Most flyfishermen come to Andros, looking to flyfish for bonefish and perhaps add a few jacks or other small fish to their experience on the side. However, besides Andros' excellent bonefishing, other species including jacks, especially permit, snapper, barracuda, shark, tarpon, needlefish, and other reef fishes like grouper are very available and strong sporting opportunities. The tackle recommended here is oriented toward bonefish but addresses other fishes as well.

Bonefish Rods and Reels: 7 - 10 wgt. (8-9 usual) Large Arbor Saltwater Reels with 200+yds. 20# backing. Excellent drags are a must.	Floating lines predominate but bring one intermediate sinking for the reef, just in case. Consider one size heavier floating line than rod rated to help make short casts*, experiment before you come.	Leaders & Tippets: 10' - 14' Ldr-Tippet is usual 6'-3'-2'-2' (30-20-15-10) calm 6'-4'-2' (30-20-14) wind 10# -14# Tippet (Flouro opt.)	Flies: in pink, tan, gold, white. Crazy Charlies; #6 - #2 Gotchas; #6 - #2 Clouser; #6 - #1, (+ chartreuse & olive) Andros Fly page
Jacks: As above.	As above, especially a sinking line for the reef.	9' leader is sufficient. 14# - 20# Tippet Shock tippet of #30 if they are running over 5 lbs.	Flies: in blue/white, yellow, green/white Deceiver; #4 - #1/0 Clousers; #4 - #1 Andros Fly page
Barracuda: 8 - 10 wgt. 200+ yds. 30# backing.	As for Jacks.	9' (or shorter) 6' - 3' (30-15) plus steel bite tippet.	Braided or Unibody; #2 - 3/0 Andros Fly page
Shark: 8 - 12 wgt. 300 yds. 30# backing.	Floating & Intermediate	9' leader Dbl line vs. shock mono, #80 Braided Steel bite tippet.	Seaducer; #1 - 5/0 red Cockroach; #1 - 5/0 red, chartreuse. Andros Fly page
Tarpon: 9 - 12 wgt. As for Sharks.	As for sharks.	10' - 14' Ldr-Tippet 6'-3'-2'-2' (30-20-15-10) calm 6'-4'-2' (30-20-14) wind 10# -14# Tippet (Flouro)	Flies: in blue/wh, silver, yellow, chartreuse vs. olive. Cockroach: #2 - 3/0 Deceivers; #2 - 1/0 Poppers, Sliders. Andros Fly page

*[Most fly rods are designed to load properly with 40' to 45' of line in the air. Often on Andros you will have a brief chance to cast to fish inside twenty five feet, expecially while fishing from a flats boat. It can be challenging, if not frustrating, to load a rod with only ten or fifteen feet of line past the tip (plus ten to twelve feet of leader) for a short cast. You can improve the rod loading with a short line by using one weight line heavier than the rod rating. Obviously you sacrifice some rod loading characteristics on long casts but Andros offers so many opportunities for short fish I think it is a better than fair trade-off.]

Planning tackle for a week or less. You should plan to bring at least two rods, two reels and three lines (plus spares), just in case. It seems like every trip I make (webmaster), I manage to break a rod on a fish, in the dark or loaning it to a friend. Reels, even very good ones, can be trashed by unexpectedly big fish (barracuda, tarpon, sharks) and there is always the risk of damaging a fly line around coral and mangroves or being spooled right off the end of the reel. And don't forget an intermediate sinking line. You may never use it but then again, when your guide says, " There are very big fish on the reef today, did you bring a sinking line?" you'll be happy you did.	"Over-Fish" (like overkill) When I go, and I go for two to three weeks, I take three fly rods (9's); three reels; five lines ( 4x floating & 1x sinking for the 9's) and bulk spools for leaders and tippets. By far, the most fragile item you bring will be the rod, hence the backups. I also bring 300 or more flies because I want to cover all possible situations, then do some experimenting and still have a dozen spares of whatever turns out to be best! Last November, it turned out to be #4 pink Gotchas with plastic eyes and #2 yellow/white Clousers. They worked on everything from Permit in the surf to Bonefish and Jacks around the mangroves. But I still brought: Crazy Charlies, puffs, horrors, bunnybones, snapping and mantis shrimp, crabs, gobies and worms. Not to mention: deceivers, cockroaches, seaducers, spanish minnows, braids, unibodies, poppers, muddlers, wooley worms, bunny strips and sliders. Your results may vary. I fish morning, noon and night for everything that swims but like bones and 'cuda best.	Packing it Up. Carry everything you can with you onto the plane. I once arrived in Andros with my rod case but no luggage. That left me with seven rods in hand but none of the reels, lines, flies or lures that I'd put into my checked bag! Try to carry at least the minimum you'll need in your carry-on (including a four piece rod, if possible), a couple of reels, lines, fly boxes, etc. Bring a little extra too. Barter is alive and well in the islands, meaning that someone there may be willing to trade you services for goods. You may also want to offer your guide a selection of your flies as you leave as part payment for your charters. Flies tend to be worth about $3 in the Bahamas but rods and reels are much more expensive to acquire. Call your guide in advance of your trip to Andros and ask if there is anything you can bring him. He may need an outboard prop or a fly reel or wading boots. Which reminds me . . .
Fishing Accessories. Wading boots. Or shoes. Be sure to bring a pair. Wading shoes have been found to be sufficient for most bonefishing situations on Andros. They are lighter than boots for an all day wade and still offer enough protection from crusty coral underfoot. If you plan to walk the ocean shore fishing and/or swimming, you may want to bring a lighter pair of water shoes too. Of course, fins a snorkel and mask will let you have a closer look at the fishes always around you when you aren't fishing.	Thinking it Through. Plan on fishing about two days out of three. This leaves some room for a windy day, clouds and rain (not often but possible) or a chance to snorkel the Barrier Reef (worth it), swimming with your spouse (there's almost nothing else for her to do), meet the Androsians (another treasure), or wade around on your own along the ocean shore or river edges for whatever you can entice. I strongly recommend you ask your guide to take you to different types of fishing grounds: mangroves, river flats, ocean flats, the barrier reef, etc., so that you can experience the diversity and breadth of Androsian fishing opportunities.	When it's windy... Go inland to use the mangroves for cover. Or, you can give the fly fishing (and your arm) a rest and get out the spare spinning rod, trying for jacks, tarpon, 'cuda and the like. Or go snorkeling and swimming. Perhaps walk around and meet your neighbors, the Androsians are the friendliest people I've ever met around the globe. You can catch up on the sleep you've lost fishing day and night when the weather was perfect. Its a good time to tie leaders and tippets. Get a ride (everybody hitches) up the road and see some more of the island. Or work on your double haul and timing, now there's an idea.
Watch the moon. "Spring tides" make for bigger floods and ebbs. The rise and fall of most Andros tides is about two feet. Spring tides, ones that coincide with full and new moons, create stronger currents and deeper or shallower fishing opportunities than usual by almost a foot. This means that your guide may not be able to get back into the mangroves as he'd like on the ebb, or end up in water deeper than usual near the top of the flood. Consider the timing of your trip and if you're going on spring tides, tie some flies with bigger-heavier eyes for deeper water and some, "blind" ones too (Gotchas, Crazy Charlies, Clousers) with no eyes or weightless plastic eyes for very shallow water.	Watch the tide. Bonefish feed into the tide where possible. That means you can drift down current into approaching bonefish feeding towards you all day long, until it's slack. This translates into the fish feeding up into the mangrove on the ebb and down towards the ocean on the flood. You should balance this against the fish needing enough water to swim in up on the flats at low ebb (how far and shallow can they feed without being trapped) and possibly being in much deeper water (way back into the mangroves or channel bottoms) by the high flood. Of course, if you're walking the flats on your own you want to keep track of water depth. You may think you're only incovenienced wading deep across a cove you crossed earlier on a shallower tide, until you see the shark circling as you wallow waist deep and a hundred yards from shore, unarmed except for your trusty 9 weight and a usually elaxed attitude. This is a real good time not to have stored that four pounder in your pocket for dinner since a debate might ensue about who is hungrier. It's also a lot harder to see rays underfoot when you're wading through deep water.	Watch where you reach. Most everything in the tropics is sharp if it's alive and trying to stay that way. This isn't a problem if you wear protective foot gear and aren't a "hands on" kind of person. But if you are likely to be turning over coral, unhooking snagged flies by hand, inspecting urchins or checking conchs for lunch or gobies, then you should handle objects with care for spikes and knife edges. It's REAL easy to get a deep cut from say, a conch lip (or, don't even imagine this, a 'cuda tooth). Then standing watching your red stuff drift down current might become disconcerting if you hadn't planned to chum.

Spinning:

Bonefish, Rods and Reels: Ultra light with good quality reel and smooth drag (bring spare drag washers or know how to clean them.)	Lines & Leaders: 8# line is usual (bring bulk) No leader required	Terminal Tackle: Hooks: #6 - #2 Split Shot & casting bubble	Lures & Bait: Ball head jigs: 1/32 - 1/18 in tan, white, yellow, grey. Swimming plugs, 1/4 oz. Shrimp, Conch & Crab bait.
Jacks:	#8 - #20 line. No leader necessary.	Hooks: #4 - 1/0 Split shot & rubber core sinkers, up to 1/2 oz.	All in silver & silver/blue and yellow: Yo-Zuri Crystal minnows, Rattle-traps, Bombers, Needle-Eels, "Fiord" spoon,  Bait
Barracuda:	#14 line, #20 max. Braided steel leaders, 9" - 12", 15# +.	Hooks: #1/0 - #5/0	Red Tube: (seen above actual size), 9" - 12" Rapala "Sliver" plugs: green, yellow. Poppers, walkin' lures. Strip bait from jacks, needlefish.
Sharks:	Line: #20 - #30 (fusion braids too) Tippet: six feet #80 mono, or dbl. line. Bite Tippet: #50+ Braided Steel, 12".	Hooks: 5/0 to 12/0 (3x shank) circle.	Red Tubes: 12" - 18" Poppers, Rattle-traps, Yo-Zuri. Any fresh fish chunks.
Tarpon:	#8 - #20 line. Shock leader necessary, 18" #40 or doubled line.	Hooks: 1/0 - 5/0	Silver Rattle-traps, Blue/silver Y0-Zuri Crystal minnows, Bomber Redgill. Live fresh needlefish, small snappers, gobies.
Snapper:	#8 - #14 line. (Unless you see 50#fish!) No leader necessary.	Hooks: #4 - 1/0 Split shot & rubber core sinkers, up to 1/2 oz.	All in silver & silver/blue & yellow: Yo-Zuri Crystal minnows, Rattle-traps, Bombers,
Grouper:	#8 - #20 line. Shock leader necessary, #40.	Hooks: #4 - 5/0 Split shot & rubber core sinkers, up to 1 oz.	Chunk bait, shrimp, fish, conch, lobster