Playa Blanca Fly Fishing Lodge Hosted Trip Report Fall 2016:
“Over the last three months, I have been fortunate enough to have hosted four weeks at Playa Blanca Fly Fishing Lodge. Two in November, one in December and one in January. Thus bringing my total hosted trips there to 11. The weather for the most part was cooperative, no extended periods of rain, and in spite of sustained 20 mph winds on the most recent trip, the fishing was, overall, quite good.
What continues to be impressive about Playa , and what plays a huge factor in the success of the these trips, is the water that Playa has access to in order to help mitigate bad weather or slow fishing conditions.
On the last January trip, the wind prevented us from being able to effectively fish for permit in the main bay of Espiritu Santo due to the heavy wave chop and exposure. It limited our fishable water by at least 40% as there are several good permit flats that line the inner edge of both the north and south sides of the bay that many of the guides rely upon almost daily for shots at fish. This forced the guides to focus on the the four main “rivers” that feed into Espiritu, as well as the the lesser Ensanada bay for relative cover from the wind. The permit weren’t particularly active that week, the guides blaming a strong and shifting wind, but in spite of the difficult conditions, the 7 anglers that focused solely on permit were able to land a total of 16 throughout the week.
During our travel back to the U.S., we met four anglers that had been to two separate lodges that week in Ascencion bay, that had only landed one permit between them. They were plagued with the same wind we had at Playa, but didn’t have viable contingency options for finding fish.
In addition to the rivers, Playa also has access to the “Tarpon Lagoon” and “Santa Rosa“. These are bays that are slightly lesser in size but are hemmed in by mangroves which provides even better shelter when wind is a factor. On all four trips, anglers that weren’t focused solely on fishing for permit spent at least a day in one or both of these locations. Both areas offer great fishing for large (6 lb plus) bonefish as well as opportunities for tarpon and snook. In the tarpon lagoon, I have caught many tarpon in the 10- 20 lb class and have seen, but not caught, tarpon in the 80 -100 lb class. I have also caught multiple snook in the 15-20 lb range and had opportunities at considerably larger ones. Both of these bays, regardless of weather, should be experienced by anglers. They give you a sense of depth to the fishery at Playa and considerably less boat travel time until you start fishing.
The other aspect which I believe sets Playa Blanca apart from other destination lodges is the guides. WorldCast Anglers has selected a roster of guides that has been fishing Espiritu Santo for a minimum of 16 yrs and some as many as 27yrs. Their knowledge of the fishery and their desire to see you succeed adds a palpable value to your trip. There have been many days where success has come only because of the guide’s willingness to try different areas, depths of water, etc, and we all know the difference a good guide can make.
Lastly, the food and accommodations at Playa are simply the best I’ve ever seen. All the food is prepared by a chef that has been at Playa for 30 yrs. They cook using only local fresh fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit.The rooms are clean, well situated, and tended to daily by housekeeping while you fish.”
WorldCast Anglers Head Guide
Vance Freed
For more information on this guide school, please email WorldCast Anglers or call us at 800-654-0676. You are also welcome to sign up for our e-newsletters. Trip information can always be found on our WCA Hosted Trips webpages.
