My first visit to Cayo Largo this summer was a long awaited trip that perhaps I should have done years ago. It certainly has its little differences to the Cuba fishing I’d experienced so far and although I was not sure of some of the things I’d heard initially, I was more than pleasantly surprised and happy with the fishing, the organisation and the habitat we were in.

Many of the flats here are vast, they seem to go on forever and most have a depth that suit both bonefish and feeding permit. The average size of bonefish here is large, around 5lb, with many 6, 7, and 8lb fish caught as well as a couple larger. Fly patterns tended to be larger and often heavier with the Squimp, the Bottom Bugger and the transparent Spawning Shrimp being my most productive fly choices. In other areas, namely the lagoon flats, where we saw many tailing fish, the Spawning Shrimp in Olive or the Mantis Shrimp in Rootbeer worked extremely well and almost caught us a permit as well as numerous good bonefish.

The guides here are extremely keyed into the permit fishing and have much success when conditions are right. I had many close calls when casting to them feeding amongst the schools of bonefish but each time, I frustratingly had the fly eaten by a hungry bone before or perhaps even whilst a permit was inspecting it. However, one lucky fisherman on this trip did manage to land his first permit after many years of saltwater fishing and I’m sure he’s as crazy about catching his second as most of us soon become. Congratulations Steve!

I fished 2 rods for bonefish, a 9’ #8 Sage TCX prototype, due to replace the TCR fairly soon, and a 9’ #9 G.Loomis Crosscurrent for the deeper water and for when, if I’m being honest, my main aim was the permit.

The Ross Momentum reels were put to test well on this trip, as I fished them for bonefish and then also for tarpon and snapper. Although the few tarpon I caught on this trip were small, I fought some decent snapper in the deep channels with the drag set hard, and I was very impressed with the stopping power of these reels. My rod of choice here was the 9’ #11 Sage Xi2.

I was impressed with the way the fishing is organised in Cayo Largo. The guides and operators have a great sense of conservation. Very rarely is a fish killed, even the jacks and the snapper. As well as this, there is an allocated beat system which leaves areas to be rested, lessening the fishing pressure which I’m sure helps keep the catch rate high throughout the season.

I will return one day for sure.

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