Summary

Enjoy a full or half-day of saltwater flats fishing for bonefish and other species around Harbour Island, North Eleuthera, and Spanish Wells. This is an ideal way for beginners to experience their first taste of bonefishing, and Eleven’s professional guides are also adept at leading expert anglers to more challenging zones with larger bones.

Details

  • This activity is available for all ability levels, including beginners
  • Full (8 hours) and half-day (4 hours) guided trips
  • Fish Harbour Island and Spanish Wells sides of North Eleuthera
  • Available Mid-November through July
  • In order to ensure our ability to secure guides for your trip, we recommend booking at least two weeks in advance.
  • Please allow for up to 48 hours to receive confirmation on if we can accommodate your dates. Please refrain from making travel arrangements until you have received a confirmation notice from our team.

Inclusions

  • Professional guide and skiff

Pricing

Starting at $1,350 per person, per night based on double occupancy.

ANGLING OVERVIEW

Bonefishing is a thrill—stalking the grey ghost in skinny glass-clear water is a truly sublime visual experience. Seasoned Bahamian guides will lead you to the best flats in fully outfitted customized skiffs, where you can fish from the deck or take off wading. Novice anglers will be spoiled casting to schools of fish, while accomplished fly fishers can hunt larger singles and doubles.

Spanish Wells

On the Spanish Wells side of North Eleuthera, many shallow flats are created by the mainland, the southwest reef, Royal Island, Russell Island, and St. Georges Island. The areas from the Lobster Cays and up past Ragged Cays are some of the best. These flats are a short run from the settlements of the Bluff or the Current. Just south of the Bluff is an expansive mangrove-lined bay that is often stacked with bonefish, and the entire shoreline can produce fine fishing. Easy runs to many nearby cays and cuts also put anglers over some wild reef fishing for jacks, snappers, grouper, and mackerel. Bonefish are aggressive, averaging 3 to 6 pounds, and it’s not uncommon to see much larger fish calmly tailing in skinny water. One of the many things that makes this area so special is that there is little to no pressure on the flats.

Harbour Island

On the Harbour Island side, the mainland habitat is similar, though there are many more protected shallow-water back bays, creeks, and mangrove shorelines. There is also prime fishing in good weather along the offshore cays from Jacob’s Island to Man Island to Pierres Island. These outside flats are the ideal place to spot larger bonefish, some 10 pounds and up. Right off Harbour Island itself there are good wadeable flats that anglers can fish on their own, just a short walk or golf cart ride from Bahama House. Keep in mind that these fish are well educated as they see many anglers casting flies. If you want to test your skills, these bonefish should be on your agenda.

GEAR

Flies

Our favorite flies for sandy bottoms are Gotchas, Hoovers, and Sililegs, #4-6

Spawning Shrimp and Yarn Crabs, #2-6, are great along shorelines

For finicky tailers, Mantis Shrimp and Flats flies, #4-6, and Sililegs

Eleven guides will have a complete selection of flies, leaders, and tippets

Lines & Terminal Tackle

WF and Salt taper floating fly lines to match rods

9 to 12-foot mono and fluorocarbon saltwater leaders

8 to 12-pound tippet

RODS & REELS

G. Loomis fly rods matched with Nautilus fly reels, and for spinning, St. Croix rods with matching Shimano Saragosa reels.

BAHAMA HOUSE

Harbour Island has always been a bit of a Caribbean insider’s secret. Pink sand beaches, pastel-painted houses draped with colorful bougainvillea, turquoise waters and distinct cultural heritage cast a spell on all who visit. With just 11 rooms, Bahama House feels more like a stylish friend’s beach retreat. A freshwater swimming pool and handcrafted tiki bar make it hard to leave. Luckily, guests don’t have to go far to experience local culture. Located in the heart of Dunmore Town, popular restaurants and live music spots are just minutes away. While the island is known for its laid back pace, Eleven’s guides know how to deliver a dose of adventure. Scuba dive or snorkel, cliff jump into a sapphire blue hole, or catch your own dinner on a deep sea fishing excursion. Property buyouts include a 35-foot Scorpion RIB Boat and captain, making it easy to explore neighboring islands. No matter how you choose to spend your day, it will always end in true island style as you watch the sunset with a Goombay Smash cocktail in hand.

Daily Itinerary

  • Chef-prepared breakfast each morning at Bahama House.
  • 7:45 am transfer to the Harbour Island dock. Your guide will have your skiff’s coolers stocked with snacks, water and drinks. Option for homemade lunch on skiff with full-day trips.
    • Fish the eastern side of North Eleuthera, including the outer cays like Man Island, around the horn to oceanside flats around Pierres Island, then west to the many back bays, flats and creeks tucked into the mainland. This is an excellent bonefish habitat, with good fishing from the skiff and by wading. Schools of bones are easy targets for beginning anglers, and there are opportunities for larger singles and doubles. These areas are suitable for full and half-day trips.
    • Additional options for full-day trips include: Ferry from Harbour Island dock to the mainland, then take a short ground transfer to The Bluff or to the settlement of Current.
    • From Current, fish the shoreline beaches back toward Upper Bouge, or south to Current Island and Pimlico Island. You can also go north around the point toward Spanish Wells.
    • From The Bluff there are nearby back bays, creeks and flats you can also reach from Current. Alternatively, head across the bay to Egg Island, Royal Island, Russell Island, or several smaller cays, all with flats whose tides are perfect for bonefishing. These are unpressured areas with shots at some really large bones in skinny water.
    • Bonefish will be your primary target, but other species available include sharks, barracuda, snapper, jacks, grouper and mackerel.
  • 4 pm arrival back at the Harbour Island dock. Ground transfer back to Bahama House for après snacks and cocktails.

Captain Patrick Roberts

With over twenty years of experience guiding in and around Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, Patrick is one of those passionate guides who loves to be on the flats, and to share his backyard with island guests. “I grew up here, Mon,” Patrick says. “And I hung around with the best legends like Bonefish Joe Cleare, always watching and learning. I like to fish with everyone. Let’s get in my boat and go. I’ll show you the bones. We’ll have fun all day long.” Whether you are a beginning angler looking to land your first bonefish, or an experienced angler looking for big tailing bones, Patrick is the man to get it done for you.

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