On Canadian TV

[radar]

For those with the Travel & Escape channel.
Wednesday Jan. 9 "Fishing Adventurer"
It's a 13 episode show of the "best fishing spots" in the world.
This episode Hatiguanico river system.

Chauquet travels to the Caribbean to fish with local friends in Cuba. His quest: to venture into the intricate river systems of the mangroves to catch tarpon, a large coastal fish that can grow up to 2.4 metres in length.


Fishing Adventurer (http://www.travelandescape.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=5936)

[cubafish]

Chauquet travels to the Caribbean to fish with local friends in Cuba. His quest: to venture into the intricate river systems of the mangroves to catch tarpon, a large coastal fish that can grow up to 2.4 metres in length.


The Hatiguanico river system is one of Cuba's undiscovered gems, but unfortunately for him this area like most productive fishing areas in Cuba has been netted into oblivion and the biggest tarpon he caught in the Zapata Swamp/Hatiguanico's "river system" was a miniscule .3 meters, weighing around 2-3kg. :(

[radar]

Yes, but unfortunately for him, the biggest tarpon he caught in the "river system" was .3 meters. :(

Did you just give away the ending? :)

[cubafish]

Yes, sorry buddy. :eek:

[Wade]

Thanks for the info - I'll be watching.

1-foot long tarpon? - I didn't think they made them that small.:eek:

[cubafish]

Yea, the babies are a lot of fun on a 3 or 4wt, or an ultra light spinner (sic). It's a beautiful river that has great potential as there are also robalo (snook), pargo (snapper), and a few other miscellaneous species to be caught there, but I have never seen any species over about 5 lbs.

Commercial netting is supposedly "prohibited" in the Zapata Swamp National Park, but if you walk over in back of the couple of the little houses that are at the rivers headwaters where you depart from, you will find all of the nets piled up waiting to be deployed again.

It's the same on the flats in the bonefishing area. Fifteen ago when I first fished on these flats you would to see numerous hugh schools of bonefish with 100's of fish in each school, and it was not uncommon to catch 30 - 50 bonefish on fly a day. One year, I think it was 1994, a guy who had fished there a few days before me reportedly caught 70 some bonefish in one day. You don't see those big schools today, and if you catch 10 fish/day today you have had a great day.

[canamerican]

CF & R- Check out the show Chauquet did broadcast at 1 pm, 1/19/08 on Calgary's CTV station (CFCN)-- He hooks about 20-25 Tarpon , 5-15 lbs.in the Hatiguanico R. on a heavy spinning outfit and big poppers and lands about 1/2 of them-- the guy can fish- unusual for a fishing show host. maybe CTV would send you a dvd... canamerican