The Zapata peninsula of Cuba’s south coast offers an as yet unspoiled dream for the discerning saltwater fly-fisherman.  Its vast expanse of beautiful, shallow flats can be reached only by non-motorised skiffs, thus ensuring protection of the enviable quality of bonefish and permit fishing to be had in the area.  Separately, the Hatiguanico River provides a spectacular contrast – of both scenery and sport – and is where large numbers of baby tarpon (up to 40lbs!) and snook are to be found.

An excellent destination for those looking for good fishing and good value – not so good for those looking for luxury.

THE FISHING:
For little more than 10 years Cuba has been recognised as offering some of the best saltwater flyfishing in the world.  The Las Salinas location, which is just 2 hours drive from Havana, is still relatively new and undeveloped.  What it lacks in sophistication and infrastructure – compared to the other Cuban destinations that we offer – it makes up for in the quality of the fishing.

On these flats the skiffs accommodate just a single fisherman plus guide, which gives a truly one to one experience.  It also means that the whole day can be dedicated to landing those challenging bones and permit, and not a moment has to be shared.  Similarly, the fishing for tarpon and snook in the River Hatiguanico is on a single basis, subject to availability.  The choice of how many days are spent at each location is up to the fisherman, provided that it is arranged in advance.

The beauty of the Las Salinas fishing is the utter solitude, with not even the sound of an outboard motor to be heard;  just the gentle murmur of flamingos or herons on the wing.  Or as Matt Hayes records:  “ …  an extensive system of saltwater flats that are so perfect that were you to attempt to design the perfect bonefish flat in your mind it would fall short of the reality”.  Here you are as likely to find bonefish in schools of hundreds, as singletons – those bigger lone cruisers that present the real challenge to the experienced flyfisher.

ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT:
Accommodation at the Hotel Playa Larga is adequate and reasonably comfortable.  It offers air-conditioned accommodation, with en suite bathrooms, and hot and cold water.  It has its own wonderfully secluded white sandy Caribbean beach.  It also has a swimming pool, and several other facilities.  Within the package, transport is provided – both between Havana and Playa Larga, as well as between the hotel to the fishing each day  - usually by including car rental.  To the Las Salinas fishing from the hotel, the journey is about 35 minutes through the Zapata National Park bird sanctuary, offering sensational in the winter period views of flamingos and 80 other rare bird species.  To Rio Hatiguanico the journey is about an hour.  

THE PROGRAMME:
The programme can be organised for any number of days.  However, a recommended trip would include:

	Day 1:			Arrival in Havana, spend 1 night in a 4 star hotel.
	Days 2 to 7:			Early a.m. departure for Playa Larga on Day 2;  6 full days fishing (say, 4 at Las Salinas and 2 at Rio Hatiguanico) – 6 nights accommodation at Playa Larga.
	Day 8:			Return to Havana – for return home, or optional extra nights.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:
The whole of the Las Salinas peninsula is a National Park preserved exclusively as a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary.  There are over 800 species of birds – some unique to Cuba, some migratory.  Tours to watch the huge variety of birds can be arranged (for the fishermen this is a daily occurrence on the way to, and back from, the fishing).  Visits can also be made to a nearby Crocodile Farm, the Bay of Pigs Museum and to the inland salt-water pools where one can swim with shoals of tropical fish.  Diving and horse riding are also available.  And of course the hotel beach, pool and bar provide for many hours of relaxation and recreation.

SEASON:
The fishing at Las Salinas and Rio Hatiguanico is productive all year round, with the Rio Hatiguanico being more productive between March and August.  However, high season (in terms of occupancy) is generally considered to be the period January to May inclusive.

RATES – 2007/08 SEASON:
Rates per person depend on group numbers.  For a full 6 day guided fishing package for a group of 4 anglers, as detailed in the Programme above, including superior minivan rental, one to one guided fishing, single rooms, full board: UK£1,080/person.

SUPPLEMENTS:           
Havana airport VIP reception, and single room, supplements available.

CONDITIONS:
A 50% trip deposit is required to hold your reservation. Full payment is due 60 days prior to travel.

 

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Stalking with stealth.

Alexander Kennedy casting away.

The acrobats of Los Jardines.

Koki with a prize permit at Los Jardines.

La Tortuga - the luxury house boat.

And other species can be caught
on the fly (if you're not careful!)

Two predators - and two prey.

Explorador - the travelling house boat.

There must be few flats fishermen who have not been tempted to visit the ‘Mecca’ of saltwater flyfishing, at Los Jardines de la Reina, Cuba.  And those who have been there almost invariably make return visits.

The ‘Queen’s Islands’ are a cluster of over 600 tiny virgin islands and cays lying some 120 km off the south coast of the Cuban mainland.  The whole area is a national marine park, and none of the islands is inhabited.  Remote is the word, and only dedicated fishermen, or divers, will find this trip of interest  ……….

THE FISHING:
……… But those who are dedicated will never forget the experience.  The fishing operation was set up by an Italian company in 1996 and is extremely professionally run.  The company has exclusive rights on all the fishing, and has been diligent in steadily building up experience since then to improve both the fishing and the catering.  The fishing area covers almost 1,000 sq miles, with the result that there is no pressure on the fish.  You need to be lucky even to see another member of the fishing party.  With such a huge area there is plenty of opportunity for fishing both from a skiff over turtle grass, or for stalking the bonefish on foot on hard bottomed sand flats. 

In the Jardines de la Reina you will find some of the finest bonefish in the world. With the islands stretching over 80 miles, you will get to fish many areas where few anglers have ever thrown a fly. The bones are large – averaging a solid 3 to 5 pounds, but fish in the seven to ten pound range are caught almost every day. One of the main joys of this bonefishing is the sunset hour, when it is often calm, and schools of tailing bones can be seen hundreds of yards away, their golden tails glistening in the light of the falling sun.

Tarpon are abundant and readily available on the flats and in the channels and "rivers" almost any day. Most of the fish in the channels are "baby" tarpon - fish in the ten to forty pound class (!), and just a delight on a 10 weight rod. These smaller tarpon are far more acrobatic than their larger cousins but pull plenty hard enough to make you work at catching them. On the flats the average size grows to 45-80 lbs and the newly discovered fisheries in the deep ocean channel produce specimens up to 120-130 lbs.

As every frustrated fisherman knows, Permit are both more elusive and more challenging to catch.  Los Jardines de la Reina has more than its fair share of permit – particularly in terms of average size (20 lbs).  This is permit fishing much like the very best in the Florida Keys. The largest permit tend to be found in two to three feet of water, on a high tide, and adjacent to deep water.

Many other fish are commonly found on the flats or on the reefs.  Mutton Snappers abound and those caught on a fly run between three and eight pounds, but fish right up to fifteen pounds are a distinct possibility.  Jacks (both Jack Crevalle and Horse Eye Jacks) are from the same family as the permit.  They are some of the most aggressive feeders on the flats and thus much easier to catch than the permit.  Big Barracudas are plentiful around all the bonefish flats. Most will be three to four feet long, and will give any fly angler a terrific fight. Caribbean Reef Sharks are also common on the flats. They will take a fly and the action can be spectacular. Sharks up to 150 lb. have been landed by fly anglers. Seeing one of these monsters roll up to the surface and smash a popper is an awesome experience.

 Fishers that want to try trolling off the reef with plugs, bait, and even flies, encounter many other species of fish. Various snappers including the huge Cubera Snapper are present as well as groupers, jacks, kingfish, albacore, wahoo, and bonito and big cudas.

There are no restrictions on the hours of fishing at Los Jardines – simply the client’s choice.  You may fish all day till you drop, or you may chose to break at lunchtime for a siesta and resume to catch the evening fish tailing in the golden sunset.  There are even after-dinner outings to baitfish for tarpon, cubera snapper or sharks in the moonlight.

THE PROGRAMME:
The programme is for 9 days, Friday to the following Saturday, with 6 days fishing (5 full days and two half days).

	Day 1: (Friday)			Arrive in Havana.  Overnight in a 4 * hotel.
	Day 2: (Saturday)			Early morning start for road transfer to the port of Júcaro (3 hrs) and thus by the speedy transfer boat, the Sol, to Los Jardines (21⁄2 hrs).  Arrive in time for lunch and a full afternoon’s fishing.
	Days 3 - 7: (Sun - Thurs)			5 full days of fishing, commencing with breakfast at 7.30am.
	Day 8: (Friday)			Full morning fishing, lunch on board, transfer boat to Júcaro, road transfer to a 4 * hotel and overnight in Havana.
	Day 9: (Saturday)			Day at leisure in Havana.  Depart for home.

GUIDES & SKIFFS:
Several of the guides have been with the operation since the outset, and all are highly skilled.  Perhaps because of the remoteness of the location, there are no fixed hours for fishing, and they are more than willing to accommodate the fisherman’s preferred pattern. 

The fleet is composed of 12 sturdy Dolphin skiffs, which are ideal for the distances covered, the seas encountered and for poling the flats.  All are equipped with radio in case of emergency.    And, despite the vast area available for fishing, Los Jardines applies no restrictions on the use of fuel.

ACCOMMODATION:
There are four options for accommodation at Los Jardines de la Reina.  The splendid 110 ft long double decked floating hotel, La Tortuga;  the yacht Caballones; the La Reina (the refurbished Explorador) ; and the cruise yacht Halcon.

La Tortuga is permanently anchored in a totally protected channel, such that there is never any movement whatsoever.  It has seven comfortable rooms, each of which has an individually adjustable hi-tech airconditioning system, its own private bathroom with shower, toilet, and hot water.  There are plenty of rod racks and facilities for cleaning tackle at the end of each day.

The Halcon is an ideal solution for a private party of 6 to 8 people.  It is a recently refurbished luxury yacht.  It is 75 feet in length, and is equipped below decks with six cabins, and three bathrooms with good showers and plenty of hot water.  Above there is a large salon, which is fully air-conditioned.  Meals are served on the afterdeck where there is normally a nice breeze.  The big advantage of the Halcon is the flexibility to cruise for the whole week around this huge island system in order to find the absolute best fishing.  Four guides and four flats skiffs available at all times.  The guides also live aboard the Halcon.

The flexibility to cruise for the whole week is also available on the Caballones and La Reina.  Caballones is a very comfortable 75ft. yacht, fully refurbished at the end of 2006, all rooms air conditioned, with 4 double rooms (one is a queen bed for a couple) and 4 bathrooms, and a large upper deck where meals are usually served.  As with Halcon, the guides live aboard along with the guests.

La Reina is a comfortable 69ft. yacht, fully refurbished end of 2005, all air conditioned, with 4 double rooms and 4 bathrooms and a large upper deck where meals are usually served.Catering on all boats is provided by Cuban staff under Italian management, and the food is an excellent fusion of the two cooking styles.  The abundant daily supply of fresh fish and lobster is matched by pork, chicken and other ingredients brought from the mainland. Wine with the evening meal is included in the package, as is the daily rum cocktail with which each skiff is greeted as it arrives back from the day’s fishing.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:
For those that are not fishing, the Jardines de la Reina offers a variety of other wonderful alternatives. The diving and snorkeling is world class. A fully-fledged diving operation is run on board in parallel with the fishing.  The experienced divemasters offer resort courses for even non-certified individuals, so everyone can participate.  Also, aside from stunning variety of marine life, the above surface flora and fauna is fascinating. Bird varieties commonly seen include ospreys, pelicans, frigate birds, spoonbills, and many different sorts of herons and egrets - to name a few.

SEASONS:
The fishing for bonefish, resident tarpon and permit is productive all year round.  However, the best season for the large migratory tarpon is February to June.

	Low Season:			15 October to 31 January				30 June to 31 August
	High Season:			31 January to 30 June				-
	Peak Season:			31 March to 15 June				-

RATES - 2007/08 SEASON:
Rate per person for the full 6 day guided fishing package, as detailed in the Programme above, including domestic transfers, with shared guide and skiff, shared twin rooms, full board:

- from UK£2,606 (Halcon)

- from UK£2,010 (La Tortuga)

- from UK£1,872 (La Reina)

 - from UK£1,872 (Caballones)

SUPPLEMENTS:
Havana airport VIP reception, single room, and/or one to one guided fishing, supplements available. A domestic flight plus bus transfer alternative between Havana and Júcaro via Cayo Coco is available as a supplementary extra (although the elapsed time is greater).

CONDITIONS:
A 50% trip deposit is required to hold your reservation. Full payment is due 60 days prior to travel.

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A fish of almost transparent beauty.
(courtesy of A. Salvini)

Taking the strain.
(courtesy of A. Salvini)

By no means just a man's sport.
(courtesy of A. Salvini)

A bone ready to return.
(courtesy of H. Larson)

'Permit' me to introduce you to the crab fly.
(courtesy of F. Barbazza)