Couple of Sports from England go Mayan for a Week

We had two wonderful guests from England fish with our guides for a week even though the lodge was not yet officially open for the season.

Andrew Halliday, on a short military leave her Majesty's service, flew from England with his dad Ian to sample flats fishing on this side of the pond. Andrew's booking agent who suggested the Palometa Club to them forwarded on their reflections of the trip: "Well all I can say is wow! It is a hell of a beautiful place and totally different to anything I have been to or seen before. We did catch the tail end of the weather that the east coast of the U.S. got and so northerly winds blew for the last three days. So that was a bit of dampner but we did get the opportunity to see the bay in all its sun kissed beauty for the first three days or so. Yeah, I was debating it with my old man as we flew back. Totally different to anything we have done in South Africa and Mozambique where we really cast as far as possible and cast blind and just hope for a leviathan of a fish to hit a fly. Sum total, sometimes a big GT, but much fewer fish definitely. Plus the water we covered was greater than anything we would have come across in South Africa...I used to think the Kosi Bay region was massive, but nothing compared to Ascension Bay. So the sight fishing with floating lines was a real eye opener but for the right reasons. It did emphasise that my casting isn't good enough yet, and needs more practice, but having said that the only fish we didnt get into was the permit....saw one, ran/waded like fury to get to it and then delivered one cast which lined it and it moved across left to right in front of me and about 80ft. So no luck there. But plenty of bones around the 1.5-2lbs mark, snook 6-8lbs, baby tarpon 6-15lbs and then the assortment of snapper and jacks. So all in all I cant complain. My old man likewise got into some nice fish, a few bones, jacks and a tarpon and snook, with his spinnning gear. So he's a happy man as well. In genereal the fish were much more responsive to the fly though, even with my messy presentations! Oh, forgot to mention both of us hooked into some nice barracuda 10-20lbs but broke us off quickly...in my case because I thought from a distance that the barracuda was snook(embarrasing I know) so no wire trace, and in my dads case the cuda just ripped the plug apart and then threw the remaining treble hook. The guides from Palometa, Charlie and Corin were good, I think they despaired with the cold northerly wind in the last few days but overall I fealt they worked hard. Very friendly and always on time, etc. Having said that I went with their advice always and never specified anything in particular (i.e. lets fish for permit or bonefish exclusively etc). Just went with the Mayan flow. All in all a great introduction to flats fishing and fishing in the Americas...things learnt and things to get me fired up for another visit which is what you want I think. Actually found it very difficult to get on the plane in Cancun and am in a pretty grumpy mood today back in the UK...just really enjoyed the atmosphere and climate and could have spent much longer out there without getting bored or breaking a sweat. But I guess everyone feels that way. Hopefully it will be the first of may trips. This trip just really wetted the appetite and while isnt wasnt quite an epiphany, it certainly confirmed that this is something I want to invest alot more time in pursuing. Quite how I manage that being in the army is another question!"