Upon arriving on the Boca Paila Fishing Lodge beyond the long row of beachfront Tulum Hotels without delay at 7:30 am, we noticed the place was already jumping.  Guests were  finishing up breakfast and the guides had been getting the last of their equipment inside the boats while being proficiently directed by  Chico, the general manager and the main host of the property.  Obviously this was not the first time these guys had done  this, in actual fact Boca Paila has been around since the late 1960s.  To say these guys are pioneers of fishing in this area is  an understatement, they have been the only game in town long ago and it had been a two hour drive from Tulum, not 20 to 30 minutes as  it is now.

We arrived for the fishing and they had been equipped in favor of us.  After momentary introductions with Chico, he informed us that our boat and  guide Alfonso were already waiting at the pier for us.  A quick assessment of our tackle and off we went.  Chico made sure we  also had a variety of the very best flies and jigs in favor of the region and time of year before we departed and handed those to our guide Alfonso  after he personally escorted us to the boat.

Once on the water, Alfonso didnt squander much time and we took off across the glass lagoon in search of our first fish of the  day.  There was a momentary stop on a cut inside the lagoon, where it meets the sea, and Alfonso said we needed to stop for  something there.  Devoid of giving away many of the secrets of the region, the stop proved to be rather beneficial during the day.

After the “stop” where the lagoon meets sea, we made our approach to the first of many of what I imagine are Alfonsos favorite  spots inside this magical lagoon.  There awaited at least 30 miles of virtually untouched and guarded wetlands and  interconnected unaffected waterways.

Alfonso killed the engine as we came across the first spot and he started poling us along the black rooted mangrove shoreline as  he surveyed the water with his practiced vision.  Inside 10 minutes he saw first bone fish and we were directed to “11 ‘o  clock about 30 feet out,” and then the swift call to “strip it, strip it, strip it!” We followed our guides order and  bingo, my Dad had our first fish on. Inside two minutes, another respectable sized bone fish was caught and released by me.  This  was going to be fun!

Further over the shore, Alfonso continued to assess the waters from his 3 foot platform for the next catch.  This occasion it  was Permit and I had one on the line.  If you have never caught a Permit fish with a fly rod or even just light tackle, its hard  to explain just how much fun it genuinely is.  It was run of the mill size for the area, about 10 pounds however it fought for 15 minutes  before relenting and following a quick photo it was released.  What a charge and what a ravishing fish!

a variety more Bone Fish and a mixed bag of Jack, Mud Snapper and Porgy and off we went to the next spot.  I thought to myself,  if all of the spots are like that, one of my arms might not make it the day.  We had some issues using the line on my rod and had  to return to the lodge more line which procured Alfonso no occasion to get back up and running.  

After about an hour of poling down within the briny waters close to our first prize pool we had caught a number more of the  undesired Snappers, Jack and Porgy so we decided to maneuver down again.  I should point out that there is rarely a uninteresting moment  on the lagoon.  Even when you arent catching fish, theres quite a lot to catch sight of.  Throughout the day we in all probability saw 12 rays of  various species and witnessed several instances of Mullet boiling, bursting and leaping from the water to flee from a  striking Barracuda with countless birds of numerous species and insignia.  We also saw a nesting couple of Sea Eagles  (Osprey).

We crossed the lagoon at great speed for afternoon fishing before gliding in, engine off and back to the poling for  Alfredo.  I should mention that Boca Paila Fishing Lodge has a particularly gifted fisherman and guide in Alfons.  I didnt  see a tenth of what he spotted for us, of course he was sitting up 3 feet higher than us, but he was amazing.

Just before lunch I got into my second Permit and this one was closer to fifteen pounds and he wanted to run.  The Permit are  relatively common in the Tulum, Boca Paila region of the lagoon so I shouldnt have been overly startled to see Alfonso making lunch  while I fought this fish.  What did amaze me was that when I said “I think he’s coming in, grab the net”, Alfonso didnt  move.  The fish gave me my reply when he took off on an additional long run and I caught a wry smile from Alfonso and went back  to my fish.  an additional 10 minutes and I did at long last land that one, and yes, Alfonso had the net ready this time.

After lunch, which was great by the way, a ham sandwich, chips and a beer. Following being in the sun for 4-5 hours, it had been one  of the very best lunches I have had in a while and Alfonso showed us the Mexican way of adding various hot sauce to the  sandwiches… it was excellent.  We moved nearer to shore and once more began to stalk the next catch, it was hot and the fishing  seemed to slow a little inside the afternoon heat, but Alfonso was unyielding and when he caught me sitting on the bow he demanded  that I stand up. “You can’t catch fish sitting down…stand up ready!”  I was up and about straight away and was slightly  embarrassed but that ended quickly after I hooked into an additional Permit, this one was a little smaller, in all probability 8 pounds but  the struggle lasted 10 minutes and the thrill was definitely not gone.

We stalked a number more small groups of Bone Fish and Permit pairs, landing a few more average sized Bone Fish before  moving on once again.  This time, as we came across the new spot, Alfonso informed us that this was a large channel and one  of the deeper parts of the lagoon.  Still only twelve to 15 feet deep but we changed up the tackle and went to a large jig with  a significant leader.  I am guessing about 20 to 25 pound test.

This is where things got very attention-grabbing.  We must have hit that channel as a school of baitfish had been passing through or  had just passed because it was a feeding frenzy!   The first casts for both my father and I produced two large Snook in the  20 pound sort, pretty respectable fights for both, but pound for pound I believe the Permit is tough to beat.   Anyway, as things  got crazy, and cast after cast fashioned larger and larger Snook, I started pondering the mysterious“Super Slam”; Bone  Fish, Permit, Snook and Tarpon.  I would have been thrilled to have such an incredible day and fall short but then as if on queue  another whopping strike and out of the water it came, the Tarpon ran beyond the boat at full speed then prepared a run back by means of  another spectacular leap.  While it was comparatively small a Tarpon at about 10 pounds, it was the icing on an ideal day  of fishing.

We stayed at the channel an additional 20 minutes or so and I was so tired and completely pleased that I handed my rod to  Alfonso and watched him catch a few more Snook while my Dad did the same and brought in a couple more Bone Fish respectable  measure.

All in all, I must say that this was the best day of fishing EVER.  Between the company, the Boca Paila Fishing Lodge  services and the awesome variety of fish we caught, this one is going to be tough to beat.  I would like to once more personally thank  the team at Boca Paila for this excellent experience we are going to both never forget!