2011 Retrospective - Winter

I can’t complain about this year in terms of fishing. Since I was under a study permit condition and just doing a post-graduate program in Business at George Brown College, I had enough time to make some nice fishing trips and also explore some local waters (i.e., Southern Ontario). Now it is time to take care of my “non-fishing” life for a little while, thus I thought that a good way to end this year would be making a sum-up of my best fishing adventures, highlighting some points that I think it can be useful somehow for the average traveler.

Winter

My first trip of the year was to Quintana Roo, Mexico. A good place to go with the family and arrange some guided fishing trips in the amazing flats they have down there. We went to Cancun, Tulum and the Syan Kaan Biosphere. I’ve just fished 2 days during this trip; one in Isla Blanca, where the guide pick you up in Cancun, and the other in the Syan Kaan lagoons. There are not too many options for the non-guided-shore’s fisherman there. The local lodges and operators say you cannot fish inside the biosphere without a guide, but I know many anglers who fish the area walk and wading around Boca Paila bridge, which is apparently legal and a great spot. It is possible to stay in Tulum and drive down there or you can stay somewhere inside the reserve. The coolest place that we slept in this trip was the CESIAK (http://cesiak.org/), a kind of environmental friendly eco-lodge inside the reserve that offers an interesting accommodation set up , where the cabins are nothing else than military tents raised inside wood’s platforms with no electricity. The little electricity that they get to the restaurant area is provided by the sun and the wind. They can arrange guided fishing trips inside the reserve for Bonefish and other classic flats’ predators. I especially enjoyed the great Snook fishery they have down there in the winter, but if the target is just Snook and Baby Tarpon, Isla Blanca mangroves and flats offers even better opportunities, and you don’t even need to leave Cancun. However, Sian Kaan is more like a classic inshore flat, with lots of small bonefish, the odd Permit, and casual meetings with Snook and Baby Tarpons. Jacks and Cudas keep the action ON everywhere in Quintana Roo.

A nice sight-fished Isla Blanca Snook

Fighting the wind at Isla Blanca flats

Small snook caught on the mangroves, finesse on the #6

Cabins at CESIAK

My cabin’s view

An acrobatic Sian Kaan snook

The spot at Boca Paila bridge

A Sian Ka’an Bonefish

A Sian Ka’an Jack torpedoe, not a fish for the #6 weight rod that’s for sure

Whoever likes snook’s fishing (who doesn’t?!) will stop breathing for a few seconds with these mangrove roots

Sunset at CESIAK

Back to Cancun. Yes, that's Winter in Mexico. I am the luckiest guy in the world. I love you, baby!