A Recommended Fly Fishing Guide In Cozumel

Subscriber Ian Sorell tells us he bonefished recently with a guide on the island of Cozumel southeast of Cancún, Mexico. It was not his first trip to that area. He writes:

“I fished once again this past Christmas with veteran Mexican guide Ignacio “Nacho” Juan Martin. Over the past 12 years, he has always put my parties on fish, and I consider him one of the most knowledgeable and hard-working flats guides I’ve ever met. He puts in a full day and even provides a lunch comprised of sandwiches, seasonal fruit, sodas, and beer.

“Nacho met me and my fishing companions, a 17- and a 20-year-old angler on their first flats-fishing trip, at the Cozumel ferry terminal before 8 am. We were fishing within a half hour. We brought along our own 8 wt. fly rods rigged with floating lines for bonefishing and light spinning rods to cast to barracuda.

“Conditions were ideal for December. There was a light breeze and blue skies with only patchy clouds. Visibility was excellent. We fished the island’s northern lagoons (now protected from commercial fishing by the newly created Cozumel Marine Park Conservation Area) and had plenty of shots at bonefish. There were large schools of 20 or more fish, plus smaller groups and larger singles. The latter proved to be a great challenge. When we had repeated refusals of a particular fly pattern, a quick change was all it took to get back into action. Generally, light to dark tan flies were best.
“We waded much of the time and also fished from Nacho’s panga. Nacho brought along his son, Alberto, who helped provide guidance for my inexperienced fishing partners. Both boys caught bonefish. Though we saw no permit during this trip, there were opportunities for small tarpon and several small barracuda. As a plus, we spotted numerous roseate spoonbills, ospreys, hawks, and other birds.

“Nacho charges $350 for a full day on the water. His Web site address is: www.bonefishcozumel.com. His e-mail address is: nacho@ bonefishcozumel.com.”