2009 Hosted Fly fishing Adventures

Here is the schedule of fly fishing adventures that we are hosting in 2009.   If you are interested in joining us on one of these trips, or if you have any questions, please call us at 716-479-2327, or
e-mail  us.

I hope you can make it--these trips are very fun--great fishing, food and camaraderie, and some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere.

Note: A trip host (myself or one of my associates) will be accompanying all anglers on these adventures, and the host will be available to help with any tackle questions or problems that arise, as well as offering any guidance or advice on fishing techniques. We will have extra gear in the event of equipment failure or breakage. Extra leaders, tippet and flies will be available too. If you need help booking your flight and making travel arrangements, we can help. Our goal is for all guests to have an enjoyable, hassle free vacation.


Ragged Island, Bahamas      February 6-13 (full), 13-20(full) & 20-27(full)

Stretching southwest in a great semicircle from the west point of Long Island, lies a chain of beautiful and deserted cays. The Jumento Cays arc south some ninety miles, until they terminate at Ragged Island. Ragged Island has only one town, a remote settlement of 60 people who meagerly live on what the surrounding ocean provides. There are no scheduled commercial flights to Ragged Island and the pace of life is measured by the lunar tides and the ocean's bounty. Only a few of the local islanders own cars and with good reason... on Ragged there are only a couple of poorly maintained roads that form a loop through "town". The ocean provides a simple life for these natives and the big event each week is when the mail boat arrives on Thursday. With only an occasional sailboat ever reaching these cays, the extensive flats, patch reefs and sandy pockets sit waiting, untouched and absolutely pristine. This is truly an untapped paradise for the light tackle sport fisherman.

The club was built on a hill to take advantage of cooling breezes and to provide a scenic view. The rooms are clean and comfortable with air-conditioning, tile floors, satellite TV and private baths. The lounge area includes a full bar where you can enjoy conch fritters and a cold Kalik beer while you watch the flat screen satellite TV or tie flies at the tying bench. Meals will include chicken, steaks and local seafood prepared in the Bahamian out-island style. All the water for the lodge is produced and filtered by two reverse osmosis systems, allowing guests to have bottled quality water right from their bathroom taps.

Our American lodge manager, has the necessary experience to ensure that your visit to Ragged Island is great. Our manager knows Ragged Island’s secrets: from how the tides govern the fish to tying the correct flies. We feel confident that his expertise will help pave the way for great fishing. Our manager works well with the local boatmen (who take you to the fishing grounds) and his easy going nature will put you at ease.

As most savvy anglers know, tides govern the movements of the bonefish and permit. Ragged Island boatmen know their habitat really well and can find fish on almost all stages of the tide. However, sometimes it’s best to break up your fishing day by either getting up early or staying out late. Our manager is prepared for this sort of event and is happy to accommodate anglers during unusual tide profiles or if unexpected winds play havoc with your tides during your stay on the island. Shifting your fishing day can mean the difference between bust and bonanza.

Our boatmen use well-maintained, brand-new, state-of-the-art Beavertail skiffs to take you to the various flats. If you have never spent a day hunting silvertails out of one of these 18-foot gems you are in for a treat! These high-tech 495 lb. boats are able to silently approach tailing fish in 6-7” of water! Better yet, when it’s time to leave, the hydraulic jack plate on the boat allows the guide to get up on plane in depths as skinny as 11 to 14 inches. These features translate into more fishing time during your day since you won’t spend so much time idling off the flats! In addition, the lodge has a 20-foot Albury center console that sports a brand new Yamaha 200 h.p. engine. This gives anglers on Ragged Island the ability to successfully pursue, weather permitting, all of the marquee gamefish that ply the local waters, both inshore and offshore.

Of course, the main target is Ragged’s bonefish. Bonefish are abundant and uneducated here. Most of the fishing in the Ragged Islands is done by wading the many beautiful and firmly compacted white sand flats. The softer flats can be poled by the boatmen, as will many of the deeper permit flats. Permit are often seen on these deeper flats sometimes cruising on the backs of rays looking for leftovers. As mentioned earlier, interested fishermen, can also fish the many patch reefs for snapper, ‘cudas and jacks or explore the blue water searching for tuna, dolphin, kingfish and wahoo. Off-road golf carts will be available to cruise to local flats or explore areas during the golden evening hours. These options give guests the ability to fully enjoy this small island paradise. So if you’ve ever dreamed of remote, rarely fished islands, this is your chance! One final note: angling on Ragged Island is not fully “guided” in the conventional sense. The boatmen know how to find fish and where the best flats are, but if you are expecting Andros quality guides, this is not the destination for you.

We are really excited about Ragged Island Lodge and think it offers superb fishing for adventuresome anglers who love wild and untamed locations and don’t mind a few rough edges. Bonefish, ‘cuda, permit on the flats and the possibility of kingfish, tuna, dorado, wahoo and a host of other great gamefish in the ‘big blue” await fishermen who make the journey to tiny Ragged Island.


Crooked Island, Bahamas-Bonefish Adventure                February 21-28, 2009 (full)

On Crooked Island, I have found what I believe to be one of the best deals in the Bahamas. The bonefishing/flats fishing is excellent, and the shallow water reef program adds another dimension to the great flats fishing already offered. The guides are great, and they work hard, often staying on the water for 10 hours. Their boats are top-notch, and better than I have seen anywhere I have visited in the Bahamas. The lodging is also modern, clean and very comfortable, and you can watch the sun setting over the ocean every evening, not to mention you can catch jacks, snapper, grouper and barracuda right from shore. And there are very few bugs here, for reasons unknown to me. The food is also superb, and as fresh as you can get it. Lobster, wahoo, mutton snapper, grouper & conch are just some of the tasty dinners we'll enjoy.

The cost is $2795.00 per person for seven nights, six full days of guided fishing. (based on double occupancy) *Cost includes guides, oceanfront accommodations, all meals & non-alcoholic drinks on Crooked Island, and airport transfers from Crooked island airport to the Lodge. *You pay for airfare to Crooked Island, one night’s lodging, taxi & dinner in Nassau, tips, and alcohol, if desired.


Acklins Island, Bahamas    March 14-21, 2009 (full)

There is room for 4 anglers to fish with me on this do-it-yourself adventure to remote Acklins Island. As your host, I will be available to help with any tackle questions or problems that arise, as well as offering guidance and advice on fishing techniques and spotting fish.

We'll be fishing and exploring this wonderful island in the Bahamas—long days exploring and fishing are the norm here—there is not much else to do! We'll be wade fishing interior sand and turtle grass flats, ocean-side sand and coral flats, and stunning beaches, for mostly bonefish, but barracuda, jacks, snappers, boxfish, triggerfish, sharks and palometa are common. We may even have shots at permit.

This trip includes everything that the all-inclusive lodges do, except the guides. So, for anglers with intermediate fly fishing skills and some saltwater experience, this is a great adventure at a great price.  Guided days are available if desired.

Cost: $1699.00 for a week of fishing. This price includes your beachfront hotel, all your meals, maps and kayaks. Your flight to Acklins, one night’s lodging, taxi & dinner in Nassau, alcohol, tips & rental vehicle (if desired) are extra. This is not a guided fly-fishing trip. The group is limited to four anglers and intermediate fly fishing skills are required.   You must also be physically fit as the trip involves lots of wading and hiking.


Eleuthera, Bahamas   (2 weeks)       April 4-11 (2 spots); April 11-18 (2 spots)

There is room for 2-4 anglers to join me each week on Eleuthera for some hosted do-it-yourself saltwater angling. As your host, I will be available to help with any tackle questions or problems that arise, as well as offering guidance and advice on fishing techniques and spotting fish. We set our own fishing hours, and explore this wonderful island in the Bahamas. We'll be fishing together for four of the six days; the remaining two days you're own your own to explore further, or get a guide, and put into practice what you've learned.
We'll be wade fishing for mostly bonefish, but barracuda, jacks, snappers, boxfish, triggerfish, sharks and palometa are common. The Eleuthera DIY trip is a great deal when compared to an all-inclusive lodge. In fact, this trip includes everything that the all-inclusive lodges do, except the guides. So, for anglers with intermediate fly fishing skills and some saltwater experience, this is a great adventure at a great price.

Cost: $1500.00 for a week of fishing. This price includes your beachfront hotel for 7 nights, all your meals & non-alcoholic beverages, & vehicle (based on double occupancy). Your flight, alcohol & tips are extra. This is not a guided fly-fishing trip. The group is limited to between 2-4 anglers and intermediate fly fishing skills are required.

Belize--Turneffe Flats Lodge   June 6-13     Grand Slam Opportunity!

You may have already read the trip report and viewed the photos from our recent trip to Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize.  Well, we were so impressed with the lodge and fishing that we have decided to return this June.  Cattaraugus Creek Outfitters is hosting a trip to the lodge that runs from June 6-13, 2009.

This week has tides on a full moon,  which is good for tarpon & permit fishing.  Turneffe Flats Lodge is a great place to get a grand slam--a permit, tarpon and bonefish in one day, on the fly!

To read the report and see pictures from our recent trip to Turneffe Atoll, Belize:     http://www.cattarauguscreekoutfitters.com/belize2009.html

Turneffe Flats Lodge runs a great operation--we hope you can join us!  And don't forget, couples are welcome, with plenty to do for the non-angler at Turneffe Flats Lodge.

Turneffe Flats is extending their fuel rebate! 
A $500 Fishing Package rebate has been extended through the week of June 21-27, 2009, and applies to this trip!   Diving Package Rebate - $300.00 // Atoll Adventure Package Rebate - $200.00

Cost for the week was $3669 + $243 tax ($3912) and includes everything but your flight to Belize city, alcoholic beverages and tips.  Now the total cost is $500 less!


Catskills Trout Camp 2009       May 31-June 3 (Full)
Join us on our 3rd annual hosted trout camp in the Catskills

This year we are offering two package options:  Fully guided and unguided.
The fully guided trip is just that--fully guided.  The cost of this option is $550/person with three persons sharing a guide, $650/person with two persons sharing a guide, and $750/person with your own guide. (includes 3 nights riverfront lodging, breakfasts and lunches, all non-alcoholic drinks, plus two days of guided fishing)

The unguided option is unguided.  We are still the hosts, and we provide assistance stream side in the form of fly selection, finding the runs/pools, and fishing locations within the runs/pools.  But we are not at your side for the entire day--we will fish the rivers with you.  This option is cheaper than the guided option and is great for anglers who don't need a guide at their side, but find some direction and minimal assistance helpful.  The cost of this option is $425/person, and includes 3 nights riverfront lodging, breakfasts and lunches, all non-alcoholic drinks.

We will be staying on the banks of the Beaverkill river, and we'll fish the area rivers of our choice, depending on which ones are fishing best.


Elk River, B.C. Dry Fly Adventure     August 1-8 & 8-15, 2009   (both weeks full)
Free dvd available-just ask and we'll send it to you

Finding great “new” spots is tougher today--here’s one to consider: while not unknown, the area around Fernie, British Columbia has earned a great (and closely guarded) reputation. The good news is that this area has some of the best dry fly fishing in North America and it has not been widely publicized. The bad news is that word is getting out and this ideal situation may begin to change in the future.

Regardless, right now this area has fantastic fishing with the main focus being some fifty miles of the Elk River. Unlike on the Missouri, Madison and many other rivers, the chances of seeing the typical “drift boat hatch” on the Elk River is small. You may only see a few other boats in a full day of fishing! There are also several other small streams that flow into the Elk and hold good populations of big fish. Most of these small streams see very little pressure and can only be reached by foot. These streams may require a bit of an effort to fish, but the rewards make it very worthwhile.

The primary target is West slope Cutthroat Trout, a species alternately snubbed as too easy to catch or adored for its slow motion, dry fly take. And while both are true, it is also true that the larger they grow, the smarter they become... and the Elk River has some cutts’ with thick shoulders and deep bodies!

There will be three package options to choose from: 

The first package will be $2150/person, and includes your lodging for seven nights, four days of guided fishing, all breakfasts & lunches, pick up and drop off at Glacier International Airport, and all transportation while in Fernie.  The other non-guided days we'll be fishing and exploring together.  You pay for your flight to Kalispell, MT, dinners, fishing license, alcohol & tips.  (Depending on the # of people in our group, renting your own vehicle may be required, in which case a discount will be given) (this package price is based on two people sharing a guide)

The second package will be $1900/person, and includes your lodging for seven nights, three days of guided fishing, all breakfasts & lunches, pick up and drop off at Glacier International Airport, and all transportation while in Fernie.  The other non-guided days we'll be fishing and exploring together.  You pay for your flight to Kalispell, MT, dinners, fishing license, alcohol & tips.  (Depending on the # of people in our group, renting your own vehicle may be required, in which case a discount will be given) (this package price is based on two people sharing a guide)

The third package will be $1650/person, and includes your lodging for seven nights, two days of guided fishing, all breakfasts & lunches, pick up and drop off at Glacier International Airport, and all transportation while in Fernie.  The other non-guided days we'll be fishing and exploring together.  You pay for your flight to Kalispell, MT, dinners, fishing license, alcohol & tips.  (Depending on the # of people in our group, renting your own vehicle may be required, in which case a discount will be given) (this package price is based on two people sharing a guide)