Xcalak, Mexico

April 17 – 27, 2011

Just returned from a great 10 day trip to Xcalak, Mexico where the weather was good and so was the fishing.

Went down with a group of seven guys, with various levels of experience and everyone did reasonably well with both bonefish and a couple of permit being caught.

We stayed at Hotel Tierra Maya with Kim and Dave Calkins and enjoyed the usual good hospitality, it is a great location for a fishing trip.

We had one or two guides each day with the rest of the group finding DIY places to fish.  The kayaks we brought with us came in handy on several days as we explored new areas and returned to our old haunts.

The bone fishing varied each day, with guys catching from two – ten fish per day.  The guided fisherman tended to do better than the DIY guys, which is generally the case.

The wind was blowing like a son-of-a-gun so you do much better if you can cast 35-40 feet into a gale.  Nothing special with flies, usually size #6 Gotcha and Charlie style flies, with a decent amount of flash.  We favour rubber legs, but don’t know if it really matters to the fish.  When there are a number of refusals usually just turn to a Pop’s Bitter to imitate a crab and that does the trick.

Lots of permit around with everyone getting shots, but only two landed for the week amongst the seven fisherman.

Looking to return again next year.

Exuma, Bahamas

March 18 - 25, 2011

As usual, had a great trip in Exuma, one of our favourite places for DIY bonefishing.  If you get the chance you should join us on one of our hosted trips to one of the greatest flats we have ever fished.

We got there on a full moon and high tides which tends to disrupt the fishing a little, but overall the fishing was good with some wonderful evenings fishing for tailing bonefish right n front of the house we rented.

We had access to a flats boat and kayak which allowed us to explore a little more and find some new locations.  We generaly stick to the airport flats which are located right in front of the house and extend for many miles, so there is no shortage of places to fish.

As a group we count on catching between 4- 8 fish per person per day, so it ranks right up there with any of the other DIY fishing spots, with the fish ranging from 3 -6 pounds.

The fish on Airport Flats can be spooky and picky, so be prepared for lots of refusals.  In the evening when fishing for tailing fish I will often lengthen my leader to 15 feet ending with 6-8 pound fluorocarbon and presenting lightly or unweighted flies.  When the fish are spooky the trick is to only move the fly a couple of inches to get their attention and then let them pick it up.  Quick movements scare the fish.  On the flats themselves, there are no rocks or mangroves so you don't need to worry about cutting the line, but landing a five pound bonefish on a six pound leader can be a little nerve racking.  It's all about not spooking them and getting them to bite.

We will be hosting two different weeks in Exuma next year, so give us a call if you would like to catch bonefish right out your front door.

Acklins, Bahamas

March 25 - April 2, 2011

Fished Acklins for the first time this year and though we struggled a little bit in the beginning it turned out to be a good trip and a place we will return to.

This is an ideal DIY fishing location for a group of anglers (not a place for your spouse) with lots of flats that can be accessed beside the main road.

There are a couple of Bed and Breakfast type establishments that can take care of a group and most of your meals.  They will also provide a car for the group which is a necessity and assistance in locating flats that can be fished.

Tides are critical here, so hit the usual incoming and outgoing tides even if it means getting up early in the morning and fishing "tailers" before the sun gets high in the sky.

I would recommend taking one of the guides out for the first couple of days to get a lay of the land.  There are some good guides on the island and they are relatively inexpensive.