Mexico’s Chetumal Bay has the best saltwater fly fishing you’ve never heard of—a guide for Canadian anglers

THE TACKLE

Success in saltwater demands proper equipment, though that doesn’t mean taking out a second mortgage. Mid-range tackle will do just fine, so long as it’s rated for saltwater. Along with fast- or medium-fast-action rods, you’ll need a reel tough enough that it won’t fall apart during blistering 100-foot runs. All your fly lines should be weight-forward tapers, and buying premium ones is usually worth the investment.

For bonefish, snook and baby tarpon, you’ll need an 8- or 9-weight rod with a floating line. For permit, which are larger and like bulkier crab flies, a 9- or 10-weight rod paired with a floating line handles most situations. When targeting large tarpon, step it up to a 10-, 11- or 12-weight rod. Ideally, you want a pair of rods, one with a floating line, and one with an intermediate sink-tip to get down into the deeper water of five or six feet.

If you don’t have all of that gear, you can borrow some from the guides, or pool resources with other anglers. Just be sure to bring one outfit you’ve practised with and are comfortable using. If you’ve never cast anything bigger than a trout rod, standing on the deck of a boat as a tarpon rolls ahead of you is not the time to learn.

Some of the top bonefish flies for Chetumal are the Crazy Charlie, Rubber-Leg Gotcha and Veverka Mantis Shrimp in tan, pink and white, and sizes 8, 6 and 4. You don’t need every possible permutation of those flies, just a representative sample. But note the size—they are much smaller than the flies for Bahamas bonefish. For permit, stock the Squimp and EP Crab Fly in sizes 2 and 4. Productive tarpon flies, meanwhile, include the Peanut Butter, Black Death and Tarpon Toad in sizes 1/0 and 2/0.