Mexico - Day 8

Cancun - Day 8

I met Esciel and Marco in the lobby at 11 am, they both looked refreshed and ready for the rest of our drive. In 3 hours we will be in Cancun. We did make one stop at the Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza. It was spectacular. The feeling that experience conjured was awe stirring. I could imagine hundreds of Mayans working, playing, and worshiping hundreds of years ago. It was like being on the movie set of Apocalypto.

A few hours later I finally arrived at my hotel in Cancun. Or should I call it the Mexican Las Vegas. There were gringos everywhere. Many of them were drunk. Thankfully, I most of my time in Cancun was spent on a boat on the permit flats north of the city.

It was an early morning again the next day. We arrived at the boats just as the sun was cresting the horizon. Enrique was my guide for the day. His favorite fish… permit! He told me catching a Grand Slam, a bonefish, tarpon, and a permit, would be possible.

Isla Blanca is the name of the area we fished. It is a series of flats, channels, and mangroves that eventually connect with Isla Holbox. The first flat Enrique took me too was a long boat ride from the dock. I realized why we traveled so far when the first school of over 20 permit swam towards us, ignorant of our presence. I blew that shot and the next, casting too close to the lead fish. The third school we found, I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

This school was vast. There where at least 40 permit flanking to my right. The cast was challenging due to the wind, but not undoable. The crab landed softly 2 feet in front of the lead fish. I let the crab settle, and let the first few fish swim past. Then strip, strip, strip and my line tighten and reel began to scream. Once you connect with a permit, it is easy to realize why this fish has such lore in the fishing world. Imagine setting a hook into a school bus. Permits run and run and run.

That would be the only fish I’d bring to hand that day, besides a cuda, which fooled both Enrique and me into thinking it was a bonefish. I jumped 3 tarpon deep in the mangroves, loosing all 3 to overhanging branches. The slam would have to wait until tomorrow.

Campeche Mexico - Day 5 -7

CAMPECHE MEXICO – Day 5, 6, 7

Two nights ago Marco and his partner Esceil and I arrived in Campeche Mexico. Campeche is a very old Mexican city, filled with historic sites. It is a romantic city. Evidently, it is where Mexican lovers visit for a romantic weekend. Everywhere I went I saw couples engaged in “gasahondo”. Esceil informed me that it is Spanish for “making out”.

The next morning we woke early and headed to the Marina to meet our guides. Belito and Juan, a father and son combo, are true Mayans. They stand tall at just under 5 feet. What they lack in height they made up for in knowledge of the area. Marco went with Juan so he could take some fresh photos for his website. With in 20 minutes after killing the motor I saw 2 cruising tarpon. Marco instructed me to intercept the fish with my fly, as began to lengthen out my line. I pick a spot well ahead of the fish as my target. On the final forward stroke I let the line fly, shooting through the guides. Just as I did, a third fish appeared ahead of the first 2 that I saw. Shit. My fly was aimed to hit the new fish square on the head. My perfect shot had just turned into a classic screw up. There was nothing I could do. The fly landed and the water exploded as the 3 tarpon bolted to the safety of the mangroves. At that moment I realized just how technical the fishery at Campeche is. I was crushed. I will regret that cast for a long time. Belito shrugged it off. Clearly, I was not the first gringo to blow the first shot at fish.

Through the course of the day I would only present my fly to 10 fish, and successfully jump only 3 of them. Marco was bummed. He really wanted to get some photos. He was also surprised at the lack of fish. He said there where usually 10 times as many fish to cast to. For whatever reason, the tarpon were scarce. In order to catch something, we went deep into the mangroves in search of big snook. And we found them. I hooked 1 of the bigger fish, nearly 10 pounds, but was unable to land it. They have very abrasive lips that chewed through the 60 lb shock tippet with little effort. By the end of the day, I had caught a dozen or more snook ranging in size from 8 inches to 3 pounds.

The next day we all went in one boat. Marco wanted to show me an area near Isla Arenas, an hour boat ride from the marina. The bigger boat was needed for a smoother ride there and back. So Marco, Esceil, Juan and I sped away from Campeche. Once we got to the location it was easy to see why Marco liked the area. It was untouched. There where no signs of humans. I felt special just being there. The pristine flats and mangrove channels where beautiful settings for casting a fly to hungry fish. The problem was there where no fish to cast to. We spent most of the day searching the area for fish, with no luck. Once we finally gave up, we sped back to Campeche to fish the area we fished the day prior. The wind was strong when we got there, making the fishing difficult. I did manage to jump a good-sized tarpon, loosing it near the boat. Bummer. I would have to return to Campeche at another time to catch a tarpon.

Tonight we left Campeche and arrived in Merida. After a quick bite to eat at Marcos favorite restaurant, we crashed deep in the heart of city at a modest hotel. I am tired. Eight hours in the sun for the past 6 days is catching up with me. It will be nice to sleep in tomorrow. We will also visit Chichen Itza, on the way to Cancun.

Damien

San Felipe - Day Four

San Felipe – Mexico – Day Four

Today was my final day in San Felipe. I’m bummed to leave, but excited for the next leg of my journey. Campeche is next. But first, one more morning of fishing in San Felipe.

This morning we found a huge school of tarpon. There where fish rolling everywhere. I was able to jump another 9 fish and land 2 more. They would be the last fish we would see for a few more hours. As the morning grew older the wind grew stronger, so we hunted for fish in the deep in the channels. After a handful of fruitless channels we found some rolling tarpon easily reached. On my first cast I jumped the biggest fish of my visit, 20 lbs! Even Marco gave out a “WOW!” He had been telling me for three days that the channels may surprise me. In vein I tried to put the fish out of the doomful mangrove roots. Out the fish’s third jump my bow was too late and the fly slingshot back to me.

It was the perfect way to leave San Felipe. I landed the first tarpon I hooked. Then lost the last one. I look forward to my next visit to Tarpon Cay Lodge.

Damien

San Felipe Day Three

San Felipe Mexico – Day Three

Finally, there was no wind this morning. In anticipation of the perfect weather and Marco’s wanting to show me some bigger fish, we left the lodge before sunrise. The ocean was glass, mirroring the rising sun as we sped an hour out of the San Felipe in search of migratory tarpon. March is early for the heart of the migration, but Marco assured me we would see a few.

My sleepiness was rudely awakened shortly after the motor quit by Marco yelling “TARPON, TARPON”. I looked just in time to see the second fish roll well out of reach of my cast. They where swimming parallel with the boat and much faster than we were moving. They were quickly gone. It was easy to see they where twice the size of the fish I had seen thus far, but they where not as big as the fish Marco usually sees in that area. The morning grew long and the Tarpon scarce. Those first rolling fish would be the only tarpon we would see for the rest of the morning.

On our way back to the lodge we stopped to fish the prime baby tarpon water and found a school on flats right away. I made 5 perfectly placed casts, but could not get the hook up. On the 5th presentation I drew 3 fish from the school to inspect my fly. I thought one of the three would eat, but instead they turned and raced to catch the school, spooking the bunch in the process. This morning would be my first fishless out of the trip. I hope it will be the only one.

We returned early to the lodge for lunch and siesta. At three we loaded into the van and headed out. Marco wanted to show me the baby, baby tarpon he is aiding to develop. He has dug deeper channels in the mangroves, for the 1st year tarpon to have sanctuary. It was cool to see that they behave much like the old fish, rolling and schooling, and eating everything they can. I saw many fish 4 – 6 inches chase my crazy Charlie, unable to fit connect with the too large hook. I did catch one fish of 10 inches, which is the size that Marco releases in mangroves with easier access to the open ocean. He releases between 70 and 150, 8 – 12 inch tarpon each May. No wonder why there are so many tarpon here. Not only is he helping the tarpon grow as yearlings, but he has helped to establish a bio-reserve for both Tarpon and Snook. The commercial fishermen in San Felipe are not allowed to fish a 12 Kilometer area north of town. Further, Marco and his guides don’t fish the first 2 kilometers of the reserve. That is the area they release the first year fish. They don’t want them to become wary of their boats.

I like the fact that Marco is thinking about the future of the area.

Damien

San Felipe Mexico - Day Two

March 18th – San Felipe – Day two

It is official. Tarpon Cay Lodge is the most unique fishery I have fished. Everything here is special. The accommodations are common, yet comfortable. The food is traditionally delicious. It is a good thing I like to eat fish. San Felipe is a rural fishing village. Motorcycles and bicycles are the most popular form of transportation, besides your feet. I did see an H2 today, which was a slight dose of reality. The people of San Felipe are very friendly. Everyone smiles and greets me as we crass on the street. The staff of Tarpon Cay Lodge are especially hospitable. They have told me to help myself to the cervesa in the cooler, but have not let me finish one yet before ask to get another. This is my kind of place.

Today was more of the same with the tarpon. The winds where up again, forcing us to go deep into the mangroves to find rolling tarpon, willing to eat my flies. I’ve found this style of fishing to be very difficult for landing fish. There is not enough room to fight them. I jumped another 15 before lunch, without landing one. I did catch my first snook today. They are fun to catch, but are not a tarpon. The highlight of my day came this afternoon. We found a boca with a hard bottom surrounding it. Sensing the uniqueness of the opportunity, I jumped into the water. Three or four strips into the first cast my line stopped as a tarpon went cartwheeling through the air. I brought that fish and another to hand. Before venturing to the next spot I jumped another 9 tarpon!

This place never quits.

Damien

San Felipe - Day One - Tarpon fishing

March 17th, 2007 – San Felipe, Mexico – Day One.

I woke this morning to winds gusting over 15mph. To make conditions worse, the front was coming from the south. Winds from the north, or the west are not a big deal. When the winds are from the south, they blow straight into the flats we want to fish. My guide commented on the wind, finishing forecast with “today will be difficult”. As we left hotel San Felipe, a.k.a. Tarpon Cay Lodge, I couldn’t help but feel less optimistic about my chances at casting to tarpon than the night before while listening to Marco, my guide, tell me stories of casting to rolling tarpon at 9, 11, 12, and 2’o’clock. “You have to see,” he kept saying.

When the motor on the panga stopped a quick 20 minutes from the hotel I stood on the bow of the boat and stretched out some fly line. We poled slowly toward a “boca” with out any words between us. I was anxious, “come on tarpon, roll”, I thought to myself. After a few dozen casts without success we poled to next boca.

Once we turned the corner around the mangrove into the next bay, I saw them. “Sabalito” Marco said. As we got closer my adrenalin surged. For a moment my cast feel apart, due to the excess energy in my veins. Marco chuckled and instructed me to relax, “its just tarpon”. Just Tarpon? No. There are many tarpon. A fish broke the surface with in range of my cast. Two false casts and my fly was in the center of the disappearing ring. Strip, strip, strip and the line tighten in a familiar ferociousness. I drove the hook in deep with more strips on the line. On the third strip the sliver prince was airborne, violently shacking his head, trying to free the hook in his jaw. The fish tried again and again to free itself, jumping and racing to the security of the mangroves. It took every inch of my 8 weight BIIX to bring the kinglet of the mangroves to the boat. When Marco placed the shining fish in my hands and my anxiety blew away with the wind.

The rest of the day was like a dream. Marco showed me more fish than I could have ever imagined. At every boca, and deep within the mangroves I cast to pods of 20 or more fish, jumping way more than I would land. By 10 am, I had already lost count of how many tarpon I had seen, jumped, and landed.

I never want to leave this place.

Damien Nurre