Please excuse the possible mix mash of photos.....I never have been good at this, but gotta start someplace : ).
Three buddies and I took a trip down to Ascension Bay last week. This is only my second tropical destination for fly fishing and was really looking forward to testing what I had or had not learned from last years Hol Box trip.
We arrived Sat afternoon in Cancun and Grandslam Lodge put us up for the night at a very nice hotel (all inclusive). The next morning we took off by a nice shuttle to Tulum where we boarded two pangas with our gear. A separate panga shuttled our suitcases to the lodge from Tulum. We spent the day fishing our way up the bay to the lodge going after primarily snook, tarpon, and bonefish.
I had brought down a Tom Folk 'London Flats' bonefish taper that cast a Cortland 8wt line very well. I managed to bring to hand my first ever bonefish with it although my release skills leave a lot to be desired.
After being greeted by Liliana with a very welcomed margarita when finally arriving at the lodge, my buddy and I enjoyed a late afternoon siesta before dinner.
The rooms are air conditioned, large, and very comfortable.
Next day we went after the mysterious and elusive permit I had heard so much about. After casting a cruising ghosts we came across multiple tailing schools or large permit. I was able to (for me) make a good showing of myself and got a lot of follows but no takes. Our hard working guides changed flies and even leaders and assured me it was not my casting or my stripping technique that was the cause for the lack of a hookup....it just the nature of permit fishing.
I let by buddy get a crack at them, and after a little casting lesson from the guide, we returned to the school and he hooked into his first permit....and what a beast!
Later that day I managed to land my first ever snook.
I was more interested in doing some wade fishing for bonefish than tarpon or snook, so our guide brought us to this beautiful flat.
We both landed bonefish and I gained confidence in my ability to spot and stalk them. I was using my 6wt graphite rod at this point as I managed to loosen a ferrule on my bamboo rod earlier. The 6 wt was plenty of rod even though there was a constant light breeze.
Anyway.....I just wanted to share a great experience of fishing with good buddies in an incredible setting. We also plenty of these.....
Oh yeah, one of our group managed to get a grand slam!
I'm still looking forward to hitting my local lake with my 3 wt though....
All the best,
Mark
Three buddies and I took a trip down to Ascension Bay last week. This is only my second tropical destination for fly fishing and was really looking forward to testing what I had or had not learned from last years Hol Box trip.
We arrived Sat afternoon in Cancun and Grandslam Lodge put us up for the night at a very nice hotel (all inclusive). The next morning we took off by a nice shuttle to Tulum where we boarded two pangas with our gear. A separate panga shuttled our suitcases to the lodge from Tulum. We spent the day fishing our way up the bay to the lodge going after primarily snook, tarpon, and bonefish.
I had brought down a Tom Folk 'London Flats' bonefish taper that cast a Cortland 8wt line very well. I managed to bring to hand my first ever bonefish with it although my release skills leave a lot to be desired.
After being greeted by Liliana with a very welcomed margarita when finally arriving at the lodge, my buddy and I enjoyed a late afternoon siesta before dinner.
The rooms are air conditioned, large, and very comfortable.Next day we went after the mysterious and elusive permit I had heard so much about. After casting a cruising ghosts we came across multiple tailing schools or large permit. I was able to (for me) make a good showing of myself and got a lot of follows but no takes. Our hard working guides changed flies and even leaders and assured me it was not my casting or my stripping technique that was the cause for the lack of a hookup....it just the nature of permit fishing.
I let by buddy get a crack at them, and after a little casting lesson from the guide, we returned to the school and he hooked into his first permit....and what a beast!
Later that day I managed to land my first ever snook.I was more interested in doing some wade fishing for bonefish than tarpon or snook, so our guide brought us to this beautiful flat.
We both landed bonefish and I gained confidence in my ability to spot and stalk them. I was using my 6wt graphite rod at this point as I managed to loosen a ferrule on my bamboo rod earlier. The 6 wt was plenty of rod even though there was a constant light breeze.Anyway.....I just wanted to share a great experience of fishing with good buddies in an incredible setting. We also plenty of these.....
Oh yeah, one of our group managed to get a grand slam!
I'm still looking forward to hitting my local lake with my 3 wt though....
All the best,
Mark
