Fishing Report #32
September 29 – October 06, 2024
Welcome to the Caribbean
The Mayans, in their almost infinite wisdom, created legends and stories for just about everything, but I have not been able to find one that refers specifically to each type of fish. So I let my imagination run wild and got to thinking about how the Mayans would have written a story about snook, and this is the result.
In the ancient Mayan jungle, in a region where rivers met the Caribbean Sea, there was a legend about a very special fish: the snook, known for its ability to move between fresh and salt water. The Maya respected this fish not only for its cunning, but also for its ability to adapt to change, a trait that for them was a symbol of wisdom and balance. In the Mayan language, fish in general were known as kay, and although there was no exclusive name for the snook, fishermen of the time referred to it as the “kay robalo”, a fish that inhabited the limits between the sea and the rivers.
Legend has it that many years ago, in a small Mayan village near the coast, there lived a young fisherman named Ek. Ek had inherited from his father the ability to fish, but also the respect for nature. He spent his days observing the rivers and the currents of the sea, trying to understand the ways in which water gave life to everything it touched.
One day, while he was fishing, Ek heard the village elders talking about an ancient story about the “Ahau Robalo”, the lord of the snooks, a legendary fish that lived in the deepest waters of the river and was said to be able to predict the future. This being could move between worlds, as it did between salt and fresh water, and those who managed to catch it could know the secrets of time and destiny.
Driven by his curiosity and the desire to prove himself, Ek decided that he would find the Ahau Robalo. For weeks, he navigated the rivers and ventured into the salty waters of the sea, braving storms, days without food and endless nights under the stars. But the snook was elusive, always disappearing just when he seemed to catch up.
One day, after weeks of unsuccessful searching, Ek sat at the river’s edge and, for the first time, doubted his mission. “Why is this fish so hard to catch?”, he thought. At that moment, an old woman appeared beside him, as if she had stepped out of the shadows of the trees. “Are you looking for the Ahau Robalo, young man?” she asked with a smile. Ek nodded, surprised by the woman’s sudden appearance.
The old woman, with the wisdom that only the oldest in the village possessed, told him, “The Ahau Robalo is not a simple fish. It is the representation of life itself. It moves between the known and the unknown, between fresh and salt water, as we do between the certainties and uncertainties of our existence. You will not catch it with nets or hooks. Only those who understand that life is change and adaptation can see the true Ahau Robalo.”
Ek understood what the old woman was telling him. At that moment, he stopped searching for the fish with the anxiety of a hunter and began to observe the river with new eyes. He began to appreciate every bend in the water, every current and eddy, understanding that the true power of the snook was its ability to adapt, to flow with nature, rather than fight against it.
The next day, while fishing without the pressure of finding the Ahau Robalo, the river water began to glow with a golden radiance. From the depths emerged a majestic snook, its scales glistening in the sun. The fish swam alongside Ek, watching him for a moment before disappearing back into the depths. Ek knew then that he had found the real Ahau Robalo, not in the form of a fish he could catch, but in the life lesson it had taught him: the importance of patience, of adaptation, and of accepting that not everything is in our control.
He returned to his village, not with the snook, but with a new understanding of himself and the world around him. Since then, every time he saw a snook swimming between the fresh and salt waters, he remembered the lesson of Ahau Robalo, the lord of the fish, who had guided him to a life of wisdom and peace.
Fishing
This week, all the teachings of the Ahau Robalo were put into practice by Bruce DePriest, Charles Thorne, Bruce Chard, Mike McDaniel, Rick Wilsterman, Bob Wilsterman, John Albin and Everett Boy, happy anglers who enjoyed the experience at ESB.
Late last week, a tropical disturbance again parked itself over us and, like the previous one, which ended up being named Helene, brought us some rather unpredictable weather, with winds changing direction and clouds that didn’t show up in the forecasts. So it was that Monday morning was covered by dense clouds that stayed with us all day, along with light winds that rotated between east and north. Although permits were not the main target of any of the anglers, they had opportunities to cast to some schools and solitary specimens, but without the expected results. So tarpons, snooks and bonefish enlivened the day’s fishing, making everyone come back with a big smile on their faces.
On Tuesday, the clouds dispersed a little and let some sunshine through, which almost everyone took advantage of to go in search of permits, with excellent results. Everett, Bruce Chard, Mike, Bruce DePriest and John added several permits to the week’s scoreboard, completing the catch menu with the usual suspects: tarpons, snooks and bonefish.
Wednesday started off with a little more wind and scattered showers, which seemed to be unwelcome to the bay’s inhabitants, who were rarely seen during the day’s fishing. Even so, they had chances to cast to permits and managed to catch tarpons, snook and bonefish.
Thursday was a copy of the previous day, with few signs of life in the bay, annoying winds and untimely clouds. Once again, there were opportunities to cast to permit schools, but it was the tarpons, snook and bonefish that were fooled.
Friday started with light southeasterly winds that rotated to the east during the day. This favored the clouds to move faster, allowing some sunny moments that were very well used. Bruce Chard added new permits to the scoreboard, while Everett and Bruce DePriest had almost constant opportunities to continue adding permit catches, though luck eluded them. Bonefish, snooks, tarpons and snappers rounded out the day.
During the last day of fishing, our anglers agreed and decided to complete Ek’s task: they all went in search of the “Ahau Robalo”, secretly trying to possess the power to control the time and extend their stay in ESB for another week. The snook catches left everyone more than satisfied: good sizes, great battles and accurate shots were the perfect closure for an excellent week.
Weather
With the tropical depression heading north into the gulf and already named Milton, the last few days brought much more predictable and stable weather, which was clearly reflected in the activity in the bay. Winds remained between 4 and 9 mph on days with light breezes, and between 11 and 21 mph on days with moderate winds. Rainfall occurred for short periods and in specific sectors of the bay and was neither general nor of great intensity. Tides were predictable, with minimal variations between high and low on days when winds were slightly stronger.
Flies
Under the classic Caribbean sun, there were no big surprises: permits were attracted by Flexos, ESB Spawning Shrimp, Casa Blanca, ESB Yellow Eyes Raghead Crab, Tequila Twister, among others.
Tarpons and Snook – These fish were tempted with an incredible variety of streamers on 0/2 or 0/3 hooks, imitating baits in a wide range of colors.
Bonefish – These fish, the noblest in the bay, are always ready to take any crab, shrimp or minnow imitation presented on #6 and #8 hooks.
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
