Dispatch from Los Roques

Jon Covich just returned from his first trip to Los Roques and was kind enough to share some words and photos that will have you adding yet another destination to your bucket list.

Man, I have always  wanted to go to Los Roques! Finally, it happened last week. If you don’t know, Los Roques is an archipelago of islands off the coast of Venezuela. Visitors take a 30 minute commuter flight to the largest of the islands from Caracas.

Most of the people who live on the island are there for two reasons: tourists and fish. In some cases both. The island has a multitude of very quant Posadas (small Hotels).  We stayed at Posada Acuarela.

One of the best things about fishing at Los Roques, is that almost all of it is done while wading. Very famous are the Pancake Flats, which are numerous and full of tailing and finning schools of bones. They are, however, nearly impossible to see unless you have native eyes.

To say that there is a lot of bait around Los Roques is a magnificent understatement. In fact, I have never seen so many baitfish, with everything feeding on them. We found Tarpon in bays and in the open water, Jacks and Blue Runners in abundance, and birds galore crashing these fish.

Look closely to the left of the Pelican. Ever see a Bonefish taking baitfish from a bird’s beak?

And yes, the Bonefish here eat baitfish like crazy. Gummy Minnows are the fly of choice while wading long beaches.

To add to the diversity of the flats, we fished islands and back bays. One of the most interesting was home to a lobsterman’s village, full of beautiful wooden boats, and bonefish and tarpon alike in the flats and bays.

Note the poster of Hugo Chavez on the back wall.

While I was having drinks after dinner one evening, another guest asked me how Los Roques compared to other Bonefish destinations around the world. I told them about Christmas Island, and about the Bahamas. But I also said that I had never been to any Bonefish destination like Los Roques. I loved the diversity of the fishing. The size of the Bonefish was above average, with many fish caught in the 5-7 pound range. And, guests return after fishing to a beautiful Posada and village rather than a lodge where they mix only with the group they traveled with.

I will return.

If you have questions, please e-mail me at jcovich@mindspring.com, and check out Los Roques fishing at Fly Water Travel.