FLY FISHING MEXICO'S HIDDEN GEM
Still largely unknown to the fly-fishing world, Chetumal offers world-class action away from the crowds—and at a value price
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Pangas have enough room for a double-header on the casting deck (photo: Ron Mayfield)Tactics and tackle for fishing the flats
For the uninitiated, saltwater fly fishing offers a more daunting challenge than most Canadian fly anglers have encountered before. But if you’re looking for exciting and powerful fish in a gorgeous tropical setting, don’t let the increased level of difficulty stop you. No one is born knowing how to do this, and we were all novices once. Even beginners can catch fish in Chetumal, and if you hone your skills a little before you go, you’ll do fine once you adapt to the unfamiliar conditions.
In particular, because the water is clear, and these shallow-water species—even the big specimens—are very spooky, you need to be a fairly competent caster. There’s a pervasive myth that saltwater fly fishing requires casts of heroic lengths. This is not true. Since your targets are always moving, what’s required is quickness and a reasonable degree of accuracy. If you can hit a dinner-table-sized target at 30 feet with a single false-cast, you’re well in the game. If you can do it at 40 or 50 feet, you’ll do great. You also have to learn to handle the ever-present winds, which are rarely less than 20 kilometres per hour. Believe me, you want that wind, it makes the fish a bit less cautious, and the heat a lot more tolerable.
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Success also demands proper equipment. For bonefish, snook and baby tarpon, you’ll need an 8- or 9-weight, fast-action rod with a weight-forward floating line, and a saltwater-quality reel. For permit, a 9- or 10-weight rod paired with a weight-forward floating line handles most situations. When targeting larger tarpon, step it up to a 10-, 11- or 12-weight rod—or a pair of rods, one with a floating line, and one with an intermediate sink-tip.
Guides and anglers work at a team (photos: Ron Mayfield, Scott Gardner)For flies, you can never go wrong with an array of the time-tested classics for use in Mexico and Belize (also check what your outfitter recommends). And note that for fishing in Mexico you’ll want smaller-sized bonefish flies that you’d use in the eastern Caribbean, since Mexican bonefish run a bit smaller than the bruisers found across the sea in the Bahamas.