Saltwater Testimonials

"Hi Vince, we had a nice trip.  Weather was great and so was the fishing.  Your maps & descriptions were excellent.  We checked out almost all the locations, some of them we did not fish.  All the fish (bones) were on the atlantic side.  The tide cycle was in our favor with an incoming tide in the evening and morning for several days.   The woman who manages Unique was great, very accommodating.   The rental car worked out great.   We did the best in Savannah Sound, Winding Bay, and Deep Creek(plum creek) did not hit Deep Creek at the jetty at the right tide I think it would have been excellent.  Nothing at Tarpum Bay, Ten Bay, Princess, Club Med, Double Bay, Balmar.   Bought our fuel from Paradise Automotive (gas station just as you come in to Palmetto)  takes credit cards for fuel and the owner fishes.  He is open all the time.  Actually, ran in to him one night in Savannah Sound, very nice guy.  Vince the gear list (fly list) was excellent.  Olive & brown/tan shades of gotchas & charlies worked the best for us. Overlooked the gravel guards, a mistake.   We brought bug dope, glad we did, they were a nuisance.   Thank you for all the info you provided.  Also am reading your email newsletters and we are interested in the Acklins trip as some point.  Thanks again."
John Tarrant-Cleverdale, NY


"Vince, we had a very good trip.  The folks at Ivels were great and took good care of us. The fishing was good. We caught some nice bones and missed more than our fair share.  All in all, a successful trip.  My wife caught and landed her first bone and is ready for more.  Most of our shots were singles and doubles on the move and we realized that we both need to work on our casting - not as much distance as speed and accuracy.  Something to keep us occupied until we get back out.  Thanks for the assistance and we are already looking at the calendar for the next trip."                                                                                                                     Rob Mathai-Beaufort, SC

"Hi Vince, we had a wonderful time on our trip to Crooked Island.  It was everything we hoped it would be.  Dan (Pangakdi) was a great host and we had a very compatable and enjoyable group.  So besides wonderful fishing with wonderful guides in a stunning environment, we had a lot of fun with our group.  For us, it will be a yearly event.  We just have to figure out how to stay longer!  We have attached some pictures we thought you might be able to use.  All the fish are ones we caught, taken in the water, or when we were permitted to hold them briefly for a picture.  We are planning a trip to the Cat this year so we will see you in the Fall. 
Best,  Paul and Gail"                                                                          Paul & Gail Gallo, Manhattan, NY

"Thanks for everything Vince, I had a fantastic time. I am looking forward to what ever trips you are considering next year.  Please also send my thanks to Dan Pangaldi.   I can not find his e-mail address.
Between the efforts of both you and Dan, the trip was fantastic, very well organized, I could not have enjoyed myself more."Hans Rackow,  Calgary


"Vince – I wanted to let you know how the trip went.  Overall, I was very impressed with the Acklins folks, Ivel’s staff, food and accommodations, the accessibility of so many flats, and even the dinners at Rolex. 

Ivel’s – That’s pretty much the best experience any of us can recall as far as staff, service, food, etc.  Mrs. Gibson and Mrs. Ferguson provided fantastic food.  The rest of the staff was also very helpful and friendly.  I recommend branching out a bit in the morning and trying the Bahamian breakfasts offered.  I don’t think you can beat it for someone on a DIY."                                    Jason Freeman, Columbus, OH



"Dear Vince,  with apologies from the terminally computer challenged, I am mailing a DVD of pics from our outstanding Acklins Island adventure.   My spirit remains on Bahamas time, and the daydreams of azure & turquoise waters are ever present.  My initial hope was to theoretically to learn a bit of what fly fishing for bonefish is about.  In reality, it was like throwing gasoline on a fire.  This trip was a life changing experience.  It is doubtful I'll ever "get over" a raging case of bonefish fever.   Thank you for everything you did to organize & coordinate the Acklins trip!  I look forward to the next therapy session...
Cordially, Jim Dowd."Jim Dowd, Conway MA


"VINCE, THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST TRIPS I WAS ON, HAD A GREAT TIME EXPLORING. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT AT IVELS!!! I'LL SEND YOU A DVD OF MY PICS AS SOON AS I GET DONE PUTTING THEM TOGEATHER. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN RECIEVE YOUR EMAILS, I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO FOOL WITH IT.THANKS AGAIN,  LEW "       Lew Abad, Buffalo NY


"Hi Vince: Thanks for putting the trip together. You ALWAYS do a great job. As a solo going on a trip like this, its a concern that the guys going might not be open to a new guy but thats was surely not the case. We had a terrific bunch of anglers and I for one would like to hit another spot with the same guys."
Gary Rotolo, CO


"Vince,sorry for the delay in responding but hit the ground running on return.Martha and I had a grand time without any hiccups.the weather was perfect only several days of high wind.I didnt fish as hard as I normally do because we spent a lot of time looking around.Savannah Sound is not a place for the inexperienced.I didnt see a fish under 5lbs.I caught several pigs on worm flies but as you know they are pressured and spooky.Saw very big tailing fish just after sun up but as soon as the sun was up around 9 or they were long gone regardless of the stage of the tide.Had great fishing in Jack's Bay but the real fishable area is small and wont accomodate more that 2 rods.Caught some fish north of PawPaw beach and at Sponge beach.Saw the 2 biggest bonefish I've ever seen in the northern end of Half Bay,double digit plus ,but blew 2 cast at them because of excitement and a tough wind.All in all we had a great time,and enjoyed the Apt. at Unique.Best Regards,Ellison."   Ellison Smith, Mount Pleasant  SC


"We tried several of the spots that you recommended and saw fish at all of them. Savannah proved to be the most consistent, but was very tide and light dependent, best in the morning and right before sunset. Lots of tailers in small pods and large singles (and one shark that came out of the channel, made a bee line for Matt and gave him a good scare). All in all, I think you were right on with all your comments and very well organized. The room and view were great. I think both of us would consider doing another trip with you. Many thanks again and best regards." Dr. Alan Pollet--New York 


"Vince- Great time. I enjoyed fishing with guide Denny Rankin quite a bit, ended up going with him Friday as well. Saw the most fish at Savannah Sound, and the biggest as well. Got one Friday that went a solid 10 lbs. Thursday I managed to hook 6 and land 2 at Savannah Sound early and then went out to Deep Creek. Didn't see any bones there but got a big boxfish, small cudas and nailed the blue runners, little grouper and snapper at the point right at the turn of the tide. Best fly was 6 tan sili gothca, caught everything on that. I never got around to fishing the beach, too many other distractions ( Kaliks, etc.) I did snorkle a few times in front of the hotel and got some great shells for the kids. Mate & Jenny's was great & great cheeseburgers at Windchimes. I didn't fish as many spots as I should have, kind of overwhelming in a way, so much to choose from. I will definitely go back. The whole trip was a terrific adventure and your services were just as advertised."       John Kirk--Maine


"Vince, we had a great week on Acklin Island. We ended up getting the guide,Terrance, for all six days. He was really good and we all did well with him. We caught 57 bones w/ Terrance and 43 bones on our own. The flats Terrance fished were huge and full of large schools. Lost a few to Lemons(3) and Cudas(2). Rick found a huge school at Nancy Cove fishing by himself and caught 22 in  4 hours. Bob and I went back the next day and caught 17. It was the small sand and coral flat at the north end of the cove w/ the mangrove shoreline. Rick and Ed went back the next day but they did not show. I guess three days in a row is too much to expect.  Caught a few down to the left of the lodge and way to the right at the road culvert.
Rick caught a 10+ fish and I got 2 over 8 w/ Terrance. My biggest was 27" fork length and Terrance said Rick's was several inches longer. Will get you some photos of mine. Rick did not have a camera. Rick and Ed(84 years old) fished together as did Bob and I.  The food and lodge were great. Julius and Arnett were wonderful.  Thanks." John Bowden, Raleigh  NC


"Vince, I took your advice from the FlyFishing Show in Somerset and just got back from Eleuthera last night myself. I can't thank you enough, as it was a terrific family vacation. Were you at Ten Bay Beach with your family on Friday? I thought that I saw someone that looked like I had remembered you from the show.
Anyhow, I had a great week down there and would go back in a heartbeat. I managed to catch a nice big bone by accident while at Northside Beach. I was actually trying to catch a big cuda that I saw lurking.  I was amazed when my wire-leadered chartruese streamer connected with a beutiful bonefish instead (dumb luck!). I did manage to actually catch a small cuda (about 24") the next day when we were down at the tip by lighthouse beach.
Spent half a day with Paul Petty in Savannah Sound and got to experience a nice morning on a boat. Unfortunately as you mentioned, it was pretty windy and the fish were very finicky. I was humbled by the experience. Man! And I thought Delaware River rainbows were spooky! He dropped me off back at the library and I proceeded to catch 3 and lose 2 right in the bay across the street from the library!
This was my 1st time bonefishing and I can see why people can become obsessed. It seemed to me that if you are lucky enough to find a decent school of fish, they are much more competitive to get at the fly. The ones that were cruising and/or in small groups of 2 or 3 were much tougher. I learned a few things about these critters, and can't wait to get at them again.
Again. Thanks for the tip! Keep the reports coming."                          Ted Bergen


"Hi Vince!   Yeh, we really enjoyed Campeche and Raul and his team.  Beautiful area, tons of tarpon... saw and lost several in the 30-40lb range.   What amazing fish.  I got my Intro to Tarpon 101 class now and want to pursue the 200 level of classes!   Some day, for sure!   Hope you have a blast with the May trip.  PLEASE share our warmest regards with Raul, Laura and Neko.... Ask Neko to see the tarpon hat we gave him!
There were times when we changed flies 8-10 times because we couldn't get one to take.   I added to the frustration by screwing up several times but I still had snow in my mental waders---  Neko got us on zillions (rough estimate) of fish.  I think we had most of our action on 2 1/2 to 3 inch Seaducers and what I used to call Bonito Bunnies, bunny strip and collar in white/red collar, yellow/red collar, purple & black collar.   Hook sizes were what you suggested: 1, 2, 1/0's.  I had one brute straighten out a 1/0!   One piece of advice that is good that I didn't listen to very well was to use really great/sharp hooks.  I think part of my numerous missed fish came from hooks that should have been Owner or similar.  Tiemco's seemed pretty good.  Most activity with Seaducers was yellow with red collar, then white with red or chartruese collar.  Neko usually picked the fly out from my fairly extensive collection.   I am convinced the color is not the key variable.  There were times when those damn fish were completely surrounding us in the boat.  You hardly needed to tell time in English or Spanish, just get a Hook in the water!   To be honest, we had two days when it was very slow and the fish just weren' eating.   I had a lot of fun every day, learned a lot and came back psyched about baby tarpon.  Thanks again for your help and support, Vince.  Great time!
Oh, I forgot....  Dottie speaks great Spanish and was with me two days in the boat which really made it easier.  Raul was with me one day and his English is better than mine.  If my Spanish was better or Neko 's English better, I think I could have learned faster and maybe done better and probably not created any international incident???
We had a couple of dinners at our hotel which were fine.  Really appreciated being able to get breakfast very early at the hotel.   Also appreciated little things like the guides rinsing down the rods/reels after each day on the water.... that's classy and typical Raul style.   We really enjoyed two dinners with Raul and Laura at his favorite Mexican restaurant-  Can't remember the name but Raul takes lots of his clients there-   We also explored and found several fun restaurants in Merida.  Loved the one day trip to Uxmal and Kabah (had great guides) but we are into the Mayan ruins thing.  Recommend it to your other clients!  We loved walking around both Merida and Campeche. 
Hope I took a stab at some of your questions-  don't hesitate to holler or ask others if you have 'em.   Rip some lips in May!!!   All the best"                           Jim Edler, Cortland Manor  NY
                                                                                                                                                                               

"Hey, Vince!  And welcome back from Acklins.  We had fun imagining you there as we were having withdrawals, and have been slammed with work.  Glad you got the box of things.
Dave and I want to thank you again for such a fabulous time.  We can't imagine a better trip host!  And fishing buddy!
On every level, I know we'll be spoiled forever.  Good--we'll just take lots more trips with you!  I want to thank you too for making Mom and Dad feel so welcome, comfortable, and part of everything.  They wanted me to say thank you from them, as well.
We sure fell in love with Crooked Island, as you have--the place, people, guides, fish--every bit of it.  I needn't have feared being pregnant there.  Thanks to your and everyone's care and kindness.  I could truly just go on and on!!!"                                                       Dave & Sandy Beegle, Loveland  CO


"Accept an invitation by an experienced angler for a bone fishing adventure. The ambiance of the Island and its people are second to none. We found it very peaceful and laid back. The barbecues on the beach at night by the local people where warm and the food and Kalik where excellent.
If you were looking for quality fishing and good camaraderie I would recommend Vince in a heartbeat. One week was a tease, next year Michele and I plan on at least a 2-week sojourn.
Eleuthera and its people will warm your heart as well as the beautiful April and May weather that caresses it pink sandy shores. Our first bone fishing experience will not be our last. Vince you picked a wonderful location. Thank you for making our trip so enjoyable, your patience and guidance was very much appreciated.
Tight lines and long runs , Phil Roderick"                                     Phil Roderick, Bliss NY


"Vince-thanks, that was a trip of a lifetime. (Eleuthera, Bahamas) I had a great time and really hope to get a chance soon to try it again. I appreciate your cordinating the trip and all of your help/patience with the fishing."                                                                                                       Luke Jacobs, Buffalo NY


"Vince: We had another good trip to Eluethera, taking our college senior son, who kicked my butt, as did my wife, Bonefish Bette.  Seriously, Kiel caught 4 sizeable bonefish (4 lb. category) & Bette caught one.  I failed to approach the 4 pound barrier myself, but caught good numbers (8 one evening in about2 hours).
I personally prefer Acklins because better numbers, numerous schools, etc.  Eleuthera, to me, is a destination where you really have to work very hard to find fish, & I've seen virtually no schools, although Kiel saw several (he's younger, more stamina).
Bette & Kiel fished one afternoon w/ Denny Rankin, Kiel caught one of his 4 bigger fish, & Bette lost a bigger fish.  That was our only guided day.  However, some friends from Georgia fished on Sunday w/ Kelsey Rankin, Denny's brother, & they liked him too.
This year we really tried to hit most of the spots on your maps, & we did so, liking some places much more than others.  Weather was good except for first day, accommodations fine, but did have to exchange cars when a belt went out -- Stanton was real good in getting us another vehicle quickly.
  Thanks for your help."                                                                   Kent Duckworth, Ronan  MT


"Thanks for everything- I thought the trip was great.  I really enjoyed fishing with and meeting new people and learning form everyone’s prior experiences with tides and other saltwater considerations.  I look foreword to fishing together in the future."                                    Rod Squires, Waco TX


"Vince, I wanted to thank you for a GREAT trip. The accommodations, food, company and fishing were perfect.
I learned so much from you and the other guys that I will be able to put to good use on future trips.  I plan on practicing (and taking lesions) a great deal on my casting over the summer so that next year I can get myself into many more good situations.
I’ll get the pictures in the mail to you in the next day or so.  Thanks again.  Chuck"
Charles J. Foster IV, Wilmington  DE


"Hi Vince... just wanted to drop you a line and say what a great time Lew and I had.  We really go into the Bones on Monday... around the south point of Winding Bay.  We landed over a dozen, one at least 4.5 - 5 lbs.  Plus Lew got a good thrill from a 'cuda.  Hope the rest of your trip goes well and pass the same along to the rest of the bunch."                                                    Tom Olszowy, Buffalo NY