Testing the New Ratio Reel on the Bahamian Flats
On a recent trip to the Bahamas, Orvis Endorsed Guide, Michael Rescorle, put the new Ratio reel, paired with the Recon Saltwater rod, through its paces. Here he shares a few reflections from the trip and how the setup performed on bonefish and other flats species.
My fishing journey started as an 8-year-old in my home county of Cornwall, where towering cliffs and crashing surf were in sharp contrast to my recent trip to Crooked Island and Acklins in the Bahamas. No cliffs, barely any tidal movement and mile after mile of shallow flat seabed which stretched to the horizon. And it was hot, very hot.
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| A typical view of the flats and Mangrove when cruising for bonefish. | |
My Helios rods and Mirage reels were packed early on, but tackling up for the tropics meant a complete overhaul of my saltwater fly-fishing gear. Different lines, lighter clothing, and, of course, a box of Gotchas, Shrimps, crabs, and other tropical flies to chase Bonefish, Permit, Barracuda, and, if we were lucky, Tarpon. The Orvis store in Stockbridge had most of what I needed, so many thanks to Olly and his team, who ensured I was properly kitted out.
The nine-hour flight to Nassau went as planned, as did the short trip with Bahamian Air to our final destination. The accommodation at Trophy Lodge, on Crooked Island and fifty yards from the beach, provided a convenient base. Acklins was just a short boat trip away, and with fishing from 8am to 4pm, it was the ideal place to rest and recover.
Expectations were high, but the cold front, which had lingered over the area for a couple of weeks, had pushed fish, especially bones, out into deeper water. That resulted in more time on the boats cruising and searching for fish, and when we did find them, they had an irritating knack of feeding just out of range. On some days, it took three hours to find fish, so huge thanks to the Bahamian guides, such as Orvil and Randy, who did a great job. While I could see fish some way off, their ability to see them at much greater distances will live long in the memory. Orvil’s cries of “bones a hundred feet at 11 o’clock” still ring in my ears. Needless to say, I never achieved a hundred-foot cast at any o’clock, but his superb eyesight did enable me to get ready by checking that I wasn’t standing on my line, again, the fly was in my left hand, and I was looking in the right direction.
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| With Orvil (left), who guided me to my first ever Bonefish on Acklins (right). | |
The new Recon Saltwater rod and Ratio were great to fish with. The reel, with its fully sealed drag and oversized drag knob, allowed me to make micro-adjustments without fumbling when bonefish accelerated away, stripping line and backing through the rod guides. The powerful drag stopped them in their tracks and never let me down.
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| The superb new Recon # 8 Saltwater Rod and Ratio Reel were in daily use |
Despite the cold, good numbers of Bonefish came to the boat, plus several species of Jacks and Mangrove Snappers. Lemon sharks cruised around the boat looking for an easy meal, and I lost a couple of fish to them. Stingrays, Black Rays, Trigger Fish, Nurse Sharks and Barracudas, plus a large number of turtles, which, to my surprise, had an amazing turn of speed when spooked, were ever present. Permits were seen, but none were caught during the six-days of fishing. A couple of Barracuda showed interest in my large grey-and-white popper, but declined to eat it. Disappointed!
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| Bonefish were hard to spot at times, but stunning to look at out of the water |
A stopover in Nassau on the return journey provided the opportunity to take a bus into the city centre, with standing room only. Huge cruise liners dominated the skyline, and Caribbean music resonated from every bar and eatery, in total contrast to the flats, where there was often no sign of human habitation, and you could hear a pin drop.
It was a great trip full of contrasts!