Tease 'em In Iztapa |
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Tease 'em In Iztapa
If asked to choose the world’s greatest battlefield for Pacific sailfish, my emphatic answer: Iztapa, Guatemala. It’s virtually the place to be for consistent shots at the big spindlebeaks, especially on fly. Just ask Capt. Ron Hamlin, who in 2005 recorded his 20,000th billfish release.
Hamlin, reverently known as Capt. Hook (also the name of his boat), calls Iztapa home. His four decades of experience is legendary, and I’ve fished with him off and on for 30 of those years. In 1980, Hamlin and I set the Florida record for an Atlantic sailfish on 8-pound tippet with a 73-pounder, and in 1984 we notched an IGFA record for white marlin of 55 ½ pounds on 12-pound tippet. When it comes to pursuing Pacific sailfish, he has no peers. In joining forces with South Fishing in Miami, Florida, Hamlin oversees a truly premier fishing program in Iztapa that offers lodging in a six-bedroom private home that’s just a short van ride from the dock. Each bedroom contains two queen beds, with oh-so-nice air conditioning on those subtropical days when a breeze just isn’t comfy enough. They operate three other boats besides Hamlin’s. I’ve made half a dozen trips to Guatemala over the years and learned that the fishing runs in cycles. Fish seem to concentrate in one area or another, so find the hot spot and you can easily raise 60 fish a day. In that regard, boats off Iztapa – commercial and private – keep each other posted on what’s going on. If lucky, you can fish three days of huge numbers of fish, but more likely, you will hit a cycle where you either start slow and finish strong or start off raising 50 fish followed by a marked decrease. Even on a “bad” day, I’ll release several sails on fly. On one such trip, I brought two friends who had never even picked up a fly rod. We raised 57 fish the first day, and the two virgins each released seven, and I did the same with another five sails before I changed rod for camera. The next day, 30 came up in the teasers, and on the final day, we raised nearly as many. The day after I got home, I received an email from Capt. Hook that he’d found them again, raising 53 and releasing a whopping 40 sailfish in one day using circle hooks.
A trip typically begins with a flight into Guatemala City, with a number of airlines providing service. A lodge representative meets you at the airport for the 90-minute car ride to Iztapa. Once there, I might break up the fishing days by scheduling a tour of the colonial city of Antigua, which retains its original cobblestone streets and 18th-century churches. Another interesting side trip entails meandering the Pan American Highway along Guatemala’s highlands, which leads to Chickicastenango and its 4,000-year-old Mayan temples. Even so, my mind doesn’t drift far from the bounty of huge sailfish and the excitement that awaits offshore. Tackle choices involve 20- to 30-pound conventional gear or fly. You can troll half a dozen lines to produce the greatest number of sails, but over the years Hamlin prefers trolling only hookless teasers. His reasoning entails taking advantage of a great characteristic of Pacific sailfish: their extreme aggressiveness. Once they decide to attack a bait, they’ll follow it almost into the cockpit. By fishing teasers only, the captain and angler can view the species and adjust before it reaches the casting area just behind the stern. For example, if it’s a sailfish, 20-pound tackle might be employed, and if a marlin, a bait on 50-pound test can be offered. An average day will raise 30 fish, with at least half caught and released on circle hooks. On one stupendous day, Capt. Hamlin released a phenomenal 124 sailfish on conventional tackle. November through May represents the prime time for sailfish, but I’ve found action all year long. Seas off Iztapa generally remain calm – a major plus since concentrations of sailfish can be found up to 40 miles offshore. Sport-fishing boats commonly share information, increasing the odds of getting into the action.
Fly fishing requires special procedures. Hookless baits are trolled off an outrigger and a flat line while the other outrigger remains up so it won’t interfere with the back cast. A right-hand caster will be positioned in the right corner of the cockpit. No more than 30 feet of line should be off the reel. Abiding by IGFA rules, the boat cannot be under power when the cast is made, which is just as well because a sailfish hitting a trolled fly will usually get bill-hooked and be free in seconds. When the sail gets teased into position, the mate jerks the teaser bait out of the water just as the captain takes the boat out of gear. The now excited sailfish spins around looking for the meal that just disappeared. All the angler needs to do is cast directly behind the boat – not at the sailfish. In a perfect world, the fired-up sail will approach the starboard corner of the transom as the bait disappears, usually continuing forward and curving left and away. The first thing the sailfish should see as it turns is the fly that’s been cast about 30 feet behind the boat. The fish charges the fly with gusto and hits it going away. This angle of attack allows the fly to slide into the corner of the fish’s mouth where it has the best chance to hook and hold. Fortunately, this scenario usually goes by the book, and even a novice can land a sailfish with the help of the crew because long casts aren’t necessary. Unlike a strike off an outrigger where the fish can be over 50 yards away after the drop-back, the teaser action often takes place only 15 to 30 feet behind the boat. The adrenaline level is palpable; excitement wells as the dueling bill juts from the water and its flowing dorsal fin flops to and fro. The water explodes, the aerial acrobatics begin, and everyone aboard relishes these memorable moments. Capt. Hamlin’s one-day record for sails on fly is 57 – amazing, to be sure. But typically you can expect to bring about 20 Pacific sails into fly-casting range, with six or so releases.
Years ago I’d frequently see huge schools of dolphin, with many bulls exceeding 40 pounds and even average-size schoolies went 25 pounds. Recently the hordes disappeared and no one knows exactly why. You still get shots at pairs on a regular basis, and that keeps hungry blue marlin interested, too. Speaking of which, last year the Capt. Hook had a blue estimated at 350 pounds strike a fly and stay hooked for over an hour. When they worked it almost within leader-touching range for a release, the fish went berserk and started to greyhound on the surface. It circled until it became apparent to the crew that the fish’s course would bring it right back to the boat. Each jump brought it closer and closer, and finally Capt. Hamlin gunned the engines to get out of its way – but not fast enough. The frenzied marlin struck the side of the boat, embedding its bill feet into the hull. The bill broke off, the fish broke off, and the Capt. Hook spent the next week riding around with a marlin bill jutting out the port side. Catching 100-pound Pacific sailfish off Iztapa during a week’s visit in early spring is as close to a guarantee as one can find in the world of big-game fishing. No matter the number, I never tire of that special thrill when a magnificent sailfish explodes above the water’s surface to shake and twist or goes on a spectacular tail-walk. These thrills stay in my head, driving the desire to return to Iztapa year after year. Try it just once and you, too, will fall in love with this special sailfishing paradise. Other notes of interest about the Republic of Guatemala:
South Fishing (800-882-4665, www.southfishing.com) can handle everything from A to Z for travel, accommodations and fishing in Iztapa. Merijo Attong (305-396-6629, www.SportsmansAddiction.com) can also arrange fishing and sightseeing tours throughout Guatemala.
A Sightseeing SensationMore world records on Pacific sailfish have been recorded here since the mid-1990s than anywhere else in the world, and yet tourism is another eye-opener for first-time adventurers. Did you know about Guatemala’s volcanoes – the highest and most active in the western hemisphere? The Mayan ruins rank as some of the most impressive of all North and South American ruins. My favorite pastimes include browsing through the many jade factories, getting decidedly soaked while white-water rafting, horseback riding on the beautiful coastline or jungle trails, and marveling at the great scenery at places like Chi Chi Castenanga and Lake Atilan. The following short list provides hints on other things to see and do while in Guatemala: Plan a day in Antigua, the country’s oldest city. Meander the Indian village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes, surrounded by an impressive volcanic landscape and famous for its textiles and handcrafts. I always visit the Cultural Centre La Azotea for a guided visit to an organic coffee plantation, and K’ojom, the Traditional Maya Museum. After sipping the best cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted, it’s on to the Historic Center. Here I begin in the Main Plaza and take pictures of the city’s remarkable monuments before moving on to the Palace of the Captains and picturesque cathedrals. Whether you’re religious or not, quite unique is being present for the Good Friday procession during Semana Santa (holy week) that begins at La Merced. It involves a cast of many thousands, including those costumed as Roman centurions and cavalry, and statues of saints and Christ in various stages along the Via Dolorosa. If volcanoes perk your fancy as they do mine, the Pacaya Volcano about 30 miles from Guatemala City presents a quite impressive active volcano. I’ve started the climb from the village of San Vicente de Pacaya and it takes about two hours to get there. If that much walking doesn’t turn you on, hop aboard a helicopter to see the 37 volcanoes in comfort, including three that are active. Appropriate some time to visit the Tikal National Park near Flores, a short plane hop from Guatemala City. Declared a Cultural Heritage of Humankind by UNESCO, this majestic Mayan city is considered the largest and most monumental of all of the sites discovered in the Mayan world. I strongly recommend the guided tours so you understand the positioning of the most important plazas, complexes and temples. I also never miss viewing the tropical forest’s hundreds of exotic birds and habitats. After lunch, I enjoy the museums, and round out the visit with a canopy tour where I glide through the trees with the monkeys before transferring back to the airport for the flight to Guatemala City. What an exhilarating day for a history and nature buff like me. Contributed by Merijo Attong
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