Fly fishing in the Yucatan

My first vacation in the tropics. Family's going down to the Yucatan
next June. If anyone's got recommendations for guides or gear, I look
forward to hearing about it. We're going to be spending most of the time
near Tulum. My seven-year-old wants to see ruins and jaguars; my wife
wants to find good food; I want to see fish.

Rob

Hi Rob,

I was there in September 10 min north of Tulum.
Went trolling for a "boring afternoon of nothing" with Captain's Rick who
are based in Puerto Adventuras. See http://www.fishyucatan.com/
but the real memorable fishing was for bonefish. It is a local speciality!
We spent 1/2 day (morning is better) at http://www.bocapaila.com
and loved it. Caugt my first bonefish and lost two others. Ask for Gregorio,
nice guide who speaks good english.It is not cheap (£180) but nice for a
treat. My wife does not fish and had a great time - she put me to shame -
when we used spinning gear.

Other providers in the area are contactable below
http://www.flyfishtheflats.com/
http://www.bonefishbum.com/
http://www.letitbeinn.com/
http://www.pescamaya.com/
A word of warning: the road to Punta Allen is hurrendous and progression
very slow. They also fish for permit, tarpoon...

Sian Khan biosphere reserve is said to be very nice and wild. We could not
go but it is highly recommended. We loved snorkling in Xel 'Ha and you also
ought to go to Xcaret where you can see dolphins and fantastic sea turtle
sup close.

Have a great time, the sea over there has an incredible colour.
For general info, see http://www.travelyucatan.com

Regards
Jerome Philipon


Rob Ehle wrote in message
...
My first vacation in the tropics. Family's going down to the Yucatan
next June. If anyone's got recommendations for guides or gear, I look
forward to hearing about it. We're going to be spending most of the time
near Tulum. My seven-year-old wants to see ruins and jaguars; my wife
wants to find good food; I want to see fish.

Rob

Check out Coba, not that far from Tulum. Its a rare classic period Maya city
ruin in the lowlands. Incredible, and allot easier than the Guatemalan
highlands. Chitzen Itza is big but not really Maya. Tulum itself is a
beautiful late Mayan walled city ruin, and the beach there is said to be the
most beautiful beach in the world. Riding the buses away from the coast is a
great way to get around and to inoculate kids with a little third world
reality--relatively safely. my favorite home base in the area is Playa del
Carmen.

Dave

David Snedeker wrote:

... my favorite home base in the area is Playa del
Carmen.

Any good do-it-yourownself wade-fishing spots around there?

JR

JR
Not that I've seen. Im a spectator not a fisher in Quintana Roo, and mostly
paint/draw, eat, gawk, cook, moon over ruins etc.. There are fishing guides
everywhere, forget Cancun, but from Puerto Morales on down route 307 to
Chetumal and Belize. It all seems to be about Bonefish so far, but even the
beaches look fishy to me. Im headed to Cancun this January. I plan to take a
rod and check out beach fishing on Isla Mujeres. I much prefer funky Playa
but free Cancun digs and a reunion of sorts trumps this time.

With Playa you get access to Cancun's bigish airport, a minority of
Americans, lots of Indians, Tulum etc to the south, Cozumel (island) by
ferry, and to the West, Valladolid (a very traditional small colonial era
city), and the Coba ruins (and Chichen-Itza). Playa is a bit shabby for US
suburbanites, a favorite of young Eurobikers and SouthAmericans on new
year's holiday, has plenty of neat little hotels, good restaurants, a bit
o'ganja rep etc. I like its energy and its wonderful beaches.

Christian's post per Punta Allen might be more the ticket for frontier
fishing. Punta Allen is on the end of a peninsula on the huge Sian Ka'an
Biosphere Reserve. As the kids say, "its all good "G"."

Gonna go looking for Chum tomorrow if the wind stops blowing. Is Rome cold
this time of year?

Dave


"JR" wrote in message
...
David Snedeker wrote:

... my favorite home base in the area is Playa del
Carmen.

Any good do-it-yourownself wade-fishing spots around there?

JR

David Snedeker wrote:
.....good stuff snipped

Thanks for the info.

Gonna go looking for Chum tomorrow if the wind stops blowing. Is Rome cold
this time of year?

Normally colder than it is now: sunny and 66°F. Watched the funeral
procession this morning for the 19 Italians killed in Nasiriya; it
passed right next to the FAO HQs. Hope to go to the Toulouse-Lautrec
show at the Vittoriano sometime this week, although he's not one of my
favorite guys.

Good luck with the chums.

JR

You might try Isla Blanca north of Cancun. There are only one or two guides
working the area as opposed to 50 working Ascension Bay. Also Isla Blanca
is supposed to be more protected from the weather, so you do not get blown
out as often.


"David Snedeker" wrote in message
...
Check out Coba, not that far from Tulum. Its a rare classic period Maya
city
ruin in the lowlands. Incredible, and allot easier than the Guatemalan
highlands. Chitzen Itza is big but not really Maya. Tulum itself is a
beautiful late Mayan walled city ruin, and the beach there is said to be
the
most beautiful beach in the world. Riding the buses away from the coast is
a
great way to get around and to inoculate kids with a little third world
reality--relatively safely. my favorite home base in the area is Playa del
Carmen.

Dave





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"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
You might try Isla Blanca north of Cancun. There are only one or two
guides
working the area as opposed to 50 working Ascension Bay. Also Isla Blanca
is supposed to be more protected from the weather, so you do not get blown
out as often.




IIRC, the best beaches on Isla Blanca are on the East side, and the wind
does often blow directly onshore there. However, there are some very steep
reefs, so you can wade out in places and cast into deep water.

I once had a motorcycle helmet stolen while I was hiking there, and so
(turnabout being fair play, I slimily reasoned) I stole someone elses on my
way back to drop off the rental bike. I got lost trying to find the bike
shop, and when I finally got there about an hour later, the guy who saw me
lift his helmet was standing there heatedly arguing with the owner about why
he shouldn't have to pay for it. I walked in, he pointed at me and said
"HE'S the guy who stole my helmet, and thats it RIGHT THERE!!" I had to
return the lid, pay the full replacement value of my own helmet, and good
thing I was twice the guys size because he (deservingly) was gonna stomp my
ass.

Later, I discovered the local kids have a thriving business stealing helmets
off of rental bikes, then selling them back to the original shop for 1/4 of
the replacement money the shop takes off the tourist.

--riverman