Trapper Rudd
Guest
Feb 19, 2009
10:36 AM
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It has been a great few weeks down at Playa Blanca and Casa Redonda. Lots of Northern fronts that kept the water cool, but Espiritu was still very fishable. While exploring new lagoon trails for the lodge I did get stung by a scorpion which sent a shock wave to my brain and collapsed my leg, causing me to tip my Freedom Hawk kayak over. Because I had one hand on a machete and one hand on the push pole I didn't have the pontoons out for stability because it was so damn narrow. I lost my marine radio for communications, my Canon xti digital camera, my GPS with all my data stored on it, and nearly and I mean nearly, lost my new $1300 HD camcorder. I landed feet up thank god and had many scrapes, cuts, etc. Plus the sting. Not to mention my ego being severely bruised. It was pure keystone cops comedy. I was chest deep in mud, my head dripping with organic decay and viral nastiness and I just laughed through the whole ordeal blocking out the pain in my leg. The scorpion sting brought on mild hallucinations which showed me the apparition of Jacques Cousteau. He pointed to my 9 weight fly rod and mouthed the words "go permit fishing now". Thank God my hallucination was in English subtitles.
Landing the 5 permit on my daughters birthday, Feb. 2 was the best! Truly a deja vu episode like the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" which it was. The permit just kept coming. And eating. I think I could of landed more, but I didn't want to offend the fish gods with greed and surely didn't want to return to Playa Blanca and have everyone there hate me. I told my guide Antonacio we had done enough and let's go look for tarpon. Antonacio is a part-time guide and spends most of his days fishing for food to feed all of the wonderful guests of the lodge. Here is a little secret for you all out there. Always try and fish a bit with the guy who catches the fish to eat. They have to produce or everyone eats iguana for a week. Antonacio is the type of guy who has his finger on the pulse of what is gong on out there and is very intimate with the water. I recommend him very highly. Together Antonacio and I have landed 8 permit in just 6 hours of fishing. He is a true "palometero" (spanish for permit wrangler). Overall, the fishing was superb if you could hide from the mildly troublesome wind and shift your attitude. The place is just amazing. Even with the cool weather there is very few places on the planet and fewer still so close to the United States where you can be into multiple species in all weather conditions. Tight loops and lines, Trapper
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