Fishing Report #9
March 23 – 30, 2025
Hello dear friends and loyal readers, of our weekly fishing reports!
I greet you from this untouched corner of the world—a paradise where everyone dreams of being, and where I refuse to let the beauty of each sunrise become routine. We’ve reached Week #9 of our 2025 season, and it’s been a joy to welcome back an extraordinary group of friends from the San Francisco Bay Area, a couple from Boston, and others from New York. Most of them are loyal returning guests who have visited us for years, except for the “freshmen,” Bill and Tom, who were brand new to our waters. Luckily, flights resumed as usual, and upon arrival at the lodge, everyone settled into their usual rooms. Warm hugs with the staff—who have been with us for years—and the delight of indulging in our signature fresh fish sandwich set the tone. The long journey was behind us; now, it was time to enjoy, rig the rods, and make those long-awaited fishing dreams come true.
Monday greeted us with a fair amount of wind and clouds that came and went throughout the day. This kept the teams moving between searching for tarpon and snook and switching to permit hunting whenever the skies cleared. Everyone landed some bonefish, and a few tarpon were hooked as well. But the loudest applause was reserved for our “freshmen” brothers, Bill and Tom. Bill took the bow first, and the guide’s initial stop was the Tabasqueños flats. Soon enough, they spotted a school of about 8 permits, more than 60 feet away. Since the guide had never seen them cast, he asked, “They’re about 65 feet out—do you think you can reach them?”
“I’ll give it a try,” replied Bill.
First cast—yes, FIRST—long and effortless. That’s all it took to drop the fly near the school. A couple of strips to his gray shrimp pattern and BOOM! Perfect hookup, followed by a solid run deep into the backing. After a 20-minute fight, a 20-pound beast surrendered into his hands for a quick photo and careful release. Incredible—first cast, first stop, first day! But wait, it didn’t end there. It was Tom’s turn. The school was still there, and Tom—on his first cast of his first day—also hooked and landed a beautiful permit! But the bay had even more surprises in store. Later that day, they landed a double permit while wading near Los Pinos. Spectacular! I just hope they don’t make the mistake of thinking permit fishing is always this “easy.” What an unbeatable day—congrats!
That evening, we enjoyed a delicious fresh red snapper paired with a special Argentine wine. Of course, the traditional ritual for anyone who lands their first permit was carried out. Time flew as we lingered at the table, captivated by endless fishing stories that kept us all enthralled.
Tuesday dawned much like the day before in terms of weather, but soon after we hit the water, the sky clouded up, and we even had some passing drizzles. Fishing slowed down a bit, with a few bones landed, a jack or two, and a barracuda that came unbuttoned right at the boat. Bill, however, experienced one of the “thousand ways to lose a permit.” Versions of the event differ: according to Bill, the wind made him turn just as the fish struck; according to Tom, his brother, Bill “trousetted” it. Only God knows the truth.
Wednesday brought one of those picture-perfect sunrises, the kind you could use as your desktop wallpaper. Moderate wind from the east and clear skies promised a good day, which encouraged everyone to chase permits—a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. While everyone had solid chances, it was one of those particularly tough days where converting those opportunities into landed fish proved elusive. Lou, fishing solo near Los Pinos, tried various flies on different schools, earning a few follows. When he finally got a violent strike that sent him deep into his backing, the guide burst his bubble by announcing it wasn’t a permit but a jack. A nice fish, but not the one he was after. A few bones saved the day, leaving everyone pumped for the next round.
Thursday—similar weather, but a very different story on the water. Bones, jacks, and even a barracuda put on quite a show with acrobatic runs. But the stars of the day were once again the brothers, Bill and Tom. Each landed another permit! Bill’s was bigger—around 18 pounds—but Tom’s was the “special one.” It was caught in crystal-clear, shallow water in the Tabasqueños channel, trailing behind a stingray. Tom followed the guide’s instructions with precision, placing his crab imitation 2 to 3 feet in front of the ray and moving it just right. The eat was clean, and the hookset was flawless. The first run went straight into the backing. Just when Tom thought the fish was done near the boat, and the guide was ready to tail it, the permit summoned energy from who-knows-where and took off for the backing again. Always be ready—that “little extra” is often when the escape happens. But not this time. Tom landed the fish, posed for a trophy shot, exchanged high-fives, and celebrated. A truly special day for them—congrats!
Friday greeted us with a stiff east wind of about 25 mph and clouds rolling in and out. Most opted to warm up their casting arms and stretch their lines with bonefish. It was one of those “target practice” mornings, shot after shot. A fun way to start before facing the real challenge—battling the wind and clouds while hunting permit. Unfortunately, this time, the wind, clouds and permit emerged victorious. Despite good opportunities, they remained elusive. A jack or two bent the rods and provided brief excitement, but no permits landed. “Tomorrow—we go again!”
The final day brought more wind, but the group’s energy was unwavering. The morning started with a steady parade of bonefish, jacks, and blue runners. The highlight was Lou’s incredible barracuda, which delivered an insane show. It took a GT fly with a violent strike, leaping high out of the water multiple times before tearing deep into the backing. Lou executed perfectly, and at the guide’s suggestion, he jumped out of the boat and walked it to shore to beach it. A beautiful 20-pound beast, photographed and carefully released.
Thor and Steve also had their own party. Both were fully committed to permit fishing, a high-stakes gamble that paid off. While Steve was on the bow drifting near “Casitas,” the guide spotted one of those “invisible schools.” After 25 minutes of push-poling against the wind, just as the guide was about to cramp up, he finally got Steve into a downwind casting position. Steve delivered a solid cast, considering the 20 mph wind, placing his spawning shrimp pattern close to the school. A couple of strips and WHAM! A violent eat, followed by a rock-solid stripset and an even better fight. Twenty minutes, a couple of deep runs into the backing, but Steve’s patience and experience prevailed. You know the rest—landed, photographed, and carefully released, followed by celebrations and high-fives. What a way to finish!
That night was filled with toasts, laughter, and pure joy among friends, accompanied by exquisite Mayan-Mexican cuisine prepared by our professional chefs. This group—brought together partly by the pandemic (when a cancellation created the opportunity to fish together) and partly by the memory of one of their fathers who is no longer with us—is a true example of respect and friendship. Amid the toasts, promises were made to reunite here again next year. We hope to make that happen.
Thank you all for reading to the end. We’ll meet again next week, reporting from this Caribbean paradise—your ESB family and J.P.
FLIES:
The go-to permit flies for the week were primarily Spawning Shrimp tied on #4 hooks in tan and white. We also had success with #2 white crabs with yellow eyes.
Snook and tarpon were enticed by Tarpon Toads and EP-style baitfish patterns. Productive color combinations included white/grey, white, chartreuse, shad, and red/black.
Bonefish eagerly took any variety of shrimp flies in sizes #2 to #8. We adjusted the weight of the shrimp patterns to match the depth and avoid hang-ups.
WEATHER/TIDES:
Weather for the week was mostly sunny, with a few rain squalls passing over the bay. On Thursday, the wind died down, giving us decent sunlight throughout the day. Wind direction was mainly from the east. Tides were low in the morning and incoming most afternoons.
Tight lines, J.P. (Juan Pablo Marchelletti) & The ESB Team
800-669-3474 | 530-222-3555 | travel@theflyshop.com | ESB Lodge
