Bonefish heaven in Cuba

Ashadow flits across the flats. “15 metros, dos horas” (15 meters, 2 hours) barks Machito, the guide. The fisherman, now on his third visit to Las Salinas in Cuba, whips his lightweight rod into action, landing an almost perfect cast. The smudgy looking little fly that resembles a tiny prawn plops perfectly on the calm water, 3 inches in front of a greedy 5-pound bonefish. Suddenly, the reel screams, and the bonefish is off like a bat out of hell heading for the mangroves.

In the middle of deep winter in Britain, many a fisherman dreams of casting a line on a vast expanse of Mangrove flat in a tropical paradise such as Cuba. And an increasing number of fishermen are doing just that. Once there in the largest island in the Antilles, after smoking a few Churchill cigars, taking a ride in some old Chevies and downing one too many Mojitos in true Hemingway style, its time to set of to the Zapata peninsula.

Located near the infamous Bay of Pigs, on Cuba’s south coast, this vast wetlands area offers some of the finest and best value saltwater fly fishing in the world. If you have only fished for trout and salmon, then saltwater fly fishing will really open your eyes and test your casting ability. Bonefish love a good fight when they take the fly and as you are using light tackle (a 7-9 wt line), it feels like you have a Marlin on the other end.

For years, it was a no go area as Fidel used to dive there and it was designated a marine national park after the Revolution in 1959. A handful of fishermen managed to slip into the park over the years, and reports came back of an amazing bonefish destination. Finally, the government relented and opened the area for saltwater fly fishing. That’s when we took the bait.

Today, six fortunate fishermen can fish the flats at one time. The skinny skiffs fit in one guide and one fisherman, allowing maximum fishing time during each 8-shour session. The boats are poled as the water is too shallow for engines that would churn up the bottom. Only Herrons, Spoonbills and Egrets disturb the silence. Bonefish are plentiful in the 2-5 pound range with a few biggies lurking out new the ocean.

Las Salinas is an ideal location for novice saltwater fishermen. As long as you can cast a good line for trout, you will have no trouble in picking up the accurate sight casting necessary for bonefish. Permit, Barracuda and Jack Crevalle can also be caught here. Baby Tarpon are found on the Hatiguanico River along with Snook. Trips are normally divided between 4 days on the flats and 2 days on the river.

Accommodation is in rustic Cuban style wooden bungalows with thatched roofs, a terrace with rocking chairs and en suite bathrooms, like the real Cuba. The onsite restaurant serves good Creole Cuban country cooking and there is a stock of beer, wine and rum and they serve a mean Daiquiri. For persons—who do not fish accompanying fishermen, we recommend the hotel Playa Girón with more facilities including a swimming pool, beach and entertainment.