Fly Fishing Baja from Boat and Beach

Fly Fishing Baja from
Boat and Beach
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BY KIRSTON KOTHS
AND BOB MARSHAK
V
of the defining
characteristics of a saltwater flyfishing trip to the East Cape region of Baja California. While dorados
and roosterfish are arguably the region’s
most popular inshore targets, many other
species are also taken near the coast, including jack crevalles, sierras, pargos, ladyfish, skipjacks, and yellowtail, as well as the
occasional dog snapper, bonefish, and
pompano. In the deeper, blue-water locations, sailfish, marlins, tuna, and wahoos
are also targeted with fly rods. Although it
is known for this piscatorial bounty, the
East Cape of the Baja peninsula is often
chosen as a fishing destination because it is
also economical, safe, and scenic. Travel to
Baja tourist destinations does not require
Spanish language skills, although knowing
a bit of “fishing Spanish” can be helpful.
The region offers a long fishing season
with the opportunity for fly fishers of
many different skill levels to catch exotic
game fish that are not readily available
elsewhere.
We recently joined two other fly-fishing buddies on a five-day, six-night guided
fishing trip to Baja for about $2,100 per
person, including nonstop airfare from
San Francisco and all expenses except personal gear and flies. This economical price
point still bought us first-rate guides for
both boat and beach, very comfortable
beachside accommodations in two different locations, and good opportunities for
landing the primary targets of our trip, dorados and roosterfish.
ARIETY IS ONE
The East Cape Fishing Grounds
The East Cape extends from north of
San Jose del Cabo to south of La Paz. The
richness of the East Cape’s fishery owes
much to Cerralvo Island (also known as
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Mar/Apr
Jacques Cousteau Island), roughly 10 miles
off the mainland. Because of its ideal underwater topography and favorable currents, the Cerralvo Channel acts as a magnet and migratory highway for the diverse
fish species found in the Sea of Cortez.
Areas just off the island offer excellent
fishing, weather permitting.
If you buy a package fishing trip from
an outfitter, it will be convenient, but you
will generally be limited to fishing the area
of the East Cape favored by that guide.
Those who are comfortable with organizing trips on their own and driving in Mexico can build a bit more variety into their
outing. That’s what we did.
If you want to follow in our footsteps,
it helps to pick your destination(s) from
three groups of beaches on the East Cape.
The southern beaches, beginning about 60
miles up the coast from Cabo, include
Punta Arena, Punta Colorada, La Ribera,
Rancho Leonero, and Rancho Buena
Vista. The central beaches include Los
Barilles (the largest town between Cabo
and La Paz) and north to Punta Pescadero, El Cardonal, and Boca del Alamo.
The best northern beaches are around
Bahia de los Muertos (sometimes called
Bahia de los Sueños), Punta Arena de la
Ventana (its lighthouse being a landmark),
and El Sargento. See Gary Graham’s Fly
Fishing Southern Baja (David Communications, 1999) for more information about
each location.
By law, all beaches in the area are
open to the public. They can be accessed
via gravel roads that can occasionally be
rough. Be sure to have a good map, and
check with local residents about the current condition of your planned route.
Roads occasionally sustain storm damage
or may be blocked by the actions of local
landowners. Also, it is wise to use a wellmaintained high-clearance vehicle.
Another alternative is to fish the
beach in an all-terrain vehicle — an ATV.
Compared with fishing on foot from an
SUV, an ATV gives you more versatile
beach access, the ability to chase fish down
the shore, and additional elevation from
which to spot fish or see bait activity. It’s
also fun. Rhino ATVs, which are available
in some locations, can carry four people.
When you rent an ATV, be sure to ask
about access and routes, because occasionally you may have to take detours around
certain beaches.
If fishing from a boat, your options
include well-appointed cruisers with powerful engines and long-range cruising capabilities or the traditional local fishing
boat, called a panga. Pangas are generally
20 to 25 feet long and have a raised platform for casting in the bow, a live-bait
well, simple seats, and a single 50-to-90horsepower engine. Pangas with guides
can be hired through resorts or by contacting a boat captain who launches from a local beach, such as Los Muertos. Be aware
that most local captains can find the
species of fish you wish to target, but only
a few are experienced at guiding fly fishers. A final option, when the sea is very
calm, is to fish from a kayak.
Our Baja Experience
It was mid-October, and as the four
of us awaited our three-hour flight from
San Francisco to Cabo, we were filled with
anticipation and excitement. Collectively,
we had been on about 70 other saltwaterdestination trips, but fly fishing Baja was
virgin territory. Our plans included three
different ways to fish: casting in coastal
waters from a panga, using an SUV to fish
road-accessible beaches on foot, and renting ATVs to reach additional beach areas.
We talked of sight fishing for large roosterfish, being awed by the electric colors of
feeding dorados, and having the opportunity to catch many different species.
Roosters and dorados are bizarre fish indeed, with shapes and colors that give the
appearance of having been designed by a
committee of modern artists.
The coast of the East Cape is not
your typical mangrove-jungle or coral-flats
saltwater environment. Verdant mountains
drop down into a rain-shadow desert that
was awash in new blooms when we arrived, providing ample eye candy during
our drive northeast from the airport.
Panga Fishing
Our first day was bright, but overcast,
and our guides, Israel and Jhonny, were
waiting beside their pangas when we arrived just after dawn at the beach on Bahia
de los Muertos. We quickly loaded our
gear, food, and beverages, with two fly
fishers to a boat. Each of us was prerigged
with at least two rods, and we brought a
large assortment of our own flies.
The first order of business when fly
fishing from pangas on the East Cape is to
obtain hundreds of flatiron herring, known
as sardinas. This live bait is used throughout the area for chumming where fish are
suspected to be present. The sardinas are
sometimes caught by your guide using traditional throw nets, but buying your chum
from a commercial fisherman (for $20
U.S.) gives you more fishing time.
Dorados, which are attracted to any
kind of floating cover, are often found near
the buoys strategically placed by commercial shark fishermen. These buoys also attract game fish, not only because they are
baited with fish carcasses, but because
baitfish thrive on the algae that grow up
the side of the anchored stakes. We fished
while drifting past a few shark buoys, but
at first, all we caught were giant needlefish.
Then Jhonny pulled close to another buoy,
dipped his net into the live well, and began
his routine of tossing single sardines. This
time, when the chum hit the water, boils
followed instantly. Soon our panga was
surrounding by slashing dorados whose
neon colors lit up the clear water.
The first cast of a tan-and-white
Clouser toward this activity was rewarded
with an instant grab, followed by a solid
strip strike. Fifteen minutes later, after several rod-doubling trips around the stern of
the boat, we boated a nice dorado, over 15
pounds. Smiles, high fives, and photos followed. All the while, Jhonny continued
tossing chum, a tactic designed to keep the
school around the boat, and we enjoyed
several more hookups. Schools of dorados
often have fish in the 10-to-25-pound
range, whereas bulls (mature males) sometimes are more solitary and can reach over
50 pounds.
Our second panga had success with
dorados around the shark buoys, but also
fished some crystal-clear water in a cove
that was not reachable by casting from
shore. Juvenile roosters, identified by their
distinctive dorsal “combs” as they attacked
the chum, could be hooked if you presented a Clouser with a fast and steady strip.
We also caught an astounding variety of
other species, including the aptly named
Mexican lookdown and even a bonefish.
By 2:00 P.M., we were worn out, and
we headed back to the launch area. Over
beer and chips at the beachside Restaurant
1535, we determined that we had boated
about 40 fish, including two dorados and
four juvenile roosters, as well as many jacks
and giant needlefish.
Subsequent days were like the first.
We picked up a few fish in the bay and
ed for the next area code, greyhounding
toward the horizon, then stopping to
shake several times. The fight lasted nearly 15 minutes, and when the 15-pound dorado was finally boated, we had good evidence for one rule of thumb: for every
pound that a dorado weighs, it will take
SMALL ROOSTERFISH SOMETIMES COME AGGRESSIVELY TO YOUR FLY.
then probed the buoys. We were fortunate
to have hired the top local panga guides,
Israel and Efren Lucero, whose family was
taught fly fishing in the 1990s by American fly fishers Gary Bulla and Jay Murakoshi. We complained a bit about the
pesky needlefish we frequently were catching, but our guides assured us that their
presence was a good sign — needlefish
mean nearby baitfish, and baitfish mean
dorados.
Sure enough, dorados suddenly started to appear, and a Crease Fly disappeared
into the mouth of the first fish on the
scene. As a light rain fell, the dorado head-
one minute to land it, and it will give you
one round of aerial acrobatics. As our welltraveled fly fisher landed his first dorado,
he remarked that it had the power of a
permit and the jumping skills of a tarpon.
The dorado is truly an ideal fly-rod target.
On a day with calmer seas, we would
have rounded the point of the bay and
headed north toward Cerralvo Island to
fish some spots up the coast and perhaps
some blue water. Instead, we went south
and stayed close to shore, rotating from
one shark buoy to another. By early afternoon, we had caught another two to three
dozen fish and even had seen a jumping
sailfish and marlin hooked by a nearby
charter boat.
Beach Fishing
To begin the beach-fishing part of
our adventure, we drove from our comfortable beachside house in El Sargento to the
larger town of Los Barilles. On the patio
of our beachside room at Hotel Playa del
Sol, we met guides Mike Rieser and Mary
Waugh from the Baja Flyfishing Company. (See “If You Go . . .” for details.) We
had arranged for two days of guided beach
fishing, which included three nights at a
hotel and three meals a day. As it turned
out, it also included a much appreciated
fact-filled fishing orientation from Mike
and Mary on the evening we arrived.
Early the next morning, we headed
north in two SUVs to Boca de Alamo, an
enchanting beach where we had the good
fortune to put the first footprints of the
day into the pristine sands. The typical
East Cape beach is sandy and punctuated
by occasional rocky areas, with a trough
that extends out about 10 to 30 feet, followed by a steep drop. Standing either on
the beach or calf-deep in the water, you
cast to sighted fish or schools of bait. If
neither is present, you cast blindly as far as
you can. Fast strips and animated flies are
the keys to success. The beach catch is
dominated by jacks, ladyfish, needlefish,
roosters, pompanos, and sierras, but on the
East Cape, you never know when a dorado
or something large will make an appearance in shallow water.
With fairly gentle waves and no signs
of big roosters, we were comfortable fishing 8-weight and 9-weight rods with
THIS COLORFUL DORADO GRABBED A CREASE FLY OFF THE COAST NEAR LOS MUERTES.
Mar/Apr
33
either floating or intermediate lines. The
casting was not overly difficult, and the
catching was brisk. We enjoyed several instances of doubles, with jacks and ladyfish
being the predominant species landed.
Mike Rieser is a big proponent of
M
matching the hatch, Baja style. He noted
that the shoreline bait that morning was
small, and he wisely encouraged us to
downsize our Clouser-style flies. As Mary
spotted balls of sardinas, she would point,
and we would move up or down the beach
If You Go...
RIESER, author of an excellent resource, Fly Fishing
the Baja and Beyond (Baja Time Publications, 2011), was
our guide and outfitter for the beach-fishing part of our trip. He
can be reached at bajaflyfish@yahoo.com and at (877) 5725012. His Baja Flyfishing Company is at http://www.bajaflyfish.com. Gary Bulla (http://www.garybulla.com), Al Smatsky
(http://www.excellentadventures.org), and Jay Murakoshi
(http://www.bajaflyfishingadventures.com) helped to pioneer
fly fishing opportunities on the Sea of Cortez and are good resources for technique and trip options. Other sources for Baja
fishing information or guiding include Jeff deBrown of The
Reel Baja (http://www.thereelbaja.com), Mike Copithorne of
Off the Hook Fly Fishing (http:offthehookflyfishing.com),
Gary and Yvonne Graham of Baja on the Fly (http://www.bajafly.com), and James Shaugnessy (http://www.flyrodtravel.com).
Finding a panga guide who understands the needs of fly
fishers is not necessarily easy. We recommend our panga guides,
Israel and Efren Lucero, who are based in Agua Amarga. We
made arrangements with them by e-mailing their brother, Freddy, at freddylo75@hotmail.com. You can also telephone Israel,
who speaks some English, at 011521-612-153-2170.
To get to Baja’s East Cape, fly into either Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) or La Paz. Nonstop flights are available
from San Francisco and Los Angeles to SJD via Alaska, American (Los Angeles only), United, and Virgin (San Francisco only) Airlines. La Paz is served by several airlines, but they currently offer no direct flights.
Renting a car in Mexico can be problematic. Hidden
charges and high-mileage cars with mechanical challenges are
not uncommon. When you make your reservation, be careful to
find out what is covered. If you plan to use your own insurance,
do so at the time that you make your reservation. If you’re going
to travel beach roads, be sure to rent a high-clearance vehicle.
Renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle also may be important when
dirt roads are susceptible to being washed out during rainstorms. Be sure your vehicle has a jack and a spare tire. Before
you go, try to get the Baja California map put out by AAA.
Accommodation options include beach camping, RV
parks, hotels, resorts, and private homes. Quality hotels can be
found in La Paz, Los Barilles, and La Ventana. Another option
is to rent a private home, many of which are right on the beach.
VRBO is a good Web source for finding such rentals. That is
what we did for part of our trip. Our rental home in La Ventana
(http://www.vrbo.com/195778) was conveniently located for
fishing out of Los Muertos or Punta Arena de la Ventana, and
the English-speaking homeowner met us and helped us settle in.
If you need to provide some of your own food and beverages, you can expect to find bare essentials in minimarkets in all
small towns. The larger markets are in Cabo, La Paz, and Los
Barilles, and you should stock up at the beginning of your trip. It
is a good idea to buy a cheap cooler at the market. Baja’s drinking water comes from deep mineral springs in the mountains,
tastes good, and is considered safe. Still, many people prefer bottled water.
IKE
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Mar/Apr
as necessary and place our flies in the
midst of the bait. Often, it would take only a strip or two to hook up. Occasionally
we saw explosions of flying bait shooting
into the air and falling back into the water
like raindrops. There was even a moment
Most resorts, hotels, and even small stores accept credit
cards. Nonetheless, you will need cash. Many people, including
the local fishing guides, prefer U.S. dollars to Mexican pesos.
While on the East Cape, you can get U.S. dollars only at the airports or at ATMs found only in Cabo, Los Barilles, and La Paz.
For do-it-yourself panga fishing, do not expect the guide to
provide anything. Bring food, drinks, and all of your fishing necessities, including stripping-finger guards and protection from
the sun, such as hats, sun gloves, and buffs. Bring U.S. dollars
($20/day) to pay for the chum that is used to keep fish within
casting range of the boat. Finally, you may want to bring the
guides small gifts of supplies they cannot easily obtain down
there — a few flies, tying materials, a baseball cap, and so on.
Consider bringing your own personal floatation device.
The manually inflatable kind are easy to travel with and comfortable to wear.
You can rent ATVs from the Quadman in Los Barilles
(http://www.quadman.net). Rates range from $75 to $100 per
person per day.
East Cape air temperatures range from warm to very hot,
and there is a substantial seasonality to the fishing year. Prime
season occurs when the water is warmest, generally from April
to mid-November. For giant roosters (grandes), the peak is May
and June. July offers excellent fishing, but extreme heat. August
and September can fish well, but are often avoided because of
the heat and occasional tropical storms.
From October until the prevailing northerly winds of winter settle in, conditions can be prime for both the variety and the
quality of fish, as well as for physical comfort. While big roosters
are less accessible during that period, smaller ones are more
abundant, and dorado fishing is normally excellent. The
northerly winds typically arrive from mid-November to early
December and begin to abate around March, at which time the
cycle starts anew. Although winter is not prime fishing time, it’s
well worth a try, particularly if you find yourself in Baja for reasons other than a fishing excursion. The winter catch is dominated by the hard-fighting, toothy sierra and the brutally powerful yellowtail, supplemented by an occasional dorado or rooster.
Local weather and wind forecasts are available at http://www.iwindsurf.com/windandwhere.iws?siteI-D=1369&Isection=Forecast+Graphs&regionID=130.
The sea is the central attraction of the lower Baja and offers
appealing activities for nonfishers. Baja is a magnet for watersports enthusiasts, including surfers, kite boarders, snorkelers,
and whale watchers. Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park encompasses a renowned coral reef and has some fantastic diving and
snorkeling.The Sierra de la Laguna Mountains rise steeply from
the sea to 7,000 feet and offer opportunities to hike, explore
caves, swim, and study nature. Urban attractions include La Paz,
which has a well-preserved waterfront district, and Todos Santos, an artsy town on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Unlike
many other saltwater fly-fishing destinations, the East Cape of
Baja has something for everyone in the family.
Kirston Koths and Bob Marshak
when a school of jacks drove a ball of sardinas onto the beach, and the terrified prey
literally splashed down all around our feet.
A break for lunch allowed us to pause
and enjoy one defining characteristic of
the East Cape, the intersection of desert
and sea. In certain locations, it might just
be possible to hook a saguaro cactus on
your back cast! In the afternoon, we drove
south and fished another scenic area, Punta Pescadero. We picked up a few fish, but
in what seemed to be a recurring pattern,
both the fishing and the fishermen slowed
down a bit in the afternoon.
Our last day was spent on four-person
ATVs called Rhinos. We headed south,
with each ATV carrying a guide, two fishermen, and a fair bit of gear. Our plan was
to work down the coast toward Punta Colorada and Punta Arena, well-regarded
rooster destinations that are somewhat
sheltered from the north winds. With the
additional range and speed afforded by the
vehicles, we had high hopes of getting
some shots at big roosters. As we understood it, keeping up with grandes cruising
the beach would be difficult to do on foot.
The ATVs also offered the advantage of a
higher vantage point. In our caravan,
Mary, who was a fish-spotting machine,
stood on the back seat of one of the vehicles and called out when she eyed something. The caravan would then stop, and
the rods would come out quickly.
Guides on the beach will often use a
spinning rod rigged with a hookless plug
that is cast out and retrieved as a teaser
bait, the beach equivalent of chumming.
The guide casts first, and then the fly fisher times a cast to intersect with the path of
any fish lured in from deeper water by the
teaser. On this particular morning, we
spotted a lot of ballyhoo baitfish, which at
about five inches long were much larger
than the sardinas. Ballyhoos have a bluetoned back and are distinguished by their
long, needlelike noses. We imitated the
“beak” on this baitfish by using long Cockroach-style flies.
Despite all of the advantages of using
ATVs, we did not spot any large roosters
that day. The early morning fishing was
good, and our catch included some small
roosters. Mary spotted a big fish out in the
surf, and we ran down the beach to cast to
it. The well-muscled fish not only took a
fly, but also a whole lot of backing before
slowing. After a 10-minute battle, the momentum of the incoming surf helped us
land the fish, a big jack, which was revived
and released. Our final thrill was the appearance of a large Pacific amberjack, possibly in the 40-to-50-pound range. As it
cruised along the drop-off, it refused our
offerings, but reminded us of the promise,
sometimes fulfilled and sometimes not, of
Baja’s bountiful waters.
Techniques and Tactics
By saltwater standards, the East
Cape’s surf is normally fairly gentle during
fishing season. Still, for those not accustomed to fishing the surf zone or on the
platform of a rocking boat, line management can be challenging. Unlike with Pacific Coast surf-zone fishing, a stripping
basket is not normally used when fishing
Baja beaches. Standing on the beach,
rather than in the surf, tends to minimize
line tangling where long casts are not
needed. When you do fish in the surf,
move slightly away from the fly line and
the angle of the waves as you retrieve.
Whether on the beach or in a boat, bare or
sock-covered feet can help you detect
when you are stepping on your line.
If you have at least average casting
skills, including knowing how to double
haul on larger rods, you will feel comfortable fishing Baja. When it comes to technique, the speed and manner of your retrieve are generally the most important,
followed by the length of your cast, and
then its accuracy. One very notable exception is when fishing for grande roosters,
which demands accuracy and more advanced saltwater fishing skills, including
casting for distance in the wind. You probably can’t retrieve too fast for large roosters. Whether you choose to strip with one
hand or two, with the rod held under your
arm, is a matter of skill and preference. In
addition to making fast strips, you should
try to keep the fly moving at all times, a
seemingly impossible skill, when you think
about it. Our guide, Mike Rieser, encouraged us to sweep the rod to the side between strips (or to back up onto the beach)
to avoid pauses in the fly’s swimming motion. It is especially important to make a
strong, final sweep of your rod if a fish is
following. If you miss a fish that has followed your fly, you should always get your
fly back in the water quickly, no matter
how awkward the cast.
Your beach-fishing skills should also
include sight fishing, as well as bait spotting, although guides are generally experts
at spotting bait. Signs of bait activity include diving birds and “nervous water.”
Bait balls often reveal themselves as dark,
moving patches over a lighter-colored bottom. You can also sometimes spot feeding
fish as brief flashes, in addition to their
more obvious splashes. Fortunately, many
of the East Cape’s species are bright or
colorful and contrast with their surroundings when feeding. Of course, no sight is
CHUM FROM THE LIVE WELL IS USED BY THE GUIDES TO KEEP FISH WITHIN CASTING RANGE OF THE BOAT.
more welcome or unmistakable than the
raised comb of a roosterfish in feeding
mode as it herds bait in the shallows.
Sighted roosters need to be fished as
ambush predators. You want to anticipate
the direction in which they are moving,
position yourself ahead of them, cast at a
20-to-30-degree angle in front of them,
start retrieving as soon as (or even before)
the fly hits the water, and never allow the
fly to stop. Smaller roosters may be fooled
by marginal technique, but with larger
roosters, often all you will get is the dreaded “curious follow.” Such behavior is what
has earned roosters the nickname “the permit of Baja.” There are few loftier goals in
fly fishing than landing a large rooster
from the beach.
Fishing from a panga is fairly straightforward, especially for those with good
balance. Unlike when fishing for bonefish
from a boat, two skilled casters can fish at
the same time from opposite ends of the
boat when dorados are present. Floating
debris such as logs, Sargasso grass, and
shark buoys attract dorados. Your guide
will throw a few live sardinas close to the
debris, and if any feeding occurs, a fly cast
nearby will often elicit an immediate grab.
If feeding dorados are spotted while motoring, the boat will be positioned in front
of the moving school, and live chum will
be tossed out to keep the fish near the
boat. Ultralong casts are not needed during such feeding frenzies. If the fish are
not responding to flies near the surface, allowing your fly to sink beneath the bait on
a sinking line will sometimes rekindle
their interest.
Set the hook well with a solid strip
strike and raise your rod to the side only
when the well-hooked fish begins its run.
After clearing all of the free line and getting the fish on the reel, you may want to
add drag by carefully palming the reel. To
bring the fish in, pull up, lower the rod tip,
and retrieve line quickly. Repeat this
process until the fish nears the boat. Be
careful about exerting too much pressure
straight up, especially if a big dorado heads
under the boat. This is how rods get shattered. Your guide will handle the fish, by
tailing it, if it is to be released, or by gaffing
it, if you intend to have it for dinner. Dorados reproduce rapidly in these waters, so
harvesting one for a delicious meal is fairly common. All roosters definitely should
be released, however.
Rods, Reels, Lines, Leaders, Flies
The type and number of rods you
should bring will be determined by the
range of species you plan to target. You will
want to bring more than one rod, in case
you break one and to match the variety of
Continued on page 44
GUIDE MARY WAUGH SCANS THE SEA FOR ROOSTERFISH AND BAITFISH ACTIVITY.
Mar/Apr
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Continued from page 35
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fish species and wind conditions that you
will encounter.
Saltwater rods that are 9 feet long and
have a fighting butt will be useful in
weights ranging from 8 or 9 to over 12. An
8-weight rod might be a sporting choice
for smaller species in low-wind conditions,
but a 9-weight or 10-weight likely will be
your main rod and will be adequate in average winds when casting smaller flies to
fish ranging up to midsized dorados and
roosters. When fishing offshore or for bull
dorados and grande roosters in the 20-to50-pound range, a 10-weight or 11-weight
would be a better choice. Blue-water fishing for the powerful yellowfin, you might
be underpowered with anything less than a
12-weight. For billfish, you will want to go
even heavier.
Saltwater reels with up to 300 yards of
30-pound backing will be the workhorses
of your Baja excursion. Large-arbor reels
have a decided advantage in both their rate
of line retrieval and their ability to maintain consistent drag pressure. Open rims
will allow palming the reel to slow fish
during their runs. Most Baja fly fishers
have at least two rods (and reels) with
them as they fish, rigged for the two most
likely species they will spot. Remember to
rinse reels and all gear, including the flies
you have used, in fresh water at the end of
each day.
Clear, intermediate sinking lines or
intermediate-tip floating lines will work
for most of your fishing from both boat
and beach. Although some companies
make specialty fly lines designed to perform best in tropical heat, lines that you
may already own, such as a clear intermediate striper line, will also work. In situations where fish are busting bait on the
surface, popper fishing with a floating line
may be a good choice. Sinking lines or
shooting-head systems (sink rates IV to
VI) may be required to reach deeper
species, such as tuna and big dorados that
lurk below bait balls.
Keep your leader systems simple: 3to-4-foot butt sections of 30-to-40-pound
soft mono looped to a class tippet of 17 to
22 pounds for a total length of 7 feet for
offshore fishing and 9 feet on the beach.
Consider using fluorocarbon for your tippet. Although the Baja fish are not particularly leader shy, the abrasion resistance of
fluorocarbon helps stand up to toothy
mouths, rocky shorelines, and the inevitable dropped back cast that hits the
beach. Tying on your flies with a loop knot
such as Lefty’s Non-Slip Mono Loop allows them to move more naturally during
the retrieve. Some toothy species, such as
sierras, require use of a short section of
heavy bite tippet (or wire).
The best fly patterns imitate the main
food source, baitfish, in both size and color. Flatiron herring (sardinas) range from
two to four inches in length, depending
upon the season. Clousers in olive or tan
over white on size 2 to 3/0 hooks are effective for many target species, including
roosters, dorados, and jacks. Tie your flies
with eyes and flashtails, and color the tail
tips black with a Magic Marker.The ballyhoo, another baitfish species, is imitated by
Cockroach-style flies whose unadorned
hook shanks imitate the long “beak” of this
bait. Crease Flies and other poppers are
often effective when natural bait has been
driven to the surface. Larger roosters will
want larger flies, such as bucktail Deceivers
up to five or even eight inches long. These
imitate small ladyfish and needlefish.
Sometimes dorados will key on squid, and
you will wish you had a white squid pattern when that happens. When there is no
natural bait present to match, try large attractor patterns in red and white, purple
and black, or yellow and green.
Summing It Up
Long-anticipated fishing trips tend to
get discussed thoroughly before, during,
and after the trip. Some reminiscing often
begins during the last meal of the trip itself. As we sat in the old town of Santiago
in the Palomar Restaurant with our plates
of chicken mole and dorado, there was
unanimous agreement that it had been an
outstanding experience and that the East
Cape had earned a place in our future fishing lives. We raved about many things: the
variety of fish, their unique visual appeal,
and their decathletelike speed, strength,
and jumping traits. And we would not
soon forget the beauty of the sea-meetsdesert ecosystem and the opportunity to
do boat, beach, and ATV fishing on the
same trip, not to mention the warm hospitality of the locals.
Predictably, we also lamented the
things we didn’t experience, such as landing a big rooster and having some calmer
days when casting would be easy and our
pangas could safely venture farther offshore.This unfinished business, along with
our desire to reexperience the things we
loved about our first fly fishing trip to the
Baja, will surely draw us back again.
(For additional photos, as well as video,
of fishing the Baja’s East Cape, visit the Web
site http://www.shootinglineproductions.smugmug.com).
Why miss out
on all the fun?
Subscribe to
Cal Fly Fisher!
See page 57 for
details.
JAY MURAKOSHI
BAJA FLY FISHING ADVENTURES
SPECIALIZING IN FLY
FISHING FOR ROOSTERS,
DORADO, JACK CREVALLE
AND OTHER SPECIES DOWN
IN THE BAJA.
www.bajaflyfishingadventures.com
667 E. COLE AVE FRESNO, CA. 93720
(559) 449-0679
The Truckee Region
Could Use Your Help
If you fish the Truckee/Tahoe region,
please consider making a donation to
the Truckee Tahoe Trout Foundation.
Support better angling for your children,
your grandchildren...and yourself.
Help build our capital fund to
finance fisheries protection,
enhancement, and research.
We’ve given out $3,000 in
grants to study the health of
aquatic insect populations in
the Little Truckee, lower
Martis Creek, and Bear Creek,
and financed delivery of
spawning gravel for lower
Prossser Creek.
Send your tax-deductible donation to:
P.O. Box 366, Truckee, CA 96160
Truckee Tahoe
Volunteers sampling a creek for aquatic insects.
Photo by Beth Christman
Baja’s East Cape
For information,
phone 587-1776
or 587-8702
Trout Fund
A donor-advised fund of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation
Mar/Apr
45