Jackson: A long-awaited return to fishing paradise

CAYO CRUZ, CUBA - In case you hadn't checked the date lately, it is definitely not 1962. And there are no U.S. warships blockading the waters leading to the island nation of Cuba.

For all practical purposes, the front door is wide open for all of you people interested in a different kind of fishing trip - in fact, the kind of outing which may make the hair on your neck stand up.

And to all the naysayers who continue to bark that Cuba is a terrible place? In reality, it is a great fresh- and saltwater fishing destination. Politics aside, I humbly acknowledge Cuban citizens are some of the most hospitable I've ever encountered. The only major problem they have, aside from putting food on the table, is understanding their pretend-Communist government has done more harm to their economy than anything else.

So here I am, ensconced on the Avalon 1, a 100-foot boat operated by Avalon Fishing Tours.

Adam Marton, owner of The Fieldworkers Club, suggested I go on this latest quest.

I admit the last time I stepped on Cuban soil was with my late uncle, who had me along for one of his secret gambling trips in the early '50s.

Adam and members of The Fieldworkers Club went to Cuba and Garden of the Queen a week before I landed there. The club's members caught, tagged and released tarpon. It was a joint effort with scientists from the University of Miami. The tags are designed to allow satellite trackers to follow these great fish as they migrate. Satellites pick up radio signals from the tags and the scientists from the University of Miami subsequently sort the data so as to come up with migration reports.

My specific trip was designed to investigate if my location was viable enough to support a tagging program.

We were a group of five Chicago-area flyfishermen eager to uncase our tools and get to work - or catching fish, as we put it. We targeted permit, bonefish and tarpon all available on massive, spread-out shallow flats.

Once out in the skiff, I began loosening up my casting arm. I couldn't ask for a smoother cast as the line zipped through my 9-weight Grandt fly rod.

Like many shallow flats guides, Jorge spotted a chunky permit cruising about 40 feet off to our right side. He suggested I make a cast and drop the fly right in front of the permit's mouth. I did just that, but the permit had other plans. It looked at the fly for a second and turned away. I later had one permit hooked for five minutes, but that too took a powder, leaving me damp from the heat and humidity as well as extremely frustrated.

Avalon Fishing Tours is run by an Italian group committed to providing a first-class experience for those who want a piece of the action. Having been on hundreds of excursions around the world as well as North America, I can say this outing was one of the best. In fact, if the scale went higher than a 10, I would rate the lodging, the meals, the accommodations and the fishing an easy 20.

Our group caught big permit, tarpon, bonefish, snapper and a few other varieties. We kept the snapper for the evening dinner.

Marton has taken on the role of tour organizer through Fieldworkers Club. You can reach him via e-mail at adam@amfilms.tv.

If you are ready for a real adventure, I suggest you contact Adam and set up a Cuban trip for yourself - especially if you're able to stay aboard the Avalon 1.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.