Paradise Lodge is aptly named. What was at first hailed as the lodge most consistently productive for tarpon and snook now includes outstanding bonefishing in the most scenic and remote flats of the Mexican Yucatan. Add to this excellent possibilities of hooking up with the most elusive of flats fish; the permit.

The new, completely rebuilt Paradise Lodge is re-opening its doors after its complete destruction by Hurricane Dean in August of 2007. It offers wilderness saltwater fishing from complete comfort in luxury accommodations on the Caribbean Coast near the border with Belize. It looks out over the sea and its part of the second longest barrier reef in the world. It is small catering to only 6 anglers at one time, with 4 rooms to provide space for non anglers as well as anglers. The whole idea behind the rebuild was to make individual attention the first priority of the lodge and staff. The meals are served taking advantage of the chef’s expertise in preparing Mexican and international cuisine. All of the drinks are on the house and the bar is always open.

It is located where it is on purpose. It was originally built by Dial Duncan about 20 years ago and he chose its foundation to be laid smack dab in the middle of the many tarpon and snook lakes just inland from the sea and connected to the ocean by cenotes (pronounced say- no’-tase) and the two bays, Chetumal (to the south of the lodge) and Espiritu Santo (to the north). He and subsequent owners, along with lodge guides have been exploring those waters ever since. It is probably the best destination in the Yucatan to seek the hard won goal of a Yucatan Slam. This is landing a bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook in one day. Easy to say but extremely difficult to achieve. If you add the ocean waters in the front of the lodge (accessible on calm days) to the two bays and the nearly dozen lakes, there are 4 distinctly different waters to fish in which to fish 4 distinctly different fish. In addition to the fishes mentioned above, there are jack crevalle, barracuda, snapper and others to talk into eating your fly offering.

The guides are all experienced and were with the lodge before the hurricane. They know the waters well and know how to position a fly fisher to get the best shots at whatever fish he/she has targeted. The boats are all in tip-top condition and are adapted to the local water and fishing conditions. The vehicles are all well maintained, air conditioned and provide the most comfortable ride possible to fishing each day.

Exciting fishing is waiting for every angler venturing into one of the many lakes. Here you will find baby and juvenile tarpon from 8 – 30 pounds and the occasional one over 50 pounds. This is mostly shallow water, sight-fishing to cruising fish close to the mangrove-covered shoreline. Sometimes they play hide and seek with the angler, popping out of the water covered mangrove roots, swim a little ways and ducking back in the trees, sometimes continuing in the same directing and other times reversing direction and appearing out from under the mangrove limbs now moving in the opposite direction. An angler has to be ready to fire of a shot at a moving fish maybe back under the tree limbs. And when the fish explodes on the fly, it literally may find itself hanging from the fly and leader that has followed the tarpon as it jumped over a tree limb 5 feet above the water. Then when the limb breaks and it all comes crashing down the tarpon will make a mad dash toward the submerged mangrove roots. It has to be stopped. There is no give here. It gets back in the trees and it’s gone. This is exciting stuff. The snook is just as unpredictable and explosive.

The bays give an angler the classic flats fishing experience. Fishing from a boat or wading in knee deep in 80 degree saltwater: Eyes scanning right to left and back again looking sometimes straining to see a part of a bonefish or a shadow or a fish rooting the bottom in searching for a meal with its tail waving above the surface: Slow-stepping across the flats waiting to see a bonefish nose down – tail up. The cast is made, and the bone sights the fly falling and rushes over to inhale it. You see it all! Strip setting the hook, the bonefish feels the pressure and rockets across the skinny water toward deeper water, peeling line and working the drag hard.

On a very calm day, access to the ocean in front of the lodge is available. The waters between the shore and the reef are home to ocean bonefish, permit, migrating tarpon, jack crevalle and barracuda. All are usually larger than their inland and bay cousins. These waters are know as the rodeo grounds during windy days and can get quite rough if the wind picks up speed. The weather has to be watched very closely when fishing there, but the bigger fish and different conditions make fishing there very interesting.

The non-angler is not forgotten at Paradise Lodge. There are a lot of activities to keep them busy and entertained. Just a short walk up the beach, the Meso-American Reef rises to within a few feet of the surface and a short swim from the beach. Snorkeling there is world class. Kayaks are available to play in the ocean and of course, the beach can provide hours of pleasure swimming and hiking. There are Mayan ruins to explore and birds to observe in the jungle country along the road behind the lodge. The staff at the lodge will bend over backwards to assure the non-angler has just as good of a time as the fishers.

Paradise Lodge is one of The Fly Shop’s signature destinations. This is because it epitomizes everything we want to see in a lodge in this area. It wants for nothing. We are proud to be associated with it.