Recently I had an absolutely awesome opportunity... an opportunity that I have been waiting for, for a very long time. I got the chance to fish in salt water, with a fly rod. I was not rushed, I was allowed a lot of time, to practice and play at it at my own speed. It was a great chance to practice my cast and really get into the fishing. I am by no means a good saltwater fly fisherman, I am mediocre to say the best, but it was an absolute treasure of an experience.
My mother and father invited Melanie and I to go to the Riviera Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This is a very special area to Melanie and I as this is where we became engaged circa 2011. We worked on the beaches as turtle conservationist volunteers and returning was a real treat. I had always wanted to fish those waters going back to my childhood trips to Mexico and snorkeling with my family. I remember getting certified in Mexico to scuba dive and seeing all the wonderful reef fish and thinking about the opportunity to fish for them.
Finally that opportunity presented itself to me and I bite down on it with all the relish I could muster. I did a bunch of research and realized my smallmouth bass fly rod that I use here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan would more than suffice for the fishing that I planned to do in Mexico. I updated the line, leader, and tippet and went ahead and bought an actual fly case and a bunch of different flies. Finally I got myself a good pair of wading shoes and I was ready for the flats, rocks, and waves of the Mexican peninsula.
I ended up catching a handful of fish - nothing trophy or bragging worthy, but a bunch of fish for a mediocre saltwater fly fisherman is more than enough to keep me happy. I walked away with two tarpon, one needlefish, 10 or so jacks of different species, and a few other reef fish I couldn't identify.
I had bonefish, permit, snook, triggerfish, and (a huge) barracuda all interested in my flies or within casting distance at different times during my trip. It might be a good thing that I didn't end up catching those fish- I now have a taste for that type of adventure and I definitely want to do more. I don't think I will ever travel again without a 4 piece rod in my backpack. Why travel if you can't fish... or something like that. Check out the Youtube video of my adventure. Stay tuned for a more detailed Mexico travel video that will be coming in the weeks (months) to come.
As always.
Catch.
Release.
Wander.
C'est la vie.
Pura vida.
Carpe diem.