Tarpon Caye Lodge, Mexico

Species:  Tarpon
Season:  February – October
Capacity:  6 anglers
Cost: $3775 per angler, double occupancy
Insurance: GLOBAL RESCUE

Tarpon Caye Lodge is not far from the bustling madness of Cancun.  On the northern shore of the Yucatan Peninsula is the charming town of San Felipe and an unparalleled opportunity to fly fish for juvenile tarpon in the 5 to 25+ pound class. Recognized by the government for its biological wealth, this incredible fishery has been designated a marine preserve, thus protecting this tarpon “nursery” from commercial netting and fishing.

Most of the fishing at Tarpon Caye Lodge occurs over very shallow flats that are covered by a dark colored, broad leafed turtle grass. Roving schools of tarpon in the 5lb – 15lb class can number just a few or several hundred. The guides are excellent at scanning for rolling fish and would expertly pole the boat to intercept a school on the move and get us in position for a cast.

At times we would anchor the boat and wait as football field sized shoals of fish would cruise to within casting range.  We’d launch the fly in the general direction and retrieve with a brisk strip that kept the fly off the bottom. After that, it’s just a game of watching your fly disappear into a big, black bucket of a mouth and holding on! The resulting aerial display is breathtaking, as they tail-walk, leap, and launch themselves into the air with reckless abandon.