The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

OK... so, I was getting set... figure I may squeeze a trip to SD, but was really starting to plan a Keys trip for April 2009. Figured on camping, renting a flats boat and figuring things out.

Then... I read an article that mirrored some comments I got at a fly shop that went something like this... There are basically no flats you can drive to along the keys that have any bones since anything you can drive to gets too much pressure... and keys bones are really tricky, much more moody... basically a DIY nightmare.

Now I'm starting to wonder if this is the place.

Brian O'Keefe, as someone mentioned, suggested the Bahamas, but the killer is the airfare (and while $150 a night may be cheap for the Bahamas it's expensive compared to $35 a night for camping).

So, crap, here I am again. If folks have experience going after bones in FL, I'd love to hear from you. If you've done self-guided in the Bahamas, I'd love to hear from you.

B-

Bjorn:

New here but familiar with you: I live in Mt Shasta, worked with the judge we both know.

Anyway I've done a several trips like you seek, to Yucatan and Bahamas. I looked into Florida but came to the same conclusion you did.

I've heard of camping type trips but mine always involved a house (bahamas) or beach cabana rentals (both places) with more comfort for the wife. I would not camp in any isolated area in the Yucatan or Baja.

Airfare to either place is spendy but worth it.

A rental car for the full trip is nice but not totally necessary as most established cabana/hotel outfits will do a day rental if you want one and if you have non-fishing companions (as I do) some days are beach days with only an hour of "out front" fishing.

Bahamas "out islands" are sweet, miles of deserted beaches with accessible classic white sand and/or firm ground (muck sucks) flats galore. Also a guide day in the out islands is usually more affordable if you hunt around once you get there.

Yucatan is a little tougher for huge flats with road access but the beaches are full of opportunities to site fish on pocket flats not to mention the occasional blind casting honey hole. My first trip, first day I watched a nice corbina lookin fish cruising in 8" of water right in front of our room during a morning swim with my honey: suddenly I realized it was a bone. Missed that chance for political reasons but hooked several others later in the day. Also have seen, casted to, but never hooked, really big permit in the same areas.

Each time I go I learn more. Great experiences. You really learn to spot,present flys and get in sync with the tide when there is no guide's instincts to lean on, makes the successes that much sweeter.

Baja is nice for bluewater and great for camping in established areas but the beach fishin is a whole different experience, just doesn't compare to the other side.

Andy

Thanks Andy... Mt. Shasta... nice place...

I appreciate the advice... sounds like I have to re-think and look Bahamas.

B-

Didn't mean to imply it was easy, but it is possible. I would liken it to getting into stripers in CA. You can do it without a bote, but your timing and location has to be just right. Course in FLA the "back-up" options aren't bad either:

http://www....com/watch?v=RdEF9nrNF_M
B- couple dudes from the board I told you about.

Bjorn

google eleuthera in the bahamas. You can rent houses fairly cheap there. A couple of houses have flats right in front of them.There are also boat rentals and you can drive to many flats. I would also look into getting an inflatable kayak to take down there. Aire sells some pretty cheap ones. I see them used on nrs and some places like sierra outdoor center will rent one to you.

Bjorn,

I can't comment on the fishing, but I will disagree with Andy to say that you can camp both in Yucatan and in Baja and it is very safe and very cheap.

I spent six nights camping in a small campground just outside of Tulum (south of Cancun). The campground had a small restaurant with delicious food, hot showers, and plenty of beautiful palm trees for hanging hammocks. The walk to the white sand beach was about six steps and it was entirely safe (numerous families were camped there as well). From that spot you could easily make your way north to the tip of the peninsula or south towards Belize.

As for Baja (and I'm sure other people on this board can back me up on this), that peninsula might be the single best backcountry beach camping/fishing location in North America. You can camp virtually anywhere (once you are a couple hours south of the border) and be totally safe. The beaches are pristine, the fishing good (reportedly) and there is tons of room to explore. If that is too DIY for you, there are hotels and guide options in any of the bigger towns on either coast. The costliest part of a Baja adventure these days is not the guides or the lodging (guides are cheap, lodging is free) but the gas money--the peninsula is like 1000 miles long.

I have done numerous Baja trips, driving to the tip of the peninsula and back several times and camping for free on the beach the entire time, and never had a single 'bad' incident or felt threatened in anyway.

I would bet that there are plenty of safe places to camp in Mexico... but me telling my wife I'm camping in Mexico would pretty much end that as an option... perceptions are often more powerful than reality.

I just got a book on fishing Florida's Flats... that's my study reading material. I also am gettin gmore advice about good DIY places... Grand Bahamas was mentioned as well as the Berry Islands... more places to check out.

So much water, so little time...

B-

Bjorn,
You should check with Pit Boss as he has done trips to Mexico as you describe fishing from his Yak. I think speaking the language helps. Send him a PM or E-mail for his input. You can also search the archives as he posted report with-in the last year.

Good Luck,

Jet

I used to speak French pretty well... although that doesn't help too much/at all...

Dommage!

I'll check with PitBoss, cheers.

B-

Bjorn, It's been awhile since I checked the board (hate to sound like a wimp, but I miss the simplicity of the old board) but I gave a look today and saw your thread. I have similarly quested for DIY saltwater fishing--especially bones--and found it hard to find/do. In addition to the Yucatan (along with the road from Tulum to Punta Allen the far southern end around xcalak has some accessible flats), one other place that hasn't been mentioned: Caye Caulker in Belize. I was there almost ten years ago--walking around the island there are turtlegrass covered flats almost everywhere. In the evenings and when the tides & winds are right you see bones tailing fairly often. I found them hard to catch but occasionally the forces would align and I'd get some steady action (last morning there I caught a half-dozen bones in less than a couple hours). Also some permit and barracuda and other flats fish around, plus you can (at least back the) get a fairly cheap day or half-day excursion by boat.

Caye Caulker is an hour's boat ride from Belize City.

Let us know where you end up and what you find.

Tulum area is great, plenty of bones along that coastline. Got my flip flops stolen from in front of my Cabana at night so be smart, don't leave the Tibor out.

I'm sure camping in an established populated gringo camp area would be safe so long as no valuables are left unattended but between the blowing sand and the bugs I'd stick to the Cabanas that range down to 50/night. You can access some flats via taxi ride south around Boca Paila bridge but the access is limited and the fish are sketchier because of more pressure.

Xcalak is also great, way beyond civilization as we know it. The costal flats around Xcalak are better than those around Tulum. The bones are bigger also. No camping around Xcalak last time I visited.

Bahamas are sweet but more spendy. Long Island is awesome, lots of deserted beaches. Exuma is great: more for the non-fishing guest as Georgetown is a cool little Yacht harbor. Never been to Eleuthra but its on the list.

Good Luck

Cheers. I'll look into that.

This trip, if negotiations go well with Central Command, would happen next April. I have my airfare alerts set and will probably end up going wherever I can pull of the cheapest trip. I have a few people interested and if anyone else is interested they should let me know. I figure I'd start with as large a group as possible to end up with 3 or so people to do this trip with.

Central Command will be the real decider on if this thing passes from fantasy into the light of day.

B-