A Christmas Gift Idea for Fly Fishers-- Grand Bahama Bonefish DVD!

Despite the cold weather, the trout fishing in north Georgia has been outstanding! But if the low temps are getting you down and you need a vision of warm weather to get you through the winter, here's something to think about putting on your last-minute Christmas gift list.

Dreams of Bahamas bonefish -- the ideal antidote to winter?

What could be warmer than a balmy summer day in the Bahamas? Not much, especially if you happen to be a fly fisher and the bonefish are on the flats.

You know bonefish -- they're those "freight trains with fins," as a buddy of mine once described 'em. They known for their preference for shallow flats...and for their blazing runs...and for their catchability on a fly rod. Now that's a good combination!

One of the go-to places to find bonefish is the Bahamas. But fishing for bones in the Bahamas is the pastime of the wealthy, isn't it? After all, don't you need to be prepared to drop hundreds of dollars a day for the guides, the luxury resorts, and all the rest? 

Some say yes, and there's nothing wrong with that. But others say that a more budget-conscious approach can work too -- and one of them is Jimmy Jacobs.

Do-it-yourself Bahamas bones?

Jimmy Jacobs is well known to Georgia trout anglers as author of "Trout Fishing in North Georgia." It's a book for the do-it-yourself angler, with enough info to get you pointed in the right direction but not so much that it takes the fun out of exploration.

Well, Jacobs has taken the same approach to do-it-yourself Bahamas bonefishing with a recent DVD entitled "Grand Bahama Bonefish On Your Own." The video is narrated by Jacobs and features outdoor writer, photographer and fly caster Polly Dean.

What will you find in this video? It's not overly produced, and it's not Hollywood slick. Instead, it offers a concise 25-minute how-to guide that will get you learn what you need to know in order to plan your own do-it-yourself Grand Bahama bonefish adventure. 

What will you find? Well, there are insights on travel practicalities such as getting to the island, finding a place to stay, and traveling around the island once you arrive, among other things. There are tips on tackle selection and flies -- as well as tips on the fishing side of things. Some of this may be familiar to Bahamas bonefishing veterans, but for those who have never taken the plunge it's exactly the kind of info that you will need.

Bonefish fishing areas too!

But one of the most useful contributions of this neat little video may well be the info it contains on finding places to fish.

Included are directions to several specific flats fishing areas. These are not of the "go here and fish right there" ilk. Rather, they're the sort of directions that fisherfolk tend to like -- the kind that put you in the right general area but leave the rest to you. As in his Georgia trout book, it looks like Jimmy has found that "just-enough-info" voice. He tells you how to find flats, offers some comments on the roads that get you there, and even provides suggestions on which flats hold bonefish on which tides.

But he leaves the rest (and the fun of discovery) to you.

 For visiting anglers with limited time and real-world budgets, that's an ideal combination.

A bonefishing starting point

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to fish in a new area without a clue as to how to proceed. I've been in that position more times than I care to remember. It can be frustrating, especially if time and resources are tight.

But sometimes, while you're standing there not knowing just what to do next, a fellow angler comes along who understands and who's willing to help. That unexpected benefactor will share just enough info to get you going. That benefactor knows that while you need some basic info to get started, you also want to unravel most of the mystery yourself.

That's what you'll find in this neat little DVD -- just enough info to get your daydreaming going in high gear, with practical tips to help you turn that daydream into a reality when you finally make it happen. Consider this DVD if you need a last-minute stocking stuffer for the fly fisher on your list -- or for yourself.

"Grand Bahama Bonefish On Your Own" is available for $12.95 from Jimmy Jacobs' website (once on the site, scroll down just a little and click on the "Bookstore") and from other outlets, including several local fly fishing specialty shops.

Next time: Volunteers help stock trout at Whitewater on the delayed harvest section of the Chattahoochee in Atlanta!

Copyright Steve Hudson 2010. All rights reserved.