Fabulous Friday Fishing (March 7, 2014)

Dad & I traded off catching bonefish all day from the front of the boat.  I had a couple shots at permit; they ate the fly; I missed on the hookup.  Also stalked snook throughout the day.  I saw eight snook and cast to six of them.  None interested in my fly.  I remembered to have Dad uncover his face but forgot to have him remove sunglasses and hat.  

This is Dad without the sun protection mask covering his face.

Dad told me he was worn out so he is going to rest tomorrow while I fish.  Last day here is tomorrow.  Food and accommodations have been great.  Had shrimp mojo de ajo tonight.  Lobster tomorrow. (Dad will substitute steak.) 

Sunday we’ll head to Cancun.  Hopefully will be there in time for church.  Then Monday to visit Chichen Itzá.  That will break travel into a couple days to make it easier on Dad.  Rick, Tom, and anyone else—the fishing was awesome and I’d like to come back.

Thunderous Thursday! (March 6, 2014)

Started today with a great breakfast.  Sliced pineapple, cantaloupe, papaya, and pear.  The salbutes are a traditional mayan breakfast—small thick corn tortillas with ground meat (chicken today) lettuce, onions, avocado & hard boiled egg.  Cantaloupe juice for breakfast as well.  Dad took the day off to read, avoid the sun, and rest a bit for the final two days of fishing.

Breakfast fruit

Mayan specialty-Salbutes

Lunch in the shade with Phil Rollins

We had a busy morning with schools of bonefish we could easily see.  The wind (about 20mph) meant that my casts were less than accurate, so even though the fish were there it wasn’t always easy to get the fly to the right spot.  Phil Rollins & I had lunch in the shade (that was nice!) and then on to more bonefishing.  We had very consistent bonefishing after lunch with Phil & I trading turns casting from the bow.  Usually didn’t sit long before it was time to cast again.  Almost had doubles on several times.

Jack on a fly rod--what a rush!

Plan for the last couple hours was to go to a spot in the open Caribbean Sea for a variety of other fish on the fly rod.  I caught the Jack that is pictured.  Also caught lots of ladyfish and hooked a large shark and fought it for a while before it came loose.  It was about a 6-7 footer.  It fought hard on the fly rod.

View in the same direction a few minutes later

We had to cut it short because we had a little weather roll in as you can see from the last photo that is taken in the same direction as the picture of me with the fish.  Land disappeared, as did the sun.  The rain was pounding and thunder and lightning overhead (think count to two and then your eardrums explode).  We went not very far before deciding to pull into some mangroves and coconut trees along the short to wait out the worst of the storm.  I looked into the ocean and even though it was raining REALLY, REALLY hard (I had on my purple rain anorak and pants) the ocean was flat calm.  I commented to the guide how nice and calm it looked and he said, “That’s really, really bad.”  It means the storm is going to get much worse, which it proceeded to do.  When the darkest had passed over us, we made the break out for home and toward the lighter sky which was thankfully toward home.

Is it bad if the sky is black all the way to the ocean surface?

"Go to the light."

We couldn’t see any land in front of us; in fact there was a boat that passed us by as we were pulling out of the mangroves to break for home and we lost it even though we were right behind it.  Rain was falling so hard it was almost impossible to see.  We simply trusted our guides knew the way home.  When we got to the channel crossing it was really pretty rough and we were banging hard going across, but I could by this time see the outline of Cayo Culebre (Snake Island) that is between the two capes and through which we passed coming out this morning.  Once we got there we also could faintly make out the Punta Allen peninsula in the distance.  Rough crossing there as well, but rain let up somewhat and had almost stopped before we got to home.

When we got to the dock I asked the guides how the crossing was for roughness on a scale of 1-10.  They said 7 or 8 and that if it had been 10 we would not have crossed but would have spent the night pulled into the mangroves on the boat.  Glad it was only a 7 or 8!

Hung my wet things up to dry once we got back to the lodge.  A warm shower, fresh nachos, fresh salsa, and limonada and it was the end of a memorable day.

Snook for Wednesday (March 5, 2014)

Walked the flats on the north end of Ascension Bay along the Punta Allen peninsula and cast toward shore today for snook.  Found a really nice one.  Jumped lots and fought very hard.  Did find a few isolated bonefish while walking the flats along the shore.  They tell me I’ve completed the “Super Grand Slam” by catching bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook.  The grand slam is apparently bonefish, permit and either tarpon or snook.  Really enjoying Mexico, Ascension Bay and staying at the Casa Viejo Chac here in Punta Allen.

Snook to complete the "Super Slam"

Afternoon at the beach in Punta Allen

We walked to the edge of town

However, after catching the snook in the photo, arrived at a channel that led inward to a large lagoon and was flowing with the tide.  Bonefish were present and I cast the shrimp fly and caught bonefish like I was fishing in a fish hatchery with worms.  After I’d caught more than I can count, my guide finally said, “Dos mas entonces rebalo”  (Two more, then back to fishing for snook.)  Another fun day in fishing paradise!

Tarpon Tuesday! (March 4, 2014)

We went to the southwest corner of Ascension Bay today and spent the day chasing tarpon.  We were successful in the pursuit eventually.  Dad had a chance at a couple of snook and did catch some bonefish.  Weather great with a little wind.  Very rough crossing the mouth of the bay today in the panga boat.

Tarpon

Yes, Dad is really here

Dad with a nice bonefish

Downtown Punta Allen

Wet Wading in March, oh my! (Monday, March 3, 2014)

Score for the day:  Rob vs. fish 9-1 (Rob vs. crab 0-1)

First off, them me make this clear—wet wading in March is AWESOME.  I’m not talking about my normal March where I’m wading against shelf ice for steelhead, this time it is in the Caribbean and wet wading is nice in March.

First day fishing at Punta Allen on Ascension Bay with Red’s Flyshop with Shan as our host for the week.  My first time flyfishing saltwater.  Caught my first bonefish, barracuda, and permit today.  Guides William and Elmer were great with Grandpa and me.  By lunchtime Grandpa had landed 5 bonefish and LDR more than that.

Today I managed to land 5 bonefish, three barracuda, and one permit.  I only lost one.  While the others here with us caught more (LOTS more) bonefish and also tarpon, I figure I’m an amateur and just learning so I should get the hang of it.  I also figure that I landed that many more fish than Tom and Rick today anyway.  Oh yeah, they’re not here.  I think they are enjoying the snow more than the snow white sand on the flats.  J

Unfortunately, a crab got the best of me.  I poked at a small crab with my rod.  Mistake.  Next cast for a bonefish, the top 4” of the rod broke off on the cast.  I guess the crab won.  Glad I brought three rods, but I’ll need to do better than today or I’ll be done fishing Wednesday rather than Saturday.

First Steel of 2014

Today I landed the first steel of 2014 on the Methow. . .  wild fish, about 6-7 lbs. . .  great fighter. . .  on the bead dropper. . . in the sunshine. . . with only a shirt and my wading/rain jacket (and waders, of course.)

Unreal and beautiful day for early January, although since I was wading in front of a large ice shelf and walking with my hind end rubbing along the ice so I didn't end up any deeper than I already was so my toes were a little cold as if I were wading in ice water--which I was.

The hardest part was when I muffed a cast and ended up with a snarl--and no brother to untangle me! I had to tie on a few hooks (lost to the gravel bar or ice shelf behind me) but that was easier than the snarls.  I appreciate Tom & Rick more than ever for taking pity on my weird vision thing and helping me when they are with me, though I suspect Tom cuts off the end of the hook on my fly since he knows I can't tell if its there or not.  I seem to miss a lot more strikes when I fish with Tom.

Sorry I forgot my camera so no fish photo, but I do have two witnesses.  Fished today with Garn Christensen and Sue Morrison and a wonderful day it was.  Sue used her handy-dandy mesh glove to grab the fish by the tail and permit me to ever so gently remove the hook and tell the fish "thank-you".

I enjoyed fishing with Sue and Garn and hope to again soon!