Travel day 1
April 6, 2013 was the start of a great fishing adventure. I left Calgary after first stocking up on fishing gear and flies at Fish Tales Fly Shop. I was now confident that I had the gear needed to catch fish on the flats. While the main target where I am headed was bonefish, tarpon was the illusive species on my most wanted list.
The flight was average with an interesting route that went through central US and along the west coast of Florida. I had a window seat which kept me occupied wondering which rivers and lakes will I visit someday.
The plane arrived around 6 pm in Varadero. I chose this airport over Havana to save money and I had a 2 hour taxi ride to get to the Saratoga Hotel in Havana. Still I felt it was worth it to see more of the country. We saw signs of Canadian oil and gas exploration by Sherritt that has help Cuba is enormous ways. I saw bits of the ocean, various communities, food distribution trucks, scenery and lots of people. I saw where people lived and was keenly aware the homes were not to Canadian standards. Still…this is where I first decided I had to experience Cuba and see more before putting any North American judgement into play. My first impression was this place desperately needs US investment money.
I arrived in the dark to Havana and had a short exploration of the night life then a quick meal and off to bed.
Travel day 2
Today was a simple day getting from Havana to Playa Larga. We arrived around 1:30 pm and had time to lounge on the beach and pool and of course get the gear prepped for day 1 of fishing.
Fishing
Day 1 - 3 nice bonefish and a small barracuda and snapper. This was my first experience being poled around in a small boat. I found the boat very stable to fish in and the guide not only strong but very capable of moving us around even in windy conditions. We saw about 15 large bonefish today but it was also my first day of sight fishing bones in skinny water. Very thrilling when you make the right cast and a bone attacks your fly. In Canada we generally refer to fish biting your lure/fly. Down on the flats they attack them. Nothing in Alberta compares to a bonefish grabbing a fly and ripping line nor a tarpon attacking your fly and going airborne. It is crazy to see a bonefish, then cast to it and watch it dart off…then minutes later see another…cast poorly right on its back have it do a 180 and grab the fly. One thing that applies the whole trip for bonefish is some days any cast will catch any bone and others just the boat moving nearer scares them away.
Day 2 - 21 nice bonefish. Biggest 22 inch. Average 18 inch. This day was incredible. We found school after school of willing bonefish. Just needed to cast half decent and you had one every time you saw the school. I missed so many but it hardly mattered in the end. I learned what flies to take back next time however! I also saw a few larger lemon sharks…but not interested in the fly and a couple large jacks cruised up and sniffed my fly. A couple small cudas rounded out the day.
I spend some time talking with the tour host Condrado. He was a knowledgeable man, world traveler and strong Castro supporter. I also noted they do have problems but would US investment make some better and some worse? Everyone seems to be living on the edge thanks in part to the system and part to the US sanctions. Cubans have ration cards and get all their daily food, clothing paid for by the government. They don’t have a ton of stuff and are not collectors of stuff and should we North Americans say they should be? There is the underworld seedier side of Cuba that would benefit greatest from US money whereas the sense of family, and lack of intense capitalist competition would hurt others. In the end I came out feeling that this is a path the Cubans need to choose versus outside influence. What is failing in Cuba is not just the system but rather outside influences fighting to not make it work. I would never in a million years chose it for myself or my family and so I ended up in my own mind saying it is just not my decision to make.
Day 3. Went to the Bocas. Started stalking the illusive tarpon in the back channels and under the mangroves. Crazy type of fishing. I saw a respectable number of tarpon. Some in groups as big and 20, other smaller groups of 3-6 and some singles. After about 10 casts, 6 attacks I finally ended up catching 1 tarpon and losing 5. Sight fishing. So WOW! Nothing can beat it. As part of the journey this day I also caught 1 bone on the way out and caught 7 bones on the way back. There were waves of bones passing by like day 2. Sight fishing to single and multiple tarpon is like nothing you have ever seen in Canada. These fish make you heart not only skip a beat but just jump out of your chest. They level of excitement and adrenaline is incredibly addicting. I would definitely be back to do this again.
Day 4 of fishing. Today we went to a cool river to try fresh water baby tarpon. There were 8 of us out on the river and one was spinner fishing. The spinner fisherman had zero attacks as did 4 fly fishermen. One fly fisherman had 3 attacks and 2 had one attack each. I had an awesome 7 attacks and landed 1 tarpon. It was truly an amazing river. There were tarpon jumping all around. When the tarpon struck you got an incredible fight or flight feeling. They are so strong. Each one capable if making you hold on tight to your rod. They strike with wild abandon. By retrieving quickly they must decide fast to eat or not. Casting into the edge of mangrove oblivion tests your skill at fast response. You need to set the hook immediately then again and again like you like depended on it. At the same time they often were still charging towards the boat taking their attacking momentum with them and then jumping with wild abandon. Needless to say… 6 were far the better warrior this day.
They feed and survive deep in the mangroves as the grow and you need them out where you won't lose fly line. Once they strike you need to hold tight and strip, strip, strip till they cannot get back to the mangrove entanglement. Then hold on even tighter as they explode to the sky to shake the hook. Each jump as strong and terrifying as the last as often you hear the sad sign of the guide as the fish escapes another photo. If Lady Luck and tons of skill pays off you can land a tarpon. Some brag of size. Some brag of numbers and it does not matter. Landing one is like catching the winning touchdown on the last out at the Super Bowl or scoring the game winning goal in game seven of the Stanley Cup. The feeling of immense satisfaction is equally present as so many factors must line up precisely.
Day 5 concluded a great trip with a nice, respectable day fishing. 18 bones, 1 jack, 3 cudas and 4 red snapper. Flats were calmer and the bones seemed more skittish. Still seeing groups of hundreds of bonefish feeding is amazing to witness. They often look like they are lounging on the surface sun tanning as they slurp larvae just below the surface. Today I soaked it all in. We saw a school of bones mudding in deeper water and wondered if a permit was in the mix. I caught 6 bones before breaking off twice then landing a small jack. Not sure what the bigger fish was but that is why I was casting there…cause you never know what might be lurking!
Finished the day off with some mojitos and bought some traditional Cuban money. Expat Canadian dating a Cuban woman said Cuban on Cuban crime is bad. He said there is lots of robberies on regular Cubans. No physical violent but rather stealing stuff. More stuff in the country would lead to more crime. Or one could take the opposite point and say if there was more wealth there would be less crime.
Cuba is a sharp contrast between expectations and observations. While on one hand they don't make much money they also seem to have enough to eat. Cubans definitely lack in materials possessions and excel and family. Watching the local community interacting with one another they are polite and friendly and very family orientated. Staff we dealt with were helpful, courteous and accommodating.
Cuba does seem to lack pride in a clean country. Garbage and litter is all around except in resort areas. Stray dogs roam all around unspade and in neutered while clearly fed and somehow looked after. Oxen and horses are used as work animals and cattle also as food. There is clearly a lack of food of any quality for the livestock as you can see ribs. Likely this is dues to extremely rocky ground lacking is topsoil of any significant compounded with the embargo that contributes to lack of agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation.
Old 50's classic cars abound with many held together with grit and perseverance while others in pristine shape. There is also a few expensive new vehicles. Not sure who owns them. There are also a lot of other foreign vehicles. I saw a few Italian cars, a few Russian cars a lot of Chinese cars. The tour buses seems to be mostly Chinese. There are millions of bikes in Cuba. Given the income level it would be interesting to see how they pay for replacement tubes/tires. Many cars/trucks had bald tires and I mean smooth as glass. Tires might as well if been racing slicks. Still there are many bikes and also still many walking. Public transportation seems to be a combination of lots of hitch hiking. Pointy finger stretched out seems to be universal. People also hold out money and normally national currency. People get rides in cars, taxis, trucks, backs of trucks, back of dump trucks and produce trucks. Then there are horse drawn buggies, bicycle taxis, motorcycle buggie taxis. Public buses can go from rusted out junk piles in wheels in remote non tourist areas to more newer modern buses. Yellow school buses are also seen ferrying kids around.
Kids look very keen for school all dressed up in their uniforms. Boys and girls all wearing the same colors.
Varadero airport is chaos in motion. It seems they have planes arrive and depart in bunches. This means short period long line ups. First to get your boarding pass (remember to have your departure tourist visa with you as well as passport. Then you need to cue for paying the $25 CUC departure tax. A sticker gets added to your ticket. Then you cue in the customs and immigration line. They retake everyone's photo... Likely to make sure a Cuban is not trying to leave using your passport. Then you line up for the security screening then to line up to buy Havana Club rum. Next line up for food... then bathroom... then departure cue and you are flying home. Next line up Canadian immigration and customs.
Humidity and heat in the terminal building is tolerable with poor air conditioning.
Just noticed a funny thing at the Varadero airport. Right at noon all the staff stopped working and turned off the main lights in the departure processing area then went for lunch. Everyone!
One important thing to know is that Cuba does have ticks. They also have catfish stocked from China.
Special thanks to Fish Tales FlyShop for some sound advice and help getting ready with gear and flies and to Slipstream Angling Worldwide for organizing a great trip. Accommodation was good, transportation was great and the trip host was excellent. Guides were awesome and the fish were very cooperative. I will go back again for sure!
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