Mexico fly fishing report - Playa Blanca permit

Fly fishing for permit in Mexico has been consistently good over the past month. Client Mike Youkee has just returned from Playa Blanca lodge and managed 4 fish for the week.  See photos below:

Good week at Playa Blanca – hooked 5 permit and landed 4 – one getting on for 20lbs but lost the biggest one on the first day – backing had beeded down, moral: always check your backing!!

Best Mike


For more information about fly fishing in Playa Blanca Lodge in Mexico please email us or call on +44 (0)1621 743711.

Fly fishing hosted trip report Cayo Largo, Cuba

Our annual group trip to Cayo Largo, Cuba has returned with good results. Three grand slams were landed for the week with another few permit boated along with bonefish to 10lb's or so. The feedback we have received so far has all been positive on this fishery with most anglers surprised at the quality and size of the bonefish.

Kevin Pallett who managed a couple of permit and converted one into a grand slam had the following to say:

Hi Matt,
          
A quick report on our Cayo Largo, Cuba trip .


We arrived at Cayo Largo to find the wind blowing hard from an unusual direction, which made the first 2 days fishing tricky, but good size bonefish where being caught from the off. Jonathan Hey getting an 11 lb'er. Permit fishing was tough with just a few sightings, then on the third day the wind dropped and the sun came out, permit spotting became easier and I managed a nice one and went on  to get get my first ever Grand slam - brilliant !!!! 


The next day i fished with Jonathan 'Lucky ' Hey and he quickly managed a grand slam, with in an hour of his permit!!! which enable me to get another permit and just miss another slam ( note to self, need more tarpon hook setting practise !!! ). Good numbers of bones were being picked up each day in the second half of the week, with Jonathan Lawrence beating his personnel best twice in one day with an 8lb and 11 lb plus - amazing. 


Dorothy and Arthur Wickson ended the week strongly with Dorothy's first ever bone fish, Arthur with his first Permit and grand Slam. His smile could be seen from 50 yards!!  James Grieve finished very strong as well with 19 bonefish on his last day loosing a 10 lb plus fish at the boat which was even more remarkable as it rained and was very overcast.

This destination is certainly one of the top flats destinations in the world, as Sean Clarke has quite rightly been saying. What makes this place special is the fact that the wind was blowing hard to start with from northerly direction's, meaning fishing would have been out on the north coast, but we could carry on, and even in windy or overcast conditions the guide could always find rays ,and there was a high percentage chance that permit would be on the back's of them, which is unlike anywhere else I've experienced. Although we were a bit early for the really big tarpon all bonefish were 3 lb plus !!!! 


I'd just like to say what a nice group of people you put together , and a big thanks to our host  Sean Clarke ,a great fishing mentor to all of us .

Kevin Pallett


Kevin Pallett provided some video and photographs of the trip below. If you are interested in fly fishing Cayo Largo or any of our other Cuban destinations please call us on +44 16216743711 or mailto:m.mchugh@flyodyssey.co.uk">EMAIL US.

Christmas Island fly fishing report

Our latest group trip to Christmas island returned a couple of weeks ago. Despite some inclement weather the fishing mainly lived up to Christmas islands high standard. The GT fishing sounds like it could have been better but a few fish were landed in the 20-30lb range.

Here is Jonathan Tomlinson's of SPORTFISH reports below:

 Hi Mat,

I can't believe that's already a week since week got back from our great trip to Christmas island. What a place! Yes it's a long way to go but it is better than most would tell you (perhaps they are trying to keep it a secret!). The lodge is very comfortable and offers AC and plenty of space. CI is one of the friendliest and most welcoming place I have visited, it is a haven for wildlife and we were lucky enough to see hundreds of different birds, dolphins, eagle ray, manta rays, crabs of every size and color!

 As a fishery the bonefishing far surpassed any expectations that I had. My very first fish was a very healthy 26 and a bit inches around the 8lb mark, a great start in my quest for that elusive 10lber! Throughout the trip we got quite blasé about catching a 5lb fish! Numerous 5-8lb specimens were landed and 3 fish topping the magical double digit mark including 1 that was estimated to be around 14lb. I personally saw some of the biggest fish I've seen in all of my trips that I would have said was between 34 and 36 inches and around the 14-15lb mark.

This is a very very healthy Trevally fishery and I was amazed by the number. I personally landed 37 with 20 in one day! There were big monsters around but you would need to be armed with a 12# in hand to be able to get that cast in time. We landed several fish upto the 25-30lb mark and my god they pull. There are plenty other species to go for and many of the party had time spent chasing the triggers that are present, tough but very rewarding when you get one! Other fish that were landed included blue fin Trevally, golden and striped. Lots of small grouper and rock cod species along with sweet lips, queenfish, swallow tailed rock cod and jobfish. We spent a couple of days out in the blue water and landed several Wahoo up to 50lb+ along with tuna upto around the 100lb mark.

Would I go back is always going to be one of the first questions that people ask and the answer is a resounding YES! It is a long way but the fishing is excellent and the value for money is off the scale. The villages refuse to chum for the GT's and I think that this is a good decision, the sooner the other lodges do the same the sooner the flats GT fishing will improve and be what it should be! There are no shortage of fish but being basically hand fed by unscrupulous guides to lay fish on a plate is NOT a good practice. 

Thanks once again for a great trip Mat, now time to look forward to the rest of the trips this year and see what they bring, next stop Bosnia!

Cheers TOMO

 Pictures below:

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING CHRISTMAS ISLAND PLEASE CALL US ON +44 1621743711 OR EMAIL US.