American Anglers in Cuban Hands | The Film
Fort Lauderdale to Havana – Thursday 1/20/22
The backstory on this adventure began a long time ago in a dorm room at Timothy Dwight college on the Yale University campus when I met a thin, dark haired, handsome and energetic young Deadhead named Christopher Lansing Simonds. I was a visitor sleeping on the couch in the living room of a “T.D.” dorm [...]
A Long Walk and Dinner in Havana – Day #1, Friday 1/21/22
For the past 5 years I’ve been an amateur documentary filmmaker, capturing fishing adventures on video. Inspired by storytellers such as Anthony Bourdaine, Doug Peacock and Ernest Hemingway I’ve traveled across America to fish rivers in towns like Netarts Oregon, Sun Valley Idaho and Seney Michigan, cooking over fire and sharing adventures with friends. To [...]
Havana to Zapata, Cuba – Day #2, Saturday 1/22/22
The boys were restless on Saturday morning, milling about in the lobby of the Hotel Victoria waiting for someone to make a first move. I stepped off of the elevator and realized it was a mask only zone. The only face covering that I could find in my bag had a broken ear strap so [...]
With Osyani in the lagoon – Day #3, Sunday 1/23/22
A briefing with Avalon’s head guide laid the groundwork for our next 6 days. He explained the range of water that we’d be fishing, approximately 100 miles of flats, lagoons and channels between Cayo Largo and Isla de Juventud. There would be 5 skiffs shared by 10 anglers. Each morning a chart on the aft [...]
With Osyani, first tarpon on – Day #4, Monday 1/24/22
Settling into a routine, by this time the WorldCast Anglers crew had been on the mothership long enough to hit stride with the Avalon team and each other. I’d been introduced to Mike Dawkins and Chris Littauer, the principals from WorldCast. I’d also been seated next to Mike's father Peter Dawkins at dinner and at [...]
With Juan the guide – Day #5, Tuesday 1/25/22
Bad news on the boat, Mike Nelson tested positive for Covid. He wasn’t feeling 100% so the doctor checked him out, after a brief examination, Covid procedures followed, the results quarantined Mike to his 12x8 room for 5 days. Every man on the boat went silent. Then quiet concern floated in conversations about the next [...]
Chris Littauer & Osyani – Day #6, Wednesday 1/26/22
The chef puts out bowls of oatmeal with raisins every morning. I had 2 bowls and a rich, piping hot cup of coffee specially prepared for me by Milkie. Then, Chris Littauer mentioned that we’d be fishing together. Nice surprise, a perfect chance to get to know the guy who set this whole adventure in [...]
Windless with Mike Dawkins – Day #7, Thursday 1/27/22
On the morning of our 5th day of fishing, it once again came as a surprise when I saw my fishing partner had changed, the WorldCast crew was switching it up. Today I’d fish with Mike Dawkins, Chris Littauer’s partner from the Victor, Idaho fly shop that originally introduced me to the Teton River back [...]
Juan & Simbo “Nervous water” – Day #8, Friday 1/28/22
When we first boarded the mothership, Peter Dawkins mentioned the cautious reality that this trip was “going to fly by”. He said it would be “halfway over before we knew it and then we'd be getting back on the bus with our heads full of memories”. Peter had been on several trips like this in [...]
Back to Havana – Day #9, Saturday 1/29/22
The cruise back to Port covered calm seas, we crossed the Bay of Pigs and arrived in Zapata as the last rays of orange light settled into the western sky. Another 6 hour boat ride, this one quieter than the first. I spent a few hours on the top deck with Mike Nelson, in the [...]