Mark Windsor reports on his latest trip to Isle De La Juventud, Cuba on of the great fly fishing live aboard experiences available in Cuba. Thanks to George Kavanagh for the great images. Check out his website here: www.georgekavanagh.com
About 100km or so south west of Mainland Cuba lies the Island of Youth or Isle de la Juventud. A lightly populated island it is mostly banana plantations. More importantly from a fishing perspective it offers the gateway to the ribbon of cays that spread from its eastern shores some 75km down towards Cayo Largo. A short drive from the internal airport delivers us to a quiet marina cut into the mangroves where we are met with a hub of activity of guides, skiffs and our home for the next 6 nights the Georgiana our live aboard boat which is moored here with its sister ship the Perola alongside. Still bleary eyed from a virtual non-stop journey from the UK we pile aboard and unpack in readiness for the week ahead. Whilst the skiffs are made ready at the marina on board the Georgiana is a frenzy of activity as gear is unpacked and assembled for action. Rods, lines, reels, flies, the deck is awash with kit. It’s 8am and after a quick breakfast its onto the skiffs with our guides and off out in search of Tarpon.
It is fair to say that this marine reserve of Canerreos Archipelago and its cays is staggering in its beauty and biodiversity. Turtles, dolphins, Cayman, Ospreys and the magnificent Friget bird all inhabit these cays plus countless other species. The weather was warm, humid and unsettled and whilst some of us got caught in the occasional downpour, the days were mostly dry and it was in the evenings that the storm clouds built up giving us a fantastic light show. Much to our resident photographer and fisherman George Kavanagh’s delight as George not only managed to capture some simply stunning images of the storms but also our fishing and travel exploits.
The Live aboard boat either the Georgiana or its sister boat the Perola is the way to fish these waters. These cays that stretch out East towards Cayo largo are just inaccessible via any other way. The four skiffs sit off the back of the boats and each morning we are out and ready to fish by 8am and there is no one hour bumpy ride in a skiff before you have a line in the water. The fishing runs from 8-1pm when we head back to the boat for lunch and a break when you can have a siesta during the heat of the day, take a swim, tie flies or lounge. Then about 3.45 the boat bursts back into life as the skiffs are readied for the afternoon and evening session when you fish from about 4-8pm. Then when you get back at 8 ish the crew wash down the rods and gear and store them ready for the next day whilst the delightful Dany is there to greet us with a Margarita. After a long day it’s just what you need to discuss the afternoons events and share stories before having a meal around 8.45.
The food was good with a traditional Cuban fruit, ham and cheese omelettes etc for breakfast. Lunches were often a mix of bean soups, rice and fish with beef and pork. Evening meals were a similar spread of rice with fish and pork but usually with the addition of lobster which everyone really enjoyed. Johnny had had a brain wave and brought along some Helmans Real Mayonnaise which was very welcome and enjoyed by all. Accommodation on the boat is very functional and comfortable and there are 6 twin rooms so with 8 of us, four shared, make sure your room mate doesn’t snore. Each room has its own en suite and is air conditioned and is comfortable ensuring a good night’s sleep. Best to keep the room doors closed though to keep the mosquitoes out and the room cool.
It would be fair to say that we had a tough week and that’s not making excuses. The water inside the reef and on the flats was incredibly warm and this pushes the baitfish offshore as a result the Tarpon follow them. So finding fish was a challenge, however, we did find fish but just not as many as on previous trips. The guides worked hard to put us in the zone but even they aren’t magicians and cannot find what isn’t there. The fishing is in four main areas. You can dredge the channels when then tide is moving where you see the Tarpon rolling on the surface but they are actually quite deep down. Fish the reef edge which is usually very productive during early morning and evenings. Search the flats which offers great sight fishing and tests your nerves. Or there are the mangroves where many smaller Tarpon inhabit but there are bigger fish there as well along with mosquitoes.
Dredging the channels involves some heavy sinking line work and can test your casting skills as well as energy levels. You often see the Tarpon roll on the surface but they are feeding much deeper some 4-5 metres down so it is a question of getting the fly down to the fish. However this can be a very productive method of fishing and accounts for some of the larger fish. It proved successful on our first morning accounting for the first fish of the trip about 40lbs. Takes are often solid in the deep water and as always set the hook when you feel the weight of the fish. Then watch as the silver torpedo comes rocketing up to leave the surface. A nice start and one to the boat before lunch.
Searching the flats is a great way to fish for Tarpon True site casting. Watching a Tarpon inhale a fly 15 metres in front of you in crystal clear water is a very special moment and not one that you forget. With fish up to about 50-60lbs there were no monsters caught although Andy Lucas who was new to Tarpon fishing secured his first fish on the reef edge late one evening on literally the last cast a strong lively and acrobatic fish of about 35lbs that had him into the backing on a number of runs. The smile on his face was a picture he also landed a magnificent Barracuda on the fly without a wire trace which takes some doing (nicely lip hooked) and sadly at the end of the week lost a really good fish on the flats of around 90lbs after an epic half hour battle (Gutted). But that’s Tarpon fishing.
Our Yorkshire duo Craig Gannon and Alan Marshall who are not only good fisherman but excellent company and great fun to fish with lead the way with a number of fish both landed and lost and really made the most of the tough conditions with a number of good fish to 50lbs. Craig landed two to 40lbs and lost two on our first day so we got off to a really good start. Nick Le Rougetel, George Kavanagh, Charles Watson, Johnny Hey and myself we left trailing in their wake. Charles landed a really special fish of about 55lbs and carried out a water release after he played it off the beach. That is a great way to land and release a Tarpon they just don’t want to come into the shallows and really put up an endless struggle. I duly celebrated by accidentally falling off the boat whilst putting Charles rod away and completely submerging myself not deliberately though and was reassured when I got back to the Georgiana to learn that Craig had also taken a tumble. Thankfully you can dry out quite quickly in 30 degrees and of course, the water is fantastically warm. I watched Johnny hook and lose a fish with smash takes setting the hook whilst the fish is going the other way and bang …it’s all over. Nick had similar stories to tell of fish hooked and lost. Along with some nice Bonefish that obliged by staying on the hook.
As anyone who has been on one of these trips knows, the days sort of drift all into one and the routine of meals, fishing, sleep, meals, fishing, sleep meals, oh yes and of course Margaritas all start to blur after a while. You sort of look at the horizon and you cannot see where the sky stops and the water starts. Those days when the water is flat calm like a mirror when you listen for the sights and sounds of Tarpon smashing baitfish or rolling silently in the mangroves. Yes we had some mornings and evenings like that when the breeze died away to nothing with clouds building in the far distance the odd rumble of thunder and the concentration and focus of a fisherman on the front of the skiff waiting to make the shot.
Check your leader your knots and still get smashed up. Check, check and check again those knots in your leader. Or better still change your leader each day. The saltwater can weaken the knots and as we all experienced during the week setting the hook and then left holding a lifeless fly line can be very frustrating. But it’s all part of it. Tarpon fishing is not easy and the fish go mad when they are hooked which is why they are so challenging to catch.
Make a few blind casts in the evening over the reef edge maybe nick the coral and then a Tarpon smashes your fly races towards you goes under the boat and you know inevitably its coming off but what a rush and it’s that uncertainty of not knowing what you will catch or see and when it will happen that makes us thirsty for more. We all want to master the Tarpon get every hook up landed and get it to the boat but it just doesn’t happen. It tests your eyes, your casting ability, your watercraft and from setting the hook your equipment is tested to the limits.
In between the Tarpon we managed to find some time for Bone fishing in the shallows and had some good sport with fish ranging between 3-6lbs. George landed a cracking Jack of about 18lbs and those fish really put a bend in the rod. Other species we encountered included Blue Runners which are wonderful looking fish and lady fish which are a bit like a Bonefish but a shorter more powerful fight even on an 11 weight rod a 4lb fish will put a big bend in it and rip- line off your reel at an incredible speed and power.
We landed 21 Tarpon for the week and jumped over 45 and whilst those numbers are not big we made contact with 66 fish but saw and missed lots more or they turned their noses up and whilst not great we can only cast to what is there and as fisherman we know that sometimes the fish are hard to find. Sure it puts pressure on every shot you make but it makes us better fisherman for it at least that’s what I tell myself. We become hunters and look for every sign of fish.
The journey back was typical Cuban style, the internal flight back to Havana never appeared so instead we took a five hour ferry back to the Cuban mainland. Not an ideal way to travel but at least it got us back to Havana. A quick wash and change and out to enjoy the Havana nightlife which is a unique blend of high energy Cuban style jazz and beers. Saturday morning was spent recovering by the pool at the Saratoga Hotel before heading back to the airport for the flight home.
I have to say the guys in the party were all fantastic and the banter, fun and laughter made this a very special week and one of the best. Yes the fishing could have been better but we are fishermen and know what it can be like with good days and not so good days. I am sure we will all be back for more.