Well… look at that… a bonefish vid from Puerto Penasco in the Sea of Cortez… You don’t see anything ever a lot of reports about bones in the Sea of Cortez, tucked in there behind Baja California.  Really, I tend to think of Rooster Fish and trips put together by Gary Bulla.

This fish is hardly a bruiser… not even close to really even an 8 wt. class fish, but it does show that they can turn up in some places you might not expect them.

Pacific Coast bones are a scarce commodity, really.  While they get massive in the South Pacific and around Hawaii, the bones of San Diego are rather smallish and the bones of Puerto Penasco (or really, THE bonefish of Puerto Penasco) seem similarly diminutive.  Probably still a place to pack your 8 wt., but probably for other species.

I saw a really cool video posted on Moldy Chum (that guy posts so much quality stuff on there, it really is mind boggling) from a guy named Trapper Rudd.  Turns out the guy has an outfitter and a mostly forgotten about blog.  One story on the blog was about the trash that washes up on the beautiful beaches of Mexico and the mystery of the single shoes.  Interesting.

As I write this the Gulf Coast is bracing for that oil slick to hit.  Makes me a bit sick to the stomach to think what it will do to some really beautiful country I have never had a chance to fish.  Let’s shed a tear and raise a glass to the Gulf Coast and find a way to help.

A nice little vid featuring bonefishing around Cozumel… one of those places you might head with the family for vacation… bring your rod!

Oh bonefish… I wish you lived with carp and stripers.  Just say’n.

Xcalak… Mexico… bonefish.

Xcalak  (I have no idea how to pronounce that) is waaaay down there in Mexico… past Cancun, past Ascencion Bay, almost to Belize.  On spectrum of cost, Xcalak is on the low end for lodges and guides, although its location makes it a little difficult to get to.  I found this video fresh off the internets.

This trip was with Bahia Blanca.

Yeah, I know, it isn’t about bonefish.  Part of what I really enjoy about fishing is that it draws you deeper into the environment you are fishing.  You become more aware of what is there  and how it all interacts.  You also learn where the problems are.  The more you are out there, the more you see, both good and bad.

O.R.T.

After being down in Vallarta, seeing a turtle come ashore and lay eggs, seeing the spoiled nests and the baby turtle tracks, I contacted a turtle conservation program, Sociedad Ecologica de Occidente.

This is what the biologist, Oscar, had to say:

This is the Olive Ridley turtle, the most common species of marine turtles in the entire world, and the less threatened. However, they´ve to face a lot of dangers, of course. Fortunately the olive ridley population is very stable and increasing every year…

Well… that’s good news indeed.  More on Olive Ridley Turtles.

That's hope for the future... baby turtle tracks.

Maybe people don’t actually GO to Mexico to fish for Jack Crevalle, but I’m going for a little 2/3 family trip to Vallarta and I’m going to bring a couple rods.  Tying up a few patterns to complete my beach box.  Last year I got a nice Torro from the beach, so I’m bringing some bigger flies this year.  We’ll see.

From the wide world of Youtube.

As I sit here in my own stink, I just don’t have much energy to put into a blog post tonight… this storm and accompanying freezing temps have drained me just as sure as they busted the water line to our house, depriving me of hot water (or cold water, for that matter) and that clean-as-a-whistle feeling.

I also have the great comfort in knowing that I am not alone tonight… seems I picked up some sort of mite from the dirty river water there in Vallarta.  Of course the cream I’m supposed to use does require me to shower it off after 12-14 hours… a feat that is currently impossible at my present location.

So, I give you some Simms fish porn that does include bonefish, as well as a permit.  I know Simms is a good company, I own two pairs of their boots and a pair of their sandals.  I don’t own their waders or, well, any  of their other stuff.  You can only wear one  set of clothes/gear out there, as it turns out.

Some time in January, I’ll be able to post my own fishing report, but until then, I live vicariously through the reports brought to me through the tubes and in the dump trucks that make up the internet.  This time I found a report from Pesca Maya down in Mexico.  The post (this one right here) is from Black Fly Outfitter (the blog looks new, but promises bonefishing reports, which will see me follow them via RSS and Twitter).  Looks like a good time with smaller bones everywhere.  I like the sound of that, really.

See, that looks fun to me.

Pesca Maya seems to be doing the full court press as of late.  Seems like I’ve seen their name out there A LOT.  Maybe it’s just me.

The area that Pesca Maya sits in has always looked interesting (most places with clear, tropical water and bonefish are places I find interesting, as it turns out).  We vacation in Mexico every year, but we are on the Pacific side (Vallarta).  I lightly bring up the idea of switching to the Caribbean side every so often, but it is a family vacation, not a fishing vacation and I’m (generally) smart enough to know the difference.