Middle Bight – Mangrove Caye Club

THE FISHING

A glance at a map reveals that Andros has more bonefish habitat than any other island of the Bahamas and the island of Mangrove Cay is smack in the middle of it all. The mystique of this part of Andros is held in the ever-consistent opportunity to cast a fly or jig to the “ghost of the flats”, with good sized fish landed every week. Mangrove Cay is an island in the centre of Andros, separated by waterways that bisect the island from east to west. These are the North, Middle and South Bights, themselves dotted with countless uninhabited cays. Combined with the vast banks and mudflats of the West Side of Andros, this is the largest area of bonefish habitat in the world, establishing Andros as the “Bonefishing Capital of the World”. As you can see from the satellite images on the left hand side of the page, Mangrove Cay has no shortage of nearby creeks, flats, bays and estuaries to fish. The position of the lodge also offers a fairly sheltered run to the Western Side of the islands (about 45 minutes) to get at the some of the more renowned flats that are famous for holding very large fish. One huge flat on the West Side has been labeled “The Land of the Giants” and justifiably so. Due to its remote location and lack of any settlements, good numbers of very large fish can be found here on a consistent basis. However do not be tricked into thinking that the “grass is always greener on the other side of the island”, our daily recorded statistics prove that the home waters just minutes away from the lodge are equally productive in both size and numbers. In fact, some of the largest fish to date have been taken within sight of the Mangrove Cay Club just across the Bight around Big Wood Cay and Moxey Creek.

The bonefish in the Bights are plentiful and average 3 to 5 pounds with regular appearances of fish 6 to 10 pounds and several 11, 12 and 13 pound fish are landed every season. Fish are seen in schools of anywhere from a few fish to very large numbers, often in the hundreds. Large fish tend to travel in singles and doubles although they can hang out in large schools with smaller fish. First and foremost, the Andros ecosystem is principally a bonefish location. Both tarpon and permit do swim these waters but they are more species of serendipity than anything else. Tarpon can be found rolling in the deeper channels and cuts between islands during the late spring and into early fall, but this is not the kind of fishery where bringing your tarpon gear makes a lot of sense. Permit are occasionally seen and even caught in the Middle Bight area, but it’s one of those situations where you don’t want to dedicate days to searching them out as their numbers just don’t justify this kind of dedicated pursuit when there are 10 pound bonefish lurking about. Far more common and bankable are the large predators like barracudas and sharks which share the same flats as the bones do. Guides at the Mangrove Cay Club work on a rotation so anglers can enjoy the opportunity to fish with several members of this talented group during the week. It is evident that a great deal of thought went into the planning and construction of Mangrove Cay Club. Those who built the facility are first and foremost, fishermen at heart. This is a first-class operation in every sense of the word.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT
Dolphin Flats Skiffs powered by 85 horse powered Yamaha engines. There is plenty of dry storage and cockpit space. Decks are clear and free of obstacles that could snag a fly line. Five of our boats are equipped with leaning posts and two of those are also equipped with cushioned chairs on the casting deck.

GETTING THERE
Guests will need to fly into the Nassau Bahamas International Airport and then catch the computer flight up to Mangrove Cay. Many major US, Canadian and European air carriers fly into Nassau daily. Mangrove Cay enjoys twice-daily commercial air service from Nassau to the Clarence A. Bain Airport via Western Air and Caribbean Aviation. If you do fly through Nassau, please be aware that Nassau’s International Airport is divided into two sections: the Domestic Terminal and the International Terminal. They are located in different buildings and you have to go outside the International terminal (where you’ll arrive) to make your connecting Domestic flight. Don’t worry, the airport staff are used to dealing with the confusion and most any baggage handler or security personal will be happy to point the way. Just remember,you must clear Bahamas Customs with your luggage in Nassau before you make your connection or your luggage won’t make it. Charter service can be arranged from south Florida or Nassau, Bahamas. Private planes are also welcome at Mangrove Cay and the 5,000 by 75 foot (1,524 by 23 m) asphalt runway can accommodate most private aircraft. While there is no Bahamian customs currently available on Mangrove Cay, anglers choosing to travel by private aircraft or charter from the US can find ports of entry on North and South Andros as well as Nassau, Bimini or Chubb Cay. You will be met at the airport and driven to Mangrove Cay Club, a journey of ten minutes.

Slipstream is a full service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2024

All fishing packages and services do not include Bahamaian Government VAT of 10%

7 nights 6 days $7,400 USD DBL
6 nights 5 days $6,600 USD DBL
5 nights 4 days $5,900 USD DBL
4 nights 3 days $4,900 USD DBL
3 nights 2 days $3,700 USD DBL

Single Occupancy/Single Guide

7 nights/ 6 days – $11,100 USD SGL

6 nights/ 5 days – $9,900 USD SGL

5 nights/ 4 days – $8,850 USD SGL

4 nights/ 3 days – $7,350 USD SGL

3 nights/ 2 days – $5,550 USD SGL