the mexican yucatan

Just south of the Tropic of Cancer, at approximately 23.5 degrees north latitude, (named nearly 2000 years ago because the sun was in the direction of the Cancer constellation during the June equinox) is the northern tip of the Mexican Yucatan. The peninsula itself is bordered on the west and north by the Gulf of Mexico and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. On its southern boundary are found Belize and Guatemala. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, it’s man-made tourist attraction of Cancun added to the discovery of fabulous flats fishing to the south, putting it on the radar of fly fishers from all over the world, but especially the US, with the relatively short, easy trip to get there. The Mexican Yucatan covers 44,000 square miles with over 500 miles of coastline – along this vast shoreline are thousands of square miles of shallow bays and flats. It is home of the famous Chicxulub Crater located in the northeastern part of the peninsula marking the impact location of the 6 mile wide meteor that caused it a short 65 million years ago. It is held by some to have contributed, in part, to the demise of Earth’s dinosaurs.

The land in the northern section of the peninsula, north and west of Cancun is riddled with caves, cenotes (sinkholes usually filled with water) and underground waterways in it’s mostly limestone base. The northeast, north and northwest shorelines are almost completely filled with shallow, clear water bays and waterways lined with mangroves that are perfect nurseries for tarpon (lots of baby tarpon 2 – 20 pounds) and homes to snook, sheepshead, barracuda, snapper, some permit and a few bonefish. The deeper waters off shore a little ways provide food for migrating tarpon of sometimes giant size (over 150 pounds), especially during the summer months. The southern Yucatan in Mexico has four huge saltwater bays, Boca Paila, Ascension Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay
and Chetumal Bay moving from north to south. Chetumal Bay in the extreme south, shares its waters with Mexico and Belize. These all have direct access to the Caribbean Sea, therefore giving ingress and egress to permit, bonefish, tarpon and several other ocean living fishes who like to feed in the shallow water flats.

The population centers around Cancun, Isla Cozumel, Riviera Maya (coastal area from Cancun to Tulum), Merida, Campeche and Chetumal. There are modern highways connecting all of these cities, except, of course, Cozumel, an island, which necessitates a ferry ride or a flight to get there. It is very easy to get around this part of Mexico. Rental cars are still very inexpensive and/or all of the lodges we work with have transfer services that are part of the fishing packages. The US dollar is widely accepted except in very rural small communities and even there, they usually do not have any problems with it.

It is the ancient land of the Mayan peoples with many ruins with the towering pyramids dotting the jungles and coastline. Some are still entwined in the jungle undergrowth and some ruins remain as tiny small structures still standing strong against the elements and vandalism. They stand as evidence of the strong thriving civilization of a thousand and more years ago and as a reminder to the Mayan peoples of today, of their heritage.

Proving that the Mexican peoples are forward-looking at protecting their natural history and wildlife, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, a 1.3 million acre reserve, was established in 1986 and stands today as a success for preserving over 20 known archeological sites, over 100 known mammal species and over 300 known bird species in conjunction with over 2000 inhabitants. It’s Mayan for “where the sky is born” or “gift of the sky”.

The popularization of fly fishing in the Yucatan and especially in the state of Quintana Roo, can be traced primarily to Antonio Gonzalez, when he first founded Boca Paila Lodge in 1964. Tony was an adventurer as well as the mayor of Cozumel. Mike Michalak, The Fly Shop owner, recalls that it was with Tony at Boca Paila in 1978, that he caught his first bonefish. Tony loved two activities dearly, flying and fishing. Unfortunately, one of these loves proved more dangerous than the other. He died with his plane’s controls in his hands instead of a fly rod. It is the longest continually running fishing lodge in the Mexican Yucatan. In the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s, fly fishers from the US started exploring these south-of-the-border waters. They found huge schools of unsophisticated bonefish and miles of shoreline habitat perfect for baby tarpon and snook. Permit were also abundant, although still as persnikity as ever and rarely taking a fly. Other lodges started popping up, mostly around Ascension Bay. One was started on land (a private island named Punta Pajaros, on the south side of Ascension Bay) once owned by Gonzalez and was to become one of the more famous fishing lodges in the saltwater world; Casa Blanca and later Playa Blanca. Other lodges to follow were Pez Maya, Ascension Bay Bonefish Club, Pesca Maya, Palometa Club, Paradise Lodge and others spread out up and down the coast from Xcalak to Isla Holbox.

It is also home to tens of thousands of bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook, snapper and barracuda. The fishing is holding up very well. Some say, in part, due to the rules set down by the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, severely restricting commercial and sport fishing within it’s boundaries. Thousands of sportfishers visit the Mexican Yucatan every year, but there is still remote and secluded fishing to be found where you, your fishing partner and your guide are the only people in sight on a flats miles in length and the next fish you see might be a bonefish, tarpon, permit or a snook. You can’t ask for much more than that.

Flights into Cancun are common from just about every major city in the world. Several non-stop flights are available from the US. Once you arrive and get through customs, you will make your way to your car rental, hotel or will be met by the lodge representative where you are going to stay. Pretty easy.

Seasons
There is no bad time to visit the Mexican Yucatan for fishing. Most of the fishing we are interested in involves sighting the fish before casting to it. Clouds and rain are the worst elements to prevent this. There are times of the year when these conditions have higher odds of occurring (October through January), not usually for long periods, but possible none-the-less. But even with these days, fishing is still possible, even if it is blind casting for tarpon, snook and barracuda or just looking for tailing fish under just right conditions. But even during this season there are usually far more good days than not. And when you consider that even “bad” days during the winter in the Yucatan are better that “good” days at the same time in the northern US, going south in mid winter is can be a very good plan.

Newcomers to this part of the world need to be aware of the hurricane season between June and November. Just because it is the season it does not mean hurricanes will happen. In fact, during any given stay the odds are that anglers won’t be anywhere near a hurricane. It is a favorite time of year for a lot of long-time Yucatan anglers. July and August offer up some the best fishing of the year. Fewer people, more fish and bigger fish. Good ingredients for a fishing recipe.

Money
The Mexican Peso is the currency used, even though the US dollar is accepted almost everywhere throughout the Mexican Yucatan. If you are planning to spend some time traveling through or staying in one of the smaller villages or towns, it would be wise to trade some dollars for pesos when in Cancun. Credit cards are accepted in the larger cities, but not so widely accepted in smaller towns and villages. Be sure to notify your credit card company that you are planning to travel outside of the United States and your dates of travel.

Travel
Almost all of the major airlines have flights into Cancun. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. You will need a passport, but you don’t need a visa. As with any international travel, be sure to check with your family doctor about medicines you should take and if any shots or vaccines are recommended.

Check http://www.tsa.gov/index.shtm for the latest in travel regulations.

Every traveler should check out travel insurance and/or medivac insurance before traveling to a foreign destination. Some have rules that require signing on with two weeks of making a deposit for a trip to cover certain pre-existing conditions, so make this one of the first things to look in to when planning a trip.

Once in Mexico, every one of our lodges has honed and updated their transfers so that each of our and their clients is assured of the safest and most comfortable trip available. All are met at the airport (unless, of course, they decide to stay in a hotel for a night or two before traveling on to the lodge), by the driver/lodge representative. They are then driven to the lodge or in the case of Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca to the General Aviation airport (next to the international airport) to fly by chartered plane to the lodge.

Flies and equipment
Equipment used in the Mexican Yucatan is fairly standard. The bonefishing can be done with a #7 or 8 (some even use a fast action #6). Permit require a little stouter rod, say a number 8 or 9 (some will even cast a #10 when in areas of big permit). The baby tarpon, snook and barracuda are handled easily with a number 8 or 9 and larger tarpon can easily call for a #10, 11 or twelve. Have all of these rods loaded up with floating saltwater lines. Some fishing for large tarpon call for specialty lines depending upon where you are going so you will want to check with your destination lodge.

Fluorocarbon leaders are used extensively on the flats. Their nature is to sink slowly, be less visible and stand up to the abuse of coral studded and grass covered flats. A length of 9 feet is perfect 90% of the time along with a strength of 8 – 12 pound test for the bonefish. Permit call for the same leader but in 12, 16 or 20 pound test depending upon the size of the fly and the fish. Leaders for baby tarpon and snook will require a shock tippet of 40 – 60 pound test mono or fluorocarbon. Large tarpon require a shock tippet of 80 – 120 pound test. The guides at all of the lodges know how to build these specialty leaders for large tarpon. Barracuda leaders have to have a wire “bite” tippet to protect it from razor-like teeth.

Flies will run the whole saltwater gamut for the flats. There is just such a wide variety of fish.

Here is a good starter fly box:

Bonefish
Gotcha #4 and 6
Pseudo Shrimp
Tailer’s Beware #6
Chico’s Bonefish Special #4 and 6
Bonefish Bitters 6 and 8
Bone Voyage
Pink Puff #6

Permit
Bauer’s Flats Crab (Tan and Olive) #4 and 6
Turneffe Crab (Tan and Olive)
Merkin crab
Fleeing Crab #6

Baby Tarpon/Snook
Shock Treatment (Assorted colors)
Cockroach #1/0
Paradise Tarpon (Assorted colors)
Laid Up Tarpon
Snookeroo (red/white and char/yellow)
Whitlock’s Swimming Baitfish #1/0 (Shad)

Large Tarpon
Marts’ Tarpon Eclipse
Marts’ Bloodshot
Cockroach #4/0
Black Death#3/0
Tarpon Toad (Assorted colors)

Barracuda and others
The Nasty Needle
Paulson’s Ka-Cudda
Sea Habit Bucktail
Hot Flash Mackerel
Saltwater Clousers (Assorted colors)

One could travel throughout the Yucatan with the above equipment and flies and handle anything that comes along. If one were to have that “all you need” outfit it would be a #8 rod with appropriate reel loaded with floating saltwater line. Add an assortment of leaders (a few with wire) and tippet material in 40 & 60 pound test and the flies from the above list. This would take care of all but the most specialized situations.