“FLY FISHING IN CAYO CRUZ AND CAYO ROMANO, JARDINES DEL REY” Tour

“FLY FISHING IN CAYO CRUZ AND CAYO ROMANO, JARDINES DEL REY” Tour

Located on the north shore of the eastern province of Camaguey, Cayo Cruz and Cayo Romano fishery is a high system of flats, lagoons and pristine estuaries. Located in Jardines del Rey, commercial fishing within this designated area is strictly forbidden and rigorously enforced by the Cuban Government. The designated sport fish only area is 366 square kilometers in size, meaning that on the average day, each skiff has over 50 square kilometers to itself. The fishing area is virtually untouched and represents one of the cleanest and most biologically diverse and different ecosystems it have ever fished. One of the main reasons people choose this destination is because it still very virgin and has only seen anglers for three seasons. Besides, this place is very beautiful, peaceful and full of attractions.

Enviroment:

The fish are plentiful and aggressive. Most other destinations are now heavily fished and have been fished that way for over 15 years. Also, those concerned by the occasional cold fronts from the north during January to March can be assured that Cayo Romano is privileged of having an extensive string of cays on its northern border which protects it from all but the most violent of weather patterns. On the other hand, being located on the northern side of the island it is fortunate to escape the perennial hurricane activity which normally passes by to the south of Cuba. The first thing that guests need to know about, when considering this location, aside from the exceptional flats fishing that is found here, is that this is a new fishery still very much in its infancy.

The flats are an inviting combination of hard packed white sand and a semi firm mottled bottom that still provides good wading. And is the perfect place for those who like to wade. It’s very similar to Los Roques in terms of the amount of area that’s wadable and there are places here where you can wade for 4 straight hours without heading back to the boat.

Cayo Cruz demonstrates all the characteristics of a recently discovered, virgin fishing territory – large numbers of fish, good sizes and their evident lack of exposure to flies and leaders. Add to this the natural beauty of the cays and of the water and you have a truly memorable place to fish.

The average sized bonefish is a healthy 4 pounds and during the course of the week it is not unheard of for guests to land a fish or two in the 10 pound range. Tailing bonefish are common and guests can expect to see bonefish in singles and doubles, all the way up to schools of several hundred fish. What really sets this location apart from so many other fisheries is that guests can expect to encounter and get shots at great numbers of permit each day. There are only a few places on earth where guests can fish for big bonefish each day and get shots at tailing permit. This combination may take place in other locations but not with the consistency that is virtually guaranteed at Cayo Romano. It is a rare day when you don’t encounter and get shots a permit. The permit will range in size between about 8 and 30 pounds.

The flats at Cayo Romano/Cruz are a little deeper than those found in other areas of Cuba, which means that the bonefish and permit are still found in excellent numbers throughout the year.

There are two locations within the Cayo Romano that offer an excellent tarpon fishing. Guides tend to save these areas for when an angler has already boated a permit and is looking for a Grand Slam. These fish will range from 30 to 90 pounds.

Besides the fishing for permit, bonefish and tarpon, you will also cast for other challenging species as mutton snapper, snook, cubera snapper, jack crevalle, barracudas, etc.

General Program:

The skiffs depart from Cayo Cruz each morning and depending on the guide rotation that day, you may be heading to any number of areas to spend the day. From Cayo Paredon Grande in the north to Cayo Guanaja in the south, there are countless islands, lagoons and bays that will keep anglers happy and into fish. Much of the fishing takes place back towards the mainland, around the massive island of Cayo Cruz. The average boat run to the fishing areas is about 20 minutes in length and in some areas, you can be into fish within 5 minutes of leaving the boat docks. It just depends on where your guide wants to take you that day and what you are interested in targeting. With 50 square kilometers per boat, the options are just about limitless. There are so many great aspects to this fishery that it can truly be a sensory overload at times.

What´s included in the tour?:

• Professional bilingual fishing guide.
• Skiff up to two anglers.
• Fishing license.
• Ice on the boat
• 8 hours aprox (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
• Round trip transportation.
• Box lunch.
• Open bar with non-alcoholic drinks (water, soda, and juice)

The tour does not include:

• Tips for the guide.
• Lunch.
• Other alcoholic drinks.
• Fishing equipment and flies.
• Health insurance.

Very important note: Spinning is not allowed.

Maximum capacity of fly fishing boats: Maximum of 2 people per boat.

Recommended to bring:

• Gravel guards to keep out the sand.
• Copper or Bronze Polaroid Sun Glasses.
• Long sleeved UPF rated shirts.
• Quick dry fishing shorts and pants.
• Light socks to keep the sun off of your feet.
• Buff or bandanna.
• Sun gloves.
• Sunscreen and hats.
• Rain coat and pants. Just in case.
• Waterproof camera.
• Dry bag/knapsack.

Main fly fishing species:

Bonefish:

Cuba has more Bonefish per square mile than any location that we have ever been. It's a destination where schools of Bonefish are not unusual. But casting to double or single cruisers is more the norm. That means that you are almost always targeting big healthy fish. The average size of Bonefish in Cayo Santa María is between 6 to 8 lbs. But casting to Bonefish over 10 lbs. is a common everyday occurrence. Recommended equipment: 8wt rods with bonefish taper floating fly lines. 15lb. fluorocarbon tapered leaders. Recommended flies: Bead head weighted flies. Tan Crazy Charlie’s with rubber legs. E.P. Spawning Shrimp and Mantis Shrimp. Size 4

Permit (Trachinotus falcatus):

Permit have been called many things. Easy to catch is certainly not one of them. They are a spooky, moody frustrating fish. Some fly fishermen who have been on a quest to land a permit for years brought to tears when that moment finally happens and they bring the first permit of their career to hand. Permit can be elusive. Your best chance of hooking and landing a Permit are in a location where Permit are abundant. The more shots that you have, the better the odds. The Permit population in Gardens of the King is extremely healthy. Permit are prevalent on the flats of Cayo Coco throughout the year. They begin to show up on the flats in more significant numbers towards the end of March and can be easily targeted until the end of November. Recommended equipment: 9-10wt rods with quick loading bonefish/permit floating lines. 16-20 fluorocarbon tapered leaders. Recommended flies: Flexo-Crab size 2, Crab patterns with rubber legs, Avalon Permit Fly sizes 4 and 2.

Tarpon (Atlantic tarpon):

Florida is clearly recognized as the best place to go to hook up a big Tarpon. But one of the complaints about tarpon fishing in Florida is the sheer number of people doing the same thing. The flats and channels where the big tarpon frequent in the spring are more populated by expensive flats boats and fishermen than they are with tarpon. The spring migration of tarpon to the flats of Gardens of the King is truly world class. Large Tarpon start to ascend on to the flats in the beginning of April and are usually present late into June and early July. Recommended equipment: 10-12wt rods with floating Tarpon taper line plus Intermediate Tropical Sink Tip. 30lb. fluorocarbon leader with 80-100lb. bite tippets. Recommended flies: Black Death, Purple Death, Tarpon Toad, Cockroach, Red/White Tarpon Fly. 2/0 and 3/0.