It was nice heading out fishing even though it was windy and rainy after the frigid cold October back in Idaho.  I’m on Punta Pájaros Island at Casa Blanca Fly Fishing Lodge.  This is located between Ascension and Espiritu Santo Bays in the Yucatan State of Quintana Roo Mexico.  It’s a tropical paradise in the center of one of the world’s largest protected areas, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

Despite all the traveling I do, it’s been more than 25 years since I fished this area.  It was 1991 to be exact and I wasn’t staying here at the lodge.  I was on these flats as a young man cruising with a dude with a panga from Punta Allen.  In fact, the cover shot on my Saltwater Fly Fishing book was shot on the flats right near here.

After a fantastic huevo ranchero breakfast, Jerry and I hit the lunch spread for our day then I met our guide, Pato.  Pato is Jerry’s guide.  Jerry has come here every November for ten years and they fish together each time.

I wasn’t kidding about the wind and drizzle.  It was flat out nasty when we met Pato.  It was all we could do to motor away from the waves crashing the beach.  But off we went and soon to be tucked back in one of the many mangrove bays.

Jerry sent me to the bow first.  It was raining but then it turned to a straight downpour.  I was laughing at my “Monsoon” self and took a glance at Pato.  He saw me look his way and cracked a smile with heaps of silver in his teeth.

We couldn’t see much but he poled and I scanned for fish.  We got into some bonefish but saw all of them too late.  They were already spooked.  I made decent casts as did Jerry during his turns but the skittish fish wouldn’t eat anything.

At 11 or so the rain ended and spots of blue broke through the clouds.  I finally got a bonefish to eat and somehow I carelessly broke him off.  I had an old leader on so it was my own fault.  Jerry got up and did the same thing before we finally broke the skunk and each got on a roll and landed some nice little bonefish.

I’m spoiled on the size of bonefish I’m used to these days thanks to St. Brandon’s Atoll. But I’ll tell you this, despite these Mexican bones being small, they still give my new 7-weight Alpha a run for its money.

The highlight of the morning would be a strange group of protruding tails.  We assumed bonefish but I thought there was something funny about them.  Sure enough I hooked up and instead of a bonefish I caught this mean-looking mangrove snapper.

We dealt with more rain showers in the afternoon.  We caught more bonefish but for the last two hours we had Pato pole the permit flats.  It was too windy and cloudy to see much and we struggled.  In fact, I got the only cast and it was to nervous water so we aren’t sure what it was.

We returned to the lodge at 4 PM.  There are a few other nice guys here so as amazing clouds rolled in and out with the sunset we sipped beers and got acquainted.  Before we knew it dinner was served and now I’m dozing off as I finish todays blog.  It should be a great week!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing