Halcon

Halcon

General Information

The Halcon is our recently refurbished luxury yacht with a storied past. Seventy-five feet in length, it is powered with two GM 450 hp diesel engines. Below decks you will find six cabins and three bathrooms. It is perfect for groups of eight to ten anglers. The ability of the Halcon to travel allows anglers to fish the more remote parts of the Jardines de la Reina, and explore flats where the fish have rarely seen anglers and are easier to catch. But best of all is that anglers on the Halcon get in a lot more quality fishing time each day. You are minutes away from many of the very best flats so there is far less running time in the skiffs and more fishing time for everyone. Since you are fishing flats that are often ten minutes from were the Halcon is anchored this makes it very pleasant to come back to eat a wonderful lunch aboard and then even catch a little nap before heading back to the flats. Since the run back to the Halcon in the evening is short, it allows anglers to fish very late, almost until dark. Since it is often calm late in the day, it is always easy to find and catch some very large bonefish that become a lot easier to fool once the sun starts to go down.

All of the Halcon cabins have excellent A/C, comfortable beds and a surprising amount of storage space for your clothing and gear. Good showers with plenty of hot water make things comfortable at the end of a long fishing day. On the main deck is a large salon, which is fully air-conditioned with comfortable couches making it the perfect place to relax with a cocktail before dinner. The salon is equipped with a TV, DVD and a good sound system that allows people to either watch movies or for anglers to hook up their video cameras and have fun watching the exciting fishing videos shot by their friends earlier that day.

The Captain on the Halcon knows many good protected spots in the island system that make for a perfect anchorage, yet are close to some of the very best fishing flats. Cachi Boca is one of the best, about twenty miles or so east of the Tortuga. Here we position the Halcon in the well-protected back bay of a large channel. In selected spots like this it is easy to keep the yacht far enough from mangrove islands to eliminate any bug problems, and in a spot where there is little more than a chop on the water even with a strong wind. We try to maximize angler comfort and eliminate any problems with seasickness. The gentle rocking and rolling you experience will lull you to sleep at the end of a long day.

Meals are usually served on the afterdeck where there is normally a nice breeze. In inclement weather, the afterdeck is easily and quickly enclosed with heavy roll-down clear plastic windows. In more severe weather the air conditioned salon is utilized for our dining room.

Chefs on the Halcon have always been excellent. The day starts out with a hearty breakfast. Lunch is just right, with delicious lobster and pasta salads along with sandwiches of your choice. Dinners are primarily seafood and fresh fish provided every day by the crew.

Daily Routine

Fishing hours are totally at the discretion of the clients. Our fishing day normally begins with breakfast at 7:00am, and our guides are ready to go fishing from 7: 45am on. Many anglers elect to return to the ship for a nice lunch especially during the summer season. Some of the flats are within fifteen minutes of the boat, and it is always nice to take a lunch break in the shade and relax a bit before fishing a long afternoon.

Lunches on board are particularly good, while we are more limited in fare when making up box lunches for a full day on the water. Many of the more remote flats can produce outstanding fishing and your guides will suggest the evening before that you pack a lunch and stay out all day in order to access some of the more distant flats and estuaries.

Clients can fish late into the evening if they like, since it is usually only a short run to get back to the La Reina. There is never a daily gasoline limitation for our guides, so you can run longer distances to fish remote flats, especially on those days when you opt to stay out all day.

Seasons

In Jardines de la Reina, our season is year round, except for September to mid-October when our staff takes a well-earned break. A normal week includes five full days of fishing and one to two half days depending on your schedule and mode of transportation to Jucaro, our port for the Jardines de la Reina archipelago.

Package Rates:

Please contact us for a quote.

Included:

Airport reception, 2 nights Havana double room, transfers, double room on the La Reina , sharing guide & boat for 5 full fishing days, beverages on board, meals, Fishing license.

Not Included:

Tips, visa, airport tax, personal expenses in Havana, departure tax.

Location: Halcon, Jardines de la Reina, Cuba

Capacity: 8 - 10 anglers per week

Best Time: Jardines de la Reina can be fished year round. April to June are the best months.

Target species: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon and Snook.