Nicaraguan Tarpon Photo Collage

Nicaragua Fishing Report 27 April-01 May

I suppose if you watch enough fishing shows or read enough articles, fishing for tarpon almost appears like some mystical undertaking, reserved for anglers with names like Flip, Jose, or Lefty.  I suppose if you're under the critical eye of a guide, and expected to place a fly from 60 feet to within three feet of a cruising fish, make the perfect set if the fish eats the fly, and then fight and land a fish while the guide barks directions, you could be right.  But in reality tarpon are like any other fish.  They eat, they pull, they jump, and after a fight they tire and are brought to the boat.  So for the rank and file angler tarpon fishing is all about the approach.  I'm talking about attitude, not proximity to the fish.  Perhaps every time Flip goes tarpon fishing he expects to catch a fish.  Bully for a guy that spends all his time on the water.  For the rest of us, who get maybe one or two opportunities to try for tarpon, expectations need to be checked before you get into the boat.  Tarpon fishing is aspirational.  You hope to see the fish, you hope to get a shot, you hope to get a hook set, you hope to hold on and keep the fly in the fish's mouth and the leader intact.  And, if all goes well, bringing the fish to the boat is gravy.

But first you have to go where the tarpon are.  So when our original plan to fish the Keys went awry, Captains DiPaola and Felker did a little internet research and set up a trip to the Rio Indio Lodge in San Juan de Nicaragua.  The lodge is located a few miles north of the border with Costa Rica, a short boat ride from the small village of San Juan de Nicaragua (or its British name of Greytown).  It sits right in the no kidding jungle; monkeys everywhere, crocodiles in the river, bugs galore. But the lodge is very accommodating, the staff phenomenal, and the rooms extremely comfortable (with working AC).

Getting there was a trip in itself.  We overnighted in San Jose Costa Rica, then on Saturday morning took a short flight to the airport in Greytown.  After clearing customs we hopped a boat (the only means of getting around ... there are no roads in this part of the country) for the 5 minute ride to the lodge.  Once we got our gear stowed we were out on the water by about 1030.  Weather was what you would expect in the jungle; temps in the 80s, humidity hovering around 90 percent or so.  We headed out to the coast, which in May is where the tarpon were allegedly hanging out.  After two hours of drifting around, our guide Rosendo Ruiz decided it was time for lunch.  Meals at the lodge were local fare; pork, chicken, beef, rice, black beans.  Uncomplicated, but extremely well prepared and delicious.  After lunch it was time to hit the water again.  For about an hour or so we continued drifting with no sightings.  The tactics for the three days were pretty simple.  Unless we saw fish, Rosendo would position the boat about a mile or so offshore, we would strip out about 40 feet of line (sinking lines a must to get the flies down), and as the easterly winds pushed the boat toward the shore we would keep the flies moving either by stripping a few feet, or jigging the fly.  It may seem pedantic, but if you don't see fish breaking the surface, there's really nothing else to do but keep the fly in the presumed path of the fish.  The other advantage is not wearing yourself out casting a 12 weight fly rod.

 At about 3:15 Joe noticed a flash near the boat.  As my line was about 5 feet away from his, I started striping to see if I could entice a strike.  Then it happened.  My line went tight for a brief moment, then the reel started whining as line started peeling off.  Tightening down the drag slowed the fish, which apparently jumped out of the water soon after I strip set the hook.  If it did I can't remember.  The first 30 seconds of the fight was a blur.  After that my brain caught up to the fish and then the fight was on.  For about 20 minutes the fish rushed the boat, ran away from the boat, jumped, rushed the boat, went under and around the boat (which put a bend in my Sage 12 weight that was hard to believe), a sequence that was repeated several times before the tarpon tired enough for Rosendo to grab the leader and control the 30-40 lb fish until it could be brought into the boat.  A few pics later we put the tarpon back in the water, ran him back and forth through the water until he was revived enough to swim away.

Mission partially accomplished.  We returned to our previous tactics, and I was rewarded with a second fish that went about 80lbs, which we were able to get a leader touch before the fish bolted from the boat and broke off the fly.

Joe was able to get a strike that afternoon, but lost his fly after a short fight.  No matter.  The rest of the trip would belong to Joe.  After breakfast on Sunday we headed back out to the same area, but this time we saw tarpon breaking the surface.  With lines out and after a few strips Joe was on.  His fight took a few minutes longer, but the tarpon's modus operandi was the same.  Again, constant pressure and deft maneuvering as the fish went around (and under) the boat was key to tiring the fish out.  Joe's fish turned out to be considerably bigger ...  a good 50 and probably closer to 60 lbs, a small tarpon by lodge standards, but it looked huge to me.  Mission accomplished.  After Joe landed his fish the school disappeared, and we drifted for awhile more before heading back to the lodge for dinner.

As it turned out, from a gear perspective we were both over prepared and underprepared for the trip.  While 12 weight rods are a must, we should have brought some 8 wts for Snook.  We bought a bunch of pre-tied trapon leaders, but watching our guide cut up our leaders made us realize we could have gotten away with a spool of 80lb flourocarbon line.  As for flies, I recommend when going to a remote location to stay away from the big box fly fishing companies and call an outfitter to tailor your flies to the location.  A huge shout out to the staff at Blackfly Outfitters in Jacksonville Fl (https://www.blackflyoutfitters.com/), who tied the flies that caught fish.

Sunday night a massive storm blew through that changed conditions significantly.  For our first two days we fished under partly cloudy skies and winds around 10 knots.  Monday morning we were greeted by easterly winds easily in the 20 knot range, with swells averaging 3-4 feet, with several that easily went 6-8 feet.  It didn't seem like conditions conducive to hooking a fish, and after an hour or so of being thrown around in the 27 foot boat Joe and I looked at each other with that "why are we out here in this stuff" look.  It wasn't long after that moment of doubt that Joe shouted "I'm on!" and was into a fish that the guide estimated went 100 lbs. A couple of glimpses of the fish as it jumped confirmed it was the fish of the trip.  And, had conditions been a little more reasonable, Joe would have boated the fish.  As it was, the weather and the fish conspired against him.  The tarpon got on the other side of a 6-7 foot swell, and the extra tension broke the big fish off.  But Joe was rewarded a bit later, when a 48 inch barracuda hit his fly that, despite a mono leader, he managed to bring the toothy fish into the boat.  With that Rosendo decided that we'd be better off heading back to the lodge for lunch.  Good call.  And with the winds expected to only increase, we decided to fish calmer waters, and headed up the river to fish for Snook.  While it was fun traveling up a jungle river, the fish were not accommodating.  Fortunately, the staff had caught a couple of nice Snook that morning, so we at least got to enjoy some fillets at dinner.

If you're into adventure, the Rio Indio is the place to go.  And, according to the owners, September and October see the arrival of calmer weather and a migration of tarpon from Venezuela that tip the scales over 200 lbs.  As for the staff, we could not have asked for a better guide.  Rosendo put us on
fish, but more importantly kept things calm in the boat.  As he put it best ... "no pressure."  Which was how fishing for tarpon ought to be.  Whether you're rewarded with a photo or not, just being around the fish, with the chance of getting the fight of your life, is worth the trip.  Like I said, it's all about attitude.

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Opening Day ... Decisions Decisions

What to do when opening day of trout season in the northern Pennsylvania counties and Striper season on the Bay are on the same day?

It's a good problem to have.  This year Capt. DiPaola made the trek to the "High Lonesome" to fish the West Branch of Fishing Creek.  Two weeks ago I had helped stock the stream with the local rod and game club, and then last Tuesday with the state.  Overall I'd say we put in about 3,000 trout over a two mile expanse of the West Branch and Fishing Creek.

Friday evening marked the traditional festivities of watching a Penguins loss while sipping Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.  Fortunately, veteran Potter County fly angler Bob Volkmar was on hand to share some of the firewater.  Saturday morning was a bit foggy (in my head), but outside the conditions were perfect, almost too perfect.  Clear skies and temps in the high 50s greeted us when we walked down to the Picnic Hole (aka "Bearclaw's Hole") to await the opening of the season at 8:00AM.  Fortunately for us, the angling population was crowded along the bridges spanning the Allegheny River, leaving plenty of space (and trout) behind the West Branch Tavern.  We saw probably a half dozen anglers behind the cabin all day, including a guy from Mt. Bethel.  Small world.  Water conditions were near perfect; a bit low but with enough color in the water to keep the fish from being too spooky.

By 11:00 or so we had both caught and released our limit, which included Rainbows, Browns, Brookies, and even a Tiger Trout, a first for me on the West Branch.  All the fish were caught underneath on Wooly Buggers, Mary's egg pattern, and the infamous Chamois Worm, although in the afternoon a decent hatch of Grannom Caddis's were coming off, which surprisingly enticed a couple of risers.

After some Friendly Burgers and Dogfishhead IPAs, we spent an hour or so fishing the main stem of Fishing creek, about a half mile below the cabin, and at a spot where I'd dumped several buckets of trout.  Joe picked up three, including his first Tiger, while I was able to manage a small Brownie.

Joe departed this morning to hit Wykoff Run in his way home.  This afternoon to get a little inspiration I lit out behind the house for an hour or so.  An 8 inch Brookie and 12 inch Rainbow later (caught on a Wooly Bugger Mary had tied) was enough to get me to the computer to get this report out.

The forecast is calling for cold and rain, which will bring the streams up and spread the fish out some more.  A good time to find more tropical climes to fish....

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Pre-Fishing Report: Stockin' and Shed Huntin'

Not even Mother Nature can stop spring.  She can keep the temps in the 20s and 30s when they should be in the 40s.  We can see snow up here into May.  But offer a few days of temps in the high 40s and the Bluebirds start nesting, the buzzards start showing up, and with a little rain the frogs come out of the mud and make their journey across Route 6 to the Allegheny (many do not make the crossing). 

The other part of spring that MN can't stop are the annual rituals of stocking and shed hunting.  About this time of the year the state and local rod and gun clubs load up trucks with millions of hatchery-raised trout to be distributed across thousands of miles of streams.  The state provides the fish and the trucks, while local anglers provide the labor.  On Saturday the Roulette Fish and Game Club held its spring stocking event on the West Branch of Fishing Creek.  About twenty folks showed up to observe, chat about fishing and hunting, and provide a hand in corralling the trout and loading them into the truck.  The hatchery isn't large; one raceway about 80 feet in length and 30 or so feet wide.  But amazingly the club was able to raise about 2,800 trout (minus a few taken by the minks) from fingerlings provided by the state hatchery in Oswayo.  By the time Saturday rolled around the Brown, Rainbow, Brook and Golden Trout were between 8 and 10 inches, with a few in the 12-inch class.

The weather was perfect for the event.  Temps in the 30s when folks arrived at the hatchery at 9:00, but sunny skies which warmed the day into the lower 50s by afternoon.  There's not a lot of science involved in stocking.  Step one is getting the fish into the holding tank in the back of the truck.  The solution is to herd the trout into a corner, then simply start scooping and dumping the fish into paint buckets, which are then dumped into the holding tank.

Once in the truck, it was time to head to the stream.  Again, not much to it.  The truck stops at places along the stream, the bucket brigade that has been following shows up, and then hauls down buckets of fish to the stream. (which, by the way, included 6 buckets of fish in the stream behind the West Branch Tavern, oh yeah)  What's neat about the event is the number of kids, and especially girls, who really enjoyed dumping the trout into the stream.  The other neat thing about the stocking is getting a better sense of the water and great fishing spots, which by the way are where the fish are.

The first stocking finished about 11:00, then it was back to the hatchery to reload the truck.  Most of the little kids by now had ziggied off for a scheduled Easter Egg hunt, leaving the remaining stocking to the adult-kids.  By about 12:30 the second stocking was completed, and The Friendly beckoned!

The other rite of early spring is "shed hunting", which entails walking through the woods looking for buck antlers.  The conversation at the hatchery confirmed that this is serious business, with people rambling around the mountains in search of that huge rack.  The prospect of climbing was not especially appealing, but we do have a bit of woods in the back of the property.  So Mary and I took a walk through the woods, first to check out the areas that she's cleared, but also to enjoy the spring day.  While I wasn't really hunting, while walking along a neighboring field I just happened to spot something white in the brush.  A closer look and, viola, I became a successful shed hunter.

Mother Nature's going to reassert her influence over the next week, with rain, snow, and temps barely into the 40s.  But while she can make outdoor activities tough, she can't stop the opening day of trout season in a couple of weeks.  With a stocking of Fishing Creek by the state scheduled a few days before opening, and with the water in good shape, we should have some decent fishing well into the summer.  And if not, well the West Branch Tavern is a stone's throw away.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

"It'll Fish"

Early January basically continued December's brutal cold stretch.  Temps bare got out of the teens, and when they did the melt was on and the streams got too high and fast to fish.

Fortunately, Mary has been spending some of that time at the fly-tying table.  Working under the tutelage of neighbor and fellow TU chapter member Bob Volkmar, Mary was introduced to a number of flies that work well in Pennsylvania waters.  To date her fly assortment includes Egan's Frenchies, Rainbow Warriors Griffiths Gnats, Soft Hackles, Little Black Stone flies, Caddis Larvae, Woolly Buggers, and of course her famous egg patterns.

When it comes to tying flies, quality is deceiving.  There's the perfectly-tied fly that almost looks like a work of art.  And then there's the fly that has maybe a little more hackle here than there, or perhaps a tail that might look too long or short.  Perhaps not perfect in the artistic sense, but in the words of instructor Volkmar, "it'll fish."

Today's weather was about as good as it was going to get for late-January.  Temps were in the mid to upper-40 under sunny skies and no wind.  Some rain had moved through the previous day, but the West Branch was fishable, with a nice green tint to the water.  So about 12:30 I grabbed the 3 Wt and a few of Mary's flies and lit out behind the house to give them a try.  Already having a bead head crystal bugger tied on from some previous outing, I tied about 12 inches of 6X tippet and dropped one of Mary's Frenchies.  Working at the honey hole for about 20 minutes, I finally placed the flies at the upper end of the pool, and on the drift saw the flash and set the hook.  After a brief fight I pulled the 10 inch Brownie to the bank, popped the Frenchie, took a quick snapshot, and released the fish back to the green water for the first trout of the year. 

Mission Accomplished.  And the lesson: if given the choice, I'll take "it'll fish" any time.  Thanks Babe.

Tight lines,
Mikey D Fishing