Even though I get to travel to cool places, I often don't get that excited because I am traveling for work. But next Saturday I am going on vacation to Long Island, Bahamas, and I haven't been so excited about a trip since I went on the Nomads of the Seas to  fly fish in Chile 3 years ago. I have been gathering together gear and fine tuning my equipment for months. I already own 3 boxes of bonefish flies, but have tied up another whole box of new patterns to try. I picked up a new Abel reel for my 8wt rod, and have been tying up wire leaders for Baracuda. I have also been scouring over my Far Bahamas Chart Book for new spots to explore on Long Island. The anticipation has kept me busy for months, and Teri is just glad the trip is almost here so I stop driving her crazy........ Here are a few of the flies I am sending into battle next week.

Whale Watching

February is the height of the whale watching season in Los Cabos, and we were lucky enough to have several sightings during our stay. Most of the time the whales were off shore a fair distance, and you would see a splash or blow hole that would attract your attention. Then with binoculars you could follow their movements. A few times they came to within 50 yards of shore and we were able to see them up close, It was amazing to see a huge whale breach and crash back into the ocean, or a calf playing while its mom tried to keep it on course. You can't really fathom how large they are until you see them in person. The whales were one of the highlights of our trip.

East Cape and the road to Cabo Pulmo

Saturday morning we headed out on a road trip to the East Cape area of Baja California. During my trip research I read about an area named Cabo Pulmo which has the only coral reef on the Pacific side of North America. It is designated as a marine preserve and protected by the Mexican government. We drove north on Hwy 1 past the airport and through several small towns, and then turned toward Las Riveras and southeast toward Cabo Pulmo. It is good paved road until about 10 miles out, when it turns to dirt. Since we didn't purchase CDW from the car rental company, it didn't matter that the coverage is voided once you leave the pavement, but it still required careful driving to avoid the potholes and mud puddles. After about 5 miles on the rough dirt road, and, not having seen any signs of civilizaation, my wife Teri let me know she was out of her comfort zone. " We  are in the middle of nowhere, in a country where we don't speak the language, with no cell phone reception, in rental car that probably doesn't have a spare tire". I tried to comfort her by letting her know I had provisioned us with a small can of cashews, a granola bar, and a bottle of water. She wasn't impressed, but we pressed on.

After a few more miles we could see the Sea of Cortez, and eventually arrived at the settlement in the middle of the preserve - Cabo Pulmo "Resort".  It is a fairly primitive development consisting of some modest villas, mixed in with permanent trailers, local restaurants, and a few ramshackle dive shops/day tour operators. There is a parking area for beach access with a few Pangas pulled up on shore. The beach itself was a little rocky, but is very close to the in shore reef and offers good access for snorkeling. It is shallow, probably averaging 4-8 feet deep, and the coral is not spectacular like in the Caribbean or the South Pacific, but the fish life was very abundant, and I enjoyed my time in the water. I saw a variety of fish including a bright yellow puffer fish, which I have never seen anywhere else. When I came out of the sea Teri was sitting on the beach surrounded by sea gulls with a sheepish look on her face. Apparently, all our provisions had mysteriously disappeared while I was in the water.......

I don't think I would recommend Cabo Pulmo as a stand alone day trip, but if you are going to the East Cape area it is worth a visit. As with most of the Baja coastline, the stark contrast between the arid cactus studded landscape, and the blue sea is quite striking. It has a rugged beauty that is unlike any place else in the world.

Beach Fishing

Our first full day in Cabo was dedicated to relaxing and enjoying what our surroundings at the resort had to offer. I resisted my usual temptation to plan some activity or tour, and left the day completely open. We slept in until we woke up naturally, and then sat on our veranda sipping coffeee and watching the ocean for whales. The whales did not appear so we decided to take a walk on the beach with our fly rod and see if we could get anything to chase a fly.

We had already conceded that we weren't going to find any of the prized fish of the region without a boat. This outing was mostly for the entertainment value of throwing a fly into the ocean and seeing if anything would bite. We worked our way down the beach looking for signs; nervous water, schools of bait, congregations of shore birds, jumping fish, etc. but the sea was quiet. The shoreline along most of the hotel zone in Los Cabos is not safe for swimming because of dangerous currents and undertows, and as a result the beach falls steeply into the ocean. This makes for a pretty violent shore break with the waves crashing right on the beach. It is tough to stand close to, or among, the breaking waves and get a cast out far enough to cover much water.

We soon abandoned our attempts at beach fishing and walked down to a rocky point that afforded us the ability to fish some structure.  We climbed out onto the rocks and cast our Clouser Minnow into a likely slot. It was attacked by a Trumpetfish around 2 feet long that we hooked, played for a couple jumps and then lost. We had a few other Trumpetfish take or follow, but their tiny mouths made it difficult to hook them. We moved locations and caught a Jack Crevalle of about 2 pounds. Further down the beach we had another Trumpetfish miss the fly 3 times on the same retrieve, but never hooked it. The sun was getting hot, and we were getting hungry, so we called it a morning.

Zoetry Casa Del Mar Resort

Our hotel in Los Cabos was the Zoetry Casa Del Mar. It is owned by AMR Resorts, the same group who own Dreams and Secrets. The Casa Del Mar is a hacienda style property with an entryway that opens into a beautiful central courtyard and fountain that looks out over the pool and gardens with the ocean beyond. It is understated, but elegant, and has a very private, boutique, feel. Our room was on the second floor with high ceilings and a nice veranda with a beautiful view of the beach and ocean. The bedding was feathery but firm, like sleeping on a cloud. The bathroom was like a private spa with a whirlpool tub, separate shower and toilet, Bulgari bath products and bath "sheets" as opposed to towels. We received made service several times a day to clean the room, refresh the mini-bar, and turn down our bed at night.

We found the service in the bars and restaurants to be very good, attentive but not rushed. The property is an "all-inclusive" which can mean plentiful but mediocre food and beverages, but not here. They do not have any buffet restaurants, everything is served a la carte and prepared to order. Meal offerings are split between three locations on the property, with 1 location for breakfast, 2 for lunch, and 2 for dinner. We enjoyed all of our meals during our stay. The food was artistically presented and consistantly delicious. One of the highlights was dinner service on the beach with a formal table set-up but our feet in the sand and a fire pit to take the chill off of the evening. Also, anything available in the restaurants and bars could be served in your room if you didn't feel like going out, or wanted to enjoy a private sunset cocktail on your veranda. All in all it is a great resort for a quiet relaxing vacation suitable for couples or a girls spa getaway, and families with young children. I think teenagers would be bored staying on property, but guests staying at Casa Del Mar do have privileges at the neighboring Dreams which has a full menu of activities and an "animation" staff to get people engaged.

Flying down to Cabo - it's about the journey......

We flew US Air from Portland to Cabo via Phoenix, and for the most part it was a good trip. We upgraded to 1st class which always helps, our flights were early, our bags arrived at baggage claim quickly, and we went through customs and immigration without a hitch. I was only slightly aggravated by the guy behind me who used my seatback as a lever every time he got out of his seat, which was often.....  It was also a little disappointing that the only food they had to eat on either flight was a basket of dry snacks. You'd think they might still offer a meal in 1st class, but at least we avoided the $25 checked bag fees and we had the extra leg room, free drinks, and we're on vacation!

Upon arrival in Mexico we girded or loins and lowered our heads to navigate through the barking timeshare salespeople and shuttle van drivers. Once out on the street the Thrifty Car rental shuttle was waiting for us and took us literally 50 yards and dropped us at their facility. The process of renting the car almost took longer than our flight from Phoenix. Once I declined the CDW insurance, which I verified is covered by my credit card company before leaving home, I was barraged with a litany of paperwork and authorizations requiring me to take full responsibility for the vehicle. Somehow, despite my expert negotiation, I still ended up with about $100 of previously undisclosed "mandatory"charges before exiting the facility. I may own the car for all I know.

Finally with wheels in our possession we got on the road, rolled down the windows, and enjoyed the warm air on our drive to our hotel. It's going to be 80 degrees and blue skies for the next 4 days. The hotel is beautiful, we have an ocean view room, and a huge humpback whale put on a tale slapping show for us, 50 yards offshore before we could even open our welcome champagne. Time for a Margarita and a walk on the beach. The journey continues.......

Preparing for a trip is part of the fun

Some people are content to show up at a destination and let a trip unfold. Although I agree there is something to be said for spontaneity, for me, the preparation for an upcoming trip heightens my anticipation and helps to make the journey last for months instead of days. There are many directions that this planning can take, and, depending on your personality, it can make the final travel experience more meaningful and rewarding. I'm a bit of an analytical, so I love information. I enjoy spending time choosing the destination, figuring out transportation and accommodations, researching what there is to see and do, and assessing and acquiring the gear needed for the trip. As the puzzle comes together the excitement continues to build right up to the day of departure. As Don Williams Jr. once said “The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” I believe that preparing for a trip is part of the journey. Stay tuned for future posts about the factors to consider in the planning process.

First Fish of the New Year

The fly fishing gene runs deep in our family. We have a tradition of catching a fish on New Year's day. This isn't always easy because we usually spend the holiday at the family ranch in the North Cascades where winter temperatures freeze most of the local waters. But on the lake at the Ranch we run an aerator all winter to oxygenate the water and reduce the risk of winter kill. This aerator manages to keep about an acre of water ice free and is the one place where fish can still be caught. Some would say we're insane to venture out into this open water just to catch a fish. But we're talking about the first fish of the entire year here. This year my father Mac road the snow mobile up to the lake while the rest of us cross country skied up. He claims to have caught the first fish prior to our arrival at the lake, but has no witnesses. My wife Teri received the official honor, catching a nice Rainbow Trout just after noon on January 1st.