The tunnel opened out onto an inner lagoon about a hundred yards around, deep, but with crystal clear water. "Throw the fly right to the edge of mangroves, then let it sink a bit so tarpon under mangroves can see it, then retrieve," Carlos said. There was an obvious current coming from the edge of the mangroves, and the water was especially clear there. I asked about it, and Carlos said there was a "cenote", an underground spring of major size from far inland that surfaces here. The water is partly brackish, though, contaminated a bit by seawater as it nears the coastline. After we fishd around it, Carlos showed us the opening, a round, bottomless conduit about 10 feet in diameter. We cast along the mangroves for half an hour without success. We didn't see any rolling fish or other evidence they were there. I suspect Carlos wanted us to see the cenote as much for sightseeing value as for the fishing, but it was certainly possible that tarpon stacked up there at times as they do around similar springs in Florida. Carlos took us back to the flat where we had caught the snook to try there again. The tide had come in a bit, giving the water directly under the mangroves more depth than before. We did spook one good sized snook with the boat without getting a take. Carlos edged us toward the deeper water again. "Tailing permit", he called out. Two fish looking about 20 pounds apiece were waving their fins about 30 feet from the boat. I took the spinning rod, and according to Carlos' instuctions, cast past the fish and retrieved the crab up to them. One fish seemed to swirl, then turn back on it's original course. "He has it." I set back but came away with the back shell of the crab. The permit spooked a bit off to the right. It was as good a shot as one could want for permit. Carlos told me to keep casting to the fish, but they moved steadily away. We blind cast another crab out in deeper water for awhile without success, then our time was up and we motored back to Carlos and Charlie's. When we got back to our hotel at Playamile I showed the snook to the cook. Ramon smiled and nodded politely. I had to tell him what kind of fish it was. "Robalo,...cook for dinner". When he realized I wanted him to cook it, he frowned and poked at the fish warily and began talking rapidly in spanish. Someone translated. "He says this fish swallow the venom of the sea snake. Poisonous."
								More Text =>
		<= Back
			Table of Contents			Fishtales Start			Order/Contact