A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER December 2016 Vol. 29, No. 12 DateLINE: CUBA Kehrein, the Orvis Sporting Travel pro- suggested packing list were good and gram manager. I have done business thorough. On-Site Report with Orvis Travel for a number of Most of my Orvis group trips Orvis Trip Gets a years, have participated in quite a few have been majority male, but this trip, Orvis group trips, and have traveled though not designated a “couples trip,” Very Good Review with Jeremy numerous times to diverse ended up being all couples. The trip is destinations such as Mongolia, Brazil, designed for up to ten people. Initially, Don Causey note: Last month, we put ten were signed up, but two dropped out a call for an early report on those out because of delays in getting details trips to Cuba the Orvis Corporation finalized, leaving four couples. One has put together, and subscriber Keith of the couples had to cancel at the last Hampton heeded our call. There were a moment because of a health issue, so few hiccups, but overall it was a smooth we had only six participants—four dedi- and interesting trip, he says. Spoiler cated anglers, one less-serious angler, alert! The fishing was somewhere be- and a non-angler. tween good and excellent. Orvis partnered with Cuban Edu- y wife, Susan, and I just re- cational Travel (CET) to arrange tours, turned from Orvis’s first cli- ground transportation, and guides in Ment group trip to Cuba. The Cuba and with ABC Travel to provide dates were October 14–21. We had a and Belize. All of my dealings with charter air service from Miami to Ha- very enjoyable and unforgettable ad- Orvis Travel have gone well. I consider vana and necessary travel documents, venture, and I would like to pass along Jeremy a close personal friend, and his including our visas and Cuban health some details and information to fellow Spanish-language skills are a big as- insurance. We traveled on people-to- subscribers. set when traveling in Latin America. people visas, which require a specific Our Orvis trip leader was Jeremy Orvis’s pre-trip planning materials and itinerary and meaningful interaction with Cuban citizens. Our trip was de- SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS signed to be fully compliant with OFAC and all US and Cuban requirements for this type of travel. Thus, our eight-day trip included four full days of fishing and four days that included various tours and meetings. The trip began in Miami the morn- IN THIS ISSUE ing of October 14. We live in Texas, so we flew to Miami on the 13th and Horn of Africa Cuba stayed at a hotel near the airport, where Coming Soon: Trips Largemouth Bass Trips we met Jeremy. The next morning we to Djibouti, Yemen May Be on the Horizon Pages 4–5 Pages 8–9 met the other two couples and a Miami- based employee of CET, who guided us Northwest Territories Subscriber-Written Reports through the check-in process at Miami Lake Trout on the Fly South America, Alaska, on Great Bear Lake Montana, Alberta, & More International Airport. Everything went Pages 5–6 Pages 9–12 smoothly, and we arrived in Havana early afternoon. We were met at the Colombia Louisiana airport by Matt, a Havana-based Ameri- These Peacock Bass Trips Some Thoughts on Fly Are Cheap as They Get! Refusal, Service Boats can employee of CET, and Rafael, our Pages 6–8 Pages 12–14 Cuban tour guide. Our first stop was at THE ANGLING REPORT a paladar, the Cuban term for a privately Our cabanas were very clean cinder owned and operated restaurant. After block buildings consisting of a living lunch, we checked into our hotel, the room, bathroom, and bedroom with Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The hotel was two long twin beds. Unfortunately, built in 1930 and is very nicely main- there were some issues with our accom- tained. The rooms were large and com- modations. There were separate ACs fortable, and there was a large outdoor in the living room and bedroom, and plaza with two bars and a nice breeze in all three of the units the living room coming off the ocean. We had a couple AC was not working well. At least all THE ANGLING REPORT of hours to relax and then met with a the bedroom ACs were working well EDITOR Cuban history professor who gave us enough for us to sleep comfortably Don Causey an overview of Cuban history from the at night. The mini refrigerators in the time of Columbus to the present, fol- cabanas were also not working well. MARKETING DIRECTOR lowed by a question-and-answer period. Water pressure varied between low and Michael Lyons Afterward, we went to dinner at another lower. We experienced a couple of pow- COPY EDITOR paladar. er outages, though none were lengthy. I Gary Hamel The next morning we took ad- am not sure if any real effort was made, vantage of Hotel Nacional’s extensive but the problems with the ACs and re- LAYOUT & PRODUCTION breakfast buffet and then checked out frigerators were never resolved. A new Ben F. Badger Jr. of the hotel and went on a walking tour angler pavilion was not complete as had ILLUSTRATIONS of Old Havana. Later in the afternoon been promised, though progress contin- Gordon Allen we went to visit the Ernest Hemingway ued on it during our visit. ranch on the outskirts of Havana, then During our stay in Playa Larga, we made the roughly two-hour trip south- had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, east to Playa Larga, which is on the which was pretty basic—coffee, juice, The Angling Report Bay of Pigs. Rafael and our bus driver breads, and fruit, and they would cook 202-770-9942 returned to Havana, and Matt remained eggs to order. The anglers had lunch with us in Playa Larga. We met our fish- on the boat—a meat sandwich on a The Angling Report (ISSN: 1045-3539) is published monthly by Oxpecker Enterprises, Inc., 4431 ing guides Felipe (the lead guide) and dry bun, with maybe some fruit or pas- Greenwich Parkway, Washington, DC 20007. Lazaro. We also met some high school try that the guide had picked up from Periodicals Postage Paid at Washington, DC. and students from just up the road in Jagüey breakfast. Plenty of water and some at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Angling Report, 4431 Grande who were involved in a mentor- other beverage choices were available. Greenwich Parkway, Washington, DC 20007. The ing program led by Felipe in which they On two nights we had dinner at the ho- Angling Report is not a booking agent, nor is it learn to cast, fish, tie flies, and develop tel restaurant, which was OK, but unre- affiliated with a booking agent, outfitter, or guide. other skills that might lead them to be- markable. Three nights we had dinner at How can we help you? come fishing guides. The young men paladares in Playa Larga. demonstrated their casting skills (pretty Susan had planned to fish one of New Subscriptions: A one-year subscription costs $49. Add $11 per year in Canada/Mexico. $29 darn good, one could cast well with the four fishing days, but she changed overseas. Visa/MC/Amex accepted. Contact us on the either hand), and we were each gifted her mind and decided to investigate Web (www.anglingreport.com), by phone (202-770- a bonefish fly and a tarpon fly they had the non-angling activities along with 9942), by e-mail ([email protected]), or by mail (The Angling Report, 4431 Greenwich Parkway, tied. Elizabeth, the other non-angling spouse. Washington, DC 20007). Online Extra Upgrade: One year costs $24, in addition to regular subscription fee. Puts one on list Honor Roll Subscribers to receive e-mail invitations to go fishing FREE in return for filing a report. Unlimited access to our trip- The Angling Report encourages also get special consideration for planning database also included. Plus, e-mail and hard subscribers to file reports on great FREE trips. If you have been on copies of monthly newsletters. 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Honor Roll subscribers scribers.” December 2016 -2- Volume 29, Number 12 THE ANGLING REPORT They took Cuban cooking and salsa of the flats but could give you a pretty half or more of each of our flats days dancing lessons, relaxed on the beach, good pounding if you had to cross open tarpon fishing. During these three days, and toured two other cities that were water when the wind was up.