Campeche
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
A completely different sort of fly angling adventure awaits in Campeche. The “Lodge” experience of most locations is traded in for the “Old World Mexico” city that is Campeche, and instead of the fast running bonefish being the target, here it is the high flying hard pulling Baby Tarpon. This is truly a destination where the fishing and the culture of a country compliment one another in amazing ways.
Baby Tarpon Release
The Baby Tarpon is often described as the perfect fly rod fish. It truly may be. They are often big enough to snap a rod. They fight with many mad leaps and twists into the air, and they make hard bulldogging runs. They are sight fished to with flies bright enough to see the strike. They will eat the moment the fly hits the water, or they may engulf the fly two feet from the boat. They love to eat flies and they fight like the mightiest fish in the oceans. Add the structure of the Mangroves and their propensity for throwing hooks and the challenge is on. Nowhere is there a better place to have as many opportunities to catch these perfect fly rod targets than Campeche.
Five minutes from your room in the morning, and you are on the edge of a vast mangrove jungle and floating over the largest intact turtle grass flats system in the world. You are in the domain of the Baby Tarpon, and they are here by the thousands. By the time you make your first cast, you’ll never even be aware that there is a city anywhere near you. The leaps and mad rushes of Tarpon fill the day. A permanent grin is as constant as the shoreline. River mouths, flats, potholes, and deep jungle creeks are all fishing areas that support this unparalleled fishery. Very few places, if any in the world can stack up to the Baby Tarpon action one may find in Campeche.
Silver King
By the time an angler has fished their way back to town, the city has come to life. A cool drink and a dip in the pool await. After cleaning up from a day of Tarpon fishing it is time for the second daily adventure, exploring the remarkable city of Campeche. The city center was built behind fort walls, some of which still stand. The original Spanish Architecture has been restored and the central square and cathedral are the epicenter of shops and restaurants galore which line old cobbled streets. The town is lit up at night and spending the evening shopping, sampling fine tequilas, and relaxing with a fine Cuban cigar become as important and enjoyable as each Tarpon you’ve boated. The restaurants are very inexpensive, and the food is authentic and delectable.
Campeche is unique, but it is not necessarily a tourist town, it is a place with proud Mexican citizens, little crime, no pan handlers, few Federales. The peso is king over the American dollar and Spanish phrase books may be necessary at times. A few Europeans are out and about, and even fewer Americans. Without a direct flight into Campeche, it remains a hidden gem of Mexico. Outside the city, anglers can enjoy Estancias with full Spas, Spanish Forts that are intact with their cannons and draw bridges, and enormous Mayan Cities resplendent with pyramids, temples and massive court yards. Campeche is an experience for all the senses.
From John Huber's Travel Journal
A Gift to the Fly Angler: Campeche Feb 2, 2007
Writing my travel journals is always a pleasure for me. It is a chance to revisit my trip and it’s an easy writing exercise. That is, it was easy until Campeche. The conundrum lies in the separation of two unique experiences rolled into one, and trying to decide which was my favorite. The fishing is an awesome adventure that cannot be mimicked or compared to anywhere else in the world, and the city is a cultural and refreshing experience that is quaint, modern, and yet old beyond belief.
Trip Details
- Location
- Campeche, Mexico is on the north side (gulf side) of the Yucatan Peninsula
- Species
- Baby Tarpon between 8 and 30 pounds. Some Snook
- Boat
- Boat fishing with 9 weight fly-rods
- Guide
- Two guides per boat
- Capacity
- 8 Angler Maximum
- Travel
- Anglers fly to Merida or Ciudad Del Carmen and then are transferred to Campeche 1 ½ to 2 hours by private driver
- Cost
- 7 nights/6 days fishing: $2,000 - $3,800 per person/double occupancy depending on hotel choice
- Included: Boat and guides, accommodations, continental breakfast and onboard lunch, fishing license and airport-lodge transfers
- Not Included: Airfare, dinners and gratuities