Fishing Report #27
August 25 – September 01, 2024
Welcome to the Caribbean
In ancient times, when the gods still walked the earth, there was a fisherman named K’an Ek’. He was known for his ability to fish, but more than for his skill, he was admired for his humility and respect for nature. K’an Ek’ knew that fish were not only food, but also the guardians of the secrets of the Caribbean Sea. Each fish he caught, he looked at with reverence and thanked them for their sacrifice, always returning to the ocean those that were too young or too old to be caught. The other fishermen mocked him, saying he was a fool for not taking advantage of all the sea had to offer.
One day, while casting his net into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, K’an Ek’ felt a stronger tug than usual. His net was so heavy that it seemed as if the entire sea had become entangled in it. With great effort, he managed to pull the net out of the water and, to his surprise, found a golden fish, bigger and brighter than any other he had ever seen.
The fish, when pulled from the water, spoke in a clear and deep voice: “K’an Ek’, you have been chosen by the gods to receive a gift, because you have always shown respect for life in the sea. I can grant you one of two things: unlimited wealth or eternal wisdom. But you must choose wisely, for this choice will define your destiny and that of your people.”
K’an Ek’, without hesitation, replied, “I choose eternal wisdom, so that I may lead my people with justice and respect for nature, as the gods have taught us.”
The goldfish nodded and, in a flash of light, vanished into thin air. From that day on, K’an Ek’ was known not only as a great fisherman, but also as a wise leader. His people prospered under his guidance, always in harmony with nature. K’an Ek’ taught his people that true wealth is not in what can be accumulated, but in knowledge and respect for all that surrounds us.
Thus, the legend of K’an Ek’ became a teaching that the elders told the young: “Fishing, like life, is not only a matter of skill, but of balance and respect. Whoever understands this, catches not only fish, but also the wisdom of the gods.”
Since then, Mayan fishermen always remembered the choice of K’an Ek’ every time they cast their nets into the Caribbean Sea, knowing that each fish they caught was not only food, but a silent teacher who always had something to teach them.
FISHING
This week at ESB we welcomed Jay, Eric, Molly, Agnes, David, Mike, “Buzz”, and Captain Billy Trimble – an excellent group of friends and anglers.
With some rain, the beginning of the first day of fishing was a gray day, printing that typical almost silvery reflection on the water, hiding those shadows that we all like to see and that give away the presence of our rivals. Even so, the opportunities did not stop and everyone knew how to take advantage of them very well. Tarpon, snook and bonefish were the ones who gave their little pearls of wisdom to our anglers. Jay managed to stick the sharp point of his hook in a tarpon close to three figures, but this one sold his defeat or wisdom very well and denied Jay the victory.
The second day began with excellent weather: sunshine, almost cloudless and very light winds, which predicted a day full of action and high temperatures. The permit schools were almost permanently seen around the bay, and attempts to fool them were not uncommon, even though they seemed immune to the trickery presented. Bill, applying his vast experience, was able to fool a couple of big-eye, but they would not be subdued. Those that did, and very willingly, were the tarpon, snook, bonefish and barracuda, which gave them great and numerous joys, especially to Mike and David, who were fishing for the first time for some of these species.
Wednesday was an exact copy of the previous day, as far as the weather was concerned; sunshine and light winds were the constant. Bill managed to get his revenge and landed a couple of permit, while the rest of the group had chances to fool them with meager results. But, once again, the tarpon, snook, bonefish and barracuda were in charge of bringing the group back with a big smile and many new experiences.
Clouds marked the beginning of Thursday. Scattered showers began to surround the bay and gathered at noon to unleash their fury over the whole bay with moderate rain and a somewhat frightening show of lightning and thunder, which forced the whole group to look for the safe harbor of Punta Herrero, ending the fishing day. Still, Agnes didn’t waste her chances and managed to land a beautiful permit. Jay lost count of how many big bonefish he managed to beat, and the rest of the group completed the menu of catches of that short day of fishing with snooks and tarpons.
With the energy in their arms recharged, after the afternoon of forced rest they had the day before and with perfect weather, sun and no winds, the group faced Friday with the highest of spirits, and this was appreciated by the Mayan gods who rewarded them. Molly managed to sign her first Grand Slam, while Agnes followed in her footsteps, but was denied hers by the escaping skills of tarpon. Jay added one more permit to the week’s score and accompanied it with a good portion of good-sized bonefish. Mike and David, meanwhile, had a beautiful day full of bonefish, snook and barracuda.
The last day of fishing started with great weather, and Buzz took advantage of this small advantage to add another permit to the scoreboard. Molly signed her second Grand Slam in a row – what a great way to end the week, don’t you think? Jay looked for new experiences tempting tarpon, snook and bonefish with a classic steelhead pattern, and with excellent results!
The week can only be summarized as excellent, a week where we could say that the fishing was the perfect ingredient that managed to combine good company, shared experiences and lessons learned. What more could you ask for?
WEATHER
Light easterly winds were the constant with some intervals where they rotated from southeast to northeast.
Some moderate showers in the evenings and the storm that stalked us during Thursday afternoon were the only ones of the week.
Tides were well marked and predictable, thanks to zero wind interference with them.
FLIES
Permit were tempted with all the classic and not-so-classic imitations for the bay, Flexo, ESB spawning shrimp, Casa Blanca, Esb Yellow Eyes Raghead Crab, Tequila twister, etc.
Tarpon and Snook, continue to attack EP baitfish patterns without hesitation, with the most commonly used being the black and purple or white and chartreuse combination.
The bonefish had the rewarding good presentations and good work from the imitations in the usual sizes #6 to #8 of crabs and shrimp.
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
