Cuba

Overview

Cuba has emerged as one of the most exciting saltwater fly fishing destinations in the world, its vast archipelago of pristine flats, mangrove-lined channels, and coral atolls holding populations of bonefish, permit, tarpon, and other game fish in numbers and sizes that recall the Florida Keys of fifty years ago. The Jardines de la Reina, a marine protected area stretching over 150 miles along Cuba's southern coast, is the crown jewel of Cuban fly fishing — an archipelago of mangrove islands and crystal-clear flats where commercial fishing has been banned for decades, creating a saltwater ecosystem of extraordinary health and abundance.

The bonefish on Cuban flats are remarkable for both their numbers and their naivety. Schools of tailing bonefish numbering in the hundreds are a common sight on the white sand and turtle grass flats, and while individual fish can be selective, the sheer volume of opportunities means that even anglers new to saltwater fly fishing will find success. Permit fishing in Cuba rivals the best in the world, with the Jardines de la Reina and Cayo Largo consistently producing fish that cruise the flats in singles, pairs, and small schools, willing to eat a well-presented crab fly with a confidence rarely seen on the pressured permit flats of Belize or the Yucatan.

Tarpon fishing adds another dimension to the Cuban saltwater experience. Both juvenile and adult tarpon inhabit the mangrove channels and deeper flats throughout the archipelago, with fish ranging from ten-pound juveniles that fight like demons on a seven-weight to hundred-pound adults that test the limits of a twelve-weight outfit. The possibility of a grand slam — bonefish, permit, and tarpon in a single day — is real on Cuban waters, and multi-species days are the norm rather than the exception.

The fishing season in Cuba runs from December through August, with the prime months being February through June when weather conditions are most stable and fish activity is highest. Most fishing operations are live-aboard motherships that cruise the Jardines de la Reina or land-based lodges on outlying cays. The logistics of fishing in Cuba require advance planning, particularly regarding travel regulations for U.S. citizens, but the payoff is access to some of the last truly wild saltwater flats in the Caribbean.