Fishing Report #33
October 06 – 13, 2024
Welcome to the Caribbean
Throughout their extensive history, the Maya have reflected their knowledge and experience in tales, stories and legends. Over the centuries, this knowledge has been adapted to modern times, and the stories or legends have evolved to better express the concepts they represented.
Today, I take again the poetic license to adapt one of those concepts to an ancient story, bringing it to present times in the Bay of Espiritu Santo.
In the crystalline waters of the Caribbean, the ancient Maya believed in the existence of a powerful fish that connected the world of humans with the gods of the sea. This fish was the Ah Chok (“The Protector”), a giant tarpon that inhabited the sacred depths of Espiritu Santo Bay.
The Ah Chok was no ordinary fish. According to the stories, its silvery glow reflected the sunlight, guiding lost fishermen in the midst of sudden storms. They said that when the sky was covered with black clouds and thunder roared, the Ah Chok would rise from the depths to calm the waters. He was the guardian of the balance between men and gods, protecting those who fished respectfully and punishing those who plundered without measure.
Once, a young fisherman named Kan Ek’ set out to catch the legendary tarpon. The fame of the Ah Chok had grown so much that the fishermen said that whoever managed to catch it would have the blessing of Chaac, the god of rain, and would be immortalized in the stars.
Kan Ek’, confident in his ability, cast his golden hook into the sacred waters at dawn, when the sun’s reflections made the surface shine like a silver mirror. He waited for hours, and when the tarpon finally took the bait, an epic battle began. The waters roared and the skies trembled, but Kan Ek’ did not give up.
However, when it seemed that the young fisherman was going to win, the Ah Chok jumped out of the water and looked him straight in the eyes. At that instant, Kan Ek’ understood his mistake: the tarpon was not a trophy, but a sacred being that should be respected. He let go of the rope and let the fish return to the depths.
From that day on, Kan Ek’ never overfished again, and his respect for the sea made him one of the wisest fishermen in his village. The Ah Chok continued to protect the waters, and storms never again struck his village as long as his respect for nature prevailed.
This legend, although adapted, reflects the importance that the Maya gave to the balance with nature and the spiritual connection with sacred animals. The tarpon, as a majestic being that is difficult to catch, embodies the idea that some natural forces should not be dominated, but respected.
FISHING
This week we were visited by Tripps, John, Greg, Rocky, Leo and Larry. They formed a group that brought together both regular and first time visitors to this house and enjoyed the experience at ESB.
Monday dawned with moderate rain showers, forcing us to start our fishing day a few minutes late. As the hours passed, the skies cleared a bit, and the prevailing southerly winds, under the influence of Milton, moved large air masses from all directions, as we saw throughout the week. Lorenzo managed to duel with two beautiful silver torpedoes weighing several dozen pounds and claim victory in both. Leo and Rocky also dueled with majestic tarpons of similar size and managed to get the victory. Greg, meanwhile, set his sights on permits, the bay’s flagship species, straying only to catch some vigorous bonefish. John and Tripps feasted on some snook.
Milton’s slow and almost fatigued movement kept us under his range, and during the day on Tuesday, the winds rotated to the west, which is unusual for this area. This brought shallows and flats with their disturbed bottoms, leaving few places with effective cover from the winds, which limited the comfortable fishing areas in the bay quite a bit. This, logically, translated into few opportunities for permits and adverse conditions for effective casting to other species. Even so, our skilled anglers managed to enjoy a fun day, with tarpons, bonefish, snooks and snappers among their catches.
Milton’s slow drift was a reminder of the indomitability of his forces. With forecasts predicting two or three more days under its influence, our anglers accepted the challenge and adapted to the conditions that Mother Nature offered them. Westerly winds in the morning kept the waters churned up and the skies overcast, but then rotated to the southwest, clearing the skies a bit in the afternoon. Adapting to these conditions paid off: Leo caught the first permit of the week, and the rest of the group also had opportunities to catch tarpon, snook and bonefish, signing another good day in the bay.
Thursday’s dawn brought the most awaited news: Milton’s whims would no longer affect us for the rest of the week. Perhaps as a reward for their patience and ability to adapt, the Mayan gods rewarded our fishermen with a day of practically zero winds and bright sunshine. These idyllic conditions helped the choppy waters of the bay begin to clear quickly, and life returned. John didn’t miss his chance and added another permit to the week’s scoreboard, while tarpon, snook and bonefish were once again responsible for creating another fun day of fishing in the bay.
Dawn on Friday marked a return to normal weather, with partly cloudy skies and clear water. These conditions quickly turned into opportunities for all of our anglers, who tempted the elusive permits. Greg managed to score a Super Grand Slam, his first ever, and his first ever permit! The traditional tequila shots that night celebrated his entrance to the permit anglers club, and with a Super Grand Slam, we can certainly say that he got in through the front door. Lorenzo accompanied him with a Grand Slam.
The start of the last day was as spectacular as the previous day: almost no wind and a radiant sun. As the afternoon progressed, the northerly winds picked up slightly in intensity, bringing dense clouds and some light showers in the late afternoon. Opportunities to cast to permits came almost steadily, with schools and lone fish roaming everywhere. However, permits are famous for a reason, and we all know why they have a well-earned reputation as trophies. Once again, the snook and bonefish were responsible for tightening the lines of our anglers, giving them those much sought-after endorphin rushes.
As you can see, adaptation and an unwavering spirit of overcoming the indomitable forces of nature were the key to success this week at ESB.
WEATHER
Winds, although light for much of the week, rotated in all directions, creating unstable conditions on the bay. This continuous change directly affected the tides, making them unpredictable. Although the rains did not significantly affect the fishing days, they were present for brief periods, with light to moderate intensities.
FLIES
For permit, the immortal ESB Yellow Eyes Raghead and Casa Blanca flies remain the most reliable options, though not the only ones. Examples such as the Tequila Twister or Flexo crab have also proven worthy of permit attacks in my three seasons here.
Tarpon showed a marked preference for flies with characteristics of Puglisi Baitfish Pinfish or Mangrove Baitfish, not forgetting the traditional black and purple EP or full chartreuse.
The bonefish, this week, were not at all shy and attacked without fear or modesty crabs and shrimp of the same size used for permit. They were clearly hungry.
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
