For live and premium content, sign up for our email newsletter and we'll send reports directly to your inbox
Still on the subject of Cuba, we have just learned that Planet Fly Fishing in France (www.planetflyfishing
.com) is actively booking a largemouth bass fishing trip there. Longtime followers of Cuba’s fishing scene will remember that rumors of fantastic (but forbidden) bass fishing in Cuba drove American anglers crazy long before saltwater flats fishing emerged as the top draw. Later, word leaked out that netting had all but destroyed bass fishing in Cuba.
Not so, says Planet Fly Fishing’s Olivier Lauzanne, who sent us this blurb about Lago Leonero in the province of Las Tunas, way down the island, not so far from the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay. “Cuba’s former reputation for black bass fishing is well known even today despite overfishing that has left most lakes almost empty,” Lauzanne writes. “Lago Leonero is an exception. About five-and-a-half square miles in size, Leonero is quite shallow, which makes it attractive for fly fishing. The lake is inside a huge natural park that is protected by the Cuban government. Only a few very knowledgeable tourists know about this lake and have had the privilege of fishing it during the past few seasons. It’s very rich in fauna and flora, and it holds a fantastic density of big bass between seven and 15 pounds. The prime season is from November to March. In late 2008, a small fishing center was created on the western shore of the lake. It is equipped with four boats with 40-horsepower engines. Lodging in a three-star hotel is available about 45 minutes by car from the nature reserve. A six-night trip (one in Havana and five in Las Tunas), including four full days of fishing, is €1,750.”