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The Fishing at Costa de Cocos

The Guides:

We have 5 staff guides that have been hand picked and trained by the owners of Costa de Cocos.  Having staff guides gives us reliable , oredictable fishing with English speaking guides.  They can help you cast better, they will spot fish that are unspottable, they will enjoy being out on the water as much as you.  They are proud to be guiding as it is a prestigious job in this area. The boats we use are  the local pangas  carefully adapted for fly fishing.  All are equipped with large  forward casting decks, safety gear, all have radio contact with lodge in case of an emergency. With unlimited access to gas they are not afraid to travel  to distant areas if that is where the fishing is good.

The Fishing:

Chetumal Bay is larger than Ascension Bay, in fact it would take over an hour just to cross it.  There are flats on the ocean side that are quite close ( there are bonefish and occasional permit right in front of the lodge) while interior bay flats can be 45 minutes away.  There are thousands of acres of flats and just a few boats.  The fishing pressure is extremely light. The flats range from hard white sand to silty muck and everything in between. Most of the lagoon flats off the bay are mangrove lined.  You can stalk bones as they travel in and and around mangrove shoots with their backs out of the water!  Large schools of smaller fish are unsuspecting and pretty easy to fool, while the larger singles and doubles a little more challenging but generally if they see a fly ( providing you haven't spooked them with the cast) they will eat it.

Anglers target bonefish and permit that roam the skinny waters. The bonefish average 2 - 4 pounds. There are fish up to 12 pounds that can be found on the deeper edges and on the oceanside flats.  You can walk the shore in front of Costa de Cocos and find bonefish or permit sneaking around close to shore. (Never walk the beach without a fly rod in your hand!)

Permit are also present on the flats in good numbers.  I wish I could say they are eager to the fly but even without pressure permit are difficult to fool. Some say it is the eyesight, some say it is their sense of small. The average size is less than 5 pounds, but 10-pound fish are caught occasionally every year. Tarpon are scattered in the lagoons and on the oceanside and are found baby size to over 100 pounds.

You will fish extensive backwaters and bays, lagoons along with the oceanside flats, providing a good variety of fly fishing opportunities.  There are barracudas, jacks, snappers and many other fish that are in abundance in this area.

 
Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

PO BOX 180446  BOSTON  MA 02118
Phone: 888-857-6700  
Fax: 617-427-7890
ed@flyfishingheaven.com