Greg Vincent >Cuba

Greg made his first fly fishing trip into Cuba in 1990 fishing a wide area of the south coast well before any fly fishing programs were started.

He was fortunate in teaming up with the author of the ‘ Cruisers Guide to Cuba ‘ Simon Charles whose first edition book has been recognized as the leading influence on the dramatic increase in boating traffic into cuban waters in the early 90’s. There are several images in the book of Greg fishing or diving in these waters. While accompanying the author on his fact finding missions.

Greg fly fished the waters from The Isle of Youth through the Garden of the Queens ( Jardin De La Reina ). In those days you just pulled up on a likely spot and started fishing. Greg’s first Cuban bonefish came his very first day of fishing in The Cayo Largo area. He picked a spot and while he drifted over a flat he was tying on a fly and just looked up to see a bonefish 10 feet from the boat tailing. His leader was still in his tip top and he just flicked the fly out and twitched it with the rod tip. The fish was not shy !!!

Over the course of the next 15 years Greg has been a regular visitor to Cuban waters fishing both solo and with his brother Gareth in areas that have never before seen a fly fisherman. Greg has also taken his parents on some of these trips so they may experience the uniqueness of the country before things change and the culture becomes infused with the high pace American way of life.

Greg has and still is traveling the country with several Cuban fisherman he now considers his friends as much as his guides. At this writing in 2005 Greg has already made 2 trips this year alone and is planning on a third trip at the end of the year. His love of the Cuban people, The countries culture and of course the often virgin fly fishing is obvious. He believes it is the worlds last strong hold of unpressured flats fishing and has been working with authorities in order to preserve this great fishery.

Next> Costa Rica

(Click to enlarge)

My brother Gaz Vincent with a small tarpon

The bigger one got away !!

Gregory with Gregorio Fuentes or “ the old man and the sea “ - Earnest Hemingways Captain at age 102. He dies 3 months after this photo was taken.