Paradise?
The Holy Grail?
Las Salinas, Zapata, Cuba
Due to pressure of work, I didn't fish in Cuba in 2009; so I was keen to go back to my old haunts. In addition I had 2 friends who decided they had had enough of my stories and wanted to see the place for themselves. So we arranged to fish for 7 days at Las Salinas and Rio Hatigunaico.
The place was pretty much the same. The old guard house at the end of the dirt road had been knocked down and a new building erected; but the same cheery guards were still there; as were the mosquitoes. These pesky insects provide all the stimulus you need to tackle up quickly and get out on the water in the funny looking 'punt' that are probably the best stealth vessels ever. You can edge silently into the shallowest of water and so hunt bonefish in areas inaccessible to other types of craft.
The fishing was as good as ever and my two companions, new to the sport of flats fishing, caught plenty of bonefish. In addition one very happy angler hooked two and landed one permit. A remarkable accomplishment and something that many spend years trying to achieve. The task was probably made easier by the calm, matter of fact way the fish was hooked and played. It was only after the event that the guide explained to the nonchalant angler quite what had been achieved !
Paradise?
The Holy Grail?