The Fishin Magician

Caught this down in Zihuatenejo a few days ago:

Nice fish! How much did it weigh? What fly did you use? I am looking at doing some kayak fly fishing!!

It was about 30 pounds or so. I caught it on a gigantic streamer - i was going for sailfish and got this guy instead. My wife had a bigass sailfish on, but it shook the hook after a few minutes and then we didn´t get another bite. That dorado sure tasted good.

doh! now that's a fishin magician.

Wow...

A couple of days ago I had the best day of my life

DANG OLE MAN!!!!!!!

NICE CATCH!!!!

give some details.

I went out of Iztapa Guatemala. There are some really swanky boats there, but I took a smaller super panga so it only cost $600 for the day. Knowing Spanish was useful because we had a local captain and crew, though English speaking captains are available for $$$.

My wife got 4 sails on conventional tackle. I got 2 on conventional and then switched to a fly rod, which was way harder. We would troll(really fast trolling - 9 knots or so) with bait with no hooks on spinning rods. When we spotted a sailfish they would tease it fairly close to the boat until it was good and mad. At that point, things happen fast. The captain cuts the engine and you throw a giant fly as far as you can with a really heavy 14 weight rod. 20-30 feet is a good cast on the rig, but its good enough. The mate yanks the teaser out of the water, you strip the fly past the mouth of the sailfish, and then WHAM!

Keep in mind that the drag is set so hard that it takes two people to pull line off the reel. You set the hook and then the sail takes off. While this is happening the captain guns the engines and starts chasing the fishing - you would need miles of backing if you don't give chase. Sails also jump like you wouldn't believe. The whole body launches out of the water 5 or 6 times in a row and you keep bowing at the fish and hoping it doesn't shake the hook or break the tippet.

After dozens of runs and jumps, you get it close to the boat and it takes off again. You are so tired that you want the battle to be over, but it ain't. After a few more big runs you bring it close to the boat and the mate reaches down and grabs the bill. Those boys earn their money. You sit down, and the mate hauls the sail over you. They are so beautiful, so strong, and so soft. Wonderful fish. The you put it back in the water and it takes off FAST.

Then one minute later the words you've been dreading. "Aiee! Sail on the teaser. CAST CAST CAST". Yank 20 feet of line off drag that feels like its just stopped, and it starts over again except your arms are filled with lead.

Nothing else is quite like it.

Thats freakin sweet!!! Good stuff. I would love to chase big game with a fly rod... Its a beautiful sail.

Yeah, I passed through Chichicastenango about two weeks ago. I managed to hit it on market day which is quite a spectacle. I'm in Honduras right now after a really nasty border crossing coming from El Salvador - first time things have felt not very cool down here.