Swain's Cay Lodge

Lodging Details
Located on Mangrove Cay, Swain’s Cay Lodge offers guests a tranquil, Bahamian beachscape with quick access to both the South Bight and the fabled Middle Bight of Andros. Built on a private four-acre property, the lodge provides its guests with a laid-back and remote tropical atmosphere and near immediate access to productive fishing. 

Visitors to Swain’s can choose from a range of accommodations, including well-furnished beachfront and ocean-view suites or a private three-room duplex apartment. Each room features either queen or twin beds, ensuite baths, air-conditioning, and a furnished patio for winding down in the evening or gearing up each morning. Swain’s accommodations are single-story, detached dwellings from the main lodge and restaurant, ensuring anglers or guests have plenty of space and solitude upon returning to their room and each evening.

Swain’s Reefside Restaurant & Bar overlooks the lodge’s home flat, ideal for recounting the day’s fishing stories over a cold Kalik or cocktail. There is also ample seating along the white sand beach to enjoy coffee in the morning or unwind after a filling Bahamian dinner. For those who want to put their feet up and rest, guests can relax in one of the numerous hammocks strung beneath coconut palms, or enjoy the fire pit just removed from the shore. The private beachfront only seconds from Swain's Reefside Bar makes for an excellent post-dinner hangout for fishing buddies and guests to chat or recoup before another day of bonefishing. 

Food and Beverages
Meals are always freshly prepared using local vegetables, meats, and seafood. Andros Island is one of the main producers of vegetables in the Bahamas, and all seafood is caught daily. This is the place to try some of the finest conch salad in the Bahamas! Expect breakfasts cooked to order, a packed cooler lunch on the water, and three-course dinners featuring grouper, snapper, Mahi Mahi, wahoo, chicken, pork ribs, pasta dishes, and homemade desserts. Vegetarian meals are available upon request. A visit to Shine’s Conch Stand, only minutes from the Lodge, is a great side trip and a must-do not only for the delicious conch salad, but for the ambiance and overall experience. 

Typical Length of Stay
Trips of any length can be arranged. There are no specific transfer days so you can arrive and depart on any day of the week and stay for any number of days.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
Swain’s Cay offers a quiet, clean beach with soft white sand, lounge chairs, and a bar that is open throughout the day. The waters are calm and shallow here; ideal for wading and swimming. Guests can use the four sea kayaks to access deeper water for swimming, bonefishing, and snorkeling. There is also a small island bird sanctuary a short paddle away. Surrounded by flats, this tiny island is also near a private sand spit and blue hole perfect for snorkeling. Use one of the lodge’s bikes to explore the rest of Mangrove Cay via the main road, which is very safe for running and biking. A quick taxi to Moxey Town offers a few shops and some nightlife.

Internet / Communications
The Lodge offers Wi-Fi in the office and Main Lodge. Cell phone service is available depending on individual plans.

How To Get There
Most guests first fly to the Nassau International Airport (NAS) and then on to the Mangrove Cay’s Clarence A. Bain Airport (MAY). Flights from Nassau to Mangrove Cay operate twice daily. From there, a Swain’s Cay Lodge representative will transport you the three short miles to the Lodge. For groups of more than six people, we would be happy to arrange a charter flight direct from Ft. Lauderdale to Mangrove Cay.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Since Swain’s Cay has no set changeover days or a required length of stay, guests can arrive and depart on any day of the week, at any time.

Documents Required
All U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of trip dates. Please be sure that your passport has at least two blank, unstamped pages remaining in the back, and that it is not torn, delaminated, or damaged in any way. No visas or inoculation are required for U.S. citizens.

Minors Traveling Without Both Parents
All children 18 years of age or younger accompanied by only one parent or legal guardian must have a NOTARIZED letter of consent from the other parent stating the child/children have his/her permission to travel. Single parents need NOTARIZED documentation of divorce or a spousal death certificate. Unaccompanied Minors require a NOTARIZED letter of consent signed by both parents.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes. 

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
Andros Island is known as the “Bonefish Capital of the World,” where an expansive system of natural channels bisect the islands, creating hundreds of square miles of shallow lagoons and white sand flats where bonefish flourish. Additionally, the Tongue of the Ocean, a 6,000-foot trench beginning one mile off the east coast of Andros, provides consistently clear water during all weather conditions.

Swain’s home water is the middle and south bights which are both vast and diverse fisheries holding great numbers of bonefish. With easy access to the best fishing areas, guides will take you to where the tides and winds are most favorable on any given day. While tides are an important component of any saltwater fishery, Swain’s proximity to multiple bights means guides can adapt their gameplan throughout each day to always have fishable water. This is a luxury not all lodges in The Bahamas can offer, with wind and tide dictating when and for how long their flats will hold fishable water. At Swain’s, you will never be fishing an off-tide, chasing fish deep in the mangroves, or fishing in off-colored water during your guided days. Typical guided fishing days run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with rides as short as five minutes from the lodge. For those who can't get enough, some guests fish until dark on the home flat in front of the lodge.

The area’s bonefish include everything from easy-to-catch, schoolie-sized fish all the way up to some of the largest bonefish that swim in the Bahamas. The quantity and range of bonefish allows Swains’ guides to adapt their program to suit each angler’s skillset and ensure each guest has an enjoyable, productive fishing experience. Additionally, the guides at Swain’s have a reputation as some of the best in all The Bahamas, with many repeat clients returning to Swain’s each year because of the quality of the guides. 

In addition to the middle and south bight, the west side of Andros is only a 40-minute run, which is a great spot for large bonefish along with seasonal opportunities for tarpon and permit. The warmer months are known for good tarpon fishing, and large permit can be found patrolling the deeper flats. Along with the area’s remarkable bonefish population, anglers can also target barracuda, sharks, jacks, snapper, and even offshore species.

Boats and Equipment
Swain’s Cay guides are excellent captains with many years of experience. They run 16 and 17-foot Action Craft and Dolphin Skiffs with 75HP Yamaha. All skiffs are outfitted with poling platforms, poles, plenty of rod storage, coolers with plenty of ice, and cushioned seats. For offshore days, you will fish aboard The Reel Time, a 24-foot, twin-engine center console catamaran. Offshore spin gear, lures, bait, and plugs are provided for bluewater days, but please bring all your fly gear.

2023/2024 Package Rates (Effective July 1, 2023)
All rates below are per person and quoted in US Dollars. Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter.

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY/SHARED GUIDE
3 Nights / 2 Days Guided Fishing – $2,465
4 Nights / 3 Days Guided Fishing – $3,360
5 Nights / 4 Days Guided Fishing – $4,225
6 Nights / 5 Days Guided Fishing – $4,985
7 Nights / 6 Days Guided Fishing – $5,800

SINGLE OCCUPANCY/SOLO ROOM/SHARED GUIDE
3 Nights / 2 Days Guided Fishing – $2,910
4 Nights / 3 Days Guided Fishing – $3,845
5 Nights / 4 Days Guided Fishing – $4,795
6 Nights / 5 Days Guided Fishing – $5,800
7 Nights / 6 Days Guided Fishing – $6,495

SINGLE OCCUPANCY/SOLO ROOM/SOLO GUIDE
3 Nights / 2 Days Guided Fishing – $3,795
4 Nights / 3 Days Guided Fishing – $5,150
5 Nights / 4 Days Guided Fishing – $6,720
6 Nights / 5 Days Guided Fishing – $7,875
7 Nights / 6 Days Guided Fishing – $9,200

What’s Included:

• All accommodations at Swain’s Cay Lodge as specified
• Ground transfers to and from airport and lodge on Mangrove Cay
• Daily guided fishing as specified
• All meals at the lodge
• Transfers to and from boat ramps for fishing
• Bottled water and coffee at the lodge
• Full use of kayaks and bikes
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
  
  

What’s Not Included:

• Bahamas VAT Tax on package purchased
• Airfare to and from Andros Island, Bahamas
• Alcoholic beverages and sodas at the lodge
• Gratuities for fishing guides and lodge staff
• Fly fishing equipment and flies
• Bahamas fishing license
• Bahamas VAT Tax on services/sales outside of packages (i.e. bar, other activities, fly shop, etc.)

Swain’s Cay Lodge (Andros Island, Bahamas)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A non-refundable deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking to hold both space and guides for all Swain’s Cay Lodge packages. For all cancellations, written notice must be sent to and received by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, LLC. For cancellations outside of 90 days from beginning of the trip, full amount minus a lodge cancellation fee of $250.00 per person plus a Yellow Dog handling fee of $100.00 per person, deposits and payments may be refunded or a full credit applied to a future trip booked within one year. This decision will be made by the lodge. No refund or trip credit will be given for trips cancelled inside of 90 days from start of trip, regardless of reason. If a cancelled package is resold by either the lodge or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 processing fee per guest charged by Yellow Dog Flyfishing.) Swain’s Cay Lodge and Yellow Dog strongly recommend that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for your trip. Swain’s Cay will not refund payments in the event of a hurricane or poor weather. No refund can be made for unused arrangements or fishing time lost due to inclement weather. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages.

Payment Terms for All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings  
Unless otherwise noted on your invoice, for all trips less than 90 days out, full payment is required after receipt of the confirmation email to secure guides and reservations. For trips outside of 90 days, a 50% deposit is required upon receipt of confirmation email to confirm your reservations.   

Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a secure payment portal – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com to gain access. 

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Standard Forms of Payment 

• Debit card (fee-free) and credit card (3% convenience fee) - to pay via card please utilize the customer payment portal. If you need assistance, reach out to 406-585-8667 ext. #3 
• Wires - please include name and/or invoice number for reference on your wire. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com for wiring instructions. (client is responsible for wiring fees) 
• Physical check - please include your invoice number in the memo. Mail checks to 213 S. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT, 59715

If you have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (406) 585-8667 ext. #3. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT. 

“Outstanding. Ian was an incredible host. He has the read on everyone in the group and did an amazing job of engaging everyone and integrating many of the guides and locals for evening activities that were enjoyable with lasting memories.” – Dean D.

“Tough wind conditions but very good numbers and sizes of bonefish. Because of excellent guide work, I was successful and caught around 20 bones from 3-7 lbs.” – Jim C.

“Excellent, everything was perfect and I would highly recommend this lodge and area for Bonefish.”- Matthew E.

“Beat our expectations. A great experience.” – Donald L.

“Excellent on all counts!!!” – Russell J.

“The amenities were very good. Guiding was excellent.” – Richard L.