Palometa Club

It's Friday, June 3, and I'm sitting in the courtyard of my hotel in Cancun. I've just finished 6 days fishing at the Palometa Club in Punta Allen, Mexico.

Operated by Dick and Kaye Cameron, "the club" is an absolute treat. I came down to see their operation with the hopes of adding it as a destination for the shop for 2012 as a prime Permit destination, with lots of "Plan B" options in the form of Bonefish, Tarpon, and Snook. What I found is better than I had expected......

View from the bar and patio at Palometa Club

Upon my arrival, one of the first things that struck me is the homier, more comfortable setting compared to most lodges. Dick and Kaye operate the club form the beginning of January to mid-June every season, spending the balance o the year in Juneau, Alaska. The staff, guides, and the Camerons are very much like a close knit family, most being with the lodge since their opening in 2006.

Rooms are very comfortable and roomy.

The guides are, in their entirety, excellent. I would fish with any of them, any day, any time. P.C. does the guiding a little differently, with two guides per boat. This means that when in the boat one guide is poling and the second guide is a second pair of eyes as well as providing assistance with the anglers fly line, etc.
Most of the Permit shots are taken out the Panga after the fish is spotted, so the second guide will take the angler out of the boat on foot. The guide on the poling platform will then provide a "high sight" assistance" from a safe distance.

A lifetimes worth of Permit flats await.

THIS IS A TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT! You will get more than enough Permit shots (the longest period I went without a shot was no more than about 45 minutes). Lots of very happy, tailing Permit from about 10 pounds to mid 30 pound range will await you. Palometa Club has some of the coolest backcountry fishing I have seen, with Tarpon from 10 to 50 pounds in abundance, with the occasional much larger fish. In addition, there seemed to be Snook all over the place, you could spend a bunch of time just fishing for Snook. The lodge best Snook is 28 pounds,the largest I saw was somewhere between 15 and 20. Lots of Bonefish, the largest I saw was around 5 or 6 pounds. Their Bonefish are very heavy for their length, heavier even than some of the Cuba Bonefish. There is also opportunities, albeit not as consistent, to see 100+ pound Tarpon out on the open flats.

Backcountry for Snook and Tarpon

I would give Palometa Club top grades. For more information, go to http://www.countrypleasures.com/palometa_club.htm