So you want to Fly Fish Cuba….Our clients love the experience they have when they are fly fishing in Cuba.  While the flats fly fishing is second to none, it is not the sole reason to experience Cuba. The beauty of the vast flats and all the diversity of the fish that swim them is incredible. The lack of outside human disturbance on the ecosystem is unlike anything experienced in other parts of the Caribbean. The great interactions with the ever-friendly Cuban people remind us that governments and politics often ruin what really matters…the interactions between the people of each country.

If we purely report on the fishing, the fishing was outstanding during the first part of the week and the last days of the week. Late Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning, the fishing was more of a challenge due to Hurricane Milton passing through the Gulf to the North. It brought winds over 30mph with it. While some tarpon and snapper were caught then, most flats fish exit for deeper water during those low barometric times. The good news was that they flooded back on the flats mid-day Thursday and into Friday. For example, those chasing Permit saw 50-100 Permit a day on Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday, that number went to single digits. Wednesday, it's not even possible to Permit fish. By Thursday, it was coming back to single digits.  By Friday, we were seeing 50+ Permit a day again.

Typical days of those chasing bonefish had anglers landing 10-30 bonefish a day in the 4-10lb range. During those days, some chose to fish them in shallow waters tailing while others chose to fish them in a bit deeper water where the schools of bonefish might range from 50 fish to hundreds of them. The juvenile tarpon were eager to chase flies for those wanting to target them. Some larger tarpon in the 30-40lb class were also landed. Hurricane Milton prevented us from going to more tarpon rich waters during this trip, or the success for larger tarpon would have been better.

The Permit fishing was strong at the beginning and end of the week. Clients were getting opportunities to cast to single Permit, small groups of 4-6 Permit, and larger groups of Permit in the 10-30 fish range. Typically, these Permit swim in the same age classes.  The smaller age class tend to be 8-12lb Permit while the larger age class fish tend to range in the 15-20+lb range. Permit are Permit so one has to usually be quick and accurate with their casting to have a chance to get them to eat the fly.  Permit fishing is not a great sport for those wanting to chase lots of fish. It's a great sport for those wanting to test their skills and see where they are in their casting abilities and quickness of spotting fish and getting a fly quickly to them.

During the week, the group landed well over 150 bonefish, and that is with only fishing for them for three days since Hurricane Milton prevented fishing for them Tuesday afternoon, all day Wednesday, and Thursday morning. The group hooked over 40 Tarpon, with the largest being in the 40lb class. While hundreds of shots were had at Permit, the group was able to hook two but only land one. The one Permit landed offered the opportunity to successfully get a Grand Slam that day.

The group had a fantastic time. Eighty percent of the group had already fly fished Cuba on several other occasions with us, and ALL the anglers in the group are excited to come back with us in 2025 and beyond. 

What is holding you back if you love fly fishing the flats and have not experienced Cuba yet? Time is a wasting and, if you haven't gone with us, you are the one losing out.  But beware, you can't just go anytime to any place in Cuba and have the experience we described in this report. It is imperative to be at the right locations, at the right times with the right Cuban guides with the right Cuban staff. This separates the experience you will receive on one of our Cuban excursions from others.