yucatan [Yucatan Peninsula - Mexico] CANCUN AREA DAY TRIPS If you’re heading to the Mexican resorts of Cancun, Playa Del Carmen or Tulum for a conference or beach vacation and would like to schedule a quick and easy day of fishing, this option allows you to experience quality fishing on the flats of world famous Ascension Bay. These trips are great single day options for first-time flats anglers, families with kids, and experienced anglers looking to sneak in a day on the water. Lunch, beverages, boat and guide, equipment, and round trip transportation are included. Day trip package (for one or two people) is $540.00, including transportation. recommended travel reads... different lodges and operations that we represent. That translates to a lot of time on airplanes, a lot of time sitting around in airports, and a lot of time to read! With that in mind, we thought we would poll the entire Yellow Dog staff and collectively create a “must read” list of our favorite travel books. While not all books on the list are fishing-focused, each can undoubtedly be appreciated by those who love to fish: great adventure books, interesting travel stories, and classic “must-read” volumes for the vacationing angler. PLAYA BLANCA LODGE [Espiritu Santo Bay - Yucatan Peninsula - Mexico] For those looking to combine quality fishing with a private and secluded tropical beach vacation, the Yucatan’s Playa Blanca Lodge is the ideal destination. Located approximately 120 miles south of Cancun on the private island of Punta Pajaros, the lodge offers guests access to one of the largest protected marine reserves in the world. Playa Blanca is an adventure resort which offers the same high caliber fishing program as its sister lodge to the north, Casa Blanca. 7 night / 6 day packages $3,393.00 to $4,404.00 per person, depending on season. Here at Yellow Dog, our team spends a lot of time traveling and visiting the many The BIG SKY by A.B. Guthrie Originally published more than fifty years ago, The Big Sky is the first of A. B. Guthrie Jr.’s epic adventure novels set in the American West. The Big Sky is not just a masterpiece, it’s probably THE masterpiece of the genre of western frontier fiction. NINETY-TWO IN THE SHADE by Tom McGuane Set in Key West, this is the story of a man seeking refuge from a world of drug addiction by becoming a skiff guide – even though a tough competitor threatens to kill him. Sounds like just about every Keys guide we know. HOLBOX TARPON LODGE [Isla Holbox, Mexico] A small, out-of-the-way island with beautiful white sand beaches, Holbox is surrounded by some of the most productive tarpon habitat found anywhere in the Caribbean. Anglers can find tarpon of all sizes throughout the year, from juvenile fish in the secluded back lagoons, to larger fish in the 75to-170 pound range in open waters. Holbox Flyfishing Lodge is the only property on the island dedicated to fly fishing enthusiasts and their nonfishing partners. 5 night / 4 day package $1,795.00 to $2,395.00 per person, depending on season. ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON’S INCREDIBLE VOYAGE by Alfred Lansing A GOOD DAY TO DIE by Jim Harrison IN PATAGONIA by Bruce Chatwin INTO THIN AIR by John Krakauer ISLANDS IN THE STREAM by Ernest Hemingway Some might think it’s cliché to add Hemingway to the list of great fishing reads. We disagree. In fact, we’ll go so far as to say that you’re not a real angler if you haven’t read this book. THE RIVER OF DOUBT by Candice Millard THE RIVER WHY by David James Duncan The astonishing saga of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s survival for over a year on the ice-bound Antarctic seas. If you have never read Harrison, this is a great place to start. An entertaining read and fine introduction to the humor, wit, and insight of one of the most engaging authors of our time. A journey through Patagonia to the southern tip of South America – “the uttermost part of the earth”— and the search for forgotten legends. Actually, we recommend every book by Krakauer, including Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. The true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s 1914 exploration of an unknown and unexplored river in the heart of the Amazon. Gus Orviston – the main character in Duncan’s book – is arguably the most appealing hero in contemporary American fiction. This book has become a classic and a favorite of the entire fly fishing world. A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH by Eric Newby A frank and funny account of a mountain-climbing expedition in the wild and remote Hindu Kush region in northeastern Afghanistan. One of the classics of travel writing. STORMY WEATHER and DOUBLE WHAMMY by Carl Hiaasen UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand [Yucatan Peninsula - Mexico] Situated in the middle of the 1.3-million acre Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Pesca Maya first opened its doors in January of 1996 and has since established itself as one of the Yucatan’s most popular fishing destinations. If you’re a beginner saltwater angler, Ascension Bay is one of the best places in the world to catch your first bonefish. For more seasoned anglers, this is one of the world’s best locations to target permit on a fly. This a great option for trips of any length. 7 night / 6 fishing day packages (double occupancy) $3,575.00 per person. PESCA MAYA LODGE The London Observer has called Hiassen “America’s finest satirical novelist.” All of his books are hilarious, but these two are our favorites. One of the most extraordinary survival odysseys of the Second World War. As you read the entire book, your only thought is, “Are you kidding me?” Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has been the protagonist in thirteen C.J. Box novels, starting with Open Season in 2001. To work at Yellow Dog, you pretty much have to have read them all. UNDAUNTED COURAGE by Stephen Ambrose The definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Don’t come to Montana unless you’ve read this book! THE JOE PICKETT BOOKS by C.J. Box 18 • phone: 406-585-8667 • toll free: 888-777-5060 email: info@yellowdogflyfishing.com • website: www.yellowdogflyfishing.com • 19