Guide Profile: Travis Sands
While destination fly fishing trips are typically catalyzed by particular fish species, a specific location, or perhaps a certain style of fishing, more often than not it’s the people we spend time with while on the trip that make it memorable and cause us to return. Of the people we meet, fly fishing guides are the most impactful: they introduce us to the fishery and show us its special secrets; they share their wisdom and stories, and teach us the required tactics to be successful; they sharpen our skills and help us unlock our greatest angling potential; and, they are our partners with whom we share our finest moments on the water.
At Soul Fly Lodge, we are privileged to work with a team of seasoned, passionate, and professional bonefish and permit fly fishing guides who, collectively, have over 125 years of experience in The Bahamas. Each guide has a distinct style and approach, and over the course of a week’s fishing, guests have the opportunity to fish with and – most importantly – learn from them all. Our series of Guide Profiles introduces each of our talented guides and shares some details on their backgrounds, interests, and talents.
Travis Sands aka The Flats Phantom is a rare breed of human who is beautifully aligned with his craft. He was born to guide; it’s a part of his soul. Travis’s dedication defines him as a guide and a man: he’s curious, confident, smart, and incredibly observant. He learns quickly and is attuned to the macro and micro nuances essential for guide to effectively pursue and catch fish that don’t want to be found nor caught, like permit and bonefish.
Travis’s passion and drive to make clients successful on the flats is unmatched. From his demeanor to his teaching skills, he’s a true professional. He has a vast understanding of the environs that he fishes, the mechanics of a good flats fly cast, and the swagger needed to get it done. Additionally, Travis has been lucky to study under some of the greats like Lefty Kreh, Flip Fallot, and Chico Fernandez. Like a sponge, he soaks up learnings on the flats everyday and little bits of gold from everyone he encounters. Travis also has an uncanny connection to his fishing intuition — his head is rarely clouded and almost always clear — and his ability to be in the right place at the right time helps his clients to take advantage of every part of the day.
The Berry Islands match Travis’s guiding style perfectly for the challenges they provide and by allowing him to hunt big permit and bonefish. Travis is a hunter with primitive skills —stealthy, calm, collected, and with a razor sharp intuition. These are skills that many have lost, but Travis Sands is different. To echo what many of clients say: Travis is one of the best in all the entire Caribbean.
Travis’s journey to be the best fishing guide and man he can be aligns him perfectly with our culture at Soul Fly Lodge. Keep watching this rock star rise and we hope you find yourself on his bow celebrating a fish of a lifetime, learning, and enjoying the raw beauty of the unspoiled cays of the Berry Islands.
Year started guiding: 2007
Home island: South Andros
Favorite species to target: Permit
Angling words of wisdom: It’s hunting, so hunt!
Desired superhero power: Flight, so I can see those little shits better!
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