years and rated the food as the best he had ever had in any lodge, anywhere. At times the wind howled and at others the sun shone down brightly, showing off Midfjardara's mountains, glacier backdrop and canyons in their best light. To top it all, we even had a breathtaking show of the northern lights on a couple of clear evenings.

Ailsa takes in her first view of the canyon

Rabbi has put together undoubtedly one of the best guide teams in Iceland (and there is tough competition), and Alejandro, Jason and Dolli worked their socks off for the team all week. Jim and I were acting as extra fish spotters and had a great (if a little chilly!) time watching the fish's reaction to the flies as we perched stock still on rock ledges directly above the water, trying to direct casts right onto the noses of individual fish.

Richard's 81cm hen - which was dwarfed by the rival that it beat to the fly

In the low water conditions, it was inevitable that most of the fish were starting to colour up (just the way the Icelanders love them, in fact), but that did not effect their strength or the power of their runs in the slightest. And as the water was still very cold, the fish all powered back into the river, needing almost no recovery time. Next year, we'll hope for higher water and more running fish, but Midfjarda showed that even in less than ideal conditions, it can still deliver spectacular, visual salmon fishing.

Ailsa with a cracker from Middle Skyphylur

We'll be back at Midfjardara in August 2013, and if you'd like to join the team or would like more information on Icelandic salmon fishing, contact Jim Curry or Bob Sherwood. We love the river so much, we're always happy to talk about it.

And in the meantime, enjoy the slideshow of this years trip.

- Bob

International Fly Fishing Weekend at John Norris

Halstead and Bolton International Fly Fishing Event, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September

Come and catch us this weekend at everyone's favourite tackle and country clothing shop, John Norris of Penrith.

Both Jim and I will be at the store all weekend to talk about international fly fishing adventures to all corners of the globe.

So whether you are seriously planning a trip, considering various destinations or just wondering about that trip of a lifetime, drop in and have a chat.

Jim and I will be discussing freshwater and saltwater destinations, and can advise on the pros and cons of different countries, the best rivers and lodges, special techniques you might need and, of course, exactly the right gear to take.

We'll also have plenty of videos and pictures on show to whet your appetite, so do come and see us this Saturday and Sunday at John Norris of Penrith.

- Bob

Iceland - One Of The Very Best Rivers

Hofsa is one of Iceland's most famed rivers - sister to the storied Sela in the north-east of the country. I'd heard a lot about it, not least from Orri Vigfusson, founder of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund and chairman of the syndicate that controls the fishing on Hofsa. Our good friend and guide Oskar Pal Sveinsson has also raved about it - he says it's his favourite river, and that must be praise indeed from someone who knows the Icelandic rivers so well. Understandably I was keen to see why he liked it so much, so I took the opportunity for a visit after our Asum fishing.

Ultimate Icelandic experience: salmon on the hitch, beneath a  waterfall

I soon realised. I can't think of another river I've fished which has such consistently wonderful water for fly fishing. Every one of the seven beats has pool after pool of delicious-looking water: runs, glides, necks and tails. And it is all crystal clear. This is undoubtedly the river for those salmon fishermen who love to swing flies! There's not so much of the upstream fishing, stripping or dead drifting of some other Icelandic rivers. And it's big enough to warrant a light double hander. I fished an 11ft switch rod, but a 12-13ft double hander would have been perfect. With maybe a 10ft 7-weight single handed as en extra tool for fishing the riffle hitch. I defy any salmon fishermen not to fall in love with Hofsa's pools

The dramatic canyon of beat 1: one of the truly great salmon beats 

Beat 1 is the top end of the river, where a waterfall halt's the salmon's progress. This is one of the truly great salmon beats, with stunning pools below the falls. It's about an hour-long hike up to the top of the canyon, but it's worth it for the scenery and the sense of anticipation. We could see big fish hanging in the gin-clear currents from the rocky path high above - marking their spots with reference to boulders so we could find them later. It was in Foss 2, the second pool below the waterfall that I got my first fish - a 12lb cock. We spotted it in the tail and it exploded onto a small riffle hitch tube skated across the surface, pushing it's entire body out of the water. I won't forget that one for a while.

Guide Valdi searches for salmon in the clear currents

 Beat 1 is not typical of the river. The rest is set in a wide valley, framed by snow capped mountains. The wading is largely easy and there is rarely much need to wade deeply. The riffle hitch works well as do typical small Icelandic flies (Black Sheep, Black and Blue etc), the inevitable Frances and Sunray Shadows. The Icelandic guides insist on showing salmon an array of flies, so we changed repeatedly, covering all the options. We found more fish on Beat 5 in a couple of pools just below the road bridge, with two taking a hitch and another two a Black Sheep - but for every one I landed, I lost another!

Hofsa lodge in its breathtaking setting

The other beat that has a unique character is beat 7, near the fjord, where the valley opens out. This is the place for the fresh fish literally straight off the tide, with the showpiece pool of Odin's Bank - a lovely long and deep holding pool below a large, steep, dominating, rocky cliff. Hofsa's lodge is large with plenty of en-suite rooms, a great wader drying room, a large sitting and dining room with panoramic views over the mountains and river, a separate sitting area and a large outdoor patio. The chef is, er, a character, and well known in Icelandic culinary circles for his prowess in the kitchen.

A dining room with a view

 Of course, as with all trips, it's the people that make it. I was lucky enough to enjoy the services of Valdi, a great guide and a super fly tyer. We had a lot of laughs over our few days, and I stole a lot of his flies. Through him, I learnt a lot about the river and picked up a few more tricks along the way. Yet again, the old adage that the best guides make for the best trips proved true. Thanks, mate. And I agree: This is a river that lovers of salmon fly fishing should fish at least once.

Valdi and a reluctant pose for the camera!

- Bob

Awesome Asum

Laxa in Asum is a river normally spoken of in hushed tones. Even in Iceland, a country blessed with incredible salmon rivers, this is considered the special one. With the highest per rod salmon catch, it has long been considered exclusive, even legendary. But now a new group of keen, young salmon anglers have taken over the lease, a new luxury lodge has been built, and the so called "Laxa in Awesome" is available to H&B clients.

Gary Champion gets a taste of what makes Laxa in Asum so special

Master AAPGAI instructor Gary Champion and I were very privileged to be invited to open the season on Asum and get a taste of its very special fishing. In fact, we were the first anglers ever to stay in its new lodge! We were itching to get fishing and fished late in to the evening on the first night determined to get our first Asum fish. As the sun threatened to set (it just doesn't get dark in Iceland at this time of year), a fish moved to Gary's tiny red Frances, but didn't take. I swung a small sunray shadow over the spot and two fish lunged at it, more than once, but again no hook-up. We were excited now! Gary tried a small conehead and again the fish came but refused. Our nerves were really on edge by the time I skated a micro riffle hitch tube over the fish, and our first salmon plucked it off the surface like a dry fly.

The first salmon took some persuading and finally fell to the hitch

This is just what makes Icelandic fishing, and Asum in particular, so special. The takes are almost always visual in the clear, shallow water, and salmon will often move time and again to flies, requiring the angler to switch offerings over and over. With such a small river, all the fishing is done with a single-handed rod. The fishing is intimate, with small pools, pocket water, riffles and waterfalls and always highly visual. Tiny riffle hitches and small flies are the order of the river. It's the ideal salmon river for trout anglers or those who love close-quarters fishing.

Ok, what now? Gary battles a strong fish halfway down a string of waterfalls

The catch statistics speak for themselves. The average catch is just under 7 salmon per rod per day! But that doesn't really tell the story. Because most fish are caught in the short prime season from early July to late August, so the rod catch then is in fact usually even higher. And given the number of takes, misses, swirls and lost fish that are inevitable, you can see how much action this river throws up. And it all in breathtaking scenery surrounded by snowcapped mountains. And that's without the huge trout that come along too. Both Gary and I landed wild brown trout well over 50cms long that fought so hard we were convinced we were playing salmon!

The trout fishing isn't bad, either

Laxa in Asum is fished by just two rods, though it is popular in Iceland to share rods (remember you have 12 hours of fishing a day and there's so much to watch even when you are not fishing) and the lodge can accommodate four anglers in comfort. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms, there is a large sitting and dining area with a panoramic view of the river, a great wader room, patio overlooking the river and Fannar, the chef, (fishing-mad executive chef at the Reykjavik Hilton who spends his summer cooking at Asum) conjures up the best food you are ever likely to eat in a fishing lodge. You can easily (we did) stroll from the lodge and fish the middle beat of the river at your convenience. It is possibly the ultimate place for a private fishing party.

Fishing from the top waterfall, a great holding spot

 It is easy to see why there are very few slots left for this season (though there are some!). Most people take a three-day slot, but six days are also available. This is an exclusive destination. But it is surely one of the most exciting salmon rivers. And imagine having it all to yourself for a few days...

- Bob

Tay Salmon Course

Back to the Tay for our annual salmon course at Lower Kinnaird. Karl Kliem flew over from Frankfurt again to join us, along with his party of Stephanie, Frank and Nora. The other rods included Paul Lalwan, fresh from his success on the Rio Grande, and old friend Kevin Ray, another Argentina veteran. Enthusiastic fishing buddies David and Mark, newcomers to spey casting, made up the team. Fellow AAPGAI instructors Glyn Freeman and Illtyd Griffiths were teaching the course with me, while   Lower Kinnaird ghillie Martin Edgar was always on hand to offer advice on the prime lies and ferry us up, down and even across the river.

Karl starts  us off in fine style with a sea-liced 9lber

On the first morning, I took Karl and Kevin to the top of the beat to fish the pools where the Tummel joins the Tay. Here, Karl soon got us off to a flying start with a sea-liced 9lb cock fish that gave a great fight as it decided to return back into the Tay!

Kevin with another nice loop at Ash Trees

Kevin's spey casting has improved beyond recognition after his courses with Glyn and Illtyd on the Eden and Tweed. He was a different caster to when I saw him last down on Patagonia's Gallegos, and he fished the pools meticulously.

Meanwhile, all Paul's recent spey casting practice was paying off and he was throwing some lovely loops across the majestic Tay pools. After fishing with us at Villa Maria in March, Paul was keen to develop his casting and got a masterclass in fishing from high banks with Glyn and also made his first single speys with me. He seemed rather surprised by how far his line shot across the New Pool when he landed some perfect anchors!

Paul sends a circle spey cast out across Kindallachan

The first day almost ended with a double victory for the Germans. After seeing dozens of fish show in the Guay pool all afternoon, 19-year-old Nora turned to Illtyd with the famous phrase: "I think there's something pulling here." Illtyd sprang to help her as a big salmon hooped the rod and started to pull line off the reel. But unfortunately the hook came loose and Nora was left with her first tale of the one that got away. 

This salmon proved too much even for the joint efforts of Nora and Illtyd

The second day saw the Tay rise of a few inches to about 1'5" on the gauge - not the best conditions for this beat which fishes so well in low water, particularly as it has the junction of the Tay and Tummel which tends to delay running salmon. That was a shame as the Tay had been running low and steady for quite a while before we arrived. Undeterred, the team attacked the pools with commendable vigour. 

After pretending to be a bit baffled by spey casting the day before, the casting really fell into place for newcomers David and Mark by day two. Fishing down Mike's run on the Tummel, both of them fell into an easy rhythm with their circle speys and were shooting line across the pools and fishing every lie effectively.

Mark shows how it's done on Guay pool

These guys are avid fishing and shooting enthusiasts and David was determined to fish every second to try to realise his lifelong ambition of a salmon on the fly. By the second day both David and Mark were circle spey casting off both shoulders and had moved on to the double spey, too.

Relentless concentration from David off the stones at Guay pool

Fish continued to show in many of the pools but were proving difficult to tempt. After all this casting, another fish was certainly due, and Kevin was the man for the job (almost).  He got a surprise when a nice salmon grabbed his fly on the first cast off the tricky left bank at Guay pool. Clearly this was no sea trout (as Glyn had first surmised by the apparent lack of bend in the rod) as the fish suddenly woke up, realised it was hooked and headed downstream at a rate of knots. But Guay pool was to claim another victim as this fish, too, came adrift.

Heart in the mouth as a salmon takes Kevin for a run down Guay pool

What was really impressive was that on each night of the course, all the participants chose to fish on again into the darkness after a bankside dinner. No lack of enthusiasm or determination among this team. As instructors, we were really delighted that everyone seemed to be enjoying spey casting and clearly appreciated the lovely fly water that characterises this great beat.

Fading light doesn't stop Paul at the tail end of the Ash Trees

The fish may not have been in the most co-operative mood, but these three days again showed us what salmon fishing is about. Majestic scenery, heart-stopping moments, the hope of the next cast and, more than anything, the chance to enjoy it all with friends old and new. We'll look forward to hearing how the class of 2012 put their new skills into action.

All smiles after a great three days

- Bob

Cuba 2013 - with Jim Curry and James Norris

Tarpon heaven: Jardines De La Reina,  Cuba,  13 to 19 April 2013

We've just finalised the details for a stunning Cuba week hosted jointly by Jim Curry and James Norris.

The team will be heading to Jardines De La Reina on April 13 to 19 2013, in search of bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook (not forgetting the barracuda, jacks, mutton snappers etc). These protected waters offer some of the best saltwater flats fishing found anywhere, and Jim is itching to get back there!

The pictures of the new Avalon Fleet 1, the boat that will be the team's base for the week, have just come through. It promises real luxury with single rooms for everyone and lots of space to relax - and the great flexibility to follow the fish  Check out our new video slideshow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atOB7bAjHgY&feature=youtu.be

Luxury living: Avalon Fleet 1

With Jim and James leading the trip, it's certain to be a week of plenty of laughs as well as great fishing. And I suspect James will make sure the guys are not short of the right tackle!

Coming shortly on the back of our two hosted sea trout fishing weeks on the Rio Grande in Argentina, it's going to be an explosive start to 2013 for H&B.

But hang on - how come Jim's doing all the trips?!

- Bob

Hardy Proaxis rod and Fortuna X reel review

Just a few days before jumping on the plane for our Abaco trip, I'd received a new Hardy saltwater outfit to play with. Where better to test it? So I stuck it in the duffel and here is the result.

I have to say, amidst the usual array of US tackle in use at the saltwater lodges - the typical line-up of Abel, Tibor, Nautilus, Sage - it was great to turn up sporting top-quality gear from an iconic British tacklemaker. The outfit certainly looked the part.

Good lookin': Fortuna X1 reel on the Proaxis 9' 8wt

Proaxis 9' 8wt Rod RRP £559

This is one of the new breed of Sintrix rods from Hardy using nano technology to create stronger, lighter rods. In the hand, it is certainly light but it does feel strong: you could easily believe it was a rod for a heavier line weight.

In a brutal north-easterly wind, the Proaxis threw a Rio Bonefish line effortlessly. Tight loops were simple to achieve. Tip recovery was very quick and the rod can certainly generate high line speed, critical in windy conditions. In fact, the higher the line speed I created, the more the rod liked it.

For very short casts (in low light when seeing bonefish at range is impossible), I switched to a 9wt line, which loaded the rod more quickly at short range, and the Proaxis handled it easily.

But it was when a fish was hooked that the impact of the Sintrix nano technology was really felt. This rod just feels incredibly powerful and I was able to subdue bonefish quickly - that's really important when you want to release these fish unharmed. When a fish headed for the tangle of mangroves, the Proaxis let me pile on the pressure and avoid a lost fish.

I would normally tackle Permit with a 9wt rod or higher, but I was so keen to test this rod, I rigged it for permit when we were over prime water. Unfortunately, I didn't get my permit shot but I had absolute confidence this 8wt Proaxis would have been more than up to the task. The reserves of power are surprising.

In fact, back home, I have rigged it with a 9wt Rio Pike line, which is heavier than the 9wt standard. Even with a bulky pike fly, the Proaxis easily puts out the whole line. I'm going to use it as my pike rod this spring - its lighter than the heavyweight jobs most use for this task, but it's got all the power you need. And, of course, being a Hardy, you'll be hard pushed to find a more beautifully built rod.

Fortuna X1 reel RRP £599


This reel looks beautiful, as you can see from the picture, but it has a rock-solid build quality and feels reassuringly heavy (not that you notice it once it's on the rod). It is well machined and won't complain about a few knocks in the skiff or the odd bounce off a rock in a salmon river.

The handle is sturdy and easy to grip and the spool changes simply by unscrewing the knob in the centre of the reel. Underneath, the drag is completely sealed and protected from the elements.

And, naturally, it's the drag that you really want to know about. I particularly liked the oversized drag dial on the back of the reel - it's really easy to grip even when wet and you can adjust the brake in confidence even with a fish on. The drag is made of multiple carbon brake pads - no cork here. It is silky smooth and handled the lightning runs of bonefish without any jags and with very little start-up inertia at the beginning of the run.

It is powerful, too. Hardy says the drag has 32lb of stopping power. All I know is that if you crank it down, you can effectively lock the reel up. This reel is tough enough for permit and tarpon and even bluewater fly fishing.

Backing capacity is excellent, too. I put 300 yards of 30lb gel spun backing on and still had enough space for a 9wt line with room to spare. In a larger size, it would be a superb buy as a salmon reel, confident in the knowledge that when you do head to the salt (and you know you will) you'll already have the tool for the job.

In saltwater, you need a tough reel with a strong, but smooth drag. This reel is unquestionably pricy, but I'd be utterly confident in it whatever I hooked in the salt.

Verdict: This is a lot of cash to part with for a rod and reel combination. But it is undoubtedly delightful to own and use. And when you hook that big fish in the harsh saltwater environment and your backing is fast disappearing, you probably won't be wishing you hadn't spent so much on your tackle.

The Hardy Proaxis and Fortuna X are available from John Norris.

- Bob

Abaco Exploratory - Part Two

After Abaco Lodge, Illtyd and I moved on to the new operation that has been attracting a lot of attention - Black Fly Lodge.

Situated further south at the point where Abaco Island is extremely narrow,  Black Fly offers unrivalled access to the Atlantic Ocean side of the island as well as the protected western side with its wealth of shallow flats. It's the perfect location for a lodge - which is exactly why Clint Kemp has moved from Nassau to build Black Fly as a unique Bahamian fishing destination. Within a drive of just minutes, the Black Fly team can launch skiffs on the western side to access the nearby shallow flats. From there the skiffs can also easily access the southern part of the Marls. But another short drive allows the skiffs to access more huge flats right down to the southern part of the Island or a half-hour ride in the skiffs will take anglers across to Moore's Island, where big bonefish, tarpon and, the ultimate prize, permit abound.

 Illtyd lands a nice bonefish on the flats just minutes away from the lodge

Black Fly is right on the Atlantic coast, giving instant access to the ocean-side flats where the bigger bonefish live and, of course, to unbelievable bluewater fishing. There are very few places where you can head off for bonefish one day, maybe tarpon and permit the next and then sight fish poppers to tuna and mahi mahi the next. It's no wonder Clint is brimming over with excitement about his new lodge. For now, Black Fly is based in an ocean-side holiday home with huge windows overlooking the sea and just four bedrooms.

The temporary beachfront Black Fly lodge. Hardly slumming it

But from March 2013, there will be a purpose designed, eight-bedroom lodge on the water at Schooner Bay, a new eco-development on Abaco that will create a vibrant new community complete with harbour, shops, bars, a pool, an amazing beach and recreational areas. Clint gave us a tour of the new lodge under construction - it will be pretty special. He was also really excited about the arrival of his bluewater boat, which was delivered while we were there. That explained the boxes of new tackle all over the house. 

Clint Kemp, fishing guide, lodge creator, gourmet cook and mixer of the finest mojitos

Permit is one of the special attractions of Black Fly, and the diversity of the fishing is phenomenal, offering anglers all sorts of saltwater fly fishing experiences in one place. But the weather was still iffy as the east wind refused to let up. That kept the permit away, but, though the bonefish were still spooky, we had better sunlight which enabled us to see fish at range much more clearly. We blew plenty of shots. I can still see a nice 5lb bonefish cruising down a shoreline in ultra skinny water that took off as soon as Illtyd dropped a fly at least six feet in front of it. I can still hear his reaction, too!

Excellent skiffs give access to a wide range of flats right down to the southern tip of the island

On the second day, brilliant head guide Paul Pinder took us down to the firm-bottomed southern flats, where wade fishing is the prime method. It was great to get out of the skiff and creep about in the shallow water trying to spot shadows. There's something about wading the flats that just seems to heighten the excitement. I found a fast moving group on the first flat and managed to fire off a quick cast and was into a very fast-moving fish that inexplicably came off. 

Illtyd employs his ultra-quiet wading technique. Gotta love the skiff's name!

The next flat was a different story, though, as we found a huge school of bonefish gradually moving into shallower water on the rising tide. We were both able to work the water as the fish moved around, breaking into smaller groups at times, and cruising up into the shoreline. This is skinny water sight-fishing at its best and we seemed to take it in turns to hook fish, catching about 18 fish (we soon stopped counting). The action was fast and furious, though even that didn't prevent Illtyd moaning at me for tying flies on poor hooks when he had a fish straighten one! And it didn't stop him pinching more from my box either!

Finally deciding to leave the fish alone and see another flat, we came across an even bigger school of hundreds of fish. Clearly the conditions seemed to have concentrated the fish into groups here. We each hooked leading fish from the group on our first casts  - and both managed to lose them! It was our only shot as this group didn't hang around.

Illtyd with a fish while wading. Nothing wrong with the hook, then?

On our last morning, we spotted Clint tying a few of his own secret bonefish flies, which I quickly copied (under orders from Illtyd). This sparse little fly worked really well on our last day. Back in the skiff, this time we were able to find pods of cruising fish, singles and doubles, which made for exciting casting.  It was a day of memorable moments. We saw fish of eight and nine pounds that we couldn't quite get casts at. We had big cruising fish along shorelines spook off our flies as soon as they landed. Illtyd caught two beautiful fish with inch-perfect casts and visual takes. I had a fish taken by a barracuda as I played it, which came from nowhere (and spat the fish out which was returned unharmed!) while Illtyd played a 4lb-plus bonefish that became so supercharged when it was being hunted by a lemon shark that Illtyd thought he was playing the shark too!

The final fish - but we'll be back

Abaco had definitely spoken to us. Conditions weren't all they might have been, by the friendliness of the island, the great guides and lodges, and the diversity of the fishing surely mean this will be a regular haunt for us. Thanks, guys. We'll see you soon.

- Bob