Yucatan 2024

We made it back to Mahahual and Xcalak for the first time in a couple of years. The conditions were less than ideal, with back-to-back high-pressure fronts. Nonetheless, it was great to catch up and fish with Nick and Evaristo....both of whom are excellent humans.

 

Coming Up Next:  We leave for Cuba on April 19th. We'll be exploring Havana and fishing the Zapata Peninsula for a week.

Then heading to Andros the first week of May to chase bonefish on the fly with the legendary Benry Smith at the Red Bay Sunset Lodge.

Stay tuned.....

 Belize is sublime.

In Hindsight...

....we should have stranded ourselves in Xcalak.

  

Poonlandia

While the rest of the world cratered around a global pandemic, we enjoyed the 

carefree bliss of sight-fishing to juvenile tarpon in paradise. It was sublime.

 

Pyramid Lake - February, 2020

Have you ever watched 25-pound Lahontan Cutthroat Trout porpoise at sunrise? They skim the surface like prehistoric alpha marauders.

It's crazy.

Photos by Zachary Heath

We fished hard all weekend with Nick Jackson and Ryan Dangerfield from Pyramid Lake Guides. They went above and beyond our expectations.

Many thanks to Zachary Heath (https://www.sweetazproductions.com/) for his exceptional photography above from this trip.

When I am on the water, there is nothing greater than watching a tarpon roll, a permit flash, or a bonefish tail. Every interaction with these amazing creatures is a gift from the fish gods. 

Wednesday, May 2nd was a day I will never forget. Although I received no less than 15 rejections from permit, it was one of the best days of fishing in my life. I got to spend my day watching unicorns in the wild and it was fantastic. Every mistake I made was a new opportunity to learn. 

Then, on my second cast the next morning, I got an eat.

As you are no doubt aware, the permit code is a tough one to crack but I am enjoying the ride.

Fortunately, the flats of Chetumal Bay also have an abundance of healthy bones.

...and the neighboring lagoons and cenotes have healthy populations of juvenile tarpon.

The Entrance to an Amazing Place

Photo by Nick Denbow

Photo by Nick Denbow

I could go on and on about how much I love Mahahual and Xcalak, but here are some more photos.

Chetumal Bay Bonefish Flat

Costa de Cocos

Downtown Xcalak

It was so damned hard getting on the plane and saying goodbye to this amazing place - but I will be back soon.

Thank you Nick, Steve and Nacho for an amazing week.