A Smashing Fishing Holiday in Cayo Coco, Cuba. Bonefish, Red Snapper and Barracuda Provide Good Sport

15lb of hard fighting red snapper

As the title hints, I returned from Cuba this week minus a spinning rod! More on that later. The fishing was good though and despite some unfavourable weather I was able to get a couple of trips in. So, no complaints from me! My first day out was with Dunisky, one of the recommended local guides. We were joined by another holiday making angler, Jim. The three of us set off for the national park at low tide to target bonefish and permit on the fly and were soon wading in the warm, clear, shallow water and sight casting to individual fish. I soon spotted a huge bonefish, estimated to be about 12lb. I cast, dropping the fly just behind the fish, a bit short I thought but to my surprise the fish turned, snapped at my fly and the line tightened. Unfortunately the excitement of hooking the giant bonefish was short lived and after only a few seconds the fish threw the hook and was gone. Jim had similar misfortune with a large permit and that pretty much shaped the morning for us, both Jim and I hooking and losing several more fish. With the tide coming in and the water quickly getting deeper we were forced on to the boat to try trolling and spinning. This was instantly successful with fish falling to Rapala X-Rap plugs. Fishing these lures in eight feet of water produced plenty of takes and by the end of the day we had landed red snapper to 15lb, several blue runner, yellowtail and a dozen barracuda to 12lb. Day two and I was out with a different guide, a chap called Alex, who had a box of flies that he said would catch me the bonefish I was after. He wasn't wrong and on only my second cast I hooked and landed a bonefish of about 4lb. Five more followed swiftly, topped by a personal best of 6lb. A fantastic mornings fly fishing! Once again the incoming tide meant a change of location and tactics was needed for the afternoon ahead and so we made our way to an area known as the Bahamas Trench to fish lures. Sport was good and I enjoyed catching more red snapper and blue runner, but it was what happened towards the end of the day that will remain long in my memory. A very large grouper took a liking to my plug, Alex was quick to point out that it was well over 100lb, he estimated it to be nearer 150lb and I was left in no doubt as to its huge size as I watched the rod arch over, the reel start to scream and 150 metres of braid disappear off the spool in no time. Fearing the monster fish might empty the spool completely Alex tightened up the drag, something had to give and unfortunately it was my Greys travel rod, the sickening crack and subsequent jolt on the braid bumped the hooks free from the fish and as I looked down at my now useless spinning rod I was just pleased to have not been pulled overboard! Toby has his holiday to Cuba coming up soon so hopefully he will enjoy similar success and if he catches that grouper he can tell the beast it owes me a fishing rod!

My personal best bonefish