All Points Fly Shop + Outfitter - News

Words + Photos: Josh Thelin

I didn't know what to expect. It was not only my first time in Cuba, but I had heard so much about the flats fishing and the culture (specifically of Havana via music) that l hoped it would live up to my anxiously driven expectations. Before arrival, I arranged an AirBnB in Old Havana for the night before our departure on the boat. This provided not only a less stressful travel day - not concerned with connecting with planes, vans or boats on time - but it also gave me some time in Havana to walk around and soak a little of it in. We were scheduled to be on the live-aboard (mothership) for the remainder of the week.

The evening of our arrival my fishing partner and I got a couple of drinks at El Floridita, a famous bar and favorite of Ernest Hemingway, while live music at the entrance kept people dancing. Then later we sat next to Clive Owen during a relaxed dinner. Once finished, we parted ways for the night and I took the long walk home listening to live music coming out from the various bars and clubs. Stopping at times to listen, I began to see why Havana has long been a place people come to do just this...and the fishing hasn't even started yet.

(old havana near the main port)

The Canarreos is a section of cayes, flats, lagoons, and channels, that all interconnect from Cayo Largo westerly towards Isla de la Juventud. Our trip would take us from the most eastern point of Cayo Largo westerly to IDJ. This would be our area of interest and would take us about a week to get from one side to the other and back. As we progress, the geography changes and so does the fishing. At the beginning, in Cayo Largo, it is more recognized as a bonefish and permit area. Then as we move west, we will hit Isla de la Juventud, some of the most famous tarpon water in the Caribbean. With a sprinkling of consistent bonefish waters in all areas, the fishing is always showing you something new.Our first day on the water we hit some great weather conditions. Quality sunlight the entire day and consistent easterly (prevailing) winds gave us an exciting day of feeling like one of us was always on a fish. At times, doubling up on big bonefish really made for a solid kickstart to our trip. Cayo Largo has expansive white sand flats and we ran into large sized bonefish that were happy, not spooky, and willing to take one of our spawning shrimp imitations on a long run well into our backing many times. Permit following stingrays waiting for easy meals gave us some good shots that first day as well, but none were landed. 

As the week continued, we moved our way west towards Isla de la Juventud and catch rates on tarpon seemed to intrinsically increase throughout the group. Those targeting tarpon in the channels and back mangroves reported daily catches on fish in the 10-40lb range. Bonefish continued to be the mainstay however with nice sized fish landed every day. This was true throughout the rest of the trip and was really the biggest take-a-way that I had from the trip in terms of fishing. At times, when the conditions presented themselves, it was some of the most fun bonefishing that I had ever done.Like most winter weather in the Caribbean, we dealt with days of variable conditions. But conditions were never awful and at times were great. Rain only came one day for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and it was mostly managing the erratic local winds. So all in all, par for the course!

We found that larger shrimp imitations (in the #4-#2 size range) were really the only thing we needed for the bonefish. If it was generally the right size and was some sort of "spawning shrimp" pattern, it would likely be well received. I found that orange (yes its my favorite bonefish and permit color), was also key.At the end of each day, we would meet up with the mothership to where it had made anchor. During the days while we were fishing the boat would make its trip to the next spot for the night. This provided a stationary home base for us to relax, sleep, etc. at the end of the day. Late afternoon/evenings gave us time to tinker with riggings for the next day. A lot of times our guide would tell us to switch out a floating line for an intermediate or sinking, vice-a-versa, or something similar to help us dial-in the specifics for the following day. The flats boats were simply stashed along the shoreline nearby and retrieved in the morning which made for easy and seamless mornings. Further, our morning commutes were never long as the live-a-board was always very close to our spots.As we worked our way back east towards Cayo Largo during the second half of the week, it was interesting to see and fish some of the waters we had done so previously. On a related note, on a sustainability and conservation side of things, it was encouraging to also see the consistent regulation of laws and standards. For instance most of their fishing water is divided into sections such as Zone 1, Zone 2, etc. On one occasion as we were passing by a flat on our way to another, I spotted a school of tailing bonefish. "Nice school of bonefish over there" I said..."Indeed, but we can't fish there today, that's Zone 6 and we are letting that one rest for a while. Keep the fish happy..." said Frankie our guide. 

We are hosting another trip to Cuba! Join us!

- See the trip details HERE! - 

Check out our Instagram video of this trip HERE!

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As our DHC-3 Otter cruised over the expansive gap between Labrador City and the Atikonak River, I couldn't help continually saying to myself "I have never seen so much water inland in my life." Lakes, ponds, streams, creeks, and rivers seemed to scatter towards the horizon like a splatter painting. Some would connect while others stood isolated, but from above it all appeared like one huge checker board in the water which we were 'jumping' over. The pilot turned us 270 degrees to the south in preparation for our landing in front of the Riverkeep Lodge. 

The lodge owners and guides greeted us and we all unloaded our gear and provisions for the upcoming week. In transition on their way out was an older couple in their 80's. "An 8lb salmon and she got a 4.5lb brookie" the husband explained as we made small talk before they boarded for their flight back to Labrador City. We had little question about what flies they used as he had them all organized deliberately on his hat, mostly streamers. I nodded to myself in confidence as I do a lot of streamer fishing here in Maine. 

We were shown to our respective cabins, made friends with our beds for the next week, and then headed to the main cabin to get an orientation of what to expect for our fishing until the following Saturday. I had heard before we left that ice-out at various other locations/lodges in Labrador was quite late this spring, so it was not surprising when we were told that the water was cranking for that time of year. "We usually wade this river" Steve Murray, the owner, explained "but we will be fishing out of boats this week as the water is still quite high...this is the highest I've seen it in over a decade." Some lodges had even cancelled their first weeks of anglers because of the delayed spring with ice and snow covering cabins well into late June. So it did not surprise me that we would also be dealing with the repercussions of a long winter. "Hence all the streamers in the previous guest's hat" I thought to myself...

But I was ready! Prepared with various sinking lines and boxes of weighted and unweighted baitfish and sculpin imitations, I came with a full arsenal of gear and it proved to be well worth it. This did not mean however that there was nothing hatching. A giant salmonfly stumbled around the main lodge during orientation, and the first afternoon we went out, a thick line of caddis flowed along the bank of a section they called "the Aquarium." I had never seen this amount of concentrated caddis floating on the water. While looking at this sight of thick caddis along the edge, my guide for that day, Eric, said "that's nothing, you should see it when it's really thick." The rest of the week was similar in the insect life, with sporadic caddis hatches and juicy stoneflies/salmonflies. 

Our week's routine was fueled by hearty meals prepared by the family which allowed us to fish from sun-up to sundown. Lunches were taken on the river at their "lunch bar" to keep lines in the water longer. The lunch spot even provided good fishing opportunities. Daylight started at around 5am and lasted until 10pm, so these were long days, especially if you wanted to fish after dinner. But, the guides working at Riverkeep are tireless and very willing, seemingly anxious, to bring clients out on the river even after a belt-loosening dinner and desert. I can not say enough about the friendliness and willing attitude of the guides. 

This tenacity of the guides was certainly put to the test as well. With the high water and unusual condition of the river for that time of year, there was no cruise-control set with these guys. They were constantly moving around, trying spots even unlikely for that time of year, and always wanting to get their sports into their desired fish. If something didn't go as planned, you'd hear them say something along the lines of "you have no idea how badly I wanted you to get into a fish there." It was with that attitude which gave us a big mixture of fish. Fish were spread throughout the river but willing to take flies. Bigger streamers and buggers indeed proved to be the best bet and with simple color changes brought us every fish the Atikonak River provides for anglers. Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Pike all held inside the pine tree lined river. Of them all, the salmon fishing was the most consistent and productive. Out-fighting a pike 3-times it's weight, the landlocks were willing to take streamers and seemed to specifically like some white articulated ones I packed.

One of the most memorable fish of the trip was caught in that "Aquarium" section. We had seen some fish, including Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, and Whitefish rising for caddis falling out of the Black Spruces nearby. As they floated and danced their way down river, the caddis would be interrupted by splashes and then taken down under. After a couple of missed fish on dry flies, I switched to a streamer on a sinking line. Cast in the tail section of this run in the slower moving water, I came tight to a fish that made my Galvan reel scream with a couple of strong runs. After a lengthy fight with a very strong fish my guide netted this Landlocked Salmon which was exploding with color. A very clean fish. It was dark with deep blue cheeks.

The Brook Trout had not fully arrived in the river yet. They were absolutely around, but not how they would have been in normal conditions. I have a suspicion that if I were to go back in a week or two that it would be lights out brookie fishing! I've heard reports and seen the pictures. They're there in the Atikonak for sure... The first to arrive in the system are the Lake Trout and Landlocked Salmon, then shortly after that the Brook Trout make their way into the party. But regardless we certainly found some at the end of our line. My largest came during one of the evening outings. With a stomach overloaded from dinner, my guide and I came up to a section they called the "Boulder Field." With a black woolly bugger, I cast upstream, stripped three times and instantly felt myself hooked-up. Almost as soon as the line came tight, a fat male brookie came (unusually) jumping out of the water and tail danced a couple times up river. It was a quick fight as I got it along the boat in short order, but lost it right as the net was about to plunge underneath the fish to bring it to hand. I caught some other nice brookies, but the one that night lingers. 

We made our way though the week catching the Antikonak's offerings with regularity. It was the health and size of the fish that was most remarkable. For a fish the same length you might see here in Maine, the Atikonak's version was significantly fatter. Well fed fish, with plenty of food resources that saw little fishing pressure, gained weight by the pound. With this in mind, our guides were quick to tell everyone on the first day to "get the fish on the reel as soon as you can." There are a lot of trout anglers who fish at Riverkeep that are not used to the size of trout found here, so many anglers would lose fish while trying to strip them in. With the use of strong leaders and tippet, but making sure fish were properly fought helped to ensure more were landed successfully. 

(Only the strong survive in Labrador. This landlocked salmon looks to have successfully escaped a recent tussle with a Pike)

What Gear I Used

I was very generously supplied by TFO rods and Galvan reels to be used and tested on this water. 

• RODS - 5wt TFO Axiom II (for dry flies), 6wt TFO BVK + 7wt TFO Axiom II setup with sinking/sinking-tip lines for streamer fishing.
• LINES - The 5wt had InTouch Rio Perception - 6wt had Scientific Anglers SONAR Titan WF6S (triple density) - 7wt had Rio InTouch StreamerTip WF7F/S6
• REELS - Galvan Rush Light R5 and Galvan Torque T6 + T8
• LEADERS/TIPPET - Dry flies: Rio Powerflex 9' 3x / Streamers: a straight section of 3-5ft of Rio Fluoroflex Plus 2X-0X tippet (Depending on weight of fly).
• FLIES - This list could be never-ending, but (short list) for dries - Goddard Caddis, Hornberg, Elk Hair Caddis, and Stimulators. Streamers - various colored buggers, Golden Retriever, Grey Ghost, articulated streamers in Galloup style, and deceivers. Don't be afraid to tie things larger than you normally would. These fish have a lot of food, gotta get their attention!

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Some of you may have seen the phrase "Never Stop Learning, Never Stop Exploring" at the bottom of the website, on a gift certificate you received, or even hashtagged at the end of an Instagram post. This is a phrase that I decided to use as sort of All Points' motto or mantra. Although I believe it to be a great general life theme, it is extremely applicable specifically within fly fishing. In my opinion there is no ceiling to fly fishing. At no point could a half-reasonable angler ever say "well, I think I've learned it all" or "I've seen everything that fly fishing can show me." If you have said this, I believe you picked the wrong hobby/sport. This phrase is what drives me to constantly keep searching. I love fly fishing because of everything that it encompasses. It teaches people not just about fish, but about life.

Last week I took a trip to Costa Rica. I had read and heard many stories about the incredible year-round tarpon fishery that is hardly available in other places around the world. Large resident and migratory tarpon are available regularly in the 125+ pound range. When a client and friend of mine wanted me to arrange a trip for him to a lodge he had previously attended, my immense curiosity for this fishery took over and I decided to tag along. 

Along the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, there are numerous freshwater rivers that flow into the ocean. These rivers hold bait for the various fish in the area, especially the tarpon. The bread + butter of this fishery is to get you outside of the river mouths and fish along them using bait and/or jigs in 40-60ft of water. Lodges in this area about 10 or so years ago gained significant success when they started to use sardines fished deep. So, with a fly rod this would equate to heavy rods in the 12wt range with 500gr (or more) sinking lines. To limit the amount of false casting and to also keep flies fishing deeper out in the ocean, I found it better to cast out and work the fly in the current with a couple occasional arm/elbow pumps of the rod. This proved better, but with the heavier seas while I was there, logistically this was very difficult. The larger more seaworthy boats used to "get out" were not really setup for fly fishing. 

(Above you will see one of the areas rivers connecting to the ocean)

The first morning that we arrived, we rigged up our gear and headed out to fish the ocean side of these rivers. If there is one tricky part about this type of fishing it is to actually get out. Weather conditions, larger seas, heavy current and the combination of all of this being forced to a pinch-point at the shallow sand bars along the mouths creates an interesting adventure in the building surf. We just so happened to arrive there with unusually heavy water. 

That morning, the lead safety boat was able to negotiate a decent line out of the river along with a couple of the other boats. On our first effort we hit some large almost-breaking waves that shot our boat out of the water landing us essentially perpendicular. The first landing took out the legs of my fishing partner and he ended up fracturing a few ribs upon him landing on the deck. The tough guy that he is, we made effort to fish that morning, but he was eventually air lifted out of our area and back to the hospital in San Jose later that afternoon (currently now resting at home, thankfully!). He was not alone as another guest also suffered leg contusions and a foot injury on their same attempt out of the river. So, with the combination of injury and higher water, we were not allowed to try and attempt to exit the river a majority of my stay. An effort on the last day was made as well, but an almost capsizing boat put a quick end to that. With those logistics including the lack of efficiency in trying to fish the ocean with a fly rod, I stuck mostly to the rivers in a smaller "jon boat" and would also fish the surf occasionally.  

My guide and I prowled around for the remaining days. Rolling tarpon were present in the rivers in certain areas. He knew of a few good spots which we would see them regularly. But the fishing was tough, even for those other guests trolling, spin fishing, and using bait in the same zones. I was the only one there targeting tarpon with a fly rod. Mainly using shrimp imitations and larger bushy baitfish flies, I hooked into a large tarpon in one of the smaller channels. I quickly lost the fish, but to see and feel a 100+ pound silver king take my offering gave promise to the possibility of this area on fly. With the size of that fish, it would have been an interesting fight if I had landed it, especially in those close quarters. But that's the fun stuff! 

This type of tarpon fishing is very different that any tarpon fishing I had done in the past. It is by no means sight fishing on clear Caribbean flats. This is what is commonly referred to as "dirty water tarpon fishing." Beyond about 6 inches there is no visibility at all. The fly disappears in short order. Repetitive blind casting with heavy lines on heavy rods in an effort to get your fly down deep to where the fish are is the goal. Unless there are multiple tarpon rolling, the ones you would see roll would then immediately dive back down usually to about 15-20ft of water in the rivers. The beast that I hooked into did not roll and took my fly fairly deep in the channel.

I was offered on many occasions by my guide and lodge staff to try and use spin/conventional gear because of the difficulty of the area and current conditions, but I declined. The lodge was well outfitted with fishing gear, none of it fly fishing. My highest interest was to try and tap into these waters on fly. I caught Machaca in the rivers and my guide picked up a Snook in the surf to help round out the fishing. There are clearly large fish there however, but approaching them on fly I do not think has been fully dialed in yet. I do though believe there is great opportunity and I would certainly be curious to return to that fishery.  

The trip as a whole was the epitome of a learning experience. From the logistics of simply fly fishing there to the specific issues we experienced with injuries, tough water and tough fishing, I was constantly replaying that phrase "never stop learning, never stop exploring" in my head throughout the week. It's these types of trips and experiences that grow you as an angler and as a person.

 Words + Photos By: Josh Thelin 

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