Cayo Coco Cuba Flyfishing Guides?

[AKRISONER]

Hey Guys, 

The girlfriend decided to book a trip to an all inclusive in Cayo Coco Cuba for our joint Birthday and Anniversary. Well wouldnt you know it, apparently Cayo Coco has some of the best flats fly fishing in the world.

Anyone every chartered a guide out of there? or perhaps did it solo? Im thinking id like to hire a guide for a day to get out on a skiff, but would be cool if I could pop out for a few hours on my own as well during the week to wet a line.

Edited March 5, 2019 by AKRISONER

[jimmer]

I saw some guys fishing from a bridge on the way to Cayo Guillarmo (?) and they were catching some nice fish. The mangroves where you go for a tour on so called speed boats and snorkeling are filled with fish. No info on guides, sorry. They also have some fresh water lakes that used to hold some big bass!

[Blue Lk]

There is a guy from Montreal that stays at The Iberostar Colonial on Cayo Coco that does a little guiding,he was there last week & stays down there for 5 months.His name is Claude,the front desk at this hotel could maybe hook you up with him.

[AKRISONER]

1 hour ago, Blue Lk said:

There is a guy from Montreal that stays at The Iberostar Colonial on Cayo Coco that does a little guiding,he was there last week & stays down there for 5 months.His name is Claude,the front desk at this hotel could maybe hook you up with him.

does he run a skiff or just wade?

[Blue Lk]

3 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

does he run a skiff or just wade?

I'm not sure as I don't go there to fish but I'm sure he could advise you on the different options available on the Cayo.

Also there is a lot of info on the Cayo Coco forum on trip advisor

[scuro2]

I don't think anyone who has fished there and anywhere else in the world would call it the best fly fishing there is. Cubans are notorious catch and kill fishermen. Protein is hard to come by so they will go to great lengths to get fish. The islands are limited to locals...and off of Cayo Coco to the east is an island I believe is called Playa Pardon. That spot is as protected as any in Cuba. There is an outfit there not too pricey. Check out this forum

https://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/forums/rest-of-the-world.314/

The nice thing about Cuba is that you don't need a license for the non protected areas. Bring your fly rod along...there are some fish along the beaches. That is what is nice about Cuba...you can do some fishing free and guided fishing at not the prices you would pay in the Bahamas...Do a search on CC and PP...you will find plenty of info
 

[AKRISONER]

15 hours ago, scuro2 said:

I don't think anyone who has fished there and anywhere else in the world would call it the best fly fishing there is. Cubans are notorious catch and kill fishermen. Protein is hard to come by so they will go to great lengths to get fish. The islands are limited to locals...and off of Cayo Coco to the east is an island I believe is called Playa Pardon. That spot is as protected as any in Cuba. There is an outfit there not too pricey. Check out this forum

https://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/forums/rest-of-the-world.314/

The nice thing about Cuba is that you don't need a license for the non protected areas. Bring your fly rod along...there are some fish along the beaches. That is what is nice about Cuba...you can do some fishing free and guided fishing at not the prices you would pay in the Bahamas...Do a search on CC and PP...you will find plenty of info
 

Hey Scuro thanks for the reply.

I have done a pile of reading and have figured out that there is one operation with the rights to fishing teh area around Playa Pardon. Two guides named Alex and Duniesky apparently operate skifs out of there.

I found an email address for one of the guides, and also attempted to contact them through holywaters.ca

But I have yet to hear anything back yet. I am definitely aware of the fact that the non protected areas are subject to a lot of fishing pressure, hence why I would like to take a guided trip to one of the catch and release only areas with a guide.

What I am definitely struggling with so far is how in the heck to book/get in contact with someone so that I can book the day and go! if Anyone here has an experience booking one of these skifs I would greatly appreciate the guidance on how to do so.

[scuro2]

Well you are an unknown. This isn't Canada where you just call a business and they respond. Are you phoning at a time when they are fishing? Do they have enough work already during your week? Things are different down there...a slower pace where respect and relationships are king.

Who are you? A 1st time tourist Gringo. If you can't connect in Canada go down with some nice fishing hats. They also love great hooks...bait hooks. You wear that fishing hat everywhere on the resort. Wear your fly fishing outfit around in the resort, go fishing on some flats, any piece of water, every jetty - scout it out. Smile and be friendly to any Cuban who looks at you...be it the bellhop or the guy who makes the cappuccino. A number of them will fish. Once you spark their interest those who fish will seek you out. Talk with them...tell them what you have tried, what you have heard...share some stuff if they take any interest in your stuff. I'd carry the extra hooks in my pocket. Few of them will have rods...the contact may well be made for you.

This guy will phone that guy who will phone Duniesky. Now you are not a newbie gringo. Another tact to take is take if you are striking out say your 1st three days is take the taxi out to operation....in the late afternoon. I never got past the bridge to the island. That bridge...the guards at the bridge...worth the cost of taxi ride alone. They will be friendly. Made one privates day with mouth spreaders. Explore...worth doing even if you catch little

Edited March 7, 2019 by scuro2

[Blue Lk]

On 3/5/2019 at 9:07 AM, AKRISONER said:

Hey Guys, 

The girlfriend decided to book a trip to an all inclusive in Cayo Coco Cuba for our joint Birthday and Anniversary. Well wouldnt you know it, apparently Cayo Coco has some of the best flats fly fishing in the world.

Anyone every chartered a guide out of there? or perhaps did it solo? Im thinking id like to hire a guide for a day to get out on a skiff, but would be cool if I could pop out for a few hours on my own as well during the week to wet a line.

A lot depends if you are staying on Cayo Coco or Cayo Guillarmo (sp?),about 50kms apart.I think most guide boats operate from Guillarmo. Another option is getting a car to take you to Lenny's.He will drop you off & ask when you want to be picked up.Lennys is a lobster shack on a very remote stretch on beach.A cab will cost about 25 to 30 CUC return from resorts on Coco & 50 CUC from Guillarmo.I have seen several people fishing there.Also the trip to Lennys is allways a highlight of our trips.Very scenic & the food is great.I'm sure your GF would love Lennys

[AKRISONER]

Ill be staying in Cayo Coco. Everything I have read says that the best place to fish is definitely out of that operation in cayo paredon. Hopefully I can get in contact with someone there.

im actually digging through my tackle right now. I’ve got an absolute pile of stuff that I’ve collected over the years that I will literally never use, jig heads, fishing line of various tests, spoons, hooks etc.

ive also got a pile of soft plastics (Senkos, craws, tube jigs etc etc that I also will literally never use.

Would these guys even care to have stuff like this? I’m guessing the majority of their fishing is simply done by either hand lining or casting hooks with live/dead bait. But I could totally be 100% wrong. Maybe they would have use for some senkos?

 

my other question, if I am lucky enough to get in contact with one of these guides, am I going to be relying 100% on my own tackle? I’ve got an 8wt which would handle bones and snapper, but obviously if you are fishing tarpon or permit you should maybe be casting something heavier.

i also unfortunately don’t tie flies...so if I’m reliant on my own tackle, I am going to have to make a trip and stock up before I go. 

Overall this seems like a much different experience than my trip out with a guide in isla Blanca Mexico. With them I was able to contact them via email, give a deposit and book a day. They picked me up from a mall in Cancun and took me out to their boat where they had everything I needed to fish on the skiff.

 

i really wish I could spend a lot of the time exploring and fishing the area, but this vacation is supposed to be about spending time with the girlfriend. I spend so much of my time at home fishing that the last thing that I should be doing is going on vacation with the gf and then ditching her to go fishing exploring the whole time lol.

the Lenny’s trip sounds kinda cool, are people shore fishing there? Or is it mangrove flats? I only plan on bringing the 8wt with me so wading would be cool. Sounds like a neat spot to visit regardless.

 

 

[Old Ironmaker]

The fishermen down there and other Islands will love any tackle you can bring them, anything. They are very appreciative to say the least. Also if you have any baseball gloves or hardballs to give out you would think you gave them the keys to the Castle. They don't want or can use convertible peso's. I just went down to a small marina in Varadero 2 years ago with some swag and walked up to a guy with a small boat that a bartender at the resort recommended and the guy took me out for as long as I wanted twice. I just brought down a cheap 2 piece Shimano and a 2500 spinning reel. I gave him a box of old tackle with line that I will never use again and left the rod and reel I brought. You won't believe the crap they use to fish with. The ball gloves went to the bartenders. The cosmetics and ladies stuff etc. my wife brought went to the ladies on staff. A good ball glove is a months wages or more for some. Slather on the sunscreen and wear a hat. I've seen many a trip ruined because of sunburn and worse sunstroke. I've been going down there for 45 years. Enjoy and good luck. Just don't go to far off the Rez. and make sure you are back at the resort well before dark. In my opinion Cuba is the safest place in the Caribbean but we still have to be smart. I will never go back to Mexico. 

[scuro2]

Yes, this is not Mexico, I like it better! Very nice people but it is built on developing a relationship, kindness goes a long way. Many tourists treat Cubans like servants. Out at Pardon they may be a little more jaded. 

Mostly they do hand lining..so anything that works with hand lining..not plastics so much but they may be interested in anything. The guys out at pardon will not appreciate this stuff so much..unless it is top quality

You will have to plan for using your own stuff. No fishing stores in Cuba, no amazon, etc. They may have gear, may be not. There is a fly store in TO where you can buy ready made flies for down south. The crab patterns worked well for me. Don’t think huge fish...but they are twice as strong and even small medium fish are a blast

If you don’t fish the water at the resort, walk it anyways with the girlfriend. You may see fish! Take the taxi out to Pardon, say day two. Take your girlfriend...it is an eye opening trip, especially the “bridge”. I don’t even know if the miltary will let you drive to the outfit. But talk about it with them! They all have cell phones. Most cubans will always try to help you once they see you are not a jackass tourist. The nicest people I have met anywhere. If you dont speak spanish pick up a few phrases and try to get a driver who speaks decent spanish. It could be really windy many days anyways this time of year. Tides are everything this time of year, if you can, plan to fish the high tide

Don’t worry...this experience alone is worth the effort...fish is a bonus

 

[AKRISONER]

I have collected a pile of tackle which i plan to use to try and at least get some form of connection with some local fisherman. as recommended. Ive got spoons, line, hooks, weights, plastics, tackle trays, stringers, spinner baits, a reel lined with mono and i plan on leaving it all down there. Ill give it to whoever looks fishy. I havent heard anything from the guys in Pardon, but I think I am going to take your advice and take a cab over there to at least try get to camp and speak with someone. I plan on bringing some flys to give out to anyone who will talk to me there as well, maybe even a couple new era fitted baseball hats too.

The last thing I am is one of those stereotypical white tourists that acts like the people are inferior to me. That stuff actually bothers me a lot. If its anything like mexico, I thought every single person I saw that was working was working wayyyy harder than anyone ive ever seen working in Canada. Go by road construction in mexico...youll never see 4 guys standing around observing a guy digging with a backhoe. The guys working the bars and the beach were working 7 days a week for 12 hour days. I became friends with one of the bartenders at the breakfast cafe one day while waiting for my table to be ready. We tipped him very well and talked about baseball and the blue jays, the next day i brought him a new era fitted jays hat and we became best buds. He opened up to me about his actual life, the struggles that hed gone through trying to provide for his daughter, trying to get into the United States and escape mexico to try and give his family a better life, working his way up in the resort industry and only getting 1 week of vacation a year while working 6 days a week with no "stat" holidays, those guys earn their keep.

The only reason I really want to get a guide on a skiff is because opportunities for me to go and fly fish salt water are few and far between, Im not a Mexico/cuba every year person, so If i have a chance to go a couple times a decade I am going to try do everything I can to have the best opportunity to at least actually cast at some fish. 

I think my biggest obstacle now will be the language barrier to try and get connected with the right people. I unfortunately know very very little spanish, but plan on at least learning how to say "do you know Alex or Duniesky, the fishing guys" hopefully that will put some of the pieces together. Hopefully an offering of a tackle box full of lures will be enough for them to give me the time of day.

Edited March 11, 2019 by AKRISONER

[AKRISONER]

UPDATE

 

Dunisky just replied to me via email in very broken english. He gave me his phone number, said he would guide me and asked me to and asked me to call his cell phone but i cant seem to get the number to go through. Does anyone have any experience calling cuba?

AHHH super stoked if this works out!

Im considering contacting my resort and asking them to give me a hand.

[scuro2]

Everything is easier to arrange down there. You can try texting him...remember they use their phones pretty well exclusively. That he reached out to you by email is saying something. They do everything on their phone but it is still pretty primitive down there. You will notice that if you pay to go on the internet at the resort...Dial-up speeds. Also the Cuban government is probably not keen on making international communication easy. Get a plan through your phone company so that you can use your phone down there. Text...phone. If that doesn't work get a local to do it for you. They will be very pleased to help you.

Flies...glitzy flies in small minnow shapes work. Think party colours or pastels. Black and dark earth tones...only in low light. When do you go?