I hadn’t been over there in a while.  Looking good… looking really good.

This from an epic story about traveling down to MX in a veggie oil powered van to convert the locals and find fish.

We first thought that the U-joints were bad, but eventually determined that we broke the transmission mount and that the entire driveline was getting torqued upward. Mexican’s are very resourceful people and at a small repair shop in Cabo they were able to find our exact part within 30 minutes and had it installed in no time flat, which prevented Chris from having to tolerate the local dog population.

For my money, nothing beats wandering around in ankle depth water and targeting tailing Bonefish.

via Paul Procter Fly Fishing.

Mexico Bone

I must say, that fish is bigger than I thought MX bones got.  I love Mexico, I really do (except when it comes to soccer).  Don’t be afraid of Mexico.  No one has been shot on a bonefishing flat.  The drug violence is focused on the first word… “drug.”  So don’t freak out.

Xcalak is what I turned up… if you had a really good arm (or a cannon) you could hit Xcalak from Belize, where I’ll be in November.

I’m sure the guide from this trip would not like to have his fish size estimation skills down in video… what he says is “5 pounds” just isn’t… it isn’t close.  It might be 2.5, but it isn’t on the good side of 3, I’d say.  Bonefish are great fish… wonderful fish, they don’t require embellishment.  I urge you all, don’t add a pound and don’t do the extended-arm-perspective-trick in the photo.  It cheapens the fish.  I’d love to catch a bunch of 2.5 pounders… in fact, I may just do that.  I won’t call them 5 if they aren’t… I don’t need to… I like 2.5 pound bonefish.

Enrique, hopped out and indicated for me to get my gear ready which I quickly did. Enrique closely inspected all my knots and then wanted to see my fly box. He chose a size 8 tan Crazy Charlie and knotted it on with a non slip loop knot. The speed with which he did this told me I was in good hands.

via Cozumel & Cancun Flats Guiding & Offshore Fishing – A Cozumel Bonefishing Adventure.

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.

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.

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