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Fly Fishing in Los Roques
Wade and sight-fish in a national park off Venezuela.
Los Roques is an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela, and it has been a national park since 1972. Only the main island, Gran Roque, is permanently inhabited. There you walk on sand tracks and stay in a posada.
Most of the fishing is done wading and by sight, on pancake flats, wide sand flats and along the beaches. Bonefish come onto the flats in schools, and you also fish for permit and tarpon. The archipelago lies south of the hurricane belt and fishes all year round.
Sebastian Bremm, co-owner of Klejch, has fished Los Roques several times. On the islands we work with the only officially registered outfitter in the archipelago. You travel on your own dates, with or without a guide, or join the hosted trip at prime time for bonefish in spring.
Your options in Los Roques
Tell us when you want to travel and what you want to fish for, and we will find the format that suits you.
Sebastian Bremm, co-owner of Klejch, travels with the group in person. He has fished Los Roques several times, speaks Spanish and helps you with entry and departure.
The trip takes place in March, at prime time for bonefish. On guided days you fish the flats with local guides, and on DIY days you explore the archipelago on your own. Six guided days and three DIY days are the usual split.
Based on double occupancy. Single rooms and extensions available at extra cost.
- Guided days on the flats with local guides
- DIY days to explore on your own
- Nights in a double room at the posada
- Full board (breakfast, packed lunch, multi-course dinner)
- 2 anglers per boat and guide
- Fishing licenses and tourism fees
- Domestic flight Caracas – Los Roques – Caracas
- All transfers
- Experienced group leadership by Sebastian Bremm
Not included: International flight to Caracas, gratuities, personal gear.
A typical day
08:00–16:30: Day on the water with lunch on the flats
17:00: Aperitif at the posada
19:30: Multi-course dinner
We are taking inquiries for the trip in March 2028. Tell us how many of you are coming. If the dates don't suit you, we will plan an individual trip with you, for example from October to January, when tarpon and permit are in high season.
The fishing in Los Roques
A panga takes you from Gran Roque to the islands and flats, where you get out and fish on foot. You cast to fish you can see.
Bonefish
Bonefish are the main species in Los Roques. They average 3 to 5 pounds, with a few over 10 pounds. On the pancake flats you cast to tailing fish in knee-deep turtlegrass, and on the big sand flats you wade in search of schools. Along the beaches, bonefish hunt minnows.
Permit
Permit are wary and picky. In Los Roques they grow big, and a few fish weigh over 30 pounds. You fish for them on the flats with crab and shrimp patterns.
Tarpon
You catch baby tarpon of 5 to 30 pounds all year round. They jump a lot and suit light tackle. Off the main island of Gran Roque there are big tarpon that reach over 100 pounds.
Jacks, triggerfish and other species
Horse-eye jacks, blue runners and Spanish mackerel make powerful runs. You sight-fish for triggerfish and parrotfish, and both are demanding. Barracuda often hold near the bonefish schools.
Los Roques and Mexico compared
Both destinations are in the Caribbean, but the fishing is different. In Los Roques you mostly wade, in a remote archipelago with many species and big tarpon. In Mexico you fish from a skiff on the coastal flats of Ascension Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay.
A grand slam is possible at both. Sebastian Bremm knows both first-hand. Tell us what matters to you, and we will tell you which destination suits you better.
The country & the season
The archipelago lies around 150 km north of Caracas and consists of more than 300 islands, sandbanks and reefs. The posadas are on Gran Roque, many of them in old fishermen's houses. The domestic flight from Caracas takes a good half hour.
The season runs all year. For bonefish, February to May is prime time: the tides are lower, and the fish come onto the flats in schools with the incoming tide. For tarpon and permit, October to January is the high season, with higher water levels and more baitfish. The water is warm all year, so you don't need waders.
Gear for Los Roques
Salt, sun and wind are hard on tackle. Rods, reels and lines have to be saltwater-rated, and you cast best with a rod you know.
- Rods for bonefish: Single-hand #7–#9. An #8 covers most bonefish. Single-hand fly rods in our shop →
- Rods for permit, jacks and baby tarpon: Single-hand #8–#10, with more backbone for wind and heavier flies.
- Rods for big tarpon: Single-hand #11–#12 for the tarpon off Gran Roque.
- Reels: Saltwater-rated, with a sealed drag and plenty of backing. Bonefish and permit take a lot of line on the run. Fly reels in our shop →
- Lines: A tropical floating line as standard, and an intermediate for deeper water. Fly lines in our shop →
- Flies: Bonefish flies, crab and shrimp patterns for permit, streamers for tarpon and minnow patterns for the beaches. Our top saltwater flies for Los Roques (blog, in German) → · Saltwater flies in our shop → · Bonefish flies → · Tarpon flies →
- Clothing: Light sun-protective shirts and pants instead of waders, plus a buff, a wide-brimmed hat and flats boots. UV shirts in our shop →
- Polarized sunglasses: They take the glare off the water, and only then do you see the fish on the flat. With copper or amber lenses. Polarized sunglasses in our shop →
Before your trip: Come by our shop in Vienna. We put your Los Roques setup together with you, and you get to handle everything before you leave. You can also call us or order everything from our online shop.
Frequently asked questions about Los Roques
When is the best time to fish Los Roques?
Which species can I catch in Los Roques?
What trip formats are there for Los Roques?
What does fly fishing in Los Roques cost?
How do I get there, and what do I need to enter Venezuela?
Do I need a lot of experience?
What gear do I need for Los Roques?
Is a trip to Los Roques safe?
Plan your Los Roques trip
Tell us your travel dates, your target species and your saltwater experience. We reply within 24 hours.