Everyone was excited; my first permit, and it seemed like a good one. Not only is Jose a great flats guide, he They do not, however, command nearly the same respect in the angling world as a Permit. Options include unique fishing lodges, exclusive ranch stays, riverside vacation rentals, and affordable hotel packages. MONDAY-SATURDAY 8:00 am-6:00 pm The upside is the permit fishing is consistently good through June and July (Julio notes that May is typically the best month), and June is also when big migratory tarpon begin to show up along the reef. Associated with Xflats fly fishing. Quintana Roo, Mxico - Xcalak is a village of 375 inhabitants in the municipality of Othn P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. with the best permit guides in the world in terms of expertise. The place is far nicer and mainstream than led to believe in the pictures. Stay in a cabaa or a small casa, and spend the rest of your time on land in the palapa-topped lodge preparing for the next day and boasting about your triumphs. On spectrum of cost, Xcalak is on the low end for lodges and guides, although its location makes it a little difficult to get to. During nine days of fly fishing and travel in the Yucatan Peninsula, the novel coronavirus went from being a faint American concern to a full-blown national emergency. I landed the fish, a bit disappointed, but happy nevertheless at putting a good fish in the boat. March 3, 2023. Accommodations are off-grid, which gives any vacation in Xcalak a touch of adventure. Watch on. Our packages and trips were designed by fishing-obsessed father and son duo Jim and Chase Looney with anglers in mind. (3 spots remain.) There is a landing strip in Xcalak, but Patrick and I cant yet afford to charter our own plane, so we opted for Cancn, where Miguel and his brother Alberto, the amicable drivers of a shuttle arranged by Costa de Cocos, met us amid the throngs of vacationers outside the airport. If you just have a day or two to spare, day trips are a great way to experience Montana's legendary fisheries. Traveler favorites. Other times, our guides found hundreds (maybe thousands) of small bones mudding in on a deeper flat (also a good place to look for permit). Double occupancy (boat and room) -$4,495.00 USD. These fish are tough, with extremely hard mouths, so getting them to eat sometimes was not the hard partsticking the hook was. Sign in to access your subscriptions and subscriber-only content. Let us help you build the perfect lodging and fishing package. We loved it so much, that we are even planning to head back November 16-23, 2019, and we have a few spots still available. Re: DIY Fly Fishing. Last updated 3/1/23. The most popular fish in Xcalak are permit and bonefish, but theres a lot more than that for you to hook. Some days were better than others for finding rolling tarpon, but when they were up, they were up! Xcalak Fishing is a fly fishing guide service located in the remote Mexican fishing village of Xcalak, Quintana Roo. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RASMUS OVESEN & MARTIN EJLER OLSEN, Blue Ribbon, Fly-Fishing Fever in Heber Valley, Fish It Well Diaries, Chapter 5: Camille Egdorf, Discovering Resilience: Photos by Jess McGlothlin. Day 6Our last day in Xcalak would be another rest day. After 5 minutes or so the fish was getting closer to the boat. The permit are swimming right to left, on a diagonal line, but suddenly, they start coming toward us. Luggage options for the traveling angler. Journey to Xcalak | Saltwater Fly Fishing | Trey Reid If you wish, you can join a kayaking tour, which is usually paired with a snorkeling excursion. More from their website : "Tucked along the world-famous Chetumal Bay, the Xflats at Tierra Maya's 7 beachfront suites are elegantly . Mexico Fly Fishing Trip Report: Costa de Cocos Lodge, Xcalak, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Five Classic Rivers to Flyfish on Your First Trip to Argentine Patagonia, 5 Trips for Fishing the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch on the Yellowstone River, May Fly Fishing: Montana's Mother's Day Caddis Hatch, A Guide to Spring Fishing on the Gallatin River, Chile fishing trip report: Magic Waters Patagonia Lodge March 2022, Argentina Fishing Trip Report: February 2022 at El Encuentro Lodge and the Brook Trout Basecamp, Belize April Trip Report To Turneffe Flats Lodge - 2021, Ascension Bay Mexico Flats Fishing Report: Grand Slam Lodge, Patagonia Chile Fishing Report: Magic Waters Lodge February 2020, Jurassic Lake Lodge Argentina Fall 2019 Trip Report, Alaska September Fly Fishing Trip Report; The Bristol Bay Region at Intricate Bay Lodge, Steelhead Scouting Mission to Southeast Alaska, Jurassic Lake Lodge Argentina Fishing Trip Report. We offer both full and half day options. xcalak, Mexico A World Class Fly Fishing Destination Xcalak and Chetumal Bay are rated among the top fishing destinations in the worldwe leave nothing out All-Inclusive Fly Fishing Packages As any experienced angler knows, it's not just about the fishing, it's the location too. DIY Saltwater Fly Fishing - Etiquette on the Xcalak flats. } Poor fisheries data, many fishers, and increasing tourism development I would reccomend it, even just for the entertainment value. Weather in the Northern Rockies can be fickle and it is always a good idea to come prepared regardless of the season. Jacks are close relatives of Permit, and they sometimes swim in schools together. Your guide knows where to find the fish he spots them, and you hook them. The excellent fly fishing is found on the bonefish and permit flats of Chetumal Bay. Xcalak is an out off the way destination that may lack the big-name draw of places like Ascension, but for the price, it may be the best deal in saltwater trips out there. Costa de Cocos, Only 2 kms from town, this accommodation is the closest thing to a resort youll find in Xcalak. 2-8-23. Spend your days fly fishing the saltwater flats, snorkeling the coral reefs (just steps from your door), or simply eating too much local food and napping in the dappled shade of a palm. Needless to say, the diving and snorkeling here is world class. The town sits next to the Caribbean on a small spit of land that separates the Ocean from Chetumal Bay. Go far enough, and its not that you forget about the worriesits that the worries forget about you. Many had a mix of experience guiding out of Xcalak along with guiding at Ascension Bay. Chetumal Bay is at the far southern tip of the Yucatan, near the border with Belize. trips from $300 : Sapos Del Mar . Located just a few miles north of the border with Belize on the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula, Xcalak is a tiny fishing village that shows little influence from the outside world. Mexico Fly Fishing Trip Report: Costa de Cocos Lodge, Xcalak Tierra Maya Lodge, At 9 kms north of town, this secluded accommodation is a fantastic destination for DIY fly fishing. The front side of Xcalak, or 'out front' as we like to say, is an expansive coastline fishery that offers a little bit of everything, regardless of the conditions. Fly Fishing for bonefish in Chetumal Bay. Jose Xcalak | Home So, head to the ADO bus terminal in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar or Chetumal . Required fields are marked *. February 8, 2023. A few of us even opted to grab a lodge kayak and head out to the oceanside flats for a little afternoon casting practice. In addition to boat fishing, Chetumal also offers excellent wade fishing. Curious about this undiscovered fly fishing mecca? These were just a few spots that our guides had in their back pockets for the right situation. Destination Reports Xcalak Bonefish Round 2. Some of the bonefish I personally took shots at while wading said secret lagoons led me to believe that a 10-pound bonefish in the Yucatan was entirely plausible. The town sits next to the Caribbean on a small spit of land that separates the Ocean from Chetumal Bay. Here in Xcalak, Mexico, we have some of the most beautiful saltwater flats for fly fishing in the world. These lagoons are mangrove-lined and accessible on all tidal phases. These are the fish we seek when the deeper questions of life are on the table. Located just a few miles north of the border with Belize on the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula, Xcalak is a tiny fishing village that shows little influence from the outside world. Fly Fishing Xcalak, Mexico Jan 2019 - YouTube The second-longest reef in the world, it stretches nearly 700 miles, from Isla Mujeres in Mexico to the Bay Islands in Honduras. The farthest most tourists go is Tulum, a lively resort town named after the nearby Mayan archeological site and lined with hostels, cafs, bars, and openair restaurants. If you can picture all that, you will have a good idea of what life is like out on the Xcalak and Chetumal Bay flats! Xcalak Fly Fishing Basics - Xcalak Mexico The XTC Fly Fishing Experience. @Rob, not a resort dude, really just easier to find videos from folks staying at resorts. On the boats at 8am and back at the dock 4-430pm. All Rights Reserved. Faro Xcalak, Othon P. Blanco's tide times and tide charts, high tide and low tide times, fishing times, tide tables, weather forecasts surf reports and solunar charts for today. Options include diverse lodging packages, camping trips, wilderness horse pack expeditions, day trips and world wide travel. Get it together I told myself. Xcalak Real Estate & Homes for Sale | Point2 Acocote Eco Inn: Perfect for the adventurous - Read 144 reviews, view 87 photos, and find great deals for Acocote Eco Inn at Tripadvisor preserve. Often overlooked in favour of Ascension Bay to the north, this is a huge fishing ground and home to plenty of bonefish and permit, and plenty else besides. Information related to travelling to Montana: which airports to fly into, major towns, etc. This was a now or never, make or break moment. 1 While natural . color: white; hands. For me, it is steelhead. }. Off Xcalaks coast is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Experience some of the lower 48's most remote fisheries. and guiding in Xcalak and I can tell you that things have never Very well done Kev, glad you had a great trip. With food and drinks included in the cost of the lodge, our gear was sorted rather quickly into our rooms. Accommodations then were spare and dirty, fishing was so-so. Xcalak is a small fishing village on the southern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the State of Quintana Roo. This phrase is somewhat of a mantra for a few who joined us on our recent trip this past December to Costa De Cocos in Xcalak, Mexico. We didnt see a lot of snook on our trip, but the ones we did see were pushing 40. In 20 Minutes You Can Start Speaking Spanish. With clear underwater visibility, warm temperatures, and the presence of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the coast of Xcalak offers fantastic scuba diving and snorkeling. Were pleasantly surprised to learn from the bartender, Jos, that Costa de Cocos not only brews and bottles it own beer but also distills its own bourbon and corn liquor, which could double as fuel for the pangas anchored out back. Then we visited again. Xcalak on the Fly is the Yucatan Peninsula's newest fly fishing lodge based out of Casa Paraiso. Even after the opening of the Parque Nacional de Arrecifes (Xcalak Reefs Natonal Park) many of the inhabitants still feed their families from the sea but now often in the form of guiding fishermen or . The Chetumal Bay flats in Xcalak are vastly larger than Ascension Bay further north, offering the fly. Spring creeks offer the ultimate challenge in the fly fishing world. He covers the coast and inland waters. But what the sand lacks in smoothness, the beach makes up for in seclusion. The lodge will supply you with non alcoholic beverages and lunch to take on your fly fishing quest. Again, I really enjoyed your report. The first time I went to Xcalak, what stood out the most was the places authenticity. After stretching our legs, refueling on appetizers, chips, homemade salsa (a personal favorite), and downing a few beverages; it was time to rig up. Really like your blog. Both to the north and south of Xcalak, we have numerous rivers, creeks and cenotes that come together to form lagoon systems of differing sizes. font-size: medium; document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Duranglers Flies and Supplies Fly Shop Xcalak is a refreshingly undisturbed fishing village nestled along Mexicos southernmost Caribbean coastline. display: table; It depicts a good summary. THE BEST Xcalak Fishing Charters & Tours - Tripadvisor .fullwidth-signup{ Whether it's the birdlife, stunning Caribbean vistas, or world-class fishing, we can promise you that we will show you a unique and memorable experience out on the water. You wont be roughing it though this palapa hut comes with its own private bathroom. The more I learned about these fish, the less I understand. We quickly spotted a school of Bonefish and Tony caught one, so it was my turn to fish. "It's all about the beaches": Sargassum algae, tourism, and coastal I have fished with Captain The restaurant at Cocos is a popular place to cool off with one of their microbrews and trade stories with other fishers. Two units have generated flow nonstop, day and night. Talk your guide about what you want to try for snook, tarpon, barracuda, or jacks. Costa De Cocos Lodge isnt totally out in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but it is out of the way. width: 100%; If you have fished in the Bay of Ascension you can expect fewer but larger fish in Xcalak, the average being 3 to 4 pounds. Electricity comes from solar panels, except for on cloudy days when a diesel generator kicks in, and the rooftops capture rainwater and channel it into underground cisterns to use for showers and cleaning. Bonefish - Bonefish live on both hard and soft bottom flats so fly fishing will be wading and boat casting. Dolphin and Sailfish have been caught to the south in the 150 to 200 range, and the surf is finally fishable, though Jack Crevalle have been the most likely catch. While beach destinations in Mexico, such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen, are well-known for their long, beautiful stretches of sand, theres another perfect spot along the Caribbean Sea that receives far less tourist attention: Xcalak. Tags: Bahia Blanca, bonefishing, Mexico, Xcalak. Episode 37 - JESSE COLTEN: The Xcalak Episodes - Part Two of Two The long ride south to Xcalak along scenic Highway 307 offers a fascinating look at the countryside and the villages dotting the eastern edge of the Yucatn Peninsula. We flew into Cancun on a Friday the 6th of December, overnighted at the Cancun Airport Marriott, and then were picked up the following morning for a 5-hour drive south into the Mayan jungle. Your flight is NOT included in the package and must be purchased separately. He was never seen or heard from again. Originally started as a diving and snorkeling lodge to cater to tourists wishing to explore the Mesoamerican barrier reef 400 yards from shore(more on that later), the owners of the Lodge quickly realized the immense potential of the fishery in front of and behind their lodge.