Ascension Bay--Day 5 (Tough fishing, but great lunch spot!)

Another day of challenging fishing here.  Fish were rather sparse, wind was blowing, clouds made for only partial sun that didn't help the fishing.  Rob went with Shan deep to the southeast part of Ascension Bay to the tarpon lagoons to see if tarpon could be found in abundance.

Shan,with typical smile on his face
Javier, junior guide with Chucho today

After spending the morning searching for tarpon or snook (in vain) it was lunchtime and Chucho planned for us to eat lunch at the Tupac ruin deep in the mangrove swamp (wetland) of southeastern Ascension Bay.  As we arrived a welcoming committee of turkey vultures were waiting on the roof.  Not sure if they planned to feast on us, our leftovers, or were just hanging out.

Tupac ruin

There were two chambers on the inside. The inner chamber had lots of bats and they started flying when I poked my head in so I didn't spend a lot of time there.  I understand that the rabies shot series isn't a pleasant one so I'd prefer to avoid it.

Front entrance

Original detail and fresco still visible

View from the roof of the mangrove wetland surrounding Tupac ruin

The "dock area" at Tupac ruin

After lunch we headed out to see if we could find some fish.  The sun came out for a couple of hours and I was able to site cast to three tarpon hanging out near the mangrove shoreline.  I stripped the line in with short, quick strips, watched one of the tarpon peel away from his companions, eat the fly.  I set the hook and the fight was on.  Great fun, great water clarity, great fish.  No photo, it came off once the leader was held at the boat before any photo could be snapped.

We found a couple other large schools of tarpon, they ate the large mantis shrimp fly we tossed, but we were unable to hook up.  We also were able to cast to a school of 15-16 large snook in really tight quarters--about 15 feet away from the fish.  Take a 2-foot arm, a 9-foot rod and there isn't much left to cast and strip in.  Challenging and we didn't get the hook into any, though we did have some follows.

A very nasty fuzzy green caterpiller

This cute green fuzzy caterpillar is loathed by the guides.  If it's little spines touch human skin it causes a burning sensation that lasts about 24-hours we are told.  They call it the "cigarette caterpillar" because it feels like somebody pressed a burning cigarette into your skin.  Some years they are plentiful and falling from the mangroves.  This year we only saw this single caterpillar.  The guide had me take my forceps and carefully pick it up and drop it overboard.

For further info see:  https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2012/07/18/automeris-caterpillar-in-yucatan/

We are hoping for better sunshine and better fishing tomorrow.  Fisherman are natural optimists!