“¡Viva la Cuba!” Opening relations and opening doors for saltwater anglers
By Dylan Rose
A sunset session in the Jardines de la Reina. Photo: Jon Covich
A
man in a straw hat plows his field with oxen under the searing midday heat. A pink 1955 Chevy Bel Air convertible rattles and growls its way around Revolution Square. Men gather under late afternoon shade trees to play dominos and argue about the local baseball scene. A drumming session breaks out at sundown on the famed Malecón esplanade, and an impassioned couple embrace nearby. Elsewhere, a 30-pound permit flutters in plain view behind a meter-wide stingray, sucking down tasty morsels that scurry out from under its wings. Cuba. The mere mention of it elicits a treasure trove of iconic cultural imagery. Cuba’s cultural identity permeates every moment of a trip to this rebellious island paradise. The wafting smoke of cigars, the sweet aftertaste of rum, the poetically beautiful streets and eclectic colonial architecture of old Havana, and a passionate population of locals willing to dance the cha-cha, mambo, or salsa at a moment’s notice. For Americans it has remained the illicit garden, a place where bountiful bushes hang low with forbidden fruit. There is something for everyone: incredible history, beautiful beaches, saltwater slams and fine cigars. With the continued easing of travel restrictions, more
and more American anglers are identifying Cuba as a nearby and now legal stronghold for pristine marine ecosystems, large bonefish, abundant permit and burly migratory tarpon.
Lifting the Curtain On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Camillo Cienfuegos succeeded in leading a guerilla army against the authoritarian dictatorship of Fulgencia Batista. The Cuban Revolution had widespread effects on the U.S. and eventually led to the inception of the most enduring trade embargo in modern history. Until quite recently U.S. anglers illegally visiting Cuba risked hefty fines and legal action levied by the U.S. Treasury, not to mention the stress of lying to a U.S. customs agent about your whereabouts upon your return. Yet, as we know, many diehard saltwater anglers did so more than once and found it well worth the risk. With recent policy changes and the relaxing of decades-old rules, American anglers can now take advantage of a special allowance that provides 100% legal entry in to Cuba and, more importantly, re-entry back to the United States. This allowance entails making a donation to an approved charitable