Cuba Fly Fishing Gear Recommendations

Recommended Gear

What to Bring on your Trip

Cuba offers a pristine environment for targeting a diverse range of fish species on the fly. Beyond the “big three”—bonefish, permit, and tarpon—anglers can encounter other exciting game fish such as barracuda, triggerfish, jacks, and snapper on any given day. With its white sand beaches, endless flats, mangrove lagoons, and deep blue holes, Cuba provides countless habitats to explore and fish.

Given the variety of fishing opportunities, it can be overwhelming to determine exactly what gear to bring for your Cuba fly fishing adventure. Drawing on years of experience leading trips to Cuba, we’ve created a comprehensive list of essential equipment for a successful day on the water. It’s important to note that Cuba is a remote island with limited access to certain conveniences. There are no fly shops, so all necessary gear must be prepared in advance.

Cuba Fly Fishing trip Gear

Prepare For Your Adventure

This is a comprehensive list and what you need will vary depending on your trip goals and destination 

Fly Rods

We recommend 9-foot, 4-piece rods for travel convenience. Opt for fast-action saltwater models of rods that can load line quickly and cut through the wind. Some of our favorite manufacturers include Scott, Orvis, G Loomis, Sage and Winston. 

Bonefish
The ideal all-around rod for bonefish is a 9’ 8-weight. Bonefish in Cuba tend to be larger than those in other Caribbean destinations, so a rod with a strong backbone is essential for fighting them. An 8-weight rod also performs well in windy conditions while still allowing for delicate fly presentations.

A 9’ 9-weight rod is best suited for permit fishing. Permit require both quick, short casts and long, accurate presentations, making a 9-weight an excellent choice. Pairing it with a 10-weight-rated line can help turn over long leaders and weighted flies in windy conditions. If you already have a 10 weight, this can work as well and can be helpful in windier conditions and with heavier flies.  We recommend bringing two rods for serious Permit Anglers—one rigged and ready with a crab or shrimp fly and a backup rigged with a different fly for quick transitions. Since triggerfish eat the same flies as permit, we use our permit rods when targeting them.

For resident tarpon (typically 10–50 lbs), a 9’ 10-weight rod is ideal. These fish are available year-round in Cuba and provide a thrilling challenge regardless of their size. The 10-weight rod also works well for snook, as it offers the strength needed to keep them out of the mangroves once hooked. Keeping a 45 pound bite-wire leader handy allows for quick adjustments when targeting barracuda.

For migratory tarpon, which arrive in Cuba from mid March to late June, depending on which of our 9 destinations you are fishing, can grow to massive sizes, a 9’ 11-weight or 12-weight rod is essential. These powerful fish require rods with significant lifting power. The choice between an 11-weight and a 12-weight depends on angler preference.

Fly Reels & Backing

High-quality, large-arbor reels are a must for fishing in Cuba. Seeing your backing disappear is common, so a strong drag system and ample backing are crucial for handling powerful runs. We recommend American-made reels such as Hatch, Nautilus, Tibor or Abel. 

Backing

  •  8–9 weight reels: Spool with approximately 150 yards of 30# backing.
  • 10–12 weight reels: Spool with 200–250 yards of 30–50# backing.

Fly Lines

For most fishing situations, a weight-forward tropical floating line is the best choice. While species-specific lines can be useful, we generally recommend an all-around fly line such as Rio Elite Flats Pro or Scientific Anglers Infinity Salt.

In areas with deeper flats or even deeper channels and blue holes, an intermediate line or even a 400-grain sink-tip line can be a game-changer. Though this technique only applies to a small portion of Cuba’s fishing, it is highly effective when needed and worth carrying on an extra spool or at the least the fly lines to put on your reel when necessary. We recommend Rio Elite Leviathan or Rio Outbound Custom.

Leaders & Tippet

Anglers should bring a variety of tapered leaders and tippet spools for different species:

  • Bonefish: Three to Six 9’ 16# tapered leaders. A spool of 12# fluorocarbon can be useful in tricky conditions.
  • Permit: Three to Six 10’ 16# or 20# tapered leaders.
  • Tarpon: Instead of a complicated setup, we use a simple straight piece of 60# tippet unless you are interested in pursuing records.

These leader setups will cover all the species you’re likely to encounter. Additionally, bring some bite tippet or 2 pre-made barracuda leaders. Rio sells  45# Toothy Critter premade leader that is very convenient and perfect for Cuba. Our favorites are Trout Hunter, Rio and Scientific Angler.

Flies

A wide range of flies can work in Cuba, but we strongly recommend destination-specific flies or packages. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with local guides and professional fly tyers to develop the best patterns for each species. Our goal isn’t to sell flies—it’s to ensure our anglers have the best chance of success. If you already have flies, bring them all but for a high success rate when that fish of a lifetime, like a Permit comes you will want to be armed with CFFC custom flies that can only be purchased from our company. Because Cuba is such a pristine fishery and the fish are unpressured many of the usual suspects for Bonefish, Tarpon, Snook, Baracuda, Snapper and Jacks can be purchased from your local fly shop. Just don’t leave home without some CFFC flies in your quiver.

  • Bonefish: CFFC Pascal Shrimp (yellow, size 4 & 6 in light, medium & heavy weight), Crazy Charlie (size 4–8), Spawing Shrimp (size 4 & 6), Ververkas Mantis Shrimp (size 4 & 6) and Bonefish Bitters (size 6–8).
  • Permit: CFFC Phlexo Crab (clear/white & clear/cream, size 4), CFFC 3D Phlexo Crab (clear/white & clear/yellow size 4 in medium & heavy weight) Strongarm Merkin Crab (white & tan, size 2–4 in heavy and light weight), Pascal Shrimp (white/tan, size 2–4 in Light, Medium and heavy weight).
  • Tarpon/Snook: Chartreuse & White Clouser, Tarpon Toad (black/purple, black/red), EP Baitfish (Olive/white, black/purple) & Pinfish flies.
  • Barracuda: Umpqua Cuda Fly, Holo Baitfish & Poppers.

For a full list of flies please see our standard Cuba Packing List for all destinations below:

Flats Clothing

Protecting yourself from the sun and elements is key to an enjoyable trip. Cuba’s tropical climate averages 75–80°F, with high humidity.

  • Sunglasses: A polarized pair is essential for spotting fish and protecting your eyes. Darker lenses in green mirror, brown, or bronze are best for flats fishing. If you have a backup pair, bring it! Low light lens can also be helpful on those cloudier days.
  • Hat: A breathable, wide-brimmed hat for sun protection.
  • Buff: A lightweight buff to cover your neck and face from the sun.
  • Long-Sleeve Shirts: Opt for lightweight, breathable sun hoodies which offer sun protection and quick-drying fabric.
  • Shorts: Quick-drying synthetic shorts.
  • Pants: Lightweight pants for additional sun protection.
  • Footwear: Most fishing is done from the boat, so we typically wear flip-flops to the boat and fish barefoot for better line management. However, lightweight socks can protect your feet from sunburn while still allowing you to feel the fly line. If you plan to wade or need to approach tailing fish on foot, flats booties or lightweight wading boots will protect your feet from sharp rocks and coral. In some of Cubas destinations they are mandatory to get where you need to go.
  • Handwear: Some anglers use gloves or stripping guards to prevent line burns and reduce wear on their fingers. Sungloves are also very helpful for sun protection.
  • Rainwear: While most days are sunny, sudden storms can appear and a  lightweight, waterproof rain jacket is essential for staying dry and can also help protect against boat spray in choppy conditions. Some of our favorite brands for clothing, jackets and footwear are Free Fly, Poncho, Simms or Patagonia.

Additional

  • Bags: A waterproof bag is highly recommended to keep your valuables dry. A submersible backpack works, but a waterproof boat bag is more convenient for easy access. Patagonia, Simms and Fishpond seem to tick all the boxes in this department.
  • Pliers/Nippers: A good pair of pliers is essential for safely removing hooks, especially from toothy fish. Nippers or cutters are necessary for trimming leaders and changing flies. Abel & Simms have great options.
Download Packing list