Sight Cast, Los Roques, Venezuela

Los Roques offers outstanding numbers of Bonefish with a very solid average size of 4 pounds or so. Fish over 5 pounds are caught more frequently than fish under 3 pounds, and good numbers of fish in the 7-10 pound range are present. Tarpon from 10 to 100 pounds are frequently landed. Permit are available and as flies and tactics are continually being refined, more and more of this incredible fish are caught each season. Other available species at Los Roques include barracuda, snook, cero mackerel, bonito and a variety of snappers and hard fighting jacks.

The best season is from mid-January to October.  But due to the location of Los Roques in the southern Caribbean, it is surrounded by tropical waters with very consistent weather conditions, there is also good fishing during the other months of the year. This is unlike bonefishing locations in more northern latitudes that can experience more extreme weather patterns. Frequently, while in the northern Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Bahamas, summer doldrums occur when the flats get too hot.  At Los Roques, fishing holds up quite well and actually improves during June, July and August due to constant trade winds and currents. On the flip side of the seasons, during the winter months, cold fronts pushing down from the Arctic and Canada often have tremendously negative influence over the fishing success in those northern destinations. Conversely, it is a rarity to have anything but the most severe low pressure system come anywhere close to reaching Los Roques.
 

Several different air carriers offer daily flights to Venezuela from the US, most arriving late in the day. Due to arrival times, guests generally stay at a hotel on the mainland the first night of their trip. We use the Hotel Eurobuilding Express in La Guaira, Venezuela. This hotel is located on the beach about 5 minutes from the International Airport and features amenities like room service, a business center, swimming pools, a restaurant and a bar. You will be met at the airport by the lodge’s private VIP transfer service and transferred to the hotel. The next morning your driver from the previous night will take you to the domestic airport for the 35-minute flight to Los Roques. Once you have checked in to the lodge and had a bite of breakfast, your guide and captain will take you to the flats for your first full day on the water.

The typical day starts with an early breakfast and then you set off with your guide around 7:30am for a full day of fishing the flats. Typically you pack a lunch with you and stay out on the flats until around 3:30 pm. By the end of the afternoon, you head back to the lodge and get there about 4:00 pm. The lodge is conveniently located and you can take a stroll on the beach or around the quiet village of Gran Roque before or after dinner. Dinner is served around 8:00pm.

On your last fishing day, you fish the best part of the day, then return to the lodge in time to check out and catch the late afternoon flight to the mainland. Depending on your ongoing schedule, you most likely overnight again at the same hotel near the airport. The following morning, you will be met and transferred to the international airport in time to catch your flight home.
 

Guests will stay at Acuarela Lodge on Gran Roque. This is a small Posada (boutique hotel) with well appointed guest rooms located only a cast or two’s length from the beach. A few minutes walk will put you at most of the area’s attractions. Each of the air conditioned rooms have a private bathroom with hot water, a room safe and two beds that can accommodate either a couple or two individual anglers traveling together. Arrangements can be made at the time of booking for anglers to have private rooms. Wireless Internet is available or guests can use the lodge’s computer to check email. Acuarela Lodge, used by anglers and non-anglers alike, features arguably the best accommodations, service and meals on the island.

The food is very good; highlighting a mix of Caribbean, South American, Italian and American cuisines will keep you full and happy during your stay. The island has excellent access to the mainland and you can expect a good variety of fresh food, including tropical fruits and seafood. All meals at the lodge are included in your package. Beer and water are supplied on the boat. Cocktails are available at the bar in the lodge, but are not included in the trip price. If your schedule allows and you are interested, you may have the option of enjoying an authentic lobster lunch at a local fish camp for at least one day during your trip.
 

Fly fishing is the first priority with Sight Cast. And the fishing at Los Roques is mostly done “the way it should be”: on foot, with wide expanses of firm, pale, shallow flats, covered with tailing bonefish.

Sight Cast also provides offshore fishing at Los Roques on a brand new 26 ft. center console boat with 2 brand new 200 hp Yamaha engines. There is some tremendous offshore fishing for wahoo, tuna, dorado/mahi mahi and such. Please enquire with us regarding this opportunity.

Even though activities other than fishing are somewhat limited at Los Roques, anglers or their companion will enjoy the beautiful solitary beaches of crystal clear waters and white sand with fascinating birding, and beautiful flora and fauna. It is an excellent place to relax and rest, or revive and revitalize yourself. Los Roques is famous for its wonderful scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kite surfing and sea kayaking opportunities. You may also visit the sea-turtle research center.
 

2013 Rates:
Double Occupancy fishing w/sharing guide, boat, and double room

3 days of fishing $ 2,895.00
4 days of fishing $ 3,290.00
5 days of fishing $ 3,790.00
6 days of fishing $ 4,250.00

***********Inquire with us regarding Summer Specials!

2012 Rates:
Double Occupancy fishing w/sharing guide, boat, and double room

3 days of fishing $ 2,715.00
4 days of fishing $ 3,095.00
5 days of fishing $ 3,565.00
6 days of fishing $ 3,995.00

Includes:
•First and last night at the selected hotel on the mainland: La Guaira: Eurobuilding Express (nearest the airport).
•Round trip flight Caracas - Los Roques – Caracas.
•Accommodation at Acuarela Lodge.
•All meals at the Lodge and at the boat.
•All ground transfer services.
•Guided fishing.
•Sportfishing licenses and permits.
•Beer on the boat

Excludes: *
•International airfare to Venezuela
•Meals and beverages in the mainland
•Los Roques National Park Entry Fee (approx. $ 25)
•Alcoholic beverages (except beers on the boat)
•Items of a personal nature such as phone calls and laundry
•Domestic departure tax (approx. $ 7)
•Overweight baggage ($ 0.50 per pound in excess of 25 pounds)
•Gratuities to the lodge staff and fishing guides.
* Some items change between January and March of each year due to governmental adjustments