Captain Jared Raskob in a recent episode of his saltwater fly fishing program "Silver Kings", declared, "This is as good as it gets; what an incredible day."
In the episode, titled, "Bahamas Bones", Raskob is having a very successful day fishing for bonefish on the shallow flats of East End, Grand Bahama, with Justin Lewis, a local who is the Bahamas Initiative Manager for Bonefish Tarpon Trust (BTT).
The episode was originally planned for over two years ago, but then Hurricane Dorian struck.
Using rarely seen footage, including a family huddled and clinging on for their lives, the program shows vividly the devastation caused by the Category 5 storm at East End and the impact on the livelihoods of many of the fishing guides and lodges in the area for many months.
The viewer is brought again to the present with stunningly beautiful aerial and water-level shots capturing the energy and excitement of bonefishing which, in order to ensure sustainability and protection of the lucrative fishery, is a catch-and-release sport in The Bahamas.
Back to the emotional impact of Dorian, when speaking over video of the restored East End Bonefishing Club and homes in the community, Raskob said, "It sank into me and made me really realize how bad this hurricane was.
"The cool thing, the positive side and something that makes you smile, there are a lot of locals who stayed and are rebuilding. It's coming back."
Lewis talked about the devastation of the mangroves on Grand Bahama and Abaco and their importance to the bonefishing industry.
The two islands are the second and third largest bonefish habitats in The Bahamas, after Andros, and the industry overall is worth an annual $169 million as a major tourist attraction and directly benefitting more than 8,000 Bahamian jobs.
BTT is an international non-profit conservation organization established in 1997 in Florida, and has been active in The Bahamas since 2008.
Lewis has bachelor's and master's degrees in marine and aquatic science and has been with the organization for the past nine years.
He is passionate about fishing and BTT's mission "to conserve and restore Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit, and their habitats through scientific research, stewardship, advocacy and education".
A study done by BTT and University of Alabama estimated that Hurricane Dorian destroyed 74 percent of the mangroves on Grand Bahama and 40 percent in the Abacos, impacting over 40,000 acres of vital bonefish habitat.
In an effort to kickstart recovery of mangroves, BTT has partnered with Bahamas National Trust, Waterkeepers, Friends of the Environment, MANG, Perry Institute for Marine Science and government agencies to replant the impacted areas with more than 23,000 planted so far.
"It is the largest mangrove restoration project in Bahamas history with an aim of planting over 100,000 trees by the end of 2024," BTT President Jim McDuffie said.
The final segment of the Silver Kings program continued the excitement as Raskob landed his first permit after a lengthy battle with the large, silvery, flat fish that had him running around the boat while Lewis steered to help.
Bonefish and Permit are highly sought after by recreational fishermen around Grand Bahama. The shallow north side and East End have many creeks and cays creating miles of fishable flats while the south side has the added attraction of miles of white sandy beaches giving access to some stunning areas to fly fish.
The industry is catered to by local fishing guides who either work for one of the four existing operations or guide independently like the Pinder brothers, David, Jeffrey and Joseph, sons of the legendary David Pinder Sr., who are recognized as being at the top of their profession.
Pelican Bay Resort is a family-friendly hotel located in the Port Lucaya area of Freeport where guests stay to fish with H20 Bonefishing or Grand Bahama Bonefishing.
East End Lodge, featured in the Silver Kings episode, and North Riding Point Club are located farther east and the settlement of West End is home to the family of the late "Bonefish Foley" who was recognized as a national treasure. His talented sons now operate the business.
Anglers travel from all over the world to enjoy the sport of chasing the "Gray Ghost" as the bonefish is often called.
The fish are caught using fly or spinning rods from small, shallow draft boats with a poling platform or by wading in the shallow waters.
Typical fish weigh two to four pounds; however, Grand Bahama is known for larger fish weighing eight to 10 pounds.
The Bahamas still holds the world record for bonefish in the West Atlantic for a 16-pounder caught in Bimini in 1972 by famous guide Ansil Saunders and his client.
The Silver Kings program can be seen at 7 a.m. Saturdays on CBS and streamed on Outdoor American and YouTube. "Bahama Bones" is the fourth episode featuring The Bahamas.
The show's producer, Marty Dashiell, said, "We always love coming to The Bahamas because the quality of the flats fishing is unmatched, but, to me, it's the kindness of the Bahamians that keeps me coming back."
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