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Still in Cuba, a subscriber who did not reveal his name reports fishing Jardines del Rey on the north coast of Cuba this past May with Slipstream Angling in Toronto, Canada (www.slipstreamangling.com). He reports catching a 15-pound permit and lots of six- to 10-pound bonefish and then goes on to describe some highlights of the trip:
“I was amazed at the rich soil and beauty below me as I flew over Cuba and into the international airport. I booked this trip with Slipsteam Angling, and it was completely seamless from start to finish. They greeted me at the airport and arranged for a taxi to take me to the Hotel Nacional. You simply must plan on spending two to three days in Havana before you go out fishing. It is a beautiful city with great architecture and very friendly, accommodating people. I felt completely comfortable in Havana because of Slipstream’s team.
“The flight out to Jardines del Rey took about 90 minutes. On arrival, I was transferred to a bus for a two-hour ride through a rural farming area out to the little town of Brasil. There, some hard-working folks at a great little lodge greeted us with a cool mojito. As for the fishing, I released my first bonefish ten minutes after leaving the dock on my first day. It was on the small side, but as the day progressed, I saw 15 permit and six tarpon, one of which was an 80 pounder. My boat partner, Gary, had two follows by tarpon. No takes. The fish were really spooky that first day.
“Day 2 started out fantastic. I was up on the bow and the guide pointed out a ray that had a permit shadowing it. I made a cast and let the green crab sink and then just barely lifted it. The permit hit it immediately, and, 30 minutes later, I released my first permit, a 15 pounder. Day 3 was slow. I released one bonefish, saw eight permit, and Gary had a long-line release with a ’cuda. On day 4, there was no wind and the water was like glass. At one point, I spotted two huge tails off the bow of the boat. The guide said, ‘Permit!’ I made my cast only to watch them move slowly away. A wasted opportunity! But it was very exciting to be casting to two huge, tailing permit. In fact, I have never been so excited and pleased on the flats in my life. Later in the afternoon, we saw an 80-pound tarpon laid up as we sped by in the boat. We doubled back but couldn’t find it. At that point, we decided to do some channel fishing for jacks and snapper.
“On day 5, we decided to stalk tailing bones and had a very good day. I released a nine pounder and a few other six-plus pounders. On reflection, I have never seen so many permit and tarpon cruising around flats that resemble those I have fished in the Bahamas. This was a great trip.”
Postscript: The subscriber gives the cost of his trip as $5,000. He recommends it to fellow subscribers.