Fishing Report #29
September 08 – 15, 2024
Welcome to the Caribbean
Fishing is much more than just catching fish; it is a dance with the unpredictable, a mirror of life itself where every cast is a mixture of hope, skill and the embrace of uncertainty.
From the choice of location to the selection of equipment, every step in fishing is imbued with expectation. The angler, armed with his rod and fly, not only seeks to catch fish; he also, perhaps unknowingly, seeks an encounter with the mystery of nature. Each time the hook is plunged into the water, a question is posed to the universe, the answer to which is always uncertain.
The experience of fishing is enriched by this uncertainty. It is not only the fish that is sought; it is the moment, the experience, the patience and serenity in the face of the uncontrollable. Water, with its constant flow and hidden depths, is a reminder that much of what we long for is beyond our direct reach. Here, in the act of fishing, we learn about acceptance and the art of knowing how to wait.
The experienced angler knows this game of waiting and surprise well. He knows that fishing is as much about preparation as it is about adaptation. He can study the weather, know the biology of his prey, and still the day may end with no catch. But the real reward of fishing is not measured just by the weight or quantity of what you catch; it is measured by the quality of time spent in connection with the environment, with your companions and with yourself.
Uncertainty in fishing is, in many ways, a metaphor for life. We don’t know what the day will bring, but we go out into it with our best intentions and tools, willing to adapt and learn. Each cast may be a failure or a success, but each is an opportunity to better understand the rhythms of nature and, by extension, the rhythms of our own existence.
Thus, fishing teaches us to value process over result, being over having. It teaches us that the beauty of life often lies in those moments of waiting, in that tension between what we know and what is yet to be discovered. The next time you cast your line into the water, remember that you are participating in an ancient ritual, one that celebrates not only the catch, but also the eternal, unfathomable mystery of the natural world and ourselves.
None of this was said by the Mayans, but it follows the basic guideline of all cultures that have walked this planet: the experience is always more enriching than the activity itself.
This week, the experiences were the highlights, the moments shared by Yuji and Masa Katsumata, Brenden and Tab Bannigan, Jim Bartschi, Theresa Montano and Dane Emerson leading the group were the focus of the trip.
FISHING
The weather during the first day of fishing was marked by moderate winds and scattered clouds, which understandably didn’t help in the search for bay dwellers. Even so, the solitary Permit were seen in some sectors, offering opportunities for shooting, but without the expected results. It was the Bonefish, baby tarpon and wonderful snook that brightened up the day. The turbidity of the lower flats began to show clear signs of the presence of fresh water, the result of the rains of the previous weeks, which slowly gathered in the small creeks and flowed into the mangrove areas surrounding the bay.
Tuesday dawned with bright sunshine and light winds that presaged a great day in the bay, but the presence of freshwater was much more noticeable, causing the inhabitants of the shallow coastal waters to seek deeper water in search of better habitat. Although schools were encountered and virtually everyone had a chance to fool them with their flies, the permit seemed to be in a hypnotic trance, moving at a faster speed than usual and making them immune to all accurately presented lures. Again, bonefish, tarpon and snook saved the day.
Wednesday’s sunrise was perfect, with the sun rising through the distant clouds on the horizon and almost no winds, another day that looked like a weather dream. Gentle winds began to slowly rotate from the south to the east, helping the tides stay higher than usual and with very little variation throughout the day, which didn’t help the fresh water mix with the salt water in the bay and improve conditions in the fishing areas. Finding schools or solitary permit became much more difficult, but this abundance of water made it easier to find snook and bonefish, who again saved the day. Dane, taking advantage of the light winds, started his expedition on the outer part of the bay, between the reef and the coast, passing the front of the lodge and following the coast for a few miles, but with identical results as in the bay, few fish were seen.
Again, Thursday greeted us with another excellent day, light winds and the sun shining overhead. The change in wind direction helped to bring more water into the bay and slowly the areas where fresh water was evident began to clear. This brought with it the regular inhabitants of the bay who began to let themselves be seen more. Yuji managed to duel with a permit, but the permit won the battle. The whole group started to get more shooting opportunities.
Friday was another day where the weather seemed to be on our side, and with the changes in water quality, the shooting opportunities continued to increase, as did the reactions of everyone’s target species. Brenden landed a couple of permit, while Tab and Dane did the same. With great satisfaction, let me tell you that I went fishing too, with our guide-in-training Jerry and my #6 rod, we went after everything that came our way, bonefish, snappers, jacks, barracudas, blue runners; we didn’t deny anyone a shot, it was truly an experience that I recommend. To top off an exceptional day, for me, when I made the last cast into nothingness, because I cast my already very battered shrimp to no specific spot and started to pick up the line on my reel, surprise! The line tightened and a battle began against an unknown opponent. A few minutes later, we discovered that a small suicidal permit decided to give us the last joy of the day before heading back to the lodge.
The last day of fishing was another dream day with light winds and bright sunshine. Arriving in the bay, we discovered that the tide was unusually higher, which favored the shallows to clear and life returned to the flats. Opportunities came and went, schools, lonely permits, lots of shots, but few results; the permits went back to behaving like permits, with that mixture of fear and contempt with which they usually treat us when we try to fool them. Jerry, my rod #6 and I overdosed on bonefish walking along the white sands of Tabasqueños, I don’t think they will let me go fishing anymore.
We really had an exceptional week, where the cold catch numbers were not the best, but the shared experiences, the laughs, anecdotes and philosophical chats at the palapa were without a doubt what we were all looking for in this week of fishing.
WEATHER
Winds maintained speeds between 6 and 12 mph for most of the week, with the exception of Monday, when they reached 17 mph. The first few days, the prevailing direction was from the south and southeast, then rotating to the east and staying that way for the rest of the week.
Unusually high tides improved water conditions in the bay during the last three days of the week, with variations between high tide and low tide somewhat less than normal, no more than a foot.
FLIES
This week, the permit faced perhaps the largest catalog of lures ever presented to them, from the classics to custom flies created specifically for this bay. Unfortunately, the limited collaboration of this species does not allow us to say with certainty if they were able to perfect the best patterns to fool them.
Tarpon and Snook were faithful to their philosophy and accepted streamers in colors such as black and purple, white, white and chartreuse, white and red, among others.
Bonefish, always ready to bring joy, accepted streamers, shrimp and crabs in sizes ranging from #8 to #4.
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
