There is not a single state in the United States that requires anyone (neither citizens nor foreigners) to fish with a guide in public water. Buy a license, follow the laws (both fish & game and boating) and you are good-to-go. Renward Wells is completely misinformed and probably has Prescott Smith in his ear. In Canada, there are limited, specific, migratory fisheries that require a foreigner to be guided. That being said, even in Canada, 99.9% of the fishing is open to any licensed angler - no guide required.

This article's description of the regulations is incomplete and misleading. It fails to mention that the regulations have made it illegal for two people to fish the flats from a boat unless a guide ($$$) is on board. Everybody agrees that licensing is a good thing and the fishery needs to be protected, but under these laws I can wind up in JAIL for taking my son fishing on the flats without a guide.

Is there more of a "special interest group" than Prescott Smith and his lodge? He owns one of the most expensive and exclusive bonefish lodges in the Bahamas - $15,000 /week for a couple!!! It is ridiculous to think he doesn't have a horse in this race. The bottom line is that these laws have made it illegal for fathers and sons to fish the flats from a boat without a guide ($$$). A grandfather teaching his grandkid to fly fish for bonefish can now be thrown in JAIL if there is no guide ($$$) on the boat. Mr. Smith likes to say that this is about "real" conservation when this has ALWAYS been a catch and release fishery for visiting fly fisherman who love and support the Bahamas. Bahamians are being fooled and the independent guides and small businesses of the out islands are paying the price.

Visitors like myself have no problem with the required licenses and we all agree that 'motherships' with foreign guides should be banned.

What this article fails to mention is that under the new regulations:
1. Foreign boats can no longer fish the flats without a guide ($$$).
2. Bahamian registered boats can no longer fish the flats with more than 1 person on board, unless a guide ($$$) is hired.

Violating either of these new provisions can result in spending your vacation in a Bahamian jail. Does this sound visitor friendly? This is what is choking the industry and hurting independent guides, as well as the small businesses that would normally see business from visitors like my family and me.

sheeprunner, I'm from Florida. If you come over here, or any other state in the U.S., you can buy a license online and go fish. If you are following the regulations of what you can keep and what you must release you will always be 100% ok. You will NEVER be forced to fish with a guide. NEVER. It doesn't matter if you fish from land, a bridge, wade, or fish from a small boat or a 100' yacht. If you have a license and release what you catch you are always good-to-go. Fishermen like me who come to the Bahamas to flyfish for bonefish love your country and ALWAYS release the bonefish we catch. Forcing us to fish with a guide is the same as forcing us to eat at a restaurant instead of cooking our own meal. It makes no sense and is not visitor-friendly or welcoming. Their are countless places in the world besides the Bahamas where our families (and our vacation $) are welcome.

Prescott Smith is quoted as saying "if two ***anglers*** are in a boat, they need a guide". The actual legislation says "person", not "angler". In other words, if I'm flats fishing from my boat with my wife (who does not fish) or my 2 year old son, I can now be taken to jail. Does this seem reasonable and visitor friendly? If you'd like to discuss this further, my family and our vacation money can now be reached in Hawaii, Mexico, Belize, the Christmas Islands, etc. where we are welcome and appreciated as visitors.

This article should have also sought input from the Abaco Fly Fishing Guides Association or the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. It does nothing present to Bahamians the different views of this mess.