Flyfishing the Yucatan area.

[Ffdoc]

Hi Bill and anyone else who cares to advise me,

My wife and I are planning a trip to the Playa Del Carmen area in mid March. We will be there about a week and I have been given the green light by the CEO ( God bless her) to spend a day while down there with a flyrod in my hand harassing some of the local finned natives. I am a very experienced flyfisherman but have done little saltwater fishing and never fished for bonefish but would love to do so. Do you know any guides or guide services in that area that would be reliable for a day trip for bonefish or permit ? Is that a good time of year for that type of fishing or am I wasting my time? We do not know where we will be staying yet but we have narrowed it down somewhat to the Playa Del Carmen area as well as some resorts South of there.

Thanks for any advise or cautionary tales.

FFdoc

[Dale Martens]

Take the ferry from Playa del Carmen over to Cozumel and fish the lagoons on the north side of the island. I did that for a day and got about 5 bones - mostly wading and casting to tailing fish. I also had several shots at permit. It's a beautiful place. Here's the guy I used:

www.bonefishcozumel.com

If you're south of Playa del Carmen, another option for a is to rent a car and drive down to the lodge at Boca Paila (www.bocapailamexico.com). They offer day trips. It is more $$$ than the Cozumel option and it is mostly from a poled boat. I found the fishing here to be more of a numbers game than in Cozumel and the fish ran a little smaller.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Dale for the great feedback.

We have quite a few friends that go down there and that is their advise as well.

If you rent a car you can drive further south past the Boca Paila Lodge to the bridge over the Boca Paila, which is a cut through the peninsula. You can park there and wade fish.


You can take a 9' 4 piece #7, 8 or 9 weight rod down there with a floating line for the most part.

Get a couple of Rio 10' #10 Bonefish leaders and some matching tippet.

Then get a dozen Bonefish flies, maybe a couple of Permit Crabs and a couple of small Tarpon flies.

I would get a day reserved somewhere soon so you are on the books with a guide.

[Ffdoc]

Thanks for the advise. Since my first post I have firmed up plans and will be staying in Tulum. I found online a guide service that goes on day trips into the Bay of Ascension for bones, permit and baby Tarpon. From what I understand it is a very good place to get all 3 in one day ( grand slam) although I would not expect that as a newbie to Saltwater fishing. I will consider it a success if I stick a couple bonefish. I will post a report when I get back.

Thanks again !

FFdoc

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great...you will love it.