First, here's a link to Ian Smith's report. Ian used to be a regular here before heading to Canada then Au to live...
http://www.saltwaterflyfishing.com.au/board/threads/cuba-cayo-cruz-trip-report.19980/#post-265804
My mate Jase and I flew into Cayo Coco airport via Houston, then Toronto. Quite a mission, but required because POTUS has shut down all entry ports to Cuba ex USA except into Havana. We arrived at CC literally the day before the rest of the crew (2 kiwis, 2 expat kiwis, 7 yankees) and got settled into the resort, changing USD to CUC (convertible tourist pesos... v. weird) before meeting 2 brits; one being Matt Harris, the well known fly fishing photag. He and his mate had been many times and reported the hardest permit fishing they'd ever had... anyway Jase, Matt and I stayed at the bar until the wee smalls, smashing the free rum and (hope the wife doesn't read this) $1.50 packets of ciggies. The rest of our crew rolled in at 2.30am having endured a rather strange travel itinerary.
Jase and I fished together all week. I didn't have many perm shots, maybe 1 per day but no ray riders at all. Si Chu (ex forum member) landed 3 perms, Ian got a nice model and another of our party landed one.
The group landed 223 bones during the week; Jase and i reckon we accounted for roughly half of those. The flats wading varied from ankle to less than thigh deep and the guides wanted the flies to land literally on top of the bones, (Do that at Aitutaki and see where it gets you!!!)
We had an excellent trip, finished back in San Fran with a morning casting at the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club. What a privilege, what a place.
I'll return to Cuba one day I think - those perms have a grip...