6am pick up at hotel lobby and I'm on my way to the marina to fish with the Fin Chasers operation . Going outside of the hotel zona you get to see the real Mexico. If it weren't for the signs in Spanish I could have sworn I was back in Vietnam with all the palms and royal poinciana trees lining the roads, the same ones that provided us many games as children.
We headed out at low tide, gliding over glass smooth water past the frigates on their posts. Rafa was in the front gearing up and Saul motoring in rear. The plan was to fish for tarpon and snook in the mangroves while the tide was low then chase permit later.
Baracudas, first for me. The larger one was pretty fun.
We came up to this pocket where the tide was pushing water out and created a little river, a few tarpons were working this spot.
One nipped the fly in the back when it was already near the boat, missed it so a funky roll cast was made to put it back in it's face, it ate and fish on!
This is pretty much mangrove fishing, backward casts, overhead flops, anything to get the fly in the pockets when you're in tight quarter. This snook (another first) was drawn out from the shadowed hole, followed my fly out in the open and inhaled it, what a sight. When you check off new species you gotta rub that slimy shit into the cork to level up the mojo
There were other snooks but the needlefish kept running interceptions... cabrones!
Got a few tarpons, lost a good one because the hook was somewhat bent when we broke a mangrove root to retrieve a stuck fly, 50lbs tippet
They really liked the EP Everglades special and tan tarpon toad. 9wt is pretty much perfect, enough back bone to keep them out of the roots.
Moving on to the permit flats we passes some crooked homes and shacks, Rafa told me they are Cuban immigrants that have settled here. It's pretty much off grid out here, no hospitals, no schools, no electricity, no supplies. .. The Mexican government is leaving them alone for now.
We searched for permits in 3 different flats with long boat runs in between. Beautiful as permit grounds were, even with 3 sets of eyeballs scouring the shit out of the water none ever showed. Bummer, I really wanted some shots at them.
Rafa and Saul were really fun guys to hang with.
Back to the marina. Anyone want a boat? I can broker you a great deal
We headed out at low tide, gliding over glass smooth water past the frigates on their posts. Rafa was in the front gearing up and Saul motoring in rear. The plan was to fish for tarpon and snook in the mangroves while the tide was low then chase permit later.
Baracudas, first for me. The larger one was pretty fun.
We came up to this pocket where the tide was pushing water out and created a little river, a few tarpons were working this spot.
One nipped the fly in the back when it was already near the boat, missed it so a funky roll cast was made to put it back in it's face, it ate and fish on!
This is pretty much mangrove fishing, backward casts, overhead flops, anything to get the fly in the pockets when you're in tight quarter. This snook (another first) was drawn out from the shadowed hole, followed my fly out in the open and inhaled it, what a sight. When you check off new species you gotta rub that slimy shit into the cork to level up the mojo
There were other snooks but the needlefish kept running interceptions... cabrones!
Got a few tarpons, lost a good one because the hook was somewhat bent when we broke a mangrove root to retrieve a stuck fly, 50lbs tippet
They really liked the EP Everglades special and tan tarpon toad. 9wt is pretty much perfect, enough back bone to keep them out of the roots.
Moving on to the permit flats we passes some crooked homes and shacks, Rafa told me they are Cuban immigrants that have settled here. It's pretty much off grid out here, no hospitals, no schools, no electricity, no supplies. .. The Mexican government is leaving them alone for now.
We searched for permits in 3 different flats with long boat runs in between. Beautiful as permit grounds were, even with 3 sets of eyeballs scouring the shit out of the water none ever showed. Bummer, I really wanted some shots at them.
Rafa and Saul were really fun guys to hang with.
Back to the marina. Anyone want a boat? I can broker you a great deal
