Last Day in Paradise

We switched up today, Rob fished with Shan, our guide/host from Red's flyshop, and I fished with Jim, who lives on the Yakima River near Thorp, WA. Rob found a barracuda and a few bones before the guides bamboozled them and took them back to a lagoon where they had found permit the day before. They spent a good part of the afternoon chasing permit, which lived up to their reputation as finicky, although Rob did fight one briefly. They would rather have chased and caught more bonefish, as Rick and Jim did all day. Although it was very windy again with the scattered clouds that seem to always appear right as a school of bonefish is approaching (the clouds make it so you can't see into the water at all in the distance and also spook the bonefish and send them scattering, as they think it is a predator flying overhead), we still had a good day. After finding a couple fishing from the boat, we dropped off and walked across a sand flat to a nearby lagoon. Promptly caught a nice bone sight fishing, then waded across and back without seeing another fish. As we neared two small cenotes (deep, blue holes in the limestone bedrock where fresh water from far inland rises, sometimes hundreds of feet deep), we saw a large school of bonefish rush by, spooked by our approach. With the wind and the waves, it was very hard to see fish, but for the next 45 minutes or hour or so, we had a steady stream of bonefish schools to cast too. Frequently enough, Rick got the fly in the right position and had many hookups and about a half dozen fish to hand. After lunch, we walked another lagoon and found more bones. With a little more shelter from the wind, Rick could see the fish better, and even cast to and caught a couple he had located on his own while the guide was scanning the more distant waters. Really fun fishing when that happens. We closed the day with a fabulous dinner of lobster tail with fried ice cream as desert. A great end to the week.

Rob's barracuda

Rob and Luis

Rob casting to bones on the flats

A nice bonefish from the shallow lagoon

Giving thanks

The fishing crew at Casa Viejo Chac

Great dinner as always

A special treat for dessert