Photo Courtesy of Clint Packo
As you may know, international destination travel is a pretty big piece of the puzzle here at Trouts Fly Fishing. This year, the shop is sending our team to the ends of the earth in pursuit of new species and fishing experiences.
Cody Hoeckelberg will be breaking out his passport once again and this time he is heading south of the border. He’ll be spending a week in early June exploring areas around Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. Here is how the trip is shaping up.
Trouts Fly Fishing: This is your first time exploring the waters of Mexico, correct? Tell us all about it.
Cody Hoeckelberg: We'll be traveling to a group of islands and flats south of the yucatan peninsula near Ascension Bay, Mexico. I’m pretty excited to expand my saltwater experience and to spend an extended amount of time stalking fish on the flats.
Trouts Fly Fishing: How long are you traveling for?
Photo Courtesy of Clint Packo
Cody Hoeckelberg: We have a full day of travel on each side and then we will have five solid days of fishing in the middle. We’ll be taking planes and boats and we will be sleeping on the beach around bonfires.
Trouts Fly Fishing: What type of species are you going after and why Mexico?
Cody Hoeckelberg: I’ve never fished in Mexico before and I’m looking forward to traveling to a relatively hard to access location, I’m also stoked to fish with the some of the best guides here on the front range and expand my knowledge of inshore saltwater flats fishing. AND… I’m looking forward to hopefully catching a permit and a barracuda more than 60" long. We’ll also be sight fishing for bonefish, tarpon, barracuda, jacks, sharks, trigger fish, snapper. We’re going to be well prepared and well equipped.
Photo Courtesy of Clint Packo
Trouts Fly Fishing: Tell us about your gear and equipment? How has the preparation for this trip gone so far?
Cody Hoeckelberg: Since we will be far away from civilization, I am bringing a fly shop worth of gear. I'll be fishing with Orvis Helios 2s and Orvis Mirage reels. I’ll be packing two 8 weights and a 10 weight for tarpon and barracuda. I will also have spools of fluorocarbon ranging from 100lb to 12lb, and a small arsenal of bonefish/permit and big game flies. Since these flats are hardly fished and difficult to get too I feel I need all sizes and colors of flies, you just never know what that magic fly could be. I’ll be using Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, one pair will be blue mirrored for Sunny conditions and I will have my other pair of Costas with Copper lenses. My fishing attire will consist of Simms Ultra light shirts and pants as well as a good selection of Howler Bros. gear. I will have the Simms Oceantek boots to protect me from the coral and the excessive amount of rays. Since there are no medical facilities’ for miles, I’m not taking any risks – but I am taking a first aid kit. And to store all that gear I am carrying on a fishpond Westwater Zippered Duffel as a carry-on bag. As well as the fishpond Westwater Backpack.
And there you have it. Stay tuned for Cody’s post trip report when he returns from Mexico. If you have any questions about International Destination Travel and fly fishing opportunities give us a call here at the shop.
