Crooked Island: 2023 Flats School
Trip Report by Simon Holme

Last month I was fortunate to attend the Go Fishing Worldwide annual ‘Flats Fly Fishing School’. What follows is a brief report from the trip.

There was a palpable sense of excitement amongst the group as our small aircraft touched down on Crooked Island. The aerial views of countless atolls and white sand flats during the flight had whet everyone’s appetite for the fishing ahead, and on stepping out of the plane the tropical Bahamian climate provided a welcome change from the cold, wet weather left behind in London the day before.

Willie Gibson (the local lady who would be accommodating us) greeted those returning with warm hugs and introduced herself to those on their first visit. Several of the guides loaded our bags onto a pick-up truck and we transferred by bus to Landrail Point, a small settlement on the northwestern corner of the island which would be our base for the week.

With a population of around 300, Crooked Island (57 square miles) is wonderfully uncommercialised and well off the beaten track compared to many better-known Bahamian islands. Accommodation was in several comfortable and air-conditioned apartments of Willie’s, with breakfast and dinner served in her nearby restaurant each day. Adorning the walls are hundreds of photographs of happy anglers holding big bonefish, snapper, jacks, tarpon, wahoo, and notably, large numbers of sizeable permit. It’s a well-kept secret that the Crooked Island permit fishery is superb, with increasing numbers of people travelling to target them year on year.

We settled into our surroundings and spent the afternoon preparing for fishing. Dave and Mark, our hosts for the week, have been visiting Crooked for many years, and consequently are well versed in how to approach the flats. To prepare us for the following day they went through the ‘theory’ of bonefishing, alongside practical elements such as leader construction, fly selection and casting techniques. That evening Willie served us lobster and a plan was hatched for the first day’s fishing.

Amazed by the turquoise shade of the sea and the beautiful island views, I had to pinch myself as the skiff I was on headed out of the harbour the following morning. The first local to take visitors fly fishing on Crooked Island over three decades ago was Elton ‘Shakey’ McKinney, and on our first day Paul, Mark and I had the pleasure of fishing with his son, Coco.

On reaching our first destination we anchored the boat and began to wade a large flat. Senses were on high alert as Coco began to spot small pods of bonefish pushing with the tide onto the shallow sandy bottom, searching for crabs and shrimps in ankle high water. When bonefish are on the move (which they often are), you only have a few seconds to get eyes on the fish, aerialise the fly and fly line and place it accurately and delicately in front of your moving target. This is easier said than done and the speed necessary for success took some getting used to. Essential to the whole process is thinking calmly under pressure.

Not long after we found a solo bonefish ‘tailing’ in very shallow water on the edge of the flat. Tailing refers to the tail of the fish poking through the surface of the water, indicating its head is down and it is feeding on the bottom. A tailing bone is a happy bone, and I had time to ready myself as we snuck within casting range. The ‘Gotcha’ shrimp fly was placed a couple of feet from the fish, landing with a quiet plop that drew the fish’s attention; I drew the fly steadily towards me as if the shrimp was fleeing, the bonefish turned and accelerated towards it, and a split second later everything tightened up.

Bonefish have many predators, not least barracudas and sharks, and consequently have evolved with superb speed; there is no room for stragglers in the world they inhabit. Although only a 2-3lb fish, the spool spun at a rate of knots as it took off in the shallow water, kicking up a plume of sand in its wake. After several pacey runs we bought the fish to hand and admired it’s streamlined silhouette and immaculate condition whilst it recovered from the fight. Bonefish are beautiful fish, evolutionary wonders, and I thought to myself ‘I see what the fuss is about’ as it swum off and Coco and I bumped fists in celebration.

The days that followed continued in a similar vein, with the guide team working hard to find fish. The guides on Crooked are fantastic, and over the course of the week the group fished with Shakey, Coco, Jeffrey, Clinton, Kenny, Michael, and Randy. All are Crooked Island born and raised, and whilst they share relaxed demeanours and sharp eyes, each has their own personal style and approach honed through many years on the water.

Alongside bonefish, we caught horse-eye jacks to 15lb, blue runner, grey and red snapper, and barracuda. If you wish, there are opportunities to target permit, tarpon, snook and Spanish mackerel.

Mark and Dave kept us entertained and informed over the week, with small talks and discussions on various elements of flats fishing after dinner each evening. Decades of trips have provided both with a wealth of interesting stories. If you ever find yourself in a bar with Dave, do ask him about shooting the jet ski in Florida, or his school time training in the use of mortars and heavy artillery.

Staying with Willie Gibson is very different from your run of the mill fishing lodge. There is everything you need and nothing you don’t, and you experience an authentic taste of daily life in the outer islands. The warm and friendly people here make their living from the sea. Idyllic and remote, a trip to Crooked provides a true Bahamian bonefishing experience, that I’d wholeheartedly recommend.

The 2024 Flats School will be running from the 22nd – 30th November 2024 – please get in touch for more information.