|
Upcoming Events and Tournaments
2008 Father & Son Tournament
2008 Fall Classic Flyfishing Tournament
Fishing Reports
| April 9 - Fishing Report |
March 26-27 finds Ken John, Bob Jones and John Adamiak visiting from the "Sunshine State" of Florida, fishing aboard the "Spindrift". The guys had a great bite going on their 2 day trip with sailfish balling bait and cutting on the surface for as far as one could see. The guys raised 158, had 120 bites and released 69 sails.
March 27-30 Finds Anthony Cuomo, Vito Portera, Dick Riley, Wayne Sorokowski, Howard Kalka and Richard Cuomo fishing aboard the "Finest Kind" with Capt. Chris Sheeder, the "Intensity" with Capt. Mike Sheeder, and "Yours Truly" aboard the Release" the Guys were fishing Conventional and Fly during their 4 day trip. The fish bit well on the baits, but were very finicky on the fly due to the fact that the fish were balling baits, which made them very hard to switch from the teasers to the fly. The guys released 110 sails regardless between the six of them in the 4 days Including a 400+ blue Marlin caught by the young Man in the crowd Mr. Dick Riley from San Diego, California while fishing with Capt. Chris on the Finest Kind.
April 3-6 finds Kendrick Mattox, Patrick Holder, George Macon, Moultrie Dotterer, Callum Prerry, and Cooper Fowler aboard the Release. In their four day trip the guys released 5 fish on the fly and 23 on the baits, the fishing was a little spottier but on the 6th of April due to a planetary alignment and other unforeseen factors the guys raised 63 fish in the last five hours of their 4 day trip, of which they released 2 for 7 on the fly, and in the last 1.5 hours released 12 from 27 bites. It was a sight to behold there were sailfish milling and cutting on large balls of bait accompanied by whales that were also in on the action. The fleet was fishing in very tight quarters and I was pointing out pods of sails while hooked up, to other boats that were trolling by. It was definitely "ON".
April 7-9 finds Les Rosenthal from Gig Harbor, Washington, and Paul Nelson from Tacoma Washington Fly Fishing for their first time for sails aboard the Finest Kind with Capt. Chris Sheeder. The pair raised 52 sails in their 3 day trip with 18 bites and releasing 14. Not a bad start to their sailfishing on the Fly careers.
Here at the Casa Vieja Lodge we had the pleasure of having two of the Industries top Photographers Scott Kerrigan, and Tony Ludovico, filming and shooting above and below the water line during some Great fishing. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled for some great stuff that should be hitting your favorite fishing magazines soon, as well as blessing the walls of the Casa Vieja Lodge in the very near future.
"Forecast"
As our summer months approach the sailfishing will become spotty, like the occasional rain squall, with your incredible days still very much a possibility. With enough fishing days to identify your fishing conditions and locate the fish. This is when we go from Quantity to "Real Fish”. Our marlin fishing will peak during the summer months with boats raising 1 or more marlins a day. {I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOME NUMBERS, LIKE CHRIS' DAY WHEN HE CAUGHT 5.} Dorodos and tunas in the 10-40 class range will be abundant during these months along with huge schools of False Albacore (Bonita's), and Frigate Mackerel, all of which are favorite forage species for the marlin. So don't let a little rain scare you away, your fish of a lifetime is swimming less than 20 miles from our dock. Summer rates with big discounts start July 1st as well, so call the office at (866) 846-9121 today to book your trip.
Capt. E
|
| March Madness in Guatemala! |
Captain Nicho Alvarenga leads the Casa Vieja fleet raising 856 billfish and releasing 385 in 25 days of fishing. That is just over 15 fish per day! While his regular boat, the Nany, is out being totally restored, Captain Nicho hasn't missed a beat at the helm of the Spindrift. Captain Nicho has fished these waters all his life, with his brothers Chico and Carlos in the cockpit they make up one of Casa Vieja's favorite crews. Everyone has a good time fishing with these guys. Of course it doesn't hurt that they catch a lot of fish! Captain Nicho is here all summer and so are the fish - the only thing missing is you.
Captain Mike Sheeder on Guatemala's famous Intensity released 304 billfish out of 708 raises. Capt. Mike and his crew have consistently been among the top boats at the dock. Capt. Mike has been nominated for Marlin Magazine's Captain of The Year. Clients like his enthusiasm and professionalism and always have a good time aboard the Intensity. In just his second full season in Guatemala Captain Mike Sheeder has done it all, 70 sailfish in a day, 4 marlin in a day, hosting Jake Jordan's Flyfishing School and releasing a sailfish caught on 2 lb. tippet - something that has only been done by two others in the world! Mike has a few openings left this season and his calendar for next year is filling up with repeat clients. So don't wait too long to book your trip on the Intensity, you might miss out!
"FINALLY" is all Captain Chris Sheeder can say! After waiting since July for the Release to be repowered, he took delivery on February 20 of one of Florida's top tournament boats, the Finest Kind. The 40' 1982 Whiticar that many remember as the Bone Shaker is right at home in the calm fish filled waters of Guatemala. In his first full month at the helm, Capt Chris released 271 sails in 723 raises. With Capt. Chris holding just about every record there is for billfish on the Fly it's no surprise that 45% of the days on Finest Kind are spent tossing feathers at lit up sailfish at the transom. With his many recent appearances on ESPN2, Fox Sports and the VS Network, it's no wonder he is one of the most sought after captains in Guatemala.
Captain Jason Brice, The skipper of the Cañaso had a great March. With 232 releases out of 462 raises in just 18 days on the water that give him a 13 fish per day average for March. In his second year and first full season in Guatemala, Captain Jason has become a cornerstone of the Casa Vieja fleet. After taking over the new and improved Cañaso in November he has proven to be both a fish catcher and crowd pleaser with anglers from Sweden to Australia. After having fished many of the world’s exotic billfish destinations, Captain Jason will be testing his metal in the icy waters of the North Atlantic this summer. He is sure to have some great stories when he gets back next fall - not everyone get the chance to fish on a commercial swordfish boat off the cost of Greenland. Still some choice dates left to fish with Jason this season.
"FINALLY" is all the Casa Vieja team can say about Captain Erik Lorentzen. The long time Fins 'N Feathers captain is back after 3+ years of chasing Redfish on Florida's Gulf Coast the call of the deep blue proved more than he could bare. In late February Erik found his way back to Guatemala - although he must have taken a few wrong turns because Columbus found the New World in less time than it took Captain Erik to drive to Guatemala. If you're wondering if he remembers how to fish, how do 211 releases out of 455 raises in just 22 day of fishing sound? Captain Erik will be running the newly repowered Release for the remainder of the season until the Pelagian is delivered from Florida. Erik has some days available still this spring. Next month he will be filming a show with IGFA Hall of Famer Mark Sosin. For over 20 years, Mark has been the producer and on-camera host of Mark Sosin's Saltwater Journal which is broadcast to 50 states and several foreign countries on The Outdoor Channel. More than 3,000 of Mark's articles have been published in major magazines and he has written 28 books on outdoor topics. As a leading educator, Mark Sosin teaches outdoor techniques through seminars and clinics, serves as a hands on consultant to national companies, and shares his expertise with government agencies and conservation groups. Mark will be hosting informal Q&A sessions in the evening at Casa Vieja, so come down and fish with the fleet and meet Mark and pick up some pointers from a living legend!
Give us a call, there's still time for your trip of a lifetime! We have dates available for the next couple of months and don’t forget that last year’s summer Marlin run heated up in April. Summer rates with big discounts start July 1st as well, so call Merijo Attong at (866) 846-9121 today to book your trip.
|
| March 22 - 24 Uncommon Ventures’ |
Uncommon Ventures’
Guatemala Sailfish School
Fishing Report March 22,23 &24
Casa Vieja Lodge
Iztapa, Guatemala
The red hot Guatemala sailfish bite had slowed down going into the third week of March. My classmate from The Haverford School '75, George Wood and his son Cary Wood, THS '08 joined me for the only available dates coinciding with Cary's spring break: Easter Weekend. We arrived at Casa Vieja Lodge to learn that the sea was rough and the sailfish had disappeared. On our first of three days of fishing, Captain Chris Sheeder took us to some blue water 14 miles off the coast, aboard the Finest Kind. We raised our first sailfish at 9 am and I demonstrated how to cast the fly, set the hook and fight to release a Pacific Sailfish with text book precision. Unfortunately, that was the last bite of the day. My students were stunned, but we all remained optimistic.
Easter Sunday, we set off to the west about 40 miles, to where sailfish had been reported the previous day. Cary stepped up for the first sailfish, and following instructions, executed the task to perfection. George deferred on his turn and Cary hooked and released his second sailfish, going two for two by 9 am. Then the bite slowed down. Around mid afternoon, Captain Chris yelled from the bridge: MARLIN...SUPER GRANDE! The cock pit sprang into a blur of action like a colony of fiddler crabs. Too big for the fly rod, we dropped him a pre-rigged mackerel. He took the bait, shy of the hook and leaped into the air, forty yards behind the boat. HE WAS BIG! And he was hungry. Another bait was dropped and Cary signaled he wanted to take the rod. The hook was set, and after a spectacular fight, Cary had caught and released a 450 lb blue marlin!
Not a bad day for a young man whose previous experience included cat fish, cod and carp in the 10 lb range.
Flushed with success, we celebrated amidst the uncommonly fine hospitality at the Casa Vieja Lodge.
As we boarded the Finest Kind for our third day of fishing, we all knew that whatever happened would be gravy. The sea was flat and the bite was hot. By 9:15 we had released 4 sailfish including a double header. Our numbers for one day were: 51 sailfish raised, with 21 bites and 11 released. A good outing, even by Guatemala standards.
Fishing with George and Cary was an absolute pleasure. We enjoyed lots of good laughs and we fished hard. Captain Chris Sheeder and his mates Ricardo and Antonio are outstanding. The most rewarding aspect of the trip for me was watching Cary's instinctive mastery in the art of finessing a sailfish to the boat with a fly rod, coupled with his quiet confidence as he stepped up to the challenge of a 450 lb Blue Marlin.
Thanks for the memories, gentlemen!
More reports to follow.
Austin Hepburn
610.585.7583.
|
| March 24, 2008 |
A brief Guatemalan fishing report from Captains, Anglers, and other unreliable sources.
March 7-9 finds Ray Contreras and party from Puerto Rico, fishing aboard the Spindrift with Captain Nicho Alvarenga. The group raised 142 sails had 114 bites and released 79 sails. Not bad for a three day sailfishing trip! 19-21 finds The Elias Cruz Party from the Dominican Republic fishing for three days with Capt. Nicho and the group raised 112 sails, had 88 bites, and released 64.
March 7-8 finds Mr. Allen "Boo" Gray from South Carolina fishing aboard the Canaso with Captain Jason Brice for two days. The group came with the intent on learning how to hook and catch their fish without assistance from the crew. The group raised 61 sails, had 50 bites and released 34. this is a 68% average on catches to bites, not a bad showing from the Carolina boys on their first go around. 19-21 finds Aldo and Christie Dyer fishing with Capt. Jason the group was fly fishing for three days raising 33 sails, received 21 bites on the fly and released 10.
March 10-11 finds Jerry Gates and Craig Spencer from Carmel Valley, California fishing aboard the Release with yours truly. This was the duos first go at flyfishing for sails. The pair raised 21 sails had 8 bites on the fly and released 6 sails. Craig Spencer also caught a 35# bull dolphin on the fly, a great catch due to the fact that they notoriously do not tease very well here in Guatemala. March 12-15 finds Jerry Zurachak and Mike Monti visiting us from "The Windy City" the duo had a great trip raising 84 sails, with 73 bites, and releasing 51 sails all of which were baited and hooked on their own.
March 16-18 finds Victor Serandino and Family fishing with Captain Mike Sheeder aboard the Intensity the group raised 88 sails, had 76 bites, and released 49 sails along with a 250# Black Marlin which was caught by "Grannie" on 20 lb. Rumor has it she always catches the big ones on every family fishing trip.
March 22-23 finds Thomas Wood, George Wood, and Austin Hepburn fly fishing aboard the Finest Kind with Capt. Chris Sheeder. the group has raised 24 sails, with 6 bites and released 3 sails in 2 of their 3 days of fishing with "the young one" George Wood releasing 2 of the 3 sails on the fly and a 450# blue marlin yesterday!!
Capt Erik Lorentzen
"Release"
Casa Vieja Lodge
Guatemala, CA |
Archives
|
