The Right Tools for the Job
The Right Tools for the Job
If you’re looking for fishing gear that is suited for the harsh Mexican environment, you’ve found the right place. Every product in Castafly Travel’s Mexico Fly Shop is hand picked for your tropical adventure. You’ll find everything you specifically need to make your trip to Mexico a great success.
The All Important Flies
Unlike Alaska and many places in the continental United States, flies are not provided or readily available in Mexico/Yucatan. You’ll need a deep and wide inventory of bonefish flies because you’ll fish a wide variety of situations—heavy flies for deep water and unweighted flies for the skinny water. While you will be fishing for bonefish primarily, permit and baby tarpon will lure you away into a larger fish world. Various crab patterns and tarpon streamers will be required to catch these beasts, while snook provide exciting top water fishing with poppers. Mexico Fly Shop has every fly you will need for this Caribbean jewel. Pick the flies you need from our site or give us a call and we’ll pick out an assortment that will meet your fishing needs.
Leave Your Trout Reels at Home
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Your fly reel is one piece of equipment on which you should not be looking to save money. You’ll need to be armed with a solid drag system to handle the long permit runs and tremendous tarpon tugs that you will inevitably experience while fishing in Mexico/Yucatan. Our advice: stay with name brand merchandise from tried and true manufacturers. A good reel is quite often the difference between success and failure. If you are in need of an appropriate reel, all of the reels you find on Mexico Fly Shop have been tested thoroughly. Bear in mind there are no locations in Mexico where you can buy any fly reels if yours fails.
Leader and Tippet Hold Things Together
Ocean fish are fast, strong and big. Old monofilament tippet that’s been in your closet for a couple of years is worthless in the salt. You should stock up on fresh leaders and tippet before your trip. In most cases, fluorocarbon is preferred. If you prefer monofilament, make sure it is fresh since it degrades with exposure to sun and air. Like most fly-fishing products, you can’t buy leader and tippet in the Mexico. You have to bring it with you.
A Rod is Not a Rod
All fork-tailed flats fish will give your equipment a test. Let’s face it, without a functioning fly rod, your trip to Mexico/Yucatan will be soured. Big, powerful fish like those found in the ocean surrounding the Mexico, will quickly show you why you need quality equipment. You'll need a rod with a delicate tip for super fast bonefish, a stout rod that loads quickly for permit and a big stick that can hold up to giant tarpon. Even the best of the best will be given an endurance test when a 20-plus pound permit or tarpon makes their famed runs. Again, stick to premium manufacturers that have a proven history in the salt. You won’t be sorry.
Sight Fishing is What it’s All About.
All sunglasses are not created equal. The glare from the water’s reflection and the intensity from the sky need to be tamed for the best fishing results. Without polarized glasses, you simply won’t be able to see the fish you’re trying to catch. Stalking paranoid permit is hard enough because they are difficult to see unless their tails are out of the water. Quality, polarized glasses are a must. The difference can be night and day. Make sure you have glasses for differing light conditions—gray for bright conditions and copper or amber for low light conditions. Have a backup pair of glasses in case your preferred pair is broken or lost. You won’t find a good pair of polarized fishing glasses anywhere in Mexico/Yucatan. Most importantly, wear sunglasses at all times while fishing. Sharp, barbed hooks in all sizes will be flying towards you. Hooks will come out of your skin. Your eyes are another matter and cannot be put at risk. Don’t redefine “blind casting.”
The Sun is Not Your Friend
Your equipment will stand up to the sun, but your body won’t. You need to protect it at all costs. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you won’t find a shady tree to give you a break from the sun, so you’ll have to bring the protection with you. Choose sun block with the highest UPF rating you can find. Since you’ll be in and out of the water, it’s best to have water resistant sun block.
That’s just the beginning.
Be prepared to cover up. Most fly-fishing clothing is treated to be sun protective. Look for high UPF ratings in your clothing and your sun block. Have a hat that covers your head and your ears. It doesn’t take long before you start to feel the heat on any part of your body that isn’t covered. Buffs and other face guards may seem confining, but they are trip savers. Try one, and you’ll likely find that they are not confining and help to keep tropical burns away from your face. Additionally, they protect you from the wind while boat running and help cut glare from the ocean. Shirts should have high collars to cover the back of your neck. Long pants seem like an odd thing to wear in the heat of the sun, but today’s garments, however, are lightweight and UPF rated to save your skin. Convertible pants are nice for times when the sun isn’t intense and biting flies are lying low. Standing on the deck of a flats boat will leave the top of your hands exposed. Sun block helps, but doesn’t always do the trick. Carry and use a pair of sun gloves for maximum protection.
Protect Your Feet
Wade fishing the ocean is filled with natural hazards. Sharp rocks and coral will cut right through your skin. Coral cuts are particularly nasty and can easily become infected. In a sand environment, you can use lower cut boots, but in rocky areas, higher top boots are preferred. Most will tell you that fishing barefoot from the boat is the only way to go. You can feel the line under your feet and have a sixth sense when it comes to line management. Many big fish have been lost because the angler was simply stepping on his fly line. If you’re fishing from the boat barefoot, your feet are exposed to the sun and are poised to get a nasty sunburn. Wear lightweight sandals or keep your feet covered at all times with sunblock. White socks reflect the sun, enable the sixth sense and provide you with complete coverage of your feet.
Waterproof Gear Bags are a Must
Saltwater eats seemingly everything. It’s in the air, it’s in the boat, it’s everywhere in the Caribbean. The salt will rust and degrade nearly all metal objects including stainless steel. Truly waterproof, not water resistant, gear bags are a must. Whether you’re wade fishing or making runs in a boat, saltwater will be looking for your gear in an attempt to destroy it. From our trips, we’ve found that the Patagonia Great Divider is the best bag on the market. It’s airline friendly as a carry-on and is truly waterproof.
If you’re looking for fishing gear that is suited for the harsh Mexican environment, you’ve found the right place. Every product in Castafly Travel’s Mexico Fly Shop is hand picked for your tropical adventure. You’ll find everything you specifically need to make your trip to Mexico a great success.
The All Important Flies
Unlike Alaska and many places in the continental United States, flies are not provided or readily available in Mexico/Yucatan. You’ll need a deep and wide inventory of bonefish flies because you’ll fish a wide variety of situations—heavy flies for deep water and unweighted flies for the skinny water. While you will be fishing for bonefish primarily, permit and baby tarpon will lure you away into a larger fish world. Various crab patterns and tarpon streamers will be required to catch these beasts, while snook provide exciting top water fishing with poppers. Mexico Fly Shop has every fly you will need for this Caribbean jewel. Pick the flies you need from our site or give us a call and we’ll pick out an assortment that will meet your fishing needs.Leave Your Trout Reels at Home
Your fly reel is one piece of equipment on which you should not be looking to save money. You’ll need to be armed with a solid drag system to handle the long permit runs and tremendous tarpon tugs that you will inevitably experience while fishing in Mexico/Yucatan. Our advice: stay with name brand merchandise from tried and true manufacturers. A good reel is quite often the difference between success and failure. If you are in need of an appropriate reel, all of the reels you find on Mexico Fly Shop have been tested thoroughly. Bear in mind there are no locations in Mexico where you can buy any fly reels if yours fails. Leader and Tippet Hold Things Together
Ocean fish are fast, strong and big. Old monofilament tippet that’s been in your closet for a couple of years is worthless in the salt. You should stock up on fresh leaders and tippet before your trip. In most cases, fluorocarbon is preferred. If you prefer monofilament, make sure it is fresh since it degrades with exposure to sun and air. Like most fly-fishing products, you can’t buy leader and tippet in the Mexico. You have to bring it with you.
A Rod is Not a Rod
All fork-tailed flats fish will give your equipment a test. Let’s face it, without a functioning fly rod, your trip to Mexico/Yucatan will be soured. Big, powerful fish like those found in the ocean surrounding the Mexico, will quickly show you why you need quality equipment. You'll need a rod with a delicate tip for super fast bonefish, a stout rod that loads quickly for permit and a big stick that can hold up to giant tarpon. Even the best of the best will be given an endurance test when a 20-plus pound permit or tarpon makes their famed runs. Again, stick to premium manufacturers that have a proven history in the salt. You won’t be sorry.Sight Fishing is What it’s All About.
All sunglasses are not created equal. The glare from the water’s reflection and the intensity from the sky need to be tamed for the best fishing results. Without polarized glasses, you simply won’t be able to see the fish you’re trying to catch. Stalking paranoid permit is hard enough because they are difficult to see unless their tails are out of the water. Quality, polarized glasses are a must. The difference can be night and day. Make sure you have glasses for differing light conditions—gray for bright conditions and copper or amber for low light conditions. Have a backup pair of glasses in case your preferred pair is broken or lost. You won’t find a good pair of polarized fishing glasses anywhere in Mexico/Yucatan. Most importantly, wear sunglasses at all times while fishing. Sharp, barbed hooks in all sizes will be flying towards you. Hooks will come out of your skin. Your eyes are another matter and cannot be put at risk. Don’t redefine “blind casting.”The Sun is Not Your Friend
Your equipment will stand up to the sun, but your body won’t. You need to protect it at all costs. When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you won’t find a shady tree to give you a break from the sun, so you’ll have to bring the protection with you. Choose sun block with the highest UPF rating you can find. Since you’ll be in and out of the water, it’s best to have water resistant sun block. That’s just the beginning.
Be prepared to cover up. Most fly-fishing clothing is treated to be sun protective. Look for high UPF ratings in your clothing and your sun block. Have a hat that covers your head and your ears. It doesn’t take long before you start to feel the heat on any part of your body that isn’t covered. Buffs and other face guards may seem confining, but they are trip savers. Try one, and you’ll likely find that they are not confining and help to keep tropical burns away from your face. Additionally, they protect you from the wind while boat running and help cut glare from the ocean. Shirts should have high collars to cover the back of your neck. Long pants seem like an odd thing to wear in the heat of the sun, but today’s garments, however, are lightweight and UPF rated to save your skin. Convertible pants are nice for times when the sun isn’t intense and biting flies are lying low. Standing on the deck of a flats boat will leave the top of your hands exposed. Sun block helps, but doesn’t always do the trick. Carry and use a pair of sun gloves for maximum protection.
Protect Your Feet
Wade fishing the ocean is filled with natural hazards. Sharp rocks and coral will cut right through your skin. Coral cuts are particularly nasty and can easily become infected. In a sand environment, you can use lower cut boots, but in rocky areas, higher top boots are preferred. Most will tell you that fishing barefoot from the boat is the only way to go. You can feel the line under your feet and have a sixth sense when it comes to line management. Many big fish have been lost because the angler was simply stepping on his fly line. If you’re fishing from the boat barefoot, your feet are exposed to the sun and are poised to get a nasty sunburn. Wear lightweight sandals or keep your feet covered at all times with sunblock. White socks reflect the sun, enable the sixth sense and provide you with complete coverage of your feet.Waterproof Gear Bags are a Must
Saltwater eats seemingly everything. It’s in the air, it’s in the boat, it’s everywhere in the Caribbean. The salt will rust and degrade nearly all metal objects including stainless steel. Truly waterproof, not water resistant, gear bags are a must. Whether you’re wade fishing or making runs in a boat, saltwater will be looking for your gear in an attempt to destroy it. From our trips, we’ve found that the Patagonia Great Divider is the best bag on the market. It’s airline friendly as a carry-on and is truly waterproof.