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Andros Island Bonefish Club

Andros Island Bonefish Club


Ready for an escape this Winter?

Andros Island Bonefish Club

February 16th- 23rd, 2019

with host Brian Flechsig


Watch the Video:
Click Here for details and pricing and be sure to contact Brian at the shop if any questions.




Mad River Outfitters/Midwest Fly Fishing Schools

Fly Shop, Fly Fishing Guides, Hosted Fly Fishing Travel, Schools, Classes and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

[email protected]

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Notes from the Field: Andros Island Bonefish Club



From trip host Ryan Ratliff- MRO Fly Tying Manager and Guide: 

“We decided to grab out 8wt, 10wt, and spinning rods so we would be prepared for anything. Today the fish were off the flats mudding in deeper water so we hit one of Shaun’s super secret backwaters. Wading back home is one of my favorite things to do…Wading for bonefish is just that much better! We found lots of fish tailing in skinny water and were hooking up left and right. Fishing around mangroves adds another challenge when the fish decide to run through them. We also let Shaun show us how it is done! We got it handed to us on a few, but were able to land plenty. Shaun took time not only to call out fish, but to fine tune our casts and explain fish behavior.”

Shawn Leadon of the Andros Island Bonefish Club
“On the way in for the day we decided to fish a small creek. There were a few bonefish heading up on the rising tide, but they were not willing to chase a fly. Around the first bend we saw a large school of
baitfish bust the surface. Once we were a little closer we spotted the reason. A large Baracuda was chasing the bait. I grabbed the spinning rod and launched the Cuda tube and burned it back. The Cuda charged full speed and with only two cranks of line left I started to sweep the rod preparing to figure 8…I didn’t know what else to do! Just as I turned the tube away from the boat the Cuda struck and begin to go crazy! Hard runs, tail walking, big jumping head shakes, and into the mangroves he went. I might not know much about saltwater fishing, but I know how to fight big fish. We were able to keep him from getting too deep into the mangroves and I fought him out. He ended up being one of my biggest fish ever and a memory that I will never forget!”

Ryan with a personal best!
Some action from day 2 at the Andros Island Bonefish Club:

Bob Matis

Curtis Henshaw
Jay Gross
From our good friend, great customer and trip participant Bob Matis:

“We had several good hookups in the backwater marshes with aggressive large bonefish. A few broke off, but we managed to bring in some nice fish. Another good day on the water, with fantastic scenery, weather, great guides, and helpful instruction on the art of fishing the flats of Andros Island.  Hospitality from MRO host and the AIBC staff and guides is wonderful. Food and drink is superb!”

And more from trip host Ryan Ratliff today:

“Bob and I (Ryan) were slated to head out with guide Danny today as Curtis and Jay were heading to the West side of the Island with Shaun. (All I can say about their trip is they have the tarpon bug. They will do a write up soon) The wind was still blowing hard out of the north and we also had cloud cover. Fishing was tough today. We had trouble seeing the fish before they saw us. Despite the tough conditions Danny was still able to get us on fish. We had to fish some more secluded backwater to keep out of the wind which was clouding the water. Danny knew exactly where to find fish. We fished flooded mangroves and had to “fight them dirty” as Danny laughter as I would not let them run hardly at all. We saw more tails today then noses, but still had a good day and landed fish.”


More Cuda action today


Curtis Henshaw with the fish of the trip so far!


Stay tuned…..a few days left on the trip…….

Click Here for more about what we do at the Andros Island Bonefish Club

Fall 2017 and February 2018 dates TBA shortly!



Mad River Travel

Fly Fishing Trips designed to EXCEED your expectations since 1994.

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Bonefish Trips- Andros Island Bonefish Club

andros island bonefish club
Andros Island Bonefish Club
Trips announced!

October 25th- November 1st, 2014 with Pat Kelly

February 21st- 28th with Brian Flechsig
Mad River Outfitters has been running two trips per year to the Andros Island Bonefish Club for over 15 years now. We take great pride, along with the club, in exceeding your expectations! Please click the links below for full details, pricing and pictures from past trips!
andros island bonefish club
MRO’s Brian Flechsig- hosting these trips since 1999!

Click Here for details and pricing on our trips to the Andros Island Bonefish Club

Click Here for pictures from past trips

Click Here for details on all of our Fly Fishing Trips


Mad River Outfitters
813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363
[email protected]

www.madriveroutfitters.com

         
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Andros Island Bonefish Club

We made our 1st trip to the Andros Island Bonefish Club in 1999. Earlier that year I had spent some time with Lefty Kreh and I had asked him where I should take my clients for the “best bonefishing in the world?”. Without hesitation, Lefty replied…”Call Rupert”.

Jim Teeny and I were hosting a trip there just a few months after that and we were greeted by the owner and founder, Rupert Leadon. Just as I got out of the taxi, Rupert was there with a firm handshake, and he said…”Welcome Home!”. Little did I know, he was right. I have since made 16 trips to the lodge, hosting hundreds of clients and showing them the best bonefishing on planet earth. Mad River Outfitters will be making it’s 25th hosted trip to the lodge this February. It has been an honor and Rupert and his family are to blame. This next trip will be different though….

Captain Rupert Leadon- 1946-2012
We lost Captain Rupert on June 26th of this year. He died suddenly, a victim of his 2nd heart attack. I actually read the news on Facebook the morning after, his son and head guide Shawn posted “A legend is gone”. I was shocked, and deeply saddened. Rupert will be missed by many. A true Icon in the world of saltwater fly fishing! He used to throw a party every time that we arrived for our annual February trip. He made me and our groups feel special. 
I had the pleasure of fishing with Rupert a time or two. He had mostly retired from guiding by the time we started running trips but I was lucky on a few occasions. I know that I felt honored to be fishing with a true saltwater fishing legend. I remember one day it was just he and I…..the day I hooked the largest bonefish of my life, that Rupert claimed would have gone 14lbs. I didn’t land the fish, and he always reminded me of that when I saw him….with a smile.
Truer words couldn’t have been posted on Facebook by Shawn….”A legend is gone”. Lefty wrote a great Eulogy that was printed in Fly Fishing Saltwater Magazine. He and Rupert were great friends and Lefty did him justice. 
I will be back at the lodge in February….our bi-annual trip is February 16th- 23rd this year…..and it won’t be the same. But his legend lives on…..
Captain Shawn Leadon
Captain Shawn Leadon will be running the show and we know that “Everything’s Gonna Be Allright”. Shawn and I have been fishing together and friends now, for a long time. He is a great man and as good a bonefish guide as you will ever find. I have been assured, and can assure my clients, that they are in good hands. Mad River Outfitters will continue to run two trips a year and also confidently book folks outside of those trips as well. Nothing has changed……we just have a new “Captain”…..and we believe in him!!!
Brian Flechsig and Shawn Leadon- circa 2001?
For those that don’t know, the Andros Island Bonefish Club is truly the finest bonefshing destination on the planet. Yes, the accommodations are nice, the food is good, the service is excellent…..but what really does it is the LOCATION. It cannot be beat and there is no place like it on planet earth.
“A hidden treasure for all who seek bonefish”- Lefty Kreh
The club is located in Cargill Creek on Andros, just a few minutes boat ride from the opening of the North Bight. You can head right out of the lodge and be back into the Bights, North, Middle and South within minutes. There is truly more flats and shoreline here than any place in the world. You can head left out of the lodge and find flats that go on for miles and miles…good wading water. The other great thing is that although a 40 minute ride or so, the lodge provides easy access to the famed “West Side” of Andros, also known as the “Land of Giants”. There is no other lodge that can offer what Andros Island Bonefish Club offers.
The other part of the equation, that often gets overlooked, is the guides. Shawn and his crew are simply some of the finest, most educated saltwater fishing guides that you will ever find. Most of them family, and have been guiding for the lodge for many years. Shawn, Nick, Chris, David, Brian, Rambo…they are all excellent bonefish guides and excellent captains. As anybody who fishes the salt knows, you are only as good as your guide and these guys are the best!
As you can tell…I really can’t say enough good about the Andros Island Bonefish Club. They have all become like family to me…and I know that they feel that way also. The relationship has become a cornerstone of Mad River Outfitters Travel and that isn’t going to change. The place has become “home” for me and I am always looking forward to my next trip. Just like Rupert always said….”Welcome Home”.
Click Here for information and pricing on these trips!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you will consider joining Mad River Outfitters on one of our hosted trips to AIBC! If you can’t make our dates….let us help you put a trip together. Any questions feel free to contact me at the shop…..we are here to help and LOVE talking bonefish!

Best,

Brian Flechsig
November 2012


Mad River Outfitters
Full service booking agent and outfitter for the Andros Island Bonefish Club
813 Bethel Rd. 
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363

Fall Bonefish 2010

Mad River Outfitters annual Fall Bonefish Trip

Andros Island Bonefish Club

Novebmer 6th- 13th 2010

As the story goes, it was 1999 and Lefty Kreh was making an appearance at Mad River Outfitters. During that visit, Brian Flechsig asked Lefty a very important question: “Where should we take our folks to show them the best bonefishing on the planet?”

“That’s easy!” Lefty said, “Call Rupert”. Rupert Leadon owns the Andros Island Bonefish Club and is simply a bonefishing “icon”.

May of 200 found Brian and Jim Teeny at the camp with a group of 14 folks….and the rest is history. A solid partnership/friendship was formed between Mad River Outfitters and the Andros Island Bonefish Club that continues today. We currently offer two hosted trips per year and can always put together a special package for you or your group at any time.

The Fall 2010 group was a small one..but a special one. All but 1 on the trip were Andros veterans, and all pretty great friends.

We had good weather, great fun, and the fishing was as good as we have seen it. No kidding!

We go in November looking for numbers. The fish are schooling in preparation for winter/spawning and there are chances to see thousands of fish during a week. We were not disappointed! Although February is known for “big fish”, we did see plenty of those as well on this trip. Many 5-6 lb fish were taken from schools and double digit fish were hooked.

Jack Dildine has been a friend and customer since the beginning. He became addicted to bonefish right here at the club in 2004 or so and he keeps coming back for more! Looks like he’ll be booking a spring trip then surely joining “the group” in November.

This year we were able to re-unite Jack with one of his favorite guides of all time…Eddie. He is back in the rotation at the club and it was cool to have them fish together again. It’s the guides that can make or break a trip and one of the main reasons that we keep coming back.

Thanks Eddie!


Sandy Heinz is Jack’s full-time fishing partner. She goes where he goes and she usually out fishes him. She is a great gal and it’s been fun to watch her grow in the sport.


Steve Ford is everywhere! We are sending him back to El Pescador in Belize over the holidays and then he’s headed to Brazil with us in January. He’ll tell you though that his favorite spot is AIBC. Steve has taken virtually every trip that we have offered over the past five years and now visits the bonefish club twice a year.

He’s a special guy and we are sure glad that he’s addicted to fly fishing!!


A great shot of Steve demonstrating the BUFF. This is how bonefishers look these days! It is truly amazing how many of these things you see in the tropics. Every guide has 2 or 3 on the boat and everybody in camp has them. Probably one of the most important pieces of gear that you can have these days……if you want to keep coming back!

Check out our selection of BUFF products!


Dave Kitchen may be the class clown but he sure can fish! This was Dave’s 5th Fall with us at the club and it’s been great to watch him grow in the sport of bonefishing. One thing is for sure though, Dave enjoys the “afterparty” just as much as he does the bonefishing. He’s a hoot!

What a great guy to be around and we are honored that he travels with us. Dave had a great trip this year and is already making payments on next Fall. He also bought the new Xi3 5wt so he has to go back……read about it below.

Ben Hunting is from Ada, Michigan and also joined us on the trip. Ben is our SAGE/Redington/Rio sales rep as well as Tibor, Action Optics and a few others. He was a great guy to have along and he’s a fantastic angler. We have been doing a ton of business with him and he said that he wanted to return the favor so he signed up for the trip.

He’s already making plans to return and we wouldn’t be surprised if he was part of the November 2011 group.

Here is a shot of Ben with guide Brian Leadon. Brian is one of Rupert’s sons and has been guiding our groups since the beginning. As we have said many times before, it’s the guides that make the trip and the Bonefish Club features some of the best in the business. It’s been fun to watch these guys grow up on the flats.

The trip was hosted by Brian Flechsig himself. It has been a while since Brian was able to spend a week on the island but he pulled it off this year. His bonefish addiction is as gripping as ever!!! Looks like he will be hosting the 2011 November group as well.


On Wednesday night, Brian had his hair done in “corn rows” and beads by our friend Keisha. It took two hours but he claims that it was well worth it. “I caught more fish on this trip than I have in years and I attribute it to the harido and the beads”

He may have changed his mind after the “full cavity search” on the flight home though. He’s not saying much about it now.


As we have stated, the fishing was fantastic! Some folks had a few days of double digit hook-ups and a few folks over 20!

Countless doubles also- common in November!


As always, the “after fishing” part of the trip was nearly just as much fun as the fishing. Some very solid friendships have been formed while sitting at the “Andros Bar”.

Ben Hunting happened to bring along the new SAGE Xi3 8’9″ 5wt fly rod. SAGE’s only 5wt outfitted for Saltwater fly fishing. The thing was fantastic! It casts like a dream, cuts right through the wind and had no problems handling 6-7 lb bonefish. Dave Kitchen was on the phone Monday morning after the trip and ordered his!

When the wind blows, which it normally does in the salt, most folks will opt for a heavier line weight. The thinking is that the more powerful rod will help “push” the line, leader and fly into the wind. Lefty says that this is backwards……they should go lighter!!!

The basic principle is this: The same amount of line speed is generated with a 2wt as with a 12wt. So therefore…which is easier to push into the wind, a thick 9wt line or a thin 5wt line? You just answered the question. The windier it gets, the lighter your fly rod should be!!!! This 5wt will certainly not be your “go to” bonefish rod but it is a great and much needed addition to the Xi3 family of fly rods.


Thanks for reading friends and if you ever wish to go bonefishing……we hope that you will think of Mad River Outfitters. We’d love to set you up!!!

Mad River Outfitters

Andros Island Bonefish Club

* February 19th- 26th, 2011

with host Andy Jensen

* November 5th- 12th, 2011

with host Brian Flechsig

Private/Individual bookings available any time!

Mad River Outfitters

813 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

Andros Island Bonefish Club

Back in early May I received an e-mail from good friend and GREAT customer Dr. Jeff Innes. Seems he was going to be in Florida for a rendezvous with his son in late May and they were looking to do some fishing. Jeff knows to call and knows that we won’t steer him wrong…..and we didn’t.

After making a half dozen phone calls or so to my list of preferred guides that we work with I was a bit discouraged. All of our contacts were booked solid. Nothing available until mid to late Summer…but I knew I had an ace in the hole.

I called Jeff back and let him know that it was looking like we wouldn’t find a guide. At least not one that I knew and recommended. Then I mentioned Andros.

I could HEAR Jeff’s eyes light up over the phone. It didn’t take more than a few more phone calls and he and his son were set-up for three days of fishing and four nights lodging at the Andros Island Bonefish Club.

Alex Innes, Jeff Innes and Shawn Leadon

Jeff made it very clear that Alex was not an accomplished angler and in fact this would be his 1st trip with fly rod in hand. I assured Jeff that they would have a great time! I called the club and made it very clear as to what we were dealing with and could they please set Jeff and Alex up with a guide that was patient and willing to help. We couldn’t have done better than to put him with Shawn Leadon, one of the best bonefish guides on the planet and son of the owner….Rupert Leadon. Shawn did a bang-up job as always!

We’ll make a long story short here. This is the note that I received from Jeff on 5/27/10:

“Brian, WOW! Great trip. We caught about 17 bonefish each and this was Alex’s first fly fishing trip. Thanks for helping set it up. I’ll get the equipment back next week.- Jeffrey T. Innes M.D.”

The pics tell the rest of the story!

Dr. Jeff Innes on Andros

Alex Innes- Andros Island Bonefish Club

Jeff Innes with a beauty on Andros

This is what we do. We help people to catch fish.

Of course it makes the job easy when you get to work with folks like Juliet, Rupert, Marion and guides like Shawn. We have been working with these folks for over ten years now and it is truly a pleasure. Rest assured, we’ll be back soon…….and so will Jeff and Alex!

Brian Flechsig- May 2010

Mad River Outfitters Bonefish Trips
November 6th- 13th with Brian
February 19th- 26th with Andy
Click Here for details on these and other great Fly Fishing Trips……or just call!!