Kay Fly Fishing Lodge

Nestled in the palm trees, only a few yards from the beach, Kay (the Mayan word for fish) Fly Fishing Lodge offers six, clean and comfortable rooms. The ground floor houses a large dining room, the kitchen and a bar, with a patio with open-air seating just outside the dining room door, facing the beach. The second floor has three double rooms and a spacious porch, ideal for tying flies, rigging rods, playing cards or simply relaxing and mingling with fellow guests. The adjacent west building has two double rooms upstairs and another on the ground floor. Other lodge amenities include an indoor rod closet, an outdoor rod-washing station, and a roof-top bar with cornhole court and great views of the town and the water, a terrific place to enjoy the ocean breeze, some ice-cold beer and the delectable appetizers served daily after fishing. Perhaps even celebrate a memorable catch with a perfect margarita or your favorite cocktail. After all, both bars are kept stocked with a variety of spirits, sodas, mixers, wines and local brews.

Kay Fly Fishing Lodge offers visiting anglers access to a number of productive fishing areas that include Ascension Bay’s vast, open flats, tidal lagoons and coves found along the shorelines of its many small islands, as well as the inland mangrove lagoons and river system. While renowned for its amazing permit fishing, Ascension Bay and its neighboring waters are also home to a thriving population of bonefish, a considerable number of snook (known locally as robalo), and tarpon (aka sabalo), which reside in and migrate through the region, providing another splendid, year-round target. In addition, anglers here regularly cross paths with barracuda, several members of the jack and snapper clans, triggerfish and other species.

Widely considered saltwater fly-fishing’s holy grail, permit (called palometa in Mexico) are usually top of mind for the guides, all of whom are bonafide permit hawks. Nevertheless, they will adhere to the angler’s desires and adjust their fishing itinerary and tactics accordingly. Discussing your options before leaving the dock will help iron out the best possible game plan. 

At Kay Fly Fishing Lodge, you can expect two guides on every boat. The more seasoned usually skippers the panga and does the poling, the other helps with fish-spotting and aids anglers with any necessary rigging and fly line management. 

While much of the fishing in the region is done from the bow of the panga propelled by a guide with a push pole, wading is a possibility—and often encouraged— in certain spots. In fact, it’s pretty common for the angler and an accompanying guide to slip over the boat’s gunwales to stalk sighted permit more stealthily on foot. Proper wading footwear is, therefore, highly recommended to ensure good footing and protection against any jagged bottom structure. 



Fishing Schedule

Fishing days begin shortly after breakfast, at around 7:30 am (time adjusted slightly based on seasonal daylight hours), when you’ll either board your boat at the beach, right in front of the lodge, or follow your guide to a protected lagoon (a 5-minute walk) where the boats are kept when a strong, onshore wind dictates it. Boats return at about 4:30 pm, after the full day on the water.

Boats 

Like other operations in the area, Kay Fly Fishing Lodge uses the 23-foot super pangas typical throughout the coastal regions of Mexico and Central America. The boats are seaworthy, spacious and efficient, don’t require a big outboard to carry the usual load of two anglers and two guides, plus they also float shallow and boast comfy seats, gunwale rod racks and a broad casting deck at the bow. 

Loaner Gear

The lodge tries to keep a couple of fly outfits to lend guests in the event their gear is misplaced or damaged during the trip, and usually has items like leaders and flies available for purchase. But given the remote location, it’s often difficult to promptly restock and replace or repair tackle, so it’s best to bring your own gear and at least one spare rod and reel, as well as plenty of flies, leaders and other essentials, like a rain jacket, flats-wading footwear and polarized sunglasses.

There are six, clean and comfortable rooms (five with two double beds and one with a queen), all with a private bath, enough closet space and hangers to unpack all your clothes, a ceiling fan, and air conditioning to keep you cool throughout the evening and night hours. Two bars, an ample dining room, gathering spaces on both floors and outdoor seating facing the beach provide plenty of welcoming spots to hang out, exchange fish tales with other anglers, and savor the delicious local cuisine and a chilled beverage or two.

Cuisine

All meals are prepared by local chefs in a new, professional-grade kitchen. Breakfast choices include fresh fruit, eggs to order, meats, and pancakes, with the traditional Mexican Huevos Rancheros as the house specialty. Boat lunches are packed in the respective coolers each morning, and they include sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, crackers, and cold beverages. Dinners are mostly a variety of delectable Mexican dishes that commonly blend authentic Mayan and Caribbean cuisines and often feature fresh, local seafood. But meals may be customized to meet your specific dietary restrictions and requests, just make sure your needs are conveyed to the lodge at least two weeks before your arrival. 

Connectivity

Some U.S. cell phones may work in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and perhaps even in Tulum, but once you enter the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, the massive tropical forest and marine reserve within which the town of Punta Allen is situated, service will be spotty at best. Nevertheless, the lodge offers free Wi-Fi and a computer for guests.

As the name implies, Kay Fly Fishing Lodge is a fishing-focused operation, but it can accommodate guests looking for non-angling activities. The lodge staff can arrange day trips to Tulum, snorkeling excursions and guided tours of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, which has been designated by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site and is home to four kinds of marine turtles, more than 325 different birds, and a very long list of fish species.

Anglers heading to Kay Fly Fishing Lodge should book flights to Cancun International Airport (CUN), several airlines offer direct flights from major U.S. cities. Upon collecting your luggage after arrival, you’ll clear Mexican immigration and customs, then you should head to the airport’s lobby and reception area, where a representative of Kay Fly Fishing will meet you and direct you to the air-conditioned vehicle that will take you to the lodge. Those arriving to Cancun no later than 1:00 pm have the option of a shorter drive and then a boat ride through Boca Paila Lagoon for the final leg of the trip down to the lodge (scheduled in advance). Guests arriving after 1:00 PM will be driven by van all the way. To ensure a smooth and timely transfer back to Cancun airport for your return home, be sure to book a flight departing after 2:00 pm. 

No visas or inoculation are required for U.S. citizens to enter Mexico, but they must have a valid passport that will not expire within six (6) months of the trip dates, has at least two blank pages remaining, and is not torn or damaged in any way. All minors (under 18 years of age) traveling to Mexico accompanied by only one parent or legal guardian must have a notarized letter from the other parent granting permission to travel. Single parents need a notarized divorce decree or death certificate of the spouse. Unaccompanied minors require a notarized letter of consent signed by both parents. 

Midcurrent’s services are completely free, so you never pay more than if you booked directly with the lodge or outfitter. All rates are per person and listed in U.S. dollars.

2023 Rates

Double Occupancy (shared room and boat)
7 Nights / 6 Days Fishing $3,600 per person
6 Nights / 5 Days Fishing $3,120 per person
5 Nights / 4 Days Fishing $2,675 per person
4 Nights / 3 Days Fishing $2,205 per person
3 Nights / 2 Days Fishing $1,575 per person

Single Occupancy (single room and single angler per boat)
7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days $5,850 per person
6 Nights / 5 Fishing Days $5,080 per person
5 Nights / 4 Fishing Days $4,230 per person
4 Nights / 3 Fishing Days $3,385 per person
3 Nights / 2 Fishing Days $2,540 per person

Included:

• The number of nights lodging specified in the package 
• Daily guided fishing
• Breakfasts and dinners at the lodge and boat lunches
• Complimentary appetizers
• All purified water, coffee, tea and fruit juices
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve entry fees
• All applicable Mexican VAT and hotel taxes 

Not Included:

• Airfare to Cancun, Mexico 
• Hotel in Cancun (if necessary)
• Airport transfers 
• Gratuities for fishing guides and lodge staff
• All liquor, beer, wine and sodas
• Laundry service
• Fishing license
• Fishing tackle and flies
• Additional tours and non-angling activities

Bookings are confirmed with a 50 percent deposit, made no later than seven days after booking a trip. Balance must be received no later than 90 days prior to the first day of the trip. Notification of cancellation must be received 90 days prior to the first day of the trip in order to receive partial or full credit for an alternate date. All payments are final and nonrefundable, with the exception of a medical or family emergency, deemed reasonable at Midcurrent’s discretion.

Booking a trip or making a deposit represents that the client accepts all terms and conditions. Midcurrent’s terms are in addition to any terms and conditions of each individual lodge that Midcurrent represents. Please read those terms carefully—lodge terms, which may differ from Midcurrent’s terms, supersede any agreements between Midcurrent and a client.