What It s Like - The Fishing Day

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Dale Sullivan
5 years ago
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Every January since 1991, Todd Bowen, one of Key West s most trusted fishing guides, arranges a trip to Ascension Bay for a select group of friends and clients.

This keeps the cost reasonable, and allows anglers the opportunity to stalk and catch fish on the flats independently, working in partnership with friends, as well as with the assistance of guides.

1 Every January since 1991, Todd Bowen, one of Key West s most trusted fishing guides, arranges a trip to Ascension Bay for a select group of friends and clients. We stay in the charming and remote village of Punta Allen. Todd hires the best local fishing guides, at a ratio of 1 guide per 3 anglers. This keeps the cost reasonable, and allows anglers the opportunity to stalk and catch fish on the flats independently, working in partnership with friends, as well as with the assistance of guides. In addition, Todd goes out with different anglers throughout the week, providing extra support to beginners and those seeking instruction. It s a wonderful change from the typical deluxe fishing lodge experience, at a fraction of the price. Punta Allen in January offers remarkable fishing for bonefish, permit, snook, and resident tarpon. Because of its accessibility to a sheltered lagoon, as well as most of Ascension Bay, good fishing can be achieved in almost any of the weather and wind conditions we usually encounter in January. Located within the Sian Ka an Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage site, Punta Allen itself is a long-established fishing village of a few hundred families. Compared to the rampant development of much of the rest of the Riviera Maya, Punta Allen and the surrounding area remain largely undeveloped and unspoiled. Todd selects rustic, charming accommodation. It s not fancy, but it s comfortable, and typically located right on the beach. Meals are eaten in local restaurants. The cuisine is based principally on freshcaught local seafood, though options for carnivores and vegetarians are available. While the trips cater to anglers of all skill levels, most of the clients are many-time repeat guests. If you re a beginner, you ll find that Todd is an expert and patient teacher. In addition, your boat-mates will be happy to show you the ropes and help you learn how to fish the flats independently. What It s Like - The Fishing Day Around 8 AM, we assemble in front of our lodging, and the guides drive us 5 minutes to the dock, where we ll set out for a full day of fishing. We re usually on the boats by 8:15 AM or so, heading out of Punta Allen harbor on the lagoon side of the peninsula. Where we go depends on the wind, sun, and individual preferences. The best days are sunny with moderate wind. Sun allows us to see fish more clearly (while bonefish are beautifully camouflaged, they cast a shadow on a sunny day that s easy to see). On such days, virtually all of Ascension Bay is accessible. It takes about minutes to cruise to flats within the lagoon. Flats in Ascension Bay vary in distance, but cruising times typically range between 45 and 75 minutes. Ascension Bay is sheltered by a barrier reef, so it is possible to cross it in our small fishing skiffs even in moderately strong winds. At such times, the boat handling of our experienced guides is a joy to behold, as they dodge swells and try to keep the ride as smooth as possible. On very windy days, we ll head for the lagoon, which

They offer shallow water flats fishing at its finest, with the potential to see tailing bonefish and wakes even when it s cloudy and your ability to see fish is otherwise poor.

2 Punta Allen and the Lagoons Above: In poor weather, much of the fishing takes place in the lagoons immediately west of Punta Allen. The lagoons are somewhat sheltered from the winds. They offer shallow water flats fishing at its finest, with the potential to see tailing bonefish and wakes even when it s cloudy and your ability to see fish is otherwise poor. It s challenging fishing, and you feel real satisfaction when you do catch fish. Ascension Bay Left: On good weather days, virtually the entire extent of Ascension Bay is accessible from Punta Allen. Todd and your guide will select the optimal spot to fish based on wind, tide, and sun angle. The runs to Tres Marias or Vigia Grande are under an hour.

It s rare to get skunked, though you can expect one or more tough days in any given week, when you might catch only one or two fish.

3 anglers than me, who ve caught a couple of dozen cruising fish, or more, in a single day. A typical permit is 10 pounds or so. I ve caught one in 4 trips, though I ve never really focused on trying to catch them. It s rare to get skunked, though you can expect one or more tough days in any given week, when you might catch only one or two fish. That said, one of the most memorable days I ve ever spent on the water was a day on the lagoon when I was ultimately skunked. It was an overcast, still day after a cold night, and you could see the few bonefish that were moving from half a mile away, from the wake they left in the shallow water. They were incredibly spooky in these quiet conditions, and I remember creeping 300 yards to intercept a fish that was slowly making its way across the flat, is much more sheltered than the bay. Also on cloudy days, when seeing is difficult, the shallow flats in the lagoon allow us to track wakes and movement, even if we can t see the bonefish s shadow. An alternative on cloudy days is to target snook, which can usually be seen cruising along the edges of mangrove islands, next to deep pockets. You will usually have the option to stay in the boat and fish with the guide, or walk the flats. On a typical morning, two anglers will walk the flats by themselves, and one will stay in the boat with the guide. (Sometimes, depending on the anglers preferences, the ratio is reversed, and two anglers will stay on the boat). A couple of hours later, the boat will rendezvous with the walking angler(s). We ll break for lunch, and then cruise to another spot. Depending on conditions, we ll either split up again, or sometimes everyone will fish from the boat, taking turns casting from the bow platform. Most of the time we ll be fishing for bonefish, and we ll target permit opportunistically. On a good day you ll have shots at hundreds of bonefish, whereas it s unusual to get more than a few shots at permit. In January, tarpon are even harder to find than permit, though your guide can improve the odds of catching either species if it s a priority for you. To set expectations, a typical bonefish is a couple of pounds... you ll see bigger ones, up to 10 lbs, but they re very hard to catch (the biggest I ve landed is probably 6 lbs). The most fish I ve ever caught in a day is about a dozen cruising bonefish (not counting schoolies... small bonefish that you can pull out of schools holding in deep trenches in significant numbers). I ve shared the flats with more skilled tailing intermittently. I was thrilled to get this tailing bonefish to take my fly, and unlucky that he got off. But I ll never forget the satisfaction of stalking this fish. Even though I ended up getting skunked for the day, I was thoroughly entertained. If you truly enjoy fishing (not only catching ), every day on Ascension Bay can be a real pleasure. Fishing Tackle Most anglers on Todd s trips use fly tackle, though spinning tackle can be very effective. All fishing must be catch and release because it is located within the biosphere. 6-9 wt. fly rods are most useful, with 7 wt. or 8 wt. rod being your go to rod: 7 wt. on typical days and 8 wt. if it s a bit more windy. A 9 wt. can be use-

If your reel isn t sealed, the drag may get wonky if you dunk it in salt water, and ruin a day s fishing. So the extra cost of a sealed, salt water reel is worth it. Floating lines are fine.

4 ful for snook, or if you re specifically targeting permit. A 6 wt. is useful for bonefish on quiet days when stealthy presentation matters the most. We recommend bringing at least two rods, as most clients experience a broken rod sooner or later. You don t need a $700 reel, but any reel you do bring should be of high quality with sealed disc-drag. If your reel isn t sealed, the drag may get wonky if you dunk it in salt water, and ruin a day s fishing. So the extra cost of a sealed, salt water reel is worth it. Floating lines are fine. Many anglers prefer to overline their rods to make it easier to load them when casting. It depends on your personal preference, your rods, and casting style. Flies are very much a personal preference, but you don t need to bring a zillion patterns. For bonefish, by far the most popular is a pink crazy charlie, in sizes 6 and 8. You can bring other colors (especially tan and brown), but you don t need a rainbow of colors. Small crab patterns work well for permit, and equally well for bones. Most of your flies should be lightly weighted, as most of the time you ll be fishing shallow flats, but you will sometimes want heavier flies to sink into deeper trenches. So having a variety of patterns from light weight (mostly) to heavy (few) is useful. The guides will expect you to have your own flies for bonefish and permit, but they will usually provide patterns for snook or tarpon. If you like to tie flies, and have favorite patterns, by all means bring them! Tippet should be 1x to 2x fluorocarbon (usually 10 lbs. to 12 lbs. breaking strength). 25 lbs. and 35 lbs. is useful for the butt end of leaders. Forceps and nippers are important to bring, as you won t always have a guide to help you. Bring line cleaner! You ll be rinsing salt water off your line every evening, and lubricating your line makes it that much easier to cast. You should bring a vest or fishing pack which can hold your fly box, tippet, rain jacket, a liter or more of water, and lunch. At times you may be on your own, away from the boat for most of the day, so a pack that can hold all of this comfortably is essential. Staying in Punta Allen Your fee includes private accommodation in a beachside cabin, usually a traditionally designed Yucutan structure called a pilapa. There will be a restaurant within easy walking distance where we ll meet for breakfast at 7 AM, which is shortly after sunrise. We ll usually return from fishing by 5 PM. Dinner is scheduled for 7 PM at the same restaurant as breakfast, though we ll dine out at a different location once or twice during the week for variety. Punta Allen has very limited shopping. If you need a tube of toothpaste or a sachet of laundry detergent, you ll be able to purchase it in town. However, there is no pharmacy and no tackle shop, so you ll want to bring pretty much everything you need with you. Tap water is NOT potable, so your room will be supplied with bottled water. Electricity service is available for only part of the day: from 9 AM to Noon (when you ll typically be fishing), and from 6 PM to 11 PM. You ll want to plan ahead, for example, if you need to charge batteries. There is no cell phone service in town (the closest is in Tulum). There is usually a WiFi hotspot where

we stay which is available when electricity is on. Data rates are adequate for email, but don t expect to stream video, and Skype is iffy.

After 5 years, we ve tried to pare down the list to the minimum that you really need. Punta Allen is completely casual, and fishing clothing is the uniform. So you don t need anything fancy.

5 we stay which is available when electricity is on. Data rates are adequate for , but don t expect to stream video, and Skype is iffy. If you don t have your own computer, there is an Internet cafe in town. What to Pack See the check list at the end of this document. After 5 years, we ve tried to pare down the list to the minimum that you really need. Punta Allen is completely casual, and fishing clothing is the uniform. So you don t need anything fancy. But it is sometimes hard to keep stuff clean, as sand gets into everything. When you re hand washing, it s hard to get stuff completely clean. That s why, after long experience, I ve divided clothing into fishing clothing, which is going to get dirty, and in town clothing, which I can try to keep reasonably clean. You ll need some sort of shoes for wading the flats. Rubber booties with zipper closures work OK, but are hot when you re not wading. Flats sneakers, which breathe, are much better. The average daytime high temperatures is about 80 degrees, with a low at night averaging 70. That said, you need to be prepared for a temperature range that will sometimes drop into the 50s, and since such low temperatures are usually accompanied by rain, it will feel even colder. A fleece hoodie for cool nights, and a medium weight, long-sleeved fleece undershirt is useful (you can use both if it gets really cold). A synthetic undershirt or two takes up virtually no room in your duffel bag, but you ll welcome the extra warmth if a cold front settles in. Even in January, the tropical sun in Punta Allen can burn you badly. High quality, polarizing sunglasses are essential both to protect your eyes and to see the fish. Bring a spare pair in case you lose or break the primary pair. You will want a protective sun hat with dark underbrim and a cloth to cover your face and nose (even the heavily tanned guides all wear them). If you re very sun-sensitive, consider sun gloves. Make sure you bring plenty of sun screen and lip balm. For clothing, light colors are best. Quick drying long sleeve shirts (which you can roll up if necessary) and long pants (or convertible pants) work best, though less sun-sensitive folks will wear shorts with sunscreen and over-the-calf socks. You probably won t want to wade with bare shins, since some water supports sea lice that burn on contact. They re annoying, and long pants or tall socks offer some protection against them. You MUST be prepared for rain. Some sort of high quality, waterproof/breathable rain jacket is essential. While walking the flats, we can sometimes get hit by passing showers, which can be intense (though they re usually gone within 15 minutes). You ll always want to bring your rain jacket with you on the boat, even if the weather looks perfect in the morning, as afternoon showers are common, even on nice days. It will double as a windbreaker. Because power goes off after 11 PM, be prepared with a flashlight so you can make your way back to your Pilapa at night. If you like to read late at night, you might want to bring some sort of battery powered reading light. Batteries are surprisingly hard to buy in Punta Allen, so bring plenty or bring rechargeable batteries and a charger. By the way, Mexican plugs are the same as in the US, so you don t need any adapters.

6 Packing Checklist Fishing Clothing (one set to wear, one set drying after being washed the previous evening) 2 long-sleeve fishing shirts; quick drying 2 pair convertible nylon fishing pants; quick drying 2 pair, synthetic undershorts (e.g. CoolMax) 2 pair heavy wading socks 1 pair Flats Sneakers or boots Sun protective hat with dark underbrim. (Hat should have a clip or strap to keep it on your head in windy conditions and during boat rides) Sun gloves Sun sock/bandana to protect face and neck Waterproof/breathable rain shell In-Town Clothing (you can certainly wear your fishing clothing in town - it s very casual - but it will get sweaty and muddy. It s nice to have clean clothing to change into at the end of the day. You can wear it several times between washings). 2 long-sleeve casual shirts 1 casual pants 2 pair medium socks Casual leather shoes with fully enclosed footbed (some days you will experience sand chiggers biting your feet and ankles. On those days you will definitely want a fully enclosed shoe). Sandals Short-sleeved synthetic/wicking undershirt (for layering) Long-sleeved synthetic/wicking undershirt (for layering) Synthetic/fleece hoodie (for layering) Fishing Gear (Keep in mind there is no fly shop within a 4 hour drive of Punta Allen. You need to bring everything you need, or depend on your buddies to bail you out). 2-4 Fly Rods (for different wind conditions, and in case one rod breaks. Ideal combo would be a 9 ft 8 wt. for windy conditions, and wt for light to moderate winds. 7 wt and 9 wt rods are also useful. If you can only bring one rod, make it a 7 or 8 wt.) Sealed drag saltwater reels and warm-water lines for each rod Fluorocarbon leaders: 9 /10 lbs (bring one new leader for each rod, plus at least 3 spares) Fluorocarbon tippet: 0x, 1x, 2x plus 30 lbs (High quality, moderately stiff fluorocarbon tippet works best. 2x should have at least 10 lbs breaking strength. 30 lbs tippet is for shock tippet and terminal tackle) Nippers Forceps or needle-nose pliers (debarbing hooks and removing flies) Line cleaner and dressing (your lines do get sandy and dirty. Cleaning them no less than every other day makes a big difference) Fishing Pack (able to carry all of your fishing gear, plus rain jacket, lunch, and a liter of water) Polarizing sunglasses (2 pair - high quality sunglasses are a must. Second pair is a spare in case first pair is broken or lost) Magnifying glasses (consider bifocal sunglasses) Flies (you don t need a lot if they re the right ones) _Crazy Charlies (mostly #8, some #6, a few #4 in pink, tan, and brown) _Gotchas with lead eyes and rabbit fur --Small crab patters with steel and lead eyes Other Essentials Bright LED flashlight (It s dark in the room after 11 PM, and between 4:30 and 6:00 PM) LED reading light (If you re the kind of person who likes to read a book when he wakes up in the middle of the night, you may want to bring a reading light) Spare batteries for above ipad or netbook: to get your via WiFi Insect repellent (Usually the insects aren t too bad, but there are some days... Everyone tries the non Deet stuff, discovers it doesn t work, and ends up lathering on DEET. I usually bring both a big spray bottle, and a tube. UltraThon is the best) Laundry soap (your light packing list means you re washing out your stuff almost every day; packets or small bottle of camping detergent, designed for hand washing, is useful) Toiletries Prescription medications Sun screen (minimum SPF 30) Lip balm

Mosquitoes and sand chiggers can be a problem, especially in the evening. Bring good quality bug repellent. Travel Logistics We fly into Cancun Airport.

The group shares a van (included in the price) from the airport to Punta Allen (usually departing no later than 3 PM, depending on flight times).

7 Mosquitoes and sand chiggers can be a problem, especially in the evening. Bring good quality bug repellent. Travel Logistics We fly into Cancun Airport. Trips are usually scheduled to start and end on a Tuesday to avoid the weekend crush. The group shares a van (included in the price) from the airport to Punta Allen (usually departing no later than 3 PM, depending on flight times). You should plan to book a flight that arrives no later than 2 PM. It s roughly 100 miles from Cancun to Punta Allen. The first 75 miles (to Tulum) is traveled over modern, high speed roads, and takes about 90 minutes. The final 25 miles is along a sand road down the barrier island which ends at Punta Allen. This road takes a great deal of abuse from vehicles, rain, wind, and storm tides. The final leg can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the condition of the road, which varies from year to year. When the road is particularly bad, we arrange for the van to drop us off on the mainland side of the lagoon, and have our guides shuttle us over the final mile to Punta Allen in their boats. The return trip will depart around 7 AM, and usually will take 3-4 hours. Allowing a minimum of 90 minutes at the airport, the earliest departure you should schedule is 1 PM About the author: Michael Goldstein has been coming to Punta Allen with his wife June since shortly after he met Todd through a mutual friend in their home town of Trenton, NJ. Their first trip was January-February of 2008, and 2012 was their 5th consecutive visit. Michael had fished for bonefish only once previous to his Punta Allen experience, and he credits Todd and the guys for significantly improving his flats fishing skills. Michael created this brochure to use with his friends to encourage them to come to Punta Allen with him. He has not been paid, and has not received any other financial consideration, for creating this document.

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