Fly fishing Mexico - Casa Blanca Lodge client report

Here is a great report from client Alex Wee who spent 9 days fly fishing out of Casa Blanca Lodge in Ascension Bay, Mexico. Congratulations on your 4 permit Alex.....

El Diablo Negro’

This was my 4th trip to Casa Blanca. The first 2 I have regarded as learning my craft. Last year 2013 was ‘fishy’; I caught some scary sized snook, jacks, with plenty of tarpon and a permit. This year was different. If someone said I would catch one permit in the week and a bunch of other fish, I would have been happy. What came to pass was very different.

The weather was my biggest worry. A week prior to my trip, the reports were showing thunderstorms and 90% chance of rain every day and for the next 10 days. The rain gear was stowed in my luggage. Thankfully it only came out for 15 minutes on the second last day. Night storms freshened the air; better for sleeping but also better for the mosquitoes.

But what you really want to know is how the fishing panned out.There were many jumped tarpon, and quite a few caught ( leadered but not always boated ). Sadly the biggest one caught was off the pier, and jumped the hook as I tried to lift it out of the water. There were days when the water would boil with rolling fish and my the purple and black EP fly was inhaled many times, but nothing I did would set the hook.The snook were more cooperative. Most of the time they were hungry. Watching them slam the fly as they make that mad lunge for it, and

seeing the water erupt is a sight I never tire of. The arm wrenching tustle, and acrobatics that follow are more satisfying, as once they are hooked, they usually stay on. Snook to over 20lb were boated, with the majority around the 15lb mark.

Bones were plenty and always hungry. Anyone that has been to Ascension bay will know that a bone over 4lb is a special fish. Santa Rosa Lagoon fished poorly the day I was there but I did catch a few of the ‘home bones’ which were about 5lb. Those fish have grown fat on the sardines fed to them by the lodge staff, but are very cagey and difficult to trick. The big daddy looks 9lb maybe pushing 10, his oversized black head and back creating a serious wake as he patrols in between the skiffs and the mooring ropes, never once distracted by feathers and flash.

Ascension bay is about permit. Cayo Xhobon, Tres Marias, Vigia grande, the 4th river - staring at emerald waters, looking for a wake and a sudden silver flash, dark tails flicking on the surface ripple. Standing on the bow, 60ft of running carefully laid out behind you in the cockpit, 15 ft of head out and holding the fly in your left, aching feet, itchy buff, listening to the wind flap your shirt, when suddenly the poling changes rhythm and the skiff switches angle. I look behind to see what direction Jorge is staring at, and quickly face the front looking at the same patch of water. I hear him mutter something about nervy water 300ft and coming our way. I check the line is not caught on anything and that there are no tangles.

‘Can you see them - yes or no?’ ‘Er, I think so’ ‘yes or no’ ‘got ‘em’

‘Cast now’ The squimp takes flight infront and then behind the boat, and I feel the Helios bend, make my haul and shoot the rest. There is the sound of something unrepeatable in Spanish as I hook myself in the back of my head and the line gets trapped under my feet. And so it was like that for my many permit encounters.

There were those permit moments when the fish would follow, tip their head down and eat, but spit the hook. And the time I lost a fish so big that Jorge refused to even tell me its size. I saw it from only 40ft when it ate and it was a long and deep fish, and after an agonising 20 minutes, I heard a distant splash and felt the sickening loss of tension in the rod. That is why I now have cold beers in the boat - for those moments when there are no words to say, only beer to drink.

But it was not all like that. It was on the 4th day, there were no clouds the sun was high making spotting easy, and as we turned off the motor we both saw the school over 100yds away. Just tailing in the shallows. We jumped out of the boat, and let me tell you how difficult it is to walk quietly and fast and avoid catching the line around your feet. We worked our way to the fish so the wind was coming from the left and we could intercept them side on. They were still feeding, blowing the sand for those very pale crabs. One false cast and 50ft of line shot out landing the fly just in front of the fish. They were still happy, still feeding. ‘Strip, take slack out. Strip. Strip. stop, strip slow, stop, strip, he’s got it’ My left hand pulled and the line tightened.

‘let him go’. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

My favourite sound on the flats. The permit bolted, the only thing slowing it down were bits of cork and carbon.There was nothing I could do except to let it tire itself against the drag, everytime I played the fish to within 100ft and it would take flight. I saw the backing knot disappear 6 times through the top ring before it started to tire. After a nerve wracking 20 minutes the fish was finally tailed. I sank to my knees laughing and crying all at the same time. My family call that my fishy smile, and they all know how much it meant to me.

The flats were very generous and gave up another 3 permit, but nothing as special as that one

Casa Blanca Lodge at Ascension bay is a remarkable place. The hustle and buzz of the Riviera Maya are left behind when you land at the airstrip. Manuel hands you a cold towel, and the first of many margaritas, as you alight the panga. By the time you get to the palapa (dining area at the lodge), the tequila has taken effect, and you need another to maintain the sway. It helps me get my sea legs for the next few days.

The food is fantastic and there is plenty of it. After a day chasing shadows on the water, you are welcomed back with beer, margaritas, and hor d’oevres - cerviche, nachos and guacomole, pan fried fish. Dinner was equally wonderful - I have learnt not to eat to much on surf and turf night - Lobster tail with Fillet steak.

There are many different fish to chase. Some days I would spend 6 hours staring at endless flats, imagining ‘nervy water’, only to have have one shot at a cruising fish. Other days it was ‘Tarpon soup’. You could hear them rolling from 100m away and when you saw the number of fish feeding it would be hard to believe. That day was crazy, I jumped 6 nice fish, but nothing would come to the boat.

The last day was one of those days - It was 230pm and we had seen nothing all day. Drifting down the wind, Jorge and I see a lone fish tight to the mangroves. I put the fly 60ft into the hole, between the branches, leading the fish by 5. It sees the fly, I strip long and fast, the fish chases and eats. Bang - the rod is almost pulled out of your grip as it takes an alarming shape - Snook on. We then run towards home. Only once we get to the home flat, we see permit. The first shot gets a hook up, but the fish spits after a couple of minutes. The school skitters

about 40yards and then turn back to the boat. I fire another one out, the fly sinks and I lay the crab still. The head goes down and the tail shakes as the fish chases, and I strip nice and slow. Fish eats and 10 minutes later my 4th permit of the trip is in the boat - small but as they say ‘ permit is a permit’. Unbelievable. Winking at us in the shallows were little grey tails. It had to be done. The home flat was very kind that afternoon, and 5 minutes later a bonefish was swimming around my ankles. All in the last hour.

El diablo negro - that’s what they call them down there. The really big permit - over 30lb, and if you meet Jorge, ask to see his ‘trofeo’. And I have seen them, and hooked them, but they were too shy this year to have their photo taken with me.

Next time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING IN MEXICO PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0)1621743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk OR VISIT: WWW.FLYODYSSEY.CO.UK

Cuba - Isle de Juventud fly fishing trip reports

We have had two groups fly fishing out of the Isle de Juventud in Cuba over the past couple of weeks on Perola and Georgiana. Both weeks had fabulous weather and great fishing.

The first group from Australia and New Zealand  spent the week aboard Perola. Nik Mathiessen of Big Angry Fish sent through these images and words from their trip.

"Had absolutely amazing weather and amazing fishing!"

A report on the Georgiana week will be online shortly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OF FLY FISHING IN CUBA AT ISLE DE JUVENTUD PLEASE CONTACT US ON +44 (0) 1621743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk

Cayo Largo, Cuba - Client Trip report

Each April we send a group of anglers to Cayo Largo in Cuba. Here is a report from one of our clients, Mr Robert Thong from the UK, who returned with Marie for the second trip to Cayo Largo. This report was first published on Marie's blog  "The Larder 36" which is a great read.

Just after Easter, Marie and I returned to fish Cayo Largo in Cuba after having had such an exciting time two years ago. We enjoyed another great angling trip, albeit somewhat different compared to two years ago, which just shows the immense variety of the fishing here. So I thought I’d post another blog article on Cayo Largo to inform readers who are considering fishing there.

The Place and Getting There

Cayo Largo is a narrow 25-km long island in Western Cuba, half an hour flying time directly south from Havana via a local air shuttle service. It is a planned vacation resort island, with several mega resort hotels and many self-catering cabanas and villas for vacationers looking for sun, beach and diving. It is situated in a protected Marine Park throughout which commercial fishing is banned and only one designated group, the Avalon fly fishing operation, have exclusive rights for sport fishing. Catch-and-release fly fishing is the only allowed method. Avalon run six guided flats boats for a total of up to 12 anglers at any time, fishing six days a week.

As part of the Avalon package, we stayed in the all-inclusive Sol Melia resort hotel, a 10-minute daily transfer by a dedicated mini-bus every morning to the marina where the flats boats are kept. The hotel is filled with holiday makers from all over Europe and the Americas – there was a pre-dominance of Italians and Canadians the week we were there. We took breakfast and dinner at a range of restaurants situated on-site at the resort, plus a packed lunch on the water with our fishing guide on fishng days. All meals are included and the hotel also has a 24-hour bar offering unlimited beverages including alcoholic drinks – once at the resort, there is no need to carry any cash around as everything is already paid for, making this an excellent option for non-fishing partners and friends of the anglers as there is a full-range of water- and land-based activties on offer at the hotel every day, all included in the price. Of course for the anglers, there is no opportunity to sample any of these non-fishing activities except on the arrival and departure days as the fishing takes up the whole day – I’m sure none of the anglers minded!

The package also includes one night’s stay at a top hotel in central Havana on the in-bound journey and again on the way home, with an easy option to add extra nights in Havana at either end, so the fishing trip can be combined with a visit to a very quaint and interesting city.

The Fishing

The sheer size of the marine park is astonishing, split up by Avalon into 6 distinct fishing areas ranging from two areas within just 5 minutes boat ride from the marina, to the furthest two areas which are an hour’s boat ride away. On any particular day, only two of the areas are fished (by up to three boats each), so that each area is rested for at least two days in the weekly cycle – hence the fish are not at all pressurized. In any case, each area is very large, so you are rarely fishing near any of the other boats, and it’s not possible in a day for any one boat to fish all the available water even in its allocated area. We never fished the same water more than once in the whole week.

  

  

In all the areas, you can find the standard flats species of bonefish, permit and tarpon, as well as snook, various type of jacks and snappers, and barracuda. Bonefish are everywhere, sometimes in huge schools of 100+ fish, and it wasn’t unusual most days to land over a dozen bonefish between the two of us in the boat. Most of the bonefish we caught were in the 3 to 4 lb range, which is on the high side for the Caribbean, many of them aggressive very hard-fighting specimens, with a fair sprinkling of 5 and 6 lb fish, plus one 7-lb and another 8-lb trophy. There are permit around too – we got a few shots at them most days without managing to land one (unlike our last trip), although some of the other boats did manage to do so. And tarpon can be found both in the deeper channels and off the beaches – I had good shots at a few and managed to land a nice 25-lb one after a half-hour battle. A very pleasant surprise were the hard-fighting jacks and the large-ish snappers, many of them 2-lb and up – on one memorable day I landed five bigger jacks ranging from 6-lb to 10-lb, each putting up a tremendous fight. And if you’re so inclined, you can also fly fish for the very aggressive barracuda – see the picture below of a huge 30-lb cuda that Marie landed.

We fished with 8-, 9- and 10-weight single-handed fast action rods, with floating lines on the flats and off the beaches, and intermediate and sinking lines in the deeper channels and dropoffs.

Season and Contact Details

The fishing season in Cayo Largo runs from November through to July, with April to June being the most popular times although there is good fishing to be had throughout the rest of the season subject to higher risk of rain and winds.

We’d like to thank Mat McHugh of Fly Odyssey for organizing our trip and Mauro Ginevri and his team for their expertise and hospitality. Special mention also to Sean Clarke and his group from Farlows who were great fishing companions.

Fly fishing in the Maldives - FOUR RESORTS NOW OFFERING FLY FISHING

Since 2011 we have spent a large amount of time looking at the fly fishing potential in the Maldives. We have now visited 4 different resorts and each offers unique opportunities to combine a family holiday with some opportunities to wade the flats for a variety of species including bonefish, giant trevally, bluefin trevally, triggerfish, info pacific permit, and many more. You can view our selection of Maldivian resorts here: Fly Odyssey Maldives Page.

Atmosphere Kanifushi: Our most recent visit took us to the island of Atmosphere Kanifushi. This is a new resort located a short seaplane flight away from Male. Unique in the Maldives this resort offers a Premium Plus Plan (all inclusive) while maintaining the high standards expected of a stay in the Maldives. It also has some great flats nearby where you can fish for bonefish, giant trevally and more.

Ayada: Ayada is located in the far south of the Maldives. An 1 hour 30 minute transfer takes you to this stunning Turkish inspired resort. No expense has been spared in finishing this resort and Spa and villa's are as good as we have found in the Maldives. From a fishing perspective there is a stunning flats system known as 5 islands. This has a superb bluefin trevally fishery with double figure fish regularly encountered on the flats. The bonefish numbers don't appear to be has high as other parts of the Maldives but regular encounters with Indo-pacific permit occur. This fishing is ideally suited to those anglers who like to explore by themselves.

Client Review:

All in all Mat it was great trip.  A good adventure, hard at times, scary (thunder and reef edge monsters) but when it came right it was great fun and all the sweeter for the hard work.  I would suggest it is not the place for a total novice but it will certainly teach you new things.  I found the trevally tricky to start with but soon found the secret for them.  It is a great location for some fishing while on a couples holiday, but I think it deserves a bit more than that and I would suggest some exploration during big tides may turn up some very interesting results.

Rob Evans, UK - March 2014

Kanuhura Resort and Spa: Kanuhura is a long established resort. It is set on a stunning island and is located on the same atoll as Atmosphere Kanifushi. This resort is ideal for both families and couples and offers all the usual activities expected of a resort in the Maldives. This resort offers guided fly fishing on the various local sand islands for bonefish and giant trevally.

Client review:

That's my Maldives fishing finished- just going to laze on the beach for my last 2 days. In all I fished 4 half days, landed 2 bonefish( lost a big fish of around 6lbs) , landed 2 small GT's( one was pretty big in my opinion but I guess small by GT standards), lost a GT of around 10lbs that I fought for 10mins on my bonefish outfit, and caught around 10 small bluefin and striped travally up to around 4lbs. Also caught a few queen fish, small grouper and white snapper. 

All in all a great holiday!

Kenny Johnston, UK - March 2014

Island Hideaway, Dhonakulhi Island: Dhonakulhi Island has been closed for refurbishment for the past 12 months. The resort has been updated and a large number of water villas built in the lagoon. We will be checking out to the new changes later in the year and finding out how the resort is planning ton developing its fly fishing program.

FOR ENQUIRIES REGARDING FLY FISHING OR POPPER FISHING IN THE MALDIVES PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0)1621743711, EMAIL US AT: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.FLYODYSSEY.CO.UK

CUBA AND MEXICO FLY FISHING INFORMATION DAY AT FARLOWS, PALL MALL - 10 AM, WEDNESDAY 16TH APRIL, 2014

Fly Odyssey will be present in Farlows, Pall Mall providing information on two of our most popular destinations: Cuba and Mexico

We will have all the information on last minute rods and special deals available at both locations along with information on our upcoming hosted weeks to Cayo Largo and Georgiana (Isle of Youth) in Cuba and Playa Blanca and Punta Allen in Mexico. If you are travelling or planning to travel to either destination in 2014 or 2015 please come along to discuss your best options.

For more information please contact Fly Odyssey on 01621743711, via email at enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk or speak with a Farlows staff member on 0207 484 1000.

Fly fishing Christmas island - Client report February 2014

We have just had a group of 6 anglers back from Christmas Island. You can read Nick Evans great report of his week below taken from the Salmon Fishing Forum..........

I hope some of you may find the following notes of interest.

Pegleg and I decided to forego our 1st week of Feb on the Scottish Dee in favour of a boys’ trip to Christmas Island, the Pacific one, not Indian Ocean! I’m pleased we did forego the Dee, as the river was totally blank below Banchory, where we fish.



Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, lies about 120 miles North of the equator, and is accessed by a once a week (!) flight from Fiji to Kiritimati and on to Hawaii, doing a complete return trip the same day. It is apparently the largest atoll in the world, and was the site for early atomic weapons testing in the late 50s/early 60s. The SE Tradewinds blow at about 10mph each day, and the daylight hours are basically 6am to 6pm.

Our journey started at Heathrow, to Los Angeles, then Hawaii – about 18 hours flying time. An overnight in Honolulu and then the 3 hour flight down to Kiritimati. We left home at around 5am on Monday, night stopped Monday night and flew out of Hawaii at noon on Tuesday, arriving Kiritimati at 3pm Wednesday – you cross the international date line on this flight!! Watches / cameras / brains all needed to be reset. 



We booked our trip through Fly Odyssey (I have no connections with them) and all the arrangements worked flawlessly, so hats off to Mat Mchugh.

About 50 anglers, mostly from the USA, boarded the flight at Honolulu, all heading to the small number of “lodges” that serve the visiting fishermen. We stayed in Tabwakea Village at "The Villages", a fishing lodge run by the Church. 

It was pretty basic accommodation, but the food was good – we lived on fresh fish each day. The 12 anglers at The Villages are looked after by 12 guides, and we changed guide each day. There were 4 boats with a boatman, each taking 3 anglers and 3 guides to different areas of the vast lagoon systems, and the anglers were also mixed up each day, so you always had new company for the day. 



Our team of 12 comprised 4 Brits, 1 Dane, 1 German, 1 Canadian and 5 from the USA – a super bunch of guys and good fun to be with.

This trip was what I call “immersive”, in that 6 days were spent with no phone connectivity, no WiFi, no TV etc. Our daily routine started with breakfast at 5:45, you made your own sandwich lunch, and headed out on the boat at 6:30, just before sunrise. 



A normal day saw us back at the lodge around 5:30 to 6pm, with dinner served at 7. A very long, tiring day – but well worth every moment. This was all wade fishing, with the guide beside you, dropped off and moved around by your allocated boat. 



We each normally fished 2 locations in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. Mostly, you could see no other fisherman in sight, with the 3 in your boat all sometimes 2 miles apart ! 



The guides used their extensive knowledge to put us onto different flats according to the tide, wind and sun conditions. This is all sightfishing, and you need the right sun angles to best see the fish.



The fish – mostly Bonefish, with a sprinkling of Giant, Bluefin and Yellow Trevally, Trigger fish and the usual aquarium suspects. The odd Black Tipped shark cruised around, also hunting small bonefish. 







Most of us were kitted out with an 8wt rod for the bones, with a 12wt ready for GTs, carried by the guide to be quickly available should a GT pitch up. When they did, they were cruising erratically and at warp speed, and you were very lucky if you could get a cast in. There is a lot of footage on UTube of large (60-100lb) GTs being caught, and these are almost exclusively fish that have been lured into the edge of the flats by chumming, a practice which in now somewhat frowned upon and certainly not practiced by The Villages guide team.

Over the week, I lost many more fish than I would normally expect to lose in the Keys or Cuba, simply because of fish running through coral heads and cutting off the leader. I lost 3 Trevally and about 8 bonefish in this way, including my best bone of 8-9lb which cut me off just before the guide was about to land it. All these fish are returned, the guides unhook all the fish and we used barbless hooks only, making unhooking by such skilled guides a quick and simple task.

The bones I encountered probably averaged about 2 – 3 lbs, but a lot were around 4lbs, some 5lbs. During the week, bones of 10lbs and 9 lbs were taken by members of our team. My Keys and Cuba flies were mostly ignored by these fish, which live on worms, rather than shrimps and crabs. For those of you who fancy a trip, you need “Christmas Island Specials” in sizes 6 and 4, with various weights of dumbbell eyes, according to the depth and current. 

In 6 days of fishing, one of which was pretty much a write-off for all of us due to rain and wind affecting the water temperature, I took around 90 bones. My best day was the last, when I took 30 by lunch and another 10-12 in the afternoon. And remember, all these fish are sight cast to – it’s a very visual and totally absorbing and rewarding experience.

There are also opportunities for “blue-water” fishing, and Pegleg and 2 neighbours of ours took the plunge. A 3-hour motor to the right area on the exposed lee shore, led to 5 or 6 hours fishing – a mix of trolling and fishing into the back of the surf with giant poppers for GTs. Our 3 intrepid heroes, fishing with only 2 spinning rods between them, managed to land 2 Wahoo (Pegleg’s was around 75lb), a 40lb GT, 2 Yellowfin Tuna and lost another 6/7 fish in play. 





Plus a rod "exploded" (!) under the strain of trying to winch up a Wahoo that had run deep, and for much of their day, they took turns on just one rod. Needless to say, we enjoyed very much the fruits of their labours over the following days, with daily Tuna sushi and Wahoo cooked a number of ways.

All too soon our week was over, and we headed back, via another stopover in Honolulu, craving steak and salad !

Would I do it again ?? MOST CERTAINLY, particularly in these days of vanishing Dee salmon !!

Hope you enjoyed ?

TL
Nick

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING FLY FISHING ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0) 16221743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk OR CHECK OUR WEBSITE: www.flyodyssey.co.uk

Fly fishing Desroches island resort, Seychelles - Client review's

Some review's from a recent client trips to Desroches island resort in the Seychelles. This location offers a great mix of family holiday with great flats and blue water fly fishing opportunities. 

Hi Mat,

Many thanks for organising the Seychelles trip at short notice, I enjoyed Des Roches enormously, the lodge is very well run and the facilities excellent. 

The fishing at St. Joseph atoll was good.  Wonderful setting and very large bones. This mixed with some blue water fishing for sail and tuna makes for an excellent package.

All the very best for 2014,

Mike, UK

--------------- 

Mat

Hope the guided trip to New Zealand is/has gone well? Thank you again to you and the team for stepping in quickly and effectively to resolve the reservation issue at Desroches.

I thought you might appreciate some feedback on the resort and fishing.

Going in I knew we were compromising on the fishing in order to stay at a luxury resort. If I had looked at fishing alone, we would have stayed at Alphonse. However, with this caveat in mind, Jacqui and I would still rate the overall trip as 5 Star.

The resort was excellent. Its certainly worth upgrading to a Beach Retreat from a Suite. While the accommodation in the Suite was ‘ordinary’, the Beach Retreat compared very well with the best accommodation we have had in the tropics. I am often a bit sceptical about ‘all inclusive’ deals as, in my experience, the quality and generosity of the food and beverages often suffers. This was not the case at Desroches where the food was often very good and the offer of local beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks continuous!

As several reviewers have said, the most distinctive feature of Desroches is the quality and friendliness of the staff. Jacqui was, in particular, full of praise for the way Desroches maintain a careful balance of attentiveness and service without constantly being ‘in your face’.

I would rate the fishing as good rather than excellent. I only managed to fish Poivre for 3 days and the weather prevented me getting to St Joseph for the remaining two. After talking to the fishing manager, we agreed to try fly fishing for sailfish etc off a boat in the lee of the island, This was exciting but not the flats fishing I had hoped for.

I did rate the fishing team on Desroches very highly. My guide - pretty much for the whole 5 days - was Jerry. A local Seychellois who clearly knew the flats, the fishing and was a great companion. The boat Captain, Brandon, when we were after sailfish also clearly knew his job.

I didn’t get my permit - hooked one on the first day at Poivre and saw many more over the next two days but the large majority were cruising rather than heads down feeding. I was told that the first day was a neep tide so with the relatively small tidal movement the fish were more relaxed. As the spring tides came and the tidal range increased, the fish were less inclined to settle.

I have attached a few pictures - the best day was probably the second. I had three bonefish to six pounds, 3 yellow spot trevally (feeding on the flats, tail up - never seen that before) and two small GTs blind casting into the channel. The ‘trip fish’ however was probably a 4 foot barracuda caught blind casting waiting for the tide - on a barbless hook without wire!! The guides said it was the biggest barracuda that had been caught on a fly rod.

I did try for a sail fin with a fly rod in the lee of Desroches when the wind was bad. We raised 5-6 over the two trips and came very close to hooking one of them. I did hook several bonito and yellowfin on the fly and those the sharks didn’t take, we ate as sushi that evening!

Best
Peter, UK

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING IN THE SEYCHELLES INCLUDING DESROCHES ISLAND, ALPHONSE ISLAND AND FARQUHAR ISLAND PLEASE CONTACT US +44 (0)1621743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.flyodyssey.co.uk

Ascension Bay, Mexico fly fishing report by Farlows Andy Buckley

Andy Buckley from Farlows has just spent his first week tropical saltwater fly at our great value lodge Casa Veijo Chac in Punta Allen fishing Mexico's Ascension Bay. Despite so poor weather both he and the group still managed some great fish. You can read his thoughts on the trip below:

Bonefish Beginnings in Permit Paradise

As a lifelong freshwater angler I've always cast quietly envious glances towards the seemingly endless stream of achingly glamorous looking destinations and fantastically beautiful fish found in tropical saltwater. From November to May Farlows customers come from far and wide to share with us their stories of battles with bonefish, barracuda, tarpon, snook and the much revered permit. In many ways the inevitability of my first far-flung foray was certain from the moment I joined the team at Pall Mall. Having spent a year fishing the rock hard, gin clear waters of New Zealand I began to long for a different challenge and a saltwater trip would provide me with just that.

With such a variety of global destinations seeming to offer a slightly different experience at different times of the year and to suit different budgets I began to experience the trepidation that I imagine many anglers feel towards booking their first saltwater trip. I took the kind of advice I would offer to any angler in such a situation - talk at length to an experienced saltwater angler at a reputable tackle shop (in my case this conversation had been ongoing for eighteen months!) and then take further advice from an experienced destination fishing travel agent. Mat McHugh, owner of Fly Odyssey listened to my requirements and ambitions, took in to account my budget and came up with the perfect trip - Ascension Bay, Mexico.

The Punta Allen resort on Ascension Bay has a fantastic reputation as a mixed species resort where one can conceivably catch a bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook from the same flat. Punta Allen also offers a variety of fishing scenarios from the cliché white pancake bonefish and permit flats to lagoons where bonefish, tarpon and snook live alongside each other, to mangroves full of tarpon and snook and a whole number of offshore options. 

Having taken the advice of my fellow Farlows staff and of Mat McHugh I packed an 8# and 10# outfit which would appear to cover most eventualities. I chose the seemingly indestructible Hardy ProAxis rods and Fortuna X reels - having kit that can withstand the rigours of saltwater fish and resist corrosion from the water itself is vital and I've seen too many examples of kit that wasn't up to the job in the shop to make the same mistake. 

Gathering up the correct selection of flies, leaders and tippet can be time consuming but do take any advice given by experts who have been to your chosen destination - I found that there are specific requirements to particular areas. Remember to take plenty of lightweight UV proof clothing that will protect you from the searing sunshine. Take the best pair of polarised sunglasses you can afford as these will be totally vital to your success - Costa del Mar glass lenses are perfect. Add in a pair of flats boots relevant to your destination and a few other generic travel essentials and you'll find there really isn't a huge amount of kit involved.

The flight to Cancun is around about eleven hours and can be taken from either Gatwick or Manchester. Upon arrival you are met by your transfer host and taken by a very comfortable mini-bus to Punta Allen. The end of the drive can be a little arduous as the resort itself is very rural, but having arrived at the lodge late in the evening there is no issue with getting straight to sleep before the first days' fishing. Casa Viejo Chac is one of the most established lodges on Punta Allen and is more than comfortable. The staff are very friendly and cannot do enough to help you, the food is excellent and the owner of the lodge Manuel Chac is a mine of fishing information that is well worth tapping in to. Many of the members of our trip took impromptu casting lessons from him and all agreed that his advice helped them hook more fish.

The guides at Casa Viejo Chac are all very experienced and exceptionally knowledgeable. My boat partner and I were guided by Chucho and Oscar who at 24 and 21 years old respectively have fifteen years of guiding experience between them. It seemed that all the guides spoke more than adequate english, many had even picked up a few choice phrases that you might not have expected!

F

The fishing was very very good indeed, despite the best efforts of the weather. Unsettled pressure around the Caribbean was pushing unseasonal tropical storms over Punta Allen at a rate of three per day - one in the morning, one in the early afternoon and one late in the evening. These rarely lasted more than half an hour and were punctuated by the kind of tropical conditions that often only seems to exist in travel catalogues - just perfect.

Our group caught countless bonefish both from the pangas (the type of skiff used) and by stalking tailing fish on foot. There were permit, tarpon, snook, barracuda, snapper and many other species caught and the huge areas of flat around Punta Allen meant that no two days were the same. Our guides gave us regular shots at all the species and could give advice on not only fishing matters but also on the history of the area and the local wildlife that includes crocodiles, flamingoes and frigate birds amongst many others. They can also change a fly in seconds which often proved invaluable.

Given its accessibility, the multitude of species and variety of habitat along with its relatively low cost I would regard a trip to Punta Allen as the perfect destination for a first time saltwater angler. Huge shoals of bonefish, regular shots at tarpon and snook and some of the largest populations of permit anywhere in the world make Punta Allen a great destination for those anglers chasing the holy grail of saltwater achievements, the Grand Slam. I myself managed what is known as the "poor man's slam" (snook, tarpon bonefish) but I have seen and heard of many anglers who have managed the elusive permit too. The possibilities at Punta Allen are almost endless.

If you are looking in to the idea of your first saltwater trip and would like more information on Punta Allen then please don't hesitate to contact me at andy.buckley@farlows.co.uk or at the shop on 0207 484 1000.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING IN MEXICO PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0)1621 743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk

Big bonefish of French Polynesia - Research on Tetiaroa bonefish

In early 2013 we began a bonefish research project in conjunction with Tetiaroa Society and Te Mana te Moana on the bonefish of Tetiaroa. The project is designed to find out more about the species in French Polynesia. Year 1 is collecting various population data (genetics/length/weight/age) and year 2 we will be doing some satellite tagging.

The fish in this film was one of 45 fish sampled over 2 weeks as part of a research project we set up on Tetiaroa helping to find out more about the species in this region. Average weight of those 45 fish is just under 8lb. This one was just above at 9.5lb.

FOR MORE INFORMATION IN PARTICPATING IN THIS PROJECT PLEASE CONTACT US +44 (0)1621743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk