More from their website : "Tucked along the world-famous Chetumal Bay, the Xflats at Tierra Maya's 7 beachfront suites are elegantly . Other random by-catch I managed were snappers, small jacks, needlefish, perch, some reef fish, and one small saltwater crocodile. 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). There are no guarantees when permit fishing, but we found that if we really wanted to spend an entire day getting refusals, then there were plenty of permit to accommodate us. position: relative; . float: none; This isnt to say Chetumal is any less of a fisheryit just gets less pressure. @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { For me, it is tarpon. [Story by Nick Roberts / Photos by Patrick Williams] THE SUN IS SETTING OVER THE SLEEPY FISHING VILLAGE OF XCALAK, MEXICO, casting the barrier reef in amber light and bringing out the vibrant green and blue hues of the oceanside flats. Boats and Equipment All boats used by the lodge are 23-foot pangas that accommodate two fishermen and a guide. Xcalak (I have no idea how to pronounce that) is waaaay down there in Mexico past Cancun, past Ascencion Bay, almost to Belize. Okay so I thought about this a lot today and let me restate my earlier comment. I was also an unlucky one when I managed to hook and lose a permit pushing the 20-pound mark the next day, solidifying the fact that I would probably have said fever haunting me for the rest of my life. Quiet about Xcalak! 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. Brandon, I am careful when I write these reports because I am not an expert and dont want to pretend to be one. Fly fishing Xcalak with XTC Dive Center is a unique experience unlike any other adventure in the Yucatan. Cleanr theme by WPShoppe. At Miguels suggestion, we stop for a late lunch at a taco stand, where the four of us eat our fill of pollo and carnitas for only eight dollars. The clear water and marl bottom mix allow for great biodiversity within each lagoon, providing plenty of food for Bonefish, Snook, Cuda, small Permit, and Tarpon. This special guide covers real estate, retirement and more in Mexico and is yours free when you sign up for our postcards below. Traveler ranking. Grand slams are not uncommon in Xcalak, so set your sights high! Required fields are marked *. width:max-content; At XOTF, our goal is to provide you with the most personalized and all-inclusive fly fishing experience. Welcome to Permit Paradise! The closest town to Xcalak is Mahahual, home to a cruise ship port, restaurants, shops, hotels, and a Mayan-themed water park. Xcalak Fishing is a fly fishing guide service located in the remote Mexican fishing village of Xcalak, Quintana Roo. 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. Xcalak, Mexico - Driftwood Caravan Outdoors More than 11222 fishing boats in 110 countries. maybe you are just very ready for a vacation to explore the In our group, we had two that were lucky enough to connect and land a permit on the first day. Great report Kev,and IMHO you did everything right re your rod choice mate.As this was your first experience of this kind you didn't take knives to a gun fight. While staying at El Pescador Lodge in Belize, weve seen boats from there flyfishing in the Bacalar Chico Reserve. From there, the best way to get to Xcalak is to rent a car and drive south on Highway 307. hands. While none of our group boated a snook this trip as it was a little early in the season, we still had a few shots. fly fishing maybe you are very excited about snorkeling or On Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, far from the over-developed beaches of the Riviera Maya, you'll find a small, beachside fishing village called Xcalak. Xcalak. Fly Fishing Xcalak, Mexico Jan 2019 - YouTube Ruin explorers can easily visit the Chacchoben archaeological site, about a two-hour drive from the village. I toss the Rag Head Crab into the air, load my 9-weight, and aim a couple feet in front of the lead fish. Xcalak Real Estate & Homes for Sale | Point2 The fishing routine was simple and timely. The town sits next to the Caribbean on a small spit of land that separates the Ocean from Chetumal Bay. Find out when to come, what equipment to bring, browse blog articles, and more. It usually lead to a more productive day of fishing when we were maximizing our guides knowledge of the area along with searching for fish we had a better chance of getting shots. We know you'll love fishing with . }. Experience the wilds of Montana on a multi-day horse pack adventure. Go far enough, and it's not that you forget about the worriesit's that the worries forget about you. 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. and permit with Captain Jose. Here are our recommendations for rods, lines, flies, tippet, waders and more. .signup-column { X-Flats - Xcalak, Mexico June 10-17, 2023 - Fish Tales Fly Shop His fly fishing writings have been published on blogs such as the Daily Drake and Simms Wading Room. Tarpon, aka "Sabilo" We recommend an 8-9 wt rod, typically we are chasing the tarpon early in the morning along the mangrove edges and in the lagoons. March 2, 2023 Fishing Report - Lilleys' Landing Not to mention the list of 'other' species, such as Barracuda, Snapper, Jacks, Snook and Cobia that are all a real possibility on every trip. Big, small, funny, and fast. I have not caught a permit (yet) and am a complete amateur in the saltwater environment so I was wondering if it may have been a big one or was in some coral that you needed to put the wood to it? margin: 1.5rem 0; Both the saltwater flats and inland lagoons make for excellent kayaking and SUP. Enter dates. For over 20 years, underwater visual census survey data has been collected periodically at 36 spawning aggregation sites, and grey literature is available since the 1940's, yet managers and conservation practitioners report that abundance tendencies for 48% of grouper and snapper spawning species across the 36 sites are 'Unknown', despite . The permit are still there, about 20 yards out. The Fish Xcalak on the Fly Adventurous travelers will be curious to explore beyond Xcalaks tranquil beaches. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Duranglers Flies and Supplies Fly Shop Get away from it all on our extensive network of private access waters. JavaScript is disabled. Night time temps were pretty cool, so having an AC was a non-issue and the showers were hot! 970-385-4081 If you have spent any time on a saltwater flat with a guide, then you are always amazed by how far an experienced guide can spot fish. Strangely enough, comfort should loose to joy, almost always. The town is remote, and so far south, it's only six miles to the Belize /Mexico border. overflow: hidden; Our good friend, Captain Rob Perkin of Connect Outfitters, has over 30 years of experience off the beach at Pacific City and has been running guided Rockfish/Salmon fly fishing trips for several years now in an awesome boat crafted by his own hands. These were just a few spots that our guides had in their back pockets for the right situation. Deep sea, light tackle, fly fishing - you name it! We have the safest, fastest, and driest boats in the . Hey Bjorn, Finally, when the tides were right, and the clients were willing, a few guides had sneaky spots where they would anchor the boat, put on the wading shoes and bomb through the mangroves into the Mayan jungle. 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. Local skipper Victor has lived in the area for 35 years and has been guiding fishermen in the area . After suffering several hurricanes, Xcalak maintains a small population dedicated to fishing and tourism, maintaining its . Xcalak has been a favorite for over ten years. Many had a mix of experience guiding out of Xcalak along with guiding at Ascension Bay. 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. Not only is he an excellent Now, obviously joy can be found everywhere and in every situation, we find ourselves in, including work (we must choose to find it)but we are talking about the joy that can be found in fly fishing. Snorkel, kayak, and enjoy the constantly warm weather far from the snowy north. white sand flats, throwing at cruising Bones and scouting the deep water for Permit. Like us, theyre here to take advantage of Costa de Cocos great off-season rates. Come wade the warm, tropical flats of Xcalak in search of Permit, Jacks, Bonefish and juvenile Tarpon from the quaint fly fishing village of Xcalak, Mexico. 2023. These fish sneak to our minds without warning, upturn our mental tables, tip the shelves of reason, smash the windows of logic, set fire to the couch of stability, and leave without an explanation. Some days it was permit, some days it was tarpon, but the constant was of course bonefish. And thats how we truly fell for this beach town in the south of Mexico. Your email address will not be published. The restaurant at Cocos is a popular place to cool off with one of their microbrews and trade stories with other fishers. been more beautiful or better here than they are now. The tarpon opportunities were not an all day, everyday kind of thing, but when they were there, it could be a few hours of almost constant targets! Acocote Eco Inn, Located right in town, Casa Cangrejo is a straight up fly fishing lodge. The flats of Chetumal Bay are home to an incredible amount of bones, and I had a few days of specifically targeting them. Dr. Mike Larkin on Bonefish The Tom Roland Podcast. border: 0.2rem solid #ffb500; It comes with the package. https://www.josexcalaktours.com/index.html. I landed the fish, a bit disappointed, but happy nevertheless at putting a good fish in the boat. A pair of windmills power the resort, and like any good fishing lodge, it has its own restaurant and bar, which is where Patrick and I head after stashing our gear in our cabana, one of 16 spread along the waters edge. This might be a deeper existential opener for a blog post designed to inform you about our recent trip to Mexico, but it might be a necessary one. It also happens to be one of the best places to DIY saltwater fly fish. Running south, we have a maze of grass flats, sandy shorelines and coral bommies, all of which are home to Bonefish, Permit and Triggers, along with the occasional Shark and Cuda. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. To get to Xcalak, you can either rent a car at the airport, or the Costa de Cocos Resort in Xcalak can arrange for a complimentary shuttle to pick you up. Off Xcalaks coast is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. } Chetumal Bay is at the far southern tip of the Yucatan, near the border with Belize. Looking at the case now10 years removedis like trying to investigate a crime that was never actually a crime. Top Fishing Charters in Xcalak. Tags: Bahia Blanca, bonefishing, Mexico, Xcalak. About Xcalak - Xcalak Fishing Day 6Our last day in Xcalak would be another rest day. A typical fishing day has you departing the Lodge at 8:00 AM and returning around 4:00 PM. We didnt see a lot of snook on our trip, but the ones we did see were pushing 40. 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. Thanks for the great report! Even if the wind is howling out of the east, there are plenty of sheltered places to fish in Chetumal Bay, which is as large as Espiritu Santo and Ascension Bays combined. It's been at least 20 years, but did stay in Xcalak and fished 5 days, DIY with rented panga. I found this video fresh off the internets. I found that with our guides at Costa de Cocos, we had very little issues with any of our guides. These fish are tough, with extremely hard mouths, so getting them to eat sometimes was not the hard partsticking the hook was. Finally, heading south of Xcalak town, the water turns coloured and offers excellent opportunities to target rolling Tarpon, as well as Snook and Jacks as they feed on Sardines and glass minnows sheltering close to the mangroves. 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. He and his wife Illana own Costa de Cocos resort, which sits on . Not only is Jose a great flats guide, he In part one, Jesse and Waypoints host Jim Klug discussed the southern Yucatan fisheries of Xcalak and Chetumal Bay, the challenges of owning a saltwater lodge, Jesse's personal obsession with permit, and how to build a career in the fly fishing industry. Bring the basics and you are good to go. On the boats at 8am and back at the dock 4-430pm. 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. Id love to make it down there. 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. When to Visit Xcalak - Xcalak Mexico Oregon fishing report for March 4 - The Guide's Forecast Welcome to Xcalak, Mexico. Permit fever is a real thing, and for those experiencing this diagnosis, Chetumal bay is a good place to seek a fix (I say fix, not cure as there is no such thing). Xcalak is one of the towns that has been maintained over time in its most natural state. Each is constructed with a forward casting deck . Please check the website to learn Shop White's Tackle Let me share my thoughts. Fly Fishing in Xcalak Mexico - Holy Waters Xcalak Mexico, one of the last traditional fishing villages on the Go now, he whispers excitedly. Click here to receive the sport of fly fishing's most authoritative magazine. Your email address will not be published. Both Victor and Nick are great guys to fish with. I personally felt it was incredible, but I am partial to anything coastal, and anything Mexican. He was never seen or heard from again. There's a boat ramp in the southwest corner of the lake. Nathan Bolerjack. Learn more about Mexico and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter. Powered by Its early June, the official start of hurricane season, and the only other guests of the resort are pairs of anglers from Argentina and Texas. Chetumal is no exception as it boasts resident baby and juvenile tarpon, along with large migrating adult tarpon in the summer months. When he is not plugging away in the basement of Duranglers, he can be found in the shop talking weird flies, throwing spey casts for few fish, eating pizza, drinking coffee, painting, and raising a family in Southwest Colorado. The town is home to just 400 local fishers and a scattering of resident expats. Your journey begins by flying to Cancun, where you will be whisked away from the urban hustle and bustle to the much more relaxed pace in real Mexico. 20-40 lb leader is perfect and when they're in the mood to bite they will eat a variety of bait fish patterns in sardines and mullet intimations and og tarpon flies like tarpon toad, black death, gummy minnows and ep minnows, in black and . These pickup trucks carry fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, and snacks. Xcalak - American AnglerAmerican Angler We take care of all the gear and you just sit back and relax after arriving in camp. Xcalak Mexico - Xcalak Mexico Our drive led us past the gringo tourists on rental bikes, past food carts unadvisable for visitors, and past the multi-million and mega gaudy resort entrances. CAR Most visitors to Xcalak arrive at the Cancun International Airport (CUN). Not just a fishing and diving lodge, Costa de Cocos boasts a restaurant, brewery, and distillery. Manage your subscription or add a digital edition to your print subscription. In an area as remote as Xcalak, you can always appreciate the natural beauty, but you might be wondering, what else is there is to do? Hosted Trips, Classes, and Events - Tyer's Table with Captain Rob But what the sand lacks in smoothness, the beach makes up for in seclusion. Back then there wasnt really a trustworthy tourist website and we just couldnt figure out if the trip was worth the effort. However, for what the rooms might have lacked in luxury luster, everything was more than made up for with food, drinks, service, and staff! Targeting the plentiful bonefish is always an option. XTC local guides maintain a high degree of knowledge on fly fishing and casting artificial lures for all species of saltwater fish found in the area.