Exotic angling holiday required!

**Seymour** · 24-02-2009, 13:35

Hi all

I've got to take about ten days holiday before the end of April, and want to do a guided trip to a warm location. I've a fair bit of experience having fished for anything from tigerfish to tarpon on my previous travels. Location wise I'd like Africa, Central America or the Caribbean, fish-wise anything sporting is good - I'm no fly-fisher though.

Has anyone got any suggestions, or particular recommendations? Alternatively any companies that come highly recommended that could put a good package together with excellent guides? Budget is fairly generous - I know i'm a jammy blighter!

Thanks

Jez

**martinw** · 24-02-2009, 14:49

http://www.steppingstonesbelize.com/
Chris and Sue Harris used to own Harris Angling when it was a brilliant
on line lure fishing shop. if they run their fishing lodge as well as their original business you will have a great time!

TomBettle · 24-02-2009, 15:53

Martin...
I heard it was still a little disorganised. Mind you, that was a year ago now so maybe it's got better.

**steve pitts** · 24-02-2009, 18:18

Hi Jez

I stayed/fished at Sue and Chris's resort Steppingstones, Monkey River, Belize around 3 years ago, just when they were getting started.
It was a great trip to a really unspoilt part of the world.
My wife and daughter enjoyed it there too.

Sue and Chris were great company and their head Guide, Ian Cuevas, was brilliant. They have some good contacts with the local guides and fishing community.

They now also have a couple of kayaks and access to a nearby lagoon with tarpon and snook for DIYers in addition to the guided trips to the reefs, flats and open ocean for bones, permit, jacks, tuna, grouper, wahoo, spanish macks and cuda.

Plenty of opportunity for lure and bait - fly not obligatory

Don't expect the Ritz, but you'll get a real adventure in a beautiful country with the all home comforts of a very unique lodge.

Allowing a couple of days to get there and back, that would give you the best part of a week's fishing.

I've promised myself we'll go back one day

For a report of that leg of our trip to Belize and a few pictures, see the archive of Mike Ladle's website

http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/catch116.html

http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/catch117.html

http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/catch118.html

Cheers
Steve

**PanamaJack** · 24-02-2009, 19:51

Originally Posted by Seymour

Hi all

I've got to take about ten days holiday before the end of April, and want to do a guided trip to a warm location. I've a fair bit of experience having fished for anything from tigerfish to tarpon on my previous travels. Location wise I'd like Africa, Central America or the Caribbean, fish-wise anything sporting is good - I'm no fly-fisher though.

Has anyone got any suggestions, or particular recommendations? Alternatively any companies that come highly recommended that could put a good package together with excellent guides? Budget is fairly generous - I know i'm a jammy blighter!

Thanks

Jez

Jez
Um ... as a starting point any thoughts on what species you'd specifically like to target? Most are going to be sporting. And fresh or saltwater, or a mixture?

Certainly in Panama and Costa Rica you'd be able to combine Peacock Bass with, Pacific-side, Sails, Roosterfish and Snapper for example. And Tarpon, although not necessarily common, are now present Pacific side as well as on the Caribbean coast. (A Panamanian guide I've fished with has had them to nearly 270lbs.)

Mexico's also relatively cheap which should enable you to venture offshore if you wanted from super-pangas or smaller cruisers. There should still be some Striped Marlin around. And, although not specifically defined, if you wanted a shot at Marlin I'd suggest Sao Vicente (Cape Verde) with one of the 'local' boats. There you'd be targeting Blue Marlin.

As to Africa have a look through some of the earlier posts. There are lodges in Senegal, Gabon and Guinea Bissau in West Africa that might appeal. As to Kenya April's going to be very much 'low' season.

In terms of the Caribbean, as previously mentioned, there're no issues with targeting the Flats species on spin gear. The buzz of sight casting is still there. And you'll find it considerably easier getting a Permit on a live Crab as opposed to a fly! As well, given the impact of the Credit Crunch, there're lots of deals around at the moment.

**Seymour** · 25-02-2009, 08:34

Thanks for the heads-up Steve and Martin, looks good - I've sent Sue an email to get some more info, may well be the option I'm after. Enjoyed those reports btw.

Cheers for your post PJ, I was thinking mostly saltwater but wouldn't discount freshwater, those peacock bass look something else! I'll probably leave the Marlin this trip as my last one was to Cabo for stripers, though the inshore panga fishing was superb fun also.

On a few of my trips I've tried to organise the fishing/guides whislt i was there, which can be a big headache, in fact Namibia through mola mola was one the best trips because it was superbly oraganised.

I guess i was asking if people had a trip or destination where the fishing's great, in a nice location where the hosts and guides are warm and reliable. I'm pretty happy catching any of the recognised gamefish, but want a lovely place to do it, that's easyish to get to and well organised. From what I've heard Costa Rica fits a lot of that criteria...

Has anybody got any contacts or angling travel companies that they can recommend?

Cheers guys

**PanamaJack** · 25-02-2009, 10:59

Originally Posted by Seymour

I guess i was asking if people had a trip or destination where the fishing's great, in a nice location where the hosts and guides are warm and reliable. I'm pretty happy catching any of the recognised gamefish, but want a lovely place to do it, that's easyish to get to and well organised. From what I've heard Costa Rica fits a lot of that criteria...

Has anybody got any contacts or angling travel companies that they can recommend?

Hi Jez
Here're just a small selection to look at.

The first two are travel companies based or with an office in the UK - http://www.frontierstravel.com/ and http://www.castawayflyfishing.net/. Booking through them will give you a reasonable degree of security. Back to the point about fly fishing. Whilst both of their sites will major on that aspect of our sport you'll find on 'skinny water' spin gear can be just as effective and just as much fun.

Then just as an example a single lodge in Costa Rica on the Pacific side - www.crocodilebay.com - in terms of Panama, although more expensive - www.tropicstar.com - really does take some beating for sheer variety of species and overall ambience. In addition, and although it doesn't necessarily fit in with the parameters you defined, a 'larger than life' character - Tony Herden - I could thoroughly recommend. He bases himself in Panama City but is more than happy to trailer one of his smaller boats around, and tailor-make a trip to suit your interests. It's Tony I've fished with for Peacock Bass in Lake Gatun (surrounding the Panama Canal) and down in Darrien province for the Tarpon and Snook. Any rate this is his web site - www.panamafishingandcatching.com. It's well worth viewing if nothing else to see just what's possible.

Finally getting to the Caribbean or Central America. Um ... most routing is likely to be via the 'States. And earlier this year they introduced their on line Visa Waiver scheme together with 'full' finger-printing. The process can be very tedious - and it also applies to passengers just transiting the 'States - and certainly one of our members wives got 'hauled out' of the queue for further checking. It resulted in them missing their connecting flight. There was a funny side to it though, also in the 'small room' was an air line pilot and a nun! So that particular chap who fishes Costa Rica every six weeks or so has now switched to flying Iberia via Madrid.

**Seymour** · 25-02-2009, 18:33

Thanks again Dave, this info is just what I was after, will defo have a good look at these options as soon as i can, and will let you know what i settle on. Once i catch of a few of those skinny water fish on spinning gear may well attempt the fly gear this time.

Transit in the states...a nightmare even if you make the plane your luggage is a different matter. We had big problems with our flight to Cabo, the dash from the security queue to the departure lounge was reminiscent of a "bull run", and my friend didn't get his luggage for 3 days, at least we evaded the "small room" experience though....

**PanamaJack** · 03-03-2009, 18:13

Jez
Andros, particularly it's West side, is renowned for BIG Bonefish, plus there's a whole host of other species to target on the Flats or reef. On the first occasion I fished there I got to fish with a very amiable and knowledgeable independent guide (through the Andros Island Bonefish Club) - Charlie Neymour, Big Charlie. Charlie I noticed is still guiding and has now constructed his own lodge. (Based on numbers of clients he’d contract in other independent guides.) You might want to consider his operation - http://www.bigcharlieandros.net/index.html - particularly if sight fishing appeals.

You can either fly direct to Grand Bahama or connect via Miami using a service like American Eagle. It’s then just a 10 minute hop to Andros.

**Seymour** · 12-03-2009, 21:12

Thanks again Dave. Just thought i'd let you know i opted for a week of spin/fly fishing out of Pesca Maya lodge in Ascension Bay Mexico, followed by some deepwater angling out of Puerto Aventuras. Booked through Castawayflyfishing. Leave next Tuesday - cant wait!