Punta Allen, situated in the beautiful Sian Ka’an reserve, was to be our home for two weeks. We stayed at Club Grand Slam, operated and owned by our good friend Capt Greg Rahe and his wife Lupida.




What better way to start the morning, than with a delicious traditional Mexican breakfast (prepared by expert chef Lupida) – hot and spicy! Bertus’ face speaks for itself.



The fishing potential of Ascension Bay is well known. But, you still have to earn your success, which requires a lot of “looking”…




Bonefish is always on the menu and plentiful…





…but we’ve been spoiled with bonefish so we get bored easily…next stop the Back Country!



The deeper you go, the better the fishing…




But you need a “GPS”…the Mayan kind…



The silver king…lord of the Back Country…





…and some more…




…closer view…



This be hurricane country…note the palm tree washed up on the beach, but wasting no time to take root…life is short…



What else is Mexico famous for, besides good food & drink, friendly people, beautiful scenery and arguably the best damn backcountry fishing in the world? Mayan ruins of course…!




If you saw this altar back then, you were pretty much fucked…human sacrifice!



The “king” sure had a nice view from his castle…



If only us saltwater fly-fishermen have caught onto this…a wind temple to beg the wind god for his gentle ocean breezes…



The bathhouse…for the beautiful Mayan maidens perhaps?



But I digress…back to the action…




The bulldogs of Ascension Bay…Jack Crevalle…







You think Jacks like crabs?



Plenty of “rats and mice” in the sea…including…Rainbow runners…you think they like crabs? All the fish in Mexico likes crabs. One afternoon, Bertus and I lost two crabs at the same time on the same giant barracuda…!



Horse-eye Jack



Hunting for snook along the mangroves…




You won’t have trouble making friends in Mexico…