Fishing Report #26
August 18 – 25, 2024
Welcome to the Caribbean
In the heart of the jungle, where the trees stood so tall that their tops seemed to touch the sky, lived a young Mayan boy named Itzamná. Ever since he was a child, Itzamná had listened to the elders talk about the great deeds of his ancestors: warriors who conquered lands, priests who invoked the gods, and farmers who fed the entire community with their harvest.
Itzamná, inspired by these stories, decided he also wanted to be remembered. But how? He was neither a great warrior nor a priest, and although he loved the land, he did not have the gift of cultivation like the elders. One day, he decided that he would seek the sacred cenote of wisdom, a place where it was said that whoever drank its waters would know the secret to achieve any goal.
The journey was not easy. For days, Itzamná walked under the scorching sun, crossed mighty rivers and faced the beasts of the jungle. But with each step, he learned something new: how to orient himself by the stars, how to listen to the language of the animals and how to find refuge in nature. Without realizing it, Itzamná was transforming; each experience made him stronger and wiser.
Finally, he arrived at the sacred cenote. There, in the stillness of the place, Itzamná knelt down and drank from its waters. He hoped that, in doing so, a grandiose revelation would manifest in his mind, showing him the path to greatness. But instead, a deep peace came over him, and a gentle voice, like the whisper of the wind through the leaves, spoke to him from within.
“Greatness is not in what you achieve, but in what you learn and experience along the way. Goals are just reference points, but the real jewels are in the teachings and experiences you encounter along the journey.”
Itzamná stood there, contemplating the reflection of his face in the water of the cenote, and understood that he did not need to be a great warrior, priest or farmer to be remembered. His journey, with all its trials and learning, had been his true achievement.
When Itzamná returned to his village, he did not speak of the cenote or the sacred waters. Instead, he shared the stories of his journey, teaching the young people what he had learned on his journey. In time, Itzamná became known as a sage, not for the goals he achieved, but for the experiences he lived and the lessons he shared.
And so, in the jungle, it was understood that the value of experiences always surpasses that of results, because experiences are what really transform us.
Thus, like Itzamná, this week those who harvested a wealth of experiences that they will undoubtedly treasure were Vicky Brock, Kim, Bruce, Kent, Curly, Donna and Bill, dear friends of this house who, as they do every year, honor us with their visit.
FISHING
With the firm determination that the bay would surprise them and hoping to gladly accept all the opportunities that its inhabitants would give them, we started the first day of fishing under a sky with some scattered clouds and meager winds that presaged an excellent day of fishing. Vicky and Brock managed to get the sharp points of their hooks into the mysterious mouths of several Permit, but only managed to win one of their battles. Donna and Bill were delighted with tarpon, snook and bonefish that lived up to expectations. Curly and Kent followed in Donna and Bill’s footsteps. They all had opportunities to tempt the bay’s emblematic species, and the Permit were in charge of demonstrating once again why they are a trophy species.
The second day of fishing began a little more cloud-laden and with a few sporadic raindrops that reminded us of the omnipresence and control of the god Hurricane over the skies of these Mayan lands. Vicky began the day measuring her strength and experience against a beautiful Permit that, after a long battle, managed to break free, leaving everyone in the boat with a mixture of joy and bitterness difficult to describe. Kent managed to win the victory by battling a great snook, a species that little by little was proving to be the highlight of the week. The menu of catches was completed with tarpon, bonefish and some barracuda. That night was special for everyone; we celebrated Curly’s birthday, which was the perfect ending, full of laughter and many toasts.
Wednesday started with very light winds and sunshine until noon, when the winds started to rotate and brought some clouds. Snook were the stars of the day, giving Kim and Bruce half a dozen great catches; Donna and Bill a few more pairs to add to a nice jack they shared with a barracuda; while Kent and Curly delighted in fooling another barracuda with poppers, quite an experience!
Thursday started with some light showers that passed quickly and left a mostly sunny day with very light winds. Vicky managed to get her revenge and again measured her strength with a beautiful Permit and was proclaimed the winner. Kent also scored another Permit on the scoreboard and battled hard with a migratory tarpon that exceeded three figures in weight, until his line was responsible for proclaiming the big silver torpedo the winner, who calmly headed for the deep again. Curly also had an epic battle against another one of these silvery moles, and after almost two hours of fighting and being just a few feet away from our guide managing to subdue him, in a quick escape move, he managed to free himself. Kim celebrated her first captured barracuda, while Bruce accompanied her with a few more and a few snooks.
Friday again greeted us with some thick clouds and very light winds that started rotating to the northeast. Bruce measured himself against a powerful permit that, in one of his runs, quickly turned on itself and his 18 lb leader became entangled in its tail. Realizing this, the fight took on a much softer and slower tone for both sides, and with his rival on the edge of the skiff and in a last attempt to run, the movement of his powerful tail overcame the resistance of the tippet and took the win, although in reality we could say it was a technical draw. Kent fooled another big tarpon again, but victory continued to elude him. That night we celebrated Donna’s birthday, an extraordinary woman who deserved all the congratulations, toasts and affection expressed by the whole group.
The start of the last day of fishing was delayed by moderate rain and an impressive show of thunder and lightning that was a symphony of nature, showing us once again how small we are before its power. Bill finally got the recognition for his patience and effort all week and managed to secure a Grand Slam. Donna accompanied him with a beautiful tarpon, and Kim and Bruce closed their week catching lots of tarpon, snook and bonefish. Tarpon and bonefish were the perfect finish for Vicky and Brock. Kent and Curly tried again to land some of the migratory tarpon that were constantly rolling near the reef, but their mouths proved to be much harder than the edge of their hooks.
We had an excellent week, in which the shared experiences, the laughter and the good times were the best catches and the most sought-after ones, showing us once again that fishing is not just about catching fish.
WEATHER
The very mild winds that did not exceed 9 mph were the constant of the week, its predominant direction was east with sporadic changes to the north, northeast and southeast during some moments of the fishing days.
The tides were well marked and predictable, thanks to the low winds.
Towards the end of the week some moderate showers were present during the night and early morning hours.
FLIES
Permit: Nothing out of the ordinary and they are already a classic for the bay, white ragheads with and without yellow eyes or silver eyes, spawning shrimp with yellow eyes, EP spawning on #4.
Tarpon and Snook seem to know the EP baitfish catalog perfectly and do not try to hide their preference for them.
Bonefish: Shrimp flies are still his favorites in sizes #4 or #6.
This week I have received comments from the pilots and those responsible for our weekly flights about the increase in weight of the aircraft leaving from the lodge to Cancun. After an arduous investigation and deep analysis, I have concluded that those responsible are our Chef Luis and Sucheff Angel who, with their delicious creations, make us all add a few more pounds every week.
Our staff continues to be completely dedicated to the needs of our guests and making their experience with us everything they expect and a little bit more.
See you next week with a new report and do not hesitate to contact our friends at The Fly Shop® so they can tell you first-hand what life is like in Espiritu Santo Bay, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (which means “Where the sky begins”, in the Mayan language).
Taak ulak k’iin and Ka xi’ik teech utsil
(See you later and good luck! in Mayan language)
Martin Ferreyra Gonzalez and the entire ESB Family
800-669-3474 | 530-222-3555 | travel@theflyshop.com | ESB Lodge
