Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin
May, 2010, Vol. 14, No. 8
As our panga motored toward Boca Paila Lagoon, the sun was rising over Ascension Bay. Speeding past a school of bottled nose dolphin, we slowed to observe a pair protectively corralling their young calf. Overhead, a flock of Roseate spoonbills displayed their pink curvy, spatulated bills. Eagle nests were scattered among limbs of the mangroves.
Ascencion Bay offers hundreds of square miles of crystal clear flats surrounded by sandy mangroves. While we were targeting fast action bones, my daughter Suzie and I kept our eyes peeled for a tarpon roll, the wavy fin of a permit, or nervous water stirred by a snook.
Bonefish, sometimes referred to as a “grey ghost”, are a coastal species found in intertidal flats, mangrove areas, and river mouths. Noted for their distinctive characteristic of having an inferior mouth with a conical nose and slender round body, they are built for speed in order to flee shark and barracuda predators. Their initial run on a hookup pumps anglers’ adrenaline.
Permit can be identified by elongated scythe-shaped dorsal fins, an orange-yellow patch on their belly and a forked tail. Shy, they are found in shallow, brackish water. Permit are considered one of the more challenging flats fish to find and hook.
Snook, called róbalo in Spanish-speaking countries, are prized for their tasty white meat. Also shy and challenging, they have a two-part dorsal fin, concaved shaped head and a black line running laterally across the length of their body. They are uniquely capable of living in both fresh and saltwater.
Watching schools of tarpon roll through an incoming tide spikes excitement. The bony mouth of the tarpon creates challenge of a hookup, as does the unnatural technique of “bowing to the silver king” or lowering the rod when the fish jumps. The action is done to prevent the tarpon from throwing the hook.
Tarpon, called sábalo in Spanish, are highly prized for these powerful jumping and fighting skills. Coastal fish, large adults sometimes reach eight feet (2.4 m) in length and can weigh in at a hefty two hundred pounds (91 kg.)
Snook and permit typically maintain a hidden profile along a mangrove’s edge. Unpredictable, seasonal, and fussy eaters, some anglers will never achieve the goal of releasing these species. Not only does the angler need to be in the right spot when the species are feeding, the above variables add difficulty to the task.
Flaky white flesh make snook one of the tastiest of fish. It’s hard to resist not taking one home for dinner. Permit, on the other hand, are a badge of honor for the fortunate who have released one.
It is the sport of releasing these shallow water game fish that attracts anglers to Pesca Maya Fishing Lodge. Located ninety miles south of Cancun in the 1.3 million acre Sian Ka’an (Mayan for “where the sky is born”) Biosphere Reserve, it sits on a narrow strip of barrier beach. Overlooking the Caribbean, Pesca Maya’s guest rooms are housed in three buildings. Each has its own bath with a tiled walk-in shower. Some have ocean views. A large house serves as the center for meals, fly tying and sharing of fish stories. Libations, including excellent margaritas, are served on the porch overlooking the beach.
Home-cooked meals begin with an early morning breakfast buffet. Before heading out to fish, anglers prepare their own box lunch. Choices include lunch meats, leftover entrees from the evening before and the old standby, PB & J. Snacks and fruit, water, soda, and beer are additional options to take along for the day. Dinner is served family style with a daily changing menu.
A short walk leads to pangas (skiffs) tied to a small dock on the “El Rio” system of flats, channels and mangroves. The prevailing wind dictates the direction for a day’s fishing. Pesca Maya boats head either to Boca Paila Lagoon, a barrier beach inlet ten miles to the north, or four miles south to Ascension Bay.
Locally made fiber glass pangas have a casting platform and are powered by a Yamaha 40 HP outboard motor. They, they are perfect for fly-fishing. Comfortable for crossing Ascension Bay on rougher days, these pangas can also maneuver in six inches of skinny water.
In Ascension Bay, and along the Yucatán peninsula coastline, schools of small to medium size tarpon can be hooked in mangrove areas. An occasional two hundred pounder can be found in nearby deeper water.
Consistent depths and nutrient-rich water make Ascension Bay a nursery and feeding ground for permit. Many consider the area one of the best places to target permit, especially large ones weighing more than thirty pounds. Fly fishers will find the area’s wind protection advantageous. There is always a protected flat or lagoon for easier casting as well as wading.
Towards noontime we headed towards the shade of a mangrove. Having packed sandwiches for lunch, we are eyeballed by an iguana sunning on a branch. Looking over the side of the panga, we watch a toothy barracuda. The water shed must be a nursery for eagle rays. We saw many small spotted ones swimming along the sandy bottom.
Serious anglers head to Ascencion Bay because it offers a good chance at the rare opportunity of a “grand slam”, a bonefish, tarpon, and permit, released on the same day. As for Suzie and myself, while a few others explored Maya ruins or snorkeled the beach on calm days, it was our quality time spent chasing bones and taking in the sights of the Bay.