Busy Water

Busy is an understatement of the action we found in our last week of July in the Cuban flats.  We had 10 anglers on board the mothership, and skills ranged from just starting in the salt game to return anglers packing their year of progress in the delivery of their double haul.  After a transfer through Havana, where all enjoyed some of the finer things Havana has to offer, our bus arrived at the port for the short dinghy transfer to the mothership.  Steaming across the Bay of Pigs, we enjoyed the first of many incredible meals provided by the chef and the top-notch boat staff.  Rum drinks, full bellies, and a Cuban sunset set the stage for what we all were hoping to come.

Sunday started with a blast, with all boats recording multiple bonefish in the first few hours.  These bones averaged close to 4 pounds, and many were upwards of 7 pounds.  Our Cuban flats guides had a cunning and aggressive approach to reintroducing our anglers to salt and getting everyone comfortable with a fish ripping them deep into their backing.  Many anglers reported their personal best on the first day.  Those PBs only lasted a day or so as they bested themselves again and again throughout the week.

Monday and Tuesday had more of a choose-your-own-adventure feel. Some skiffs stayed focused on Bones, while others turned their attention to Tarpon. Meanwhile, some waited for the best tides and light to hunt Permit.  The Tarpon turned out to be as thick as the Bones!  Many individual anglers jumped over 20 Tarpon and landed 12-15.   And for those who focused on Permit, schools of 50 fish were common, and if a fly could be appropriately delivered, there was competition in the school for the eat!  Multiple eats, two hooked Permit, and one beauty to hand started our week.

By Wednesday and Thursday, many anglers had their fill of Bones, and our crew started to focus on Tarpon.  Again, hook up after hook up was the rule. They were hooked in Mangroves, Red water, and the edges of Sargassum grass. Sight was thrown on the flats, and, as tides allowed, they hooked off the reef where the larger fish poured through slots in the reef.  It was a master class in how and where to hunt the Silver Kings.  The talk was of reps.  “I can’t believe how many fish we got into today!” rang through the boat, much of the time followed by a request for athletic tape to cover the fresh blisters on our stripping fingers.

There was also another push to target Permit late in the week.  On Wednesday and Thursday, skiffs saw hundreds of permit, often just watching their behavior as they “orbit” a Bonefish mud, picking food out of the edges of the clouds.  We were also able to see their erratic swim patterns on the flats.  These observations showed anglers the need for quick and accurate casting once in range.  Again, a master class in Permit behavior was on display.  Over those days, our Permit anglers hooked 4 and landed 2.  Those anglers achieved milestones they had been working toward for years.

For the week as a whole, the main takeaway was just how busy our anglers were.  There were no long chunks of time on the bow waiting, waiting, waiting.  The fish were thick, hungry, and aggressive.  Our anglers got reps they thought were not possible.  Many anglers commented that they have been on other trips to other locations and get a single shot, maybe two to a bone for the week.  They told stories about how they got 10 times the opportunity on day one than they have had their entire saltwater career.  New anglers got the reps to take a 30-foot cast and stretch it to 45 with accuracy.  Experienced anglers got the reps to stretch their casts to 70’ with accuracy.  Reps help the moment slow down.  Reps help the eyes see fish better.  Reps help the hunter in each angler step forward and close the deal.

Across the board, we saw the hunter in all of our anglers take a step forward.  We saw every angler climb the saltwater ladder in some way.  The beginners grew to feel comfortable, each with over 30 fish for the week.  Our returning anglers who have put genuine work into their skills saw the fruits of their labor pay off.  We saw anglers make the transition from focusing on the cast to focusing on the fishing, knowing the cast was sitting in their pocket.  These anglers made massive steps forward in their game.  And for our expert anglers, the opportunity to close the deal on the most elusive of saltwater game fish provided multiple Grand Slams for the week, one of which was the angler’s first.  As the ship steamed back to port at the end of the week, we could tell that everyone on the boat had changed that week.  They showed up as excited fishers and are leaving as confident salt anglers with a fire in their bellies to keep going.  A week in Cuba in July can feel like a career somewhere else.  It is good to be busy.

As a testament to how much fun everyone had, they've all decided to come back with us again next year. If you're interested in a trip like this, please give us a call.