Newbie in saltwater fly fishing

[caddisfan]

Hi! I'm a fly fisherman for almost 20 years. I use to go in the region of the Adirondack, New-york.. Now it is time to try something new...I looked at a magazine that explained the pleasure of fishing in the flats in Cuba. I would like to know if you guys could help me to get well prepare for a trip in Cuba during next summer 05.( unless you telling me that it is better another time of the year for the bonefish). I want to go for fly fishing only, so i need info. on a good location in Cuba for a beginner and the right stuff to bring with us. I looked around in the forum and it is a great source of information but if you add a couple of words for me, it will be highly appreciated.
Thanks to all.

[cubafish]

First, Cuba is not a good destination for a beginner - IMO Belize or several locations in the Bahamas would be a much better choice for beginning a bonefish or general flats fishing experience and there are many reasons why Cuba is not a good place to start. *However, if you have your heart set on flyfishing Cuba there is a wealth of information already Posted here that will answer the majority of your questions, as well as answering many questions that you have not even thought of. *Take a little time to scroll back and read ALL the old Posts, as reposting information that is already available is a waste of everyones time. *Then once you have digested all of what you have read, come back with any specific questions you may have as there are many experienced anglers here who have fished Cuba, which is why this is the best website for fishing information on Cuba.

If you are a US citizen you have a whole list of problems to learn about if you are contemplating going to Cuba, problems you may not want to tackle, at least this year and maybe not even for the next year or two as travel to Cuba became a whole new ballgame after July 1, 2004. *As a potential traveler to Cuba you should go to www.lonelyplanet.com website then in the left column scroll down to "Americas - Cuba" where it will take you to the Cuba BB. *This is the best Cuba travel site on the web (sorry folks, this site is also good, but there is much more info for a potential US citizen traveling to Cuba on the LP website) and you need to also spend some time on the LP site, going back 10-20 pages & reading all of the Posts concerning US citizens traveling to Cuba.

[jackd]

Hola Caddisfan, welcome to Cuba Mania, you should put yourself on the Member Map

At the top of the page click on Member Map, from the drop down menu on the left hand side select your Country/Geographical location, when your map appears go to the bottom of the member list and click on Add my location, then point and click to your location to add your marker

Once you’ve done that check out the world time clock so you can see what time it is where other people are located: http://www.world-clock.org/

[Theo]

Cubafish : I don't agree with you...........
Cuba is great destination also for the beginner ! Why ? Because there is a lot of fish, not much fishing pressure and less educated Bonefish comparing with other famous destinations in the Bahamas, Belize and for sure Florida Keys.
Nothing can't go wrong as long i you have a guide who speaks a bit of English. I have been in Las Salinas, Cayo Largo and Jardines de la Reina with groups, and in every group were beginners and everybody caugh different species of fish and all turn into a " experienced fly fisherman " .
Be sure to book your trip at a reliable fly fishing agent in Europe who has the right / direct contacts for fly fishing in Cuba.

[cubafish]

Theo - from the prospective of one who makes money taking groups on fishing trips your reply is expected. However, from a realistic standpoint, Cuba in general is a poor choice for a first time bonefish angler.

[tinpusher]

Just got back from Cayo Coco on Saturday. This was our first experience with bonefishing so I cannot comment on how Cuba compares with other destinations. I can say that we are experienced flyfishers but rookies when it comes to flats fishing and we had a great time. On average we had maybe 20 shots each at bones per day. Fish were not selective at all. Average cast length approx. 15-20'. When wading you can choose to walk with the wind at your back so even a novice could cast to these fish. We averaged 2 landed fish each per day and I believe that with a little experience we could have caught 5 times as many. I am in the process of writing a full report on our adventure so others can enjoy their trip as much as we enjoyed ours.

Doug

[canuck439]

I think Cubafish is correct. It is not the best destination for a flyfish only trip or at least Cayo Coco is not . There are numerious places where you can catch more fish, access to modern equipment and more knowledgable guides, etc. However, if you go to Cuba with limited expecations as Tinpusher did, you may be surprised. There is a good chance of catching a large bonefish or even a Permit in Cayo Coco with-in walking distance of your all-inclusive. There are not many places in the world where you can do that. It is still affordable to fish Cuba in the Cayo Coco region where as in some other destinations it is big bucks. One thing that the Cayo Coco region does have is large fish. I know you disagree with this Cubafish, but from my experience and lots of others it is true. I would say that the avg. bonefish I have landed has been about 4-5lbs. The largest I have landed has been about 8lbs, but I have seen lots of fish landed well over 10lbs.

I think if you can afford it and are looking for a fishing distination only, Cuba should not be on your list. If you are looking for a great place to visit and want to incorporate bonefishing into your trip Cuba might be for you. Just limit your expectations. I think 3-5 fish landed with shots at 10 at the right time of year under the right conditions is a reasonable expectation even for a beginner.

PS Caddisfan, did you receive my e-mail?