Grand Cayman

[tibbs]

Hi Everyone,

 

My family and I are going to go to Grand Cayman this February, and I am just wondering if anyone's gone bonefishing there. We'll be staying at a resort on the East End of the island.

 

I would like to hire a guide for a day to go fly fishing for bonefish. Could anyone recommend a guide?

 

Also, I think I'm going to purchase a travel spinning rod, so i can fish a bit at the resort and as a backup if it's to windy to use fly gear. What would be the best rod, reel, line, tackle, etc... to get?

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Griffin

Edited December 12, 2009 by tibbs

[JohnF]

Watch for divers there. There's a bunch of 'em.

 

From what I remember that end of the island gets the surf. Your best bet for bonefish (i.e.calm flats) may be in North Sound but I don't know that for sure. The island's not that big (22 m x 7 m) so it's not far to anywhere. Otherwise the calmest waters are likely the southwest corner of the island. We went out diving from a couple of nice looking spots. If memory serves the name was Red Bay. Further east the shore seemed mostly volcanic rock and blowholes.

 

JF

[tibbs]

Thanks John.

 

My parents will probably rent a car for a couple days, so we c an explore the island a bit. I'll see if we could check a few of the spots you recommended. We're definitely bringing some snorkeling gear along with us.

[JohnF]

Thanks John.

 

My parents will probably rent a car for a couple days, so we c an explore the island a bit. I'll see if we could check a few of the spots you recommended. We're definitely bringing some snorkeling gear along with us.

 

There's some great snorkeling in behind the cemetery east of Georgetown. You have to walk thru the cemetery to get to the beach. If you take your snorkeling gear out to the dive shop by the Turtle Farm climb in at the ladder and then follow the ditch all the way out to the miniwall. The top of the wall is sandy and quite shallow. You'll probably pass some tech divers decompressing in the ditch. When you get to the first wall follow it to the left and look down into the cuts. In one of them we always saw a school of huge tarpon, I mean big fat 40" plus boys and if you watch out on the deeper sand you'll probably see some Eagle Rays and perhaps a few sharks. We saw a Hammerhead there one day. Lots of Grouper and stuff too. It's pretty amazing.

 

If the wind's up and the big water is too rough check out the trip to Stingray City. It's sheltered (North Sound) and you go out on a huge pontoon boat. The water's only about 3' deep and there are 100's of stingrays there swimming all around and over you (sometimes). My wife didn't last too long with them rubbing all around her legs and headed for the boat pretty quick. It was interesting to get so up close and personal.

 

If anyone in your party are certified divers don't pass up the diving. It's some of the easiest and nicest you'll ever do. If you're ever going to dive on a Resort Course deal that's the place to do. Generally I'm not an advocate of quicky dive courses but the conditions are so easy there that for someone who's comfortable in the water it's worth trying the diving. You probably won't go deeper than 35-45' and the visibility is so good you don't feel even that deep. It's like a swimming pool. On the other hand if you're carded and have the right dive operator take you out you can go way down the rock wall without lights. I've been down 150' and it was still clear as day. I could see all the way up to the boat as clear as gin.

 

JF

[tibbs]

There's some great snorkeling in behind the cemetery east of Georgetown. You have to walk thru the cemetery to get to the beach. If you take your snorkeling gear out to the dive shop by the Turtle Farm climb in at the ladder and then follow the ditch all the way out to the miniwall. The top of the wall is sandy and quite shallow. You'll probably pass some tech divers decompressing in the ditch. When you get to the first wall follow it to the left and look down into the cuts. In one of them we always saw a school of huge tarpon, I mean big fat 40" plus boys and if you watch out on the deeper sand you'll probably see some Eagle Rays and perhaps a few sharks. We saw a Hammerhead there one day. Lots of Grouper and stuff too. It's pretty amazing.

 

If the wind's up and the big water is too rough check out the trip to Stingray City. It's sheltered (North Sound) and you go out on a huge pontoon boat. The water's only about 3' deep and there are 100's of stingrays there swimming all around and over you (sometimes). My wife didn't last too long with them rubbing all around her legs and headed for the boat pretty quick. It was interesting to get so up close and personal.

 

If anyone in your party are certified divers don't pass up the diving. It's some of the easiest and nicest you'll ever do. If you're ever going to dive on a Resort Course deal that's the place to do. Generally I'm not an advocate of quicky dive courses but the conditions are so easy there that for someone who's comfortable in the water it's worth trying the diving. You probably won't go deeper than 35-45' and the visibility is so good you don't feel even that deep. It's like a swimming pool. On the other hand if you're carded and have the right dive operator take you out you can go way down the rock wall without lights. I've been down 150' and it was still clear as day. I could see all the way up to the boat as clear as gin.

 

JF

 

 

Wow... Thanks for the great info!!!!

 

I think i might take a dive course well I'm there. I've always wanted to try it.

 

Here's the company the resort recommends: Red Sail Sports

 

Have you heard of them before? Also, is $150 a decent price for the course?

 

Thanks again,

 

Griffin

[JohnF]

Wow... Thanks for the great info!!!!

 

I think i might take a dive course well I'm there. I've always wanted to try it.

 

Here's the company the resort recommends: Red Sail Sports

 

Have you heard of them before? Also, is $150 a decent price for the course?

 

Thanks again,

 

Griffin

 

Never dived with them but in all likelihood you'll find yourself with Canadian instructors and dive masters. Lots of 'em there. The nice thing about GC is that no matter how rough the wind has made the water on two sides of the island there'll always be nice diving somewhere. I rode with the captain of our dive boat out of the yacht club in North Sound around to West Beach one day. We were sliding down the face of huge waves (15-20' troughs). At one point I just barely caught my gear sliding out the back end of the dive deck. It was a fun ride, not necessarily one for seasick prone folks though. Anyway we slipped and slid around to West Beach, picked up the crew and the other divers and had a pair of beautiful dives in smooth water.

 

$150 is a little heavy for a resort course but all diving is exensive on GC. On the other hand we paid something like $90 15 years ago in Cancun for it so $150 may not be too bad. You'll probably get one boat dive with the course but then you can do as many dives as you want at regular rates (probably up to about $85-90 for two dives). Most of the dives are in 40-60' on gorgeous reefs. If you like the water, you'll love the dives. And the fish you see will blow you away. Watch for sharks. You're bound to see a few. And lots of different rays. Tons of big grouper and huge turtles. Watch in cuts in the reef structure and you may be able to swim with 3-4' Barracuda & Tarpon hanging together. It's all good.

 

JF

[JohnF]

I just looked it up and you'll probably be diving with Tortuga Divers (now owned by Red Sail). Are you staying at Morritt's? Nice beach there.

 

Bit of advice. Take the pool course on Tuesday so that in case you like it you can do other dives with them later. If you're flying home on a Saturday it's wise to avoid diving on Friday. 24 hours is safe to be out of the water so all the nitrogen in your body gets time to offgas. You probably won't do enough diving or go deep enough to be in much real danger but better safe than sorry. It would seriously suck to find yourself bent in the airplane flying home.

 

JF

[scuro2]

This is the forum that bonefishermen use. Do a search and you should find all the info you want.

http://www.reel-time.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=7

Not sure if you have fished down south before...if not target Cuda....an aggressive predator a little

like a pike but on steroids. Some general info here. http://www.inshore.com/tips-cuda.html