Mexico - Day 8

Cancun - Day 8

I met Esciel and Marco in the lobby at 11 am, they both looked refreshed and ready for the rest of our drive. In 3 hours we will be in Cancun. We did make one stop at the Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza. It was spectacular. The feeling that experience conjured was awe stirring. I could imagine hundreds of Mayans working, playing, and worshiping hundreds of years ago. It was like being on the movie set of Apocalypto.

A few hours later I finally arrived at my hotel in Cancun. Or should I call it the Mexican Las Vegas. There were gringos everywhere. Many of them were drunk. Thankfully, I most of my time in Cancun was spent on a boat on the permit flats north of the city.

It was an early morning again the next day. We arrived at the boats just as the sun was cresting the horizon. Enrique was my guide for the day. His favorite fish… permit! He told me catching a Grand Slam, a bonefish, tarpon, and a permit, would be possible.

Isla Blanca is the name of the area we fished. It is a series of flats, channels, and mangroves that eventually connect with Isla Holbox. The first flat Enrique took me too was a long boat ride from the dock. I realized why we traveled so far when the first school of over 20 permit swam towards us, ignorant of our presence. I blew that shot and the next, casting too close to the lead fish. The third school we found, I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

This school was vast. There where at least 40 permit flanking to my right. The cast was challenging due to the wind, but not undoable. The crab landed softly 2 feet in front of the lead fish. I let the crab settle, and let the first few fish swim past. Then strip, strip, strip and my line tighten and reel began to scream. Once you connect with a permit, it is easy to realize why this fish has such lore in the fishing world. Imagine setting a hook into a school bus. Permits run and run and run.

That would be the only fish I’d bring to hand that day, besides a cuda, which fooled both Enrique and me into thinking it was a bonefish. I jumped 3 tarpon deep in the mangroves, loosing all 3 to overhanging branches. The slam would have to wait until tomorrow.