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This summer, for the first time in 6 years, I missed my Trout pilgrimage to the Rocky Mountains.
Here on the Yucatán peninsula the heat, humidity and risk of hurricanes generally result in there being next to no business here for a fishing guide during August and September so historically I migrate north for a river fix. This year after a family vacation I found myself on the southern Yucatán since mid August.
2024 once again broke temperature records. Back in the spring the water was hotter than normal. Walking on a flat thinking you take colder baths is generally a bad sign when looking for sight fishing opportunities with species with a high Oxygen requirement.
Recently, the dive community reported ocean temps of 90F at a depth of 60 feet. Flats inside the reef's protection far exceeded 100F on all except the cloudiest of days.
August brought tons of rain and the nearby cenote lagoons were full to the brim, almost over the sand dune and at 2 to 3 feet above sea level (this also causes discoloration of the Oceanside shorelines through seepage further diminishing sight fishing opportunities) and colored like Cherry Coke.
The drainage of this freshwater into the ocean is the annual restocking for these lagoons as Tarpon run the flows looking to push back into the Mangrove channels, ponds, and lagoons where they can gulp air, charge up, and lay waste to the myriads of tiny baitfish struggling in the heated shallows.
This season, out of the blue, some repeat clients and good friends from the US wrote in, seeing as I was home, as they had a window for a last-minute three-day trip.
Skeptical about what we could achieve oceanside, I keenly accepted the booking. I'm always excited to see the new arrivals in the lagoons, and in the light late summer winds, I expect to get top-water Tarpon action as they blow up on the baitfish, fly after the Needlefish, and jump for the Dragonflies.
As their arrival approached, the clouds stepped aside, leaving us with bluebird skies and even higher temperatures.
I stuck to the plan and, early the first morning, launched into a local lagoon. A few fish were rolling along the lee edge as we poked in, but a bunch of activity over one of the caves quickly had us headed to open water. Both Mike and Jason saw some fresh and spirited Tarpon in the 15-lb range in the air. Despite our efforts, we couldn't raise them to our gurgler patterns, and as the sun got higher, we withdrew to the takeout and drove to the beach.
After walking past a half mile of Sargasso-lined orange water, we entered the water on a clearer point with mixed substrate, and within a few minutes, over a Turtlegrass patch, I saw black, then more black.
I called the shot thinking there were four; by the time the fly landed, there might have been 20 Permit swimming towards us and slightly right at 40 feet. The first cast drew one fish from the pack but resulted in an abandoned follow after 3 or 4 feet. He rejoined his buddies as we recast.
As the fish moved over a sand patch, we could see all of them now, maybe more than 20? No time to count. Their 4 to 8lb bodies silhouetted dark against the turquoise backdrop. Mike could pick a shot easily this time. A solid follow and the Mayan Claw Crab pattern was inhaled second strip.
Mike's 3rd Permit was celebrated briefly before trying to find that school again and get Jason a shot.
Our first chance came 50 feet further along the flat, where we encountered a different school: six fish, slightly larger. The next opportunity was a massive school of smaller fish just a few moments later. With the fly inside a school that large, an eat was almost guaranteed. And indeed, one fish took the bait, the line came tight, the fish visibly reacted, and then the line came slack.
Half an hour later, after no more shots at Permit, we walked into a known Bonefish area. I'm just thinking about Mike's Grand Slam opportunity, something he's not achieved yet in his 16 years of fly fishing the salt.
As we moved along the sandy margin, the heat of the water and the discoloration were off-putting. I stuck to the plan as I loved that spot. Finally, almost at the end of the sand, three Bones came swimming fast towards us in the gentle surf. Maybe they were moving this fast to get more water over their gills? It had to have been around a hundred degrees right there. The Crab didn't sink quick enough, maybe, but they didn't even look.
From what I'd learned, I had to look for deeper colder water to get this done. I checked in with Jason; the Permit hadn't returned, so I decided to move.
I took Mike to a known Bonefish hangout. The water was off-color, but the surf was bigger, and we could easily blind-cast onto sand 4 to 5 feet deep. The spot was alive with fish, from micro Permit in the edge through small Jacks and Needles under the surface. Within a few casts and a couple of Blue Runners later, we completed Mike's Slam.
The next day, the program was the same, but the lake and beach were different. The Tarpon showed up, but again, not on the surface. My first three beach marks were almost fishless.
These are my marks! One Trigger on the first spot, one Permit on the second. We return to where the Permit were yesterday.... not a fish in sight. Even the schools of Sardines had left. Water temp and clarity felt the same to me.
To get the rods re-bent, we returned to where we had completed yesterday's Slam. It was a fish a cast for a while. Ten species total, countless Bones, Plometa, Lookdowns, Ladyfish and more. A tiny Permit popped up for Jason; now he's got a Grand Slam! 2 in a row.
As the light got flatter towards dusk, a couple of Tarpon showed up. We switched to the 9 weight, and the second cast got a very jumpy 30lb fish in the air. He jumped to freedom a fair way offshore.
All I can think about now is day 3.
I chose a beach spot where I had a lot of fun in the spring floating my 14-foot Tracker amongst the Sargasso rafts looking for Permit. It’s kind of like Bow hunting compared to rifle hunting; you get to look in the eyes as they eat your floating or just subsurface Crab between the rafts at close range.
Just after dawn, we get a couple of Tarpon, walk a Trigger/Permit point, and see nothing again in the warm, greenish waters.
The light is up now, so we poke out into the Sargasso and are quickly on three Permit schools. Jason boats a fish from the third school. Despite a few shots for Mike, I can’t get one to eat for him, and my hopes of a double Grand Slam are dwindling.
We take the boat out and before heading back to the Bonefish spot, I set Jason up roll casting a Gotcha in a narrow Mangrove channel in the swamp near the truck. The baby Tarpon were aggressive, and a fish quickly came to hand.
Returning to the tiny piece of ocean (that seemingly had half the fish in the ocean crammed into a half acre), we quickly completed Jason’s second Slam in 2 days and our 3rd Grand Slam in 3 days. All the other fish were still there, plus a good Mangrove Snapper to add to the already impressive species list.
Would I recommend August or September for a trip here? No. If you find yourself here or anywhere else struggling to find beach fish in bathtub water, my advice and recent findings would be to suggest finding deeper, potentially cooler water, keeping your mind open to all species, and don’t be afraid to blind cast.
3 Slams in 3 days is no record, but I’m very proud of the result in challenging conditions in the hottest waters I’ve guided in my career so far.
Best fishes,
ND