December 28, 2010 - Posted by ATA - 0 Comments
LAGO STROBEL REPORT
by Marcelo Widmann:
For the first time, we visited the Lake Strobel, with Gary and Carol, clients and friends of USA. We met at the Rio Chico with the person in charge of the place, Gerardo Mutti, great person and hard working who treated us wonderfully.
After a road moved around a plateau full of volcanic stones, we began a decline as if falling into a huge crater to the lake, arriving then to the house that will lodge us for 5 nights. We found there a wonderful and peaceful place, with all the amenities needed to stay as long as desired.
Once installed in the house, we were so anxious that could not wait any longer to go fishing to the lake! We did not have much time, because in April, it gets dark around 7.30 PM. Then, with a few “mates” in between, we set our #8 rods with fast sinking and intermediate lines.
We traveled to the southest bay where the shelf was very close, and you could find large deep pools. Gary and Caryl made their first casts and in no more than ten minutes later, they got their first strike. Caryl got her very first rainbow of the trip, 4 kilos! which gave a tough fight! We were releasing it when Gary got another!, This slightly larger, 4.5 kilos! Catches continued steadily until the end of the day. Fishing in the days that followed was incredible, especially early in the morning, on the rocks that are outside the large sandy beach where the waves hit once the wind starts blowing. The largest catches were up to 7 kilos (16 pounds). The flies used were preferably streamers in dark colors, and bright colors when it was cloudy. Imitations of Scuds in hook sizes 10 and 8, also were effective. As for the lines, intermediate and sinking, with a slow retrieve, gave the best results. Personally I try with dry but without result, since the water was very, very cold and there was no surface activity! It’s time to leave, “the dream ended and it was time to get up …” We could not believe that we had to go back, we made the best rainbow trout fishing in the world, in a unique place, beyond description.
Thanks Trophy Rainbow and Gerardo, for the great hospitality. We hope to see you soon, greetings, Caryl, Gary and Marcelo.
December 23, 2010 - Posted by ATA - 7 Comments
EL PESCADOR, BELIZE- Dec
BONES: Some exceptionally big bonefish are around right now! Our average bonefish is 2 to 3 pounds, but reports of landing fish in the 6 and 7 pound range, as well as sightings of ten pound fish by Captain Erlindo – who does not exaggerate! I missed a gordo bonefish out in the lagoon. Why is it that we remember the ones that got away? Congratulations to Brent and Rachel for landing their first bonefish!
PERMIT: Joe and Ole from Norway had their first experience with Mr. Permit. Joe landed a permit, small – so the fish needed to be held away from the angler to make the fish look bigger for the photo. But you know what? A permit is a permit. Congratulations to Joe, who received his permit pin this week.
TARPON: Go Stuart! Stu fished all week with Captain Erlindo, and on the last day, Mr. Tarpon was landed from Savannah Flats. That tarpon pin is well deserved. There was really only one day this week that worked for chasing tarpon, and they got it done. The migratory tarpon down by Long Caye are still around, but not in big numbers. It is going to be so much fun to learn where they go! The information from their satellite tags will reveal still unknown migratory patterns. Tags were placed last June in 3 tarpon, so we’ll see what we get in 2011!
SNOOK: The snook are teasing us! They are out from the mangroves as they are this time of year…….but they are like permit when it comes to taking a fly! Sometimes they want it, and sometimes they just chase it. Some really big snook targeted this week, up to 20 pounds! And I found a few to chase around in the lagoon. The thing is, when it does happen, it is a great fish!
JACKS: Big jacks around 15 pounds landed this week on fly, one almost burned up a reel, again!
FLIES THAT WORKED
FOR BONES: Christmas Island Specials size 8 and 6, Charlies and Gotchas. Tan, gold, sexy patterns. Sexy patterns are flies that move so great in the water you just to have it.
FOR TARPON: 3/0 yellow toads, green Toads, Black Death cockroach, and look out with purple! Your choice, circle hooks will help people who have not had experience setting tarpon, while the standard is still with J-hooks, or set hooks.
FOR PERMIT: Orange and pink Christmas Island Specials size 4 stripped fast. Tan and green crabs, size 6, when they are tailing. We strip a lot of flies for permit. It is the way the San Pedro guides do it, and it works! Shrimp patterns, size 6, on long 14-16 ft leaders down to 16lb test. Glass minnow patterns work as well. You just have to be brave enough to try.
REPORT SUMMARY:
We had a nice quiet week here at El Pescador. Brent and Rachel said they will return next year at the same time just for the calm before the Christmas Holidays. We fish 400 sq miles of flats, and had 3 fishing boats out this week. Anytime you can go out, have a fun filled fishing day and not see another boat is always a gift. One of our gifts here is our 400 square miles of flats, so many anglers exclaim at the end of the day, “we didn’t see another soul!” Watching anglers progress throughout their stay here at El Pescador Lodge is a gift for me! Anglers that show up ready to learn more about their cast or how to approach a fish, always leave better anglers. I love that. The bottom line – it’s wintertime and we are fishing for bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook! All is well here on Ambergris Caye.
December 23, 2010 - Posted by ATA - 0 Comments
ROYAL POLARIS- We are homeward bound and soon I’ll be back to the freezing temperatures of the Midwest. It’s been a pleasure bringing you the reports but after this one summing things up, I’ll turn the computer back over to Roy as there won’t be a whole lot to say other than here we come. It’s been an outstanding trip from every angle you can look at. There are a lot of guys who have been on far more trips than I, but over the last 26 years or so I’ve done my share. There’s been many days on many trips when I wished for a single pick up. OK, I know I’m not the best fisherman around, but I know a hot bite when I see one. There was more action this time around than any trip I can remember and as far as rearranging freezers in order to get a few more fish in, that I flat out have never seen. The last few days was the first time I’ve ever experienced pressure free fishing. You had plenty of fish by then, you were getting hooked up without too much delay, and there was an excellent chance that if you brought it to the boat it was going to be cut off any way. It’s amazing how much better you fish when you can relax and just enjoy it. I just hope I can experience fishing like this again sometime soon. For me that will be early Feb. so who knows, maybe there will be some new poems then for you to enjoy. Till then, tight lines and bent rods and merry Christmas and happy holidays to all out there.
December 23, 2010 - Posted by ATA - 0 Comments
CROCODILE BAY COSTA RICA- My day starts at 4:00 am. This morning I saw something that I have not seen in a long time, a sky full of stars. If you live near a big city you can’t image what’s up there, but in a small town or out on the ocean it is unbelievable the beauty of a moonless clear night. It is also a signal that Costa Rican summer has finally arrived.
It looks like someone also told the fish. Offshore the ocean has really come to life. We have seen double digit days on sailfish, the porpoises ran through this week signaling yellowfin tuna were below, and the missing link, dorado began to show. Marlin has also been almost a daily occurrence. There have been too many marlin taken lately to list without forgetting someone. Greg Boyer’s, Dave Garlow’s, and Steve Wilcox’s groups were some that got in the action. Most of the fish were in the 150 to 400 lb range. Steve Wilcox’s trip was especially rewarding because it was like a repeat of his childhood when his father took him to Mexico where he caught his first marlin. Steve’s son Aaron took his first billfish here and also took a 55 lb monster dorado as well as contributed many of the photo’s in this report.
Ian Davis got into the tuna action with a fly rod. He also left our webmaster Will Briegel with a library full of great photos.
Inshore has yet to turn on really strong although Caroline Zargony took a couple of nice roosters to 45 lbs. Amberjacks and smaller tuna have kept deep Jiggers busy lately as well as big sier
Crocodile Bay Lodge
Costa Rica
December 7, 2010 - Posted by ATA - 0 Comments
Here are two photos of the new pending world record from Amazonas, Brazil. What a nice big fish.
Skilled peacock angler Andrea Zaccherine and his pending record was submitted to the IGFA last Thursday. As more details come forth with this story a well known outfitter is stirring up local villages going where they are not suppose to be.
