Fly Fishing for Permit, Bonefish, and Tarpon of Ascension Bay, Mexico
I've been very fortunate to have both worked in the travel office for the Palometa Club and to host several trips to the "P-club" over the years. The team at the Palometa club and the special fishery that is Ascension Bay combine to make an amazing fishing vacation. The below is a comprehensive list of things to consider bringing to make your trip a success.
May contain sponsored links*Clothing
Does it get any better than tropical flats fishing? When you close your eyes you picture white sand and palm trees. The reality though is the clothes (and gear) you bring can make or break your trip.
Sun Hoodie
Sun Hoodies have become the de-facto guide uniform. Lightweight, soft, breathable, with good UV protection. You can stay comfortable all day and skip out on a ton of sunblock. I've skied, fished, and run in nearly all of them, two of my favorites are from Outdoor Research and Rab.
Buff
The bandanna of the 21st century. Buffs not only keep the sun off your neck, ears, and face but they can be used as a hat, sweatband etc. I'd bring at least one.
Lightweight Quick Dry Shorts or Pants
One of the special things about the Palometa Club is the guide per angler ratio is 1 on 1, this means there are two guides and two anglers in each boat. The advantage to this is you can wade into schools of Permit without spooking them with the boat. One guide will wade with you while the other stays on the boat and keeps his eyes on the fish and can give you direction on where they are going. Because of the fast action wading it's a must to bring some quick dry pants and or shorts. If you're sensitive to the sun don't bother with any shorts and just pack the pants. I prefer shorts and pants from Patagonia and Kuhl as they fit me best.
Socks
You might not expect to see socks on a flats fishing gear list but trust me on this one. It's a really good idea to fish barefoot in the boat so you can feel if you're standing on your line. The problem is your feet will get fried, no matter how much sunblock you put on so the answer is socks! Any lightweight socks will do, you could probably even get away with some cotton socks but I generally fish in a lightweight pair of wool socks. I've also considered bringing yoga socks with those little silicone dots to help with traction.
Mid Layer Top and Rain Gear
Even though you're in the tropics you'll want to pack a warm layer and rain gear. Sometimes crossing the bay in rough waters it's a good idea to layer up and it can cool down rapidly if a thunderstorm rolls through.
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Flats Boots
Ok, here's where I deviate from the norm. A friend of mine showed me this trick years ago. Pack an old pair of running or tennis shoes to wade in. There is no need to buy an expensive pair of wading shoes for flats fishing. When your trip is over you don't even need to bring them home with you. Just take an old pair of shoes and throw them away when your trip is over.
Rod, Reels, other Fishing Gear
Unlike many North American destinations that supply all the gear you might need for your stay, most salt water destinations require you to bring your own rods, reels, leaders, tippet, flies etc. The Palometa club and their guides do have a limited amount of extra tackle and flies as back ups but it's best to bring your own gear.
Rods
I recommend bringing a variety of rod weights per boat. This means you can share rods with your boat partner. Because you could be fishing for Permit one minute and Bonefish the next, in addition to passing Jacks, Barracuda, and even sharks I usually bring two 8 weights and two 10 weights. Both 8 weights are rigged for Bonefish, one 10 weight is rigged for Permit, and the other 10 is "guide's choice". I usually ask the guides what they want the other 10 weight rigged with, they might choose another Permit fly or a wire leader for Sharks or Cuda.
My two favorite rods are the Orvis Helios and G-Loomis
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Reels
Because saltwater is corrosive and saltwater fish are fast you'll want the best reels you can afford spooled up with 200 yards of the appropriate backing. 20lb backing on the 8 weights and 30lb on the 10 weights.
Fly Lines
I would recommend bringing weight forward floating lines for each rod. They do need to be saltwater or species specific as the saltwater and warm temperatures will turn a Trout line into bubblegum.
I've had very good luck with lines from Scientific Anglers, RIO, and Orvis.
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Flies
A good selection of flies for a wide variety of saltwater species is important with an emphasis on Permit flies. Most good fly shops will have what you need or be able to custom tie you a selection specific for the Palometa Club. My friends at Snake River Fly have tied many selections just for Ascension Bay.
Accessories
Fishing Bag / Dry Bag
I pack a good dry bag folded up in my luggage and upon arrival at the lodge I put my sunblock, R1 hoody, raingear, camera or phone, and any extra gear into this dry bag. The guides can put this bag anywhere in the boat and I don't have to worry about it getting wet. Generally, because I'm hosting a trip I have a lot of flies and fishing gear with me so I pack in two separate bags a boat bag and a fanny pack. The boat bag has all my flies, tippets, leaders, pliers, etc and some of this might go into the fanny pack if we go wading for Bonefish. While it's not required that these be waterproof it is helpful. I have an old Patagonia boat bag as well as an old Simms fanny pack. A few updated items to consider are linked below.
Sunglasses
A good attitude and good pair of Polarized Sunglasses are the two most important things to bring. Polarized sunglasses don't just block glare, they help you see the fish, see your fly and reduce fatigue throughout the day. I've worn many pairs of sunglasses and unlike reels above I am picky about my fly fishing glasses. I'm so picky that I have a pair and I ONLY wear them while fishing. As soon as I'm off the water they go in their case until the next time. I think Costa Del Mar makes the best sunglasses and many guides I know agree and that's all they wear. Other good glasses are made by Smith and Orvis. Make sure they fit well on your face so they are comfortable all day. I currently wear the Costa Del Mar Blackfins with the 580G (glass) lens.
Sunblock, Chapstick, Sunglass Retainer
