PPS Destinations Report
Iztapa, Guatemala
Date: January 2009
Reported by Dr. Brian Griffith, New Jersey, USA
As
an early graduation gift for my youngest son, David, as well as an early “no
more tuition payments” present for me, we spent a few days fishing for
sailfish in
what was
touted as one of the finest sailfish fisheries in the world.
The travel to Sailfish Bay Lodge in Iztapa, was long but relatively
painless and after settling into our room (very nice with an ocean view) we
spent an afternoon drinking beer and talking.
The lodge is everything you could expect from a small ocean resort.
It is right on the beach of a barrier island with a pool, hot tub,
beachside palapa with a full complementary bar.
It has it’s own restaurant where every meal we had was outstanding and
the staff could not have been more gracious or accommodating.
The views from the west side were of black sand beaches and the Pacific
Ocean. From
the east side you saw the lagoon and in the distance three volcanoes, one of
which was active.
The fishing day started with a hearty breakfast at 6 am.
We were ferried in a panga for five minutes to a waiting van for the
ten-minute ride to the Puerto Quetzal marina.
The ride was interesting in that Iztapa is a typical Guatemalan town-very
poor and run down.
The locals we did meet seemed content enough but the poverty was an eye
opener for us.
At the marina we were escorted to our boats and introduced to our captain
and crew (usually two mates).
They spoke some English and communication was not much of an issue. The
first day we fished on the Mad Bavarian and after a forty-five minute cruise to
the fishing grounds we put the baits in the water with the teasers and began
trolling. I
had opted to go with conventional gear to start with, since my son had never
fished for sails before and I really wanted to get some fish in the boat.
We were not disappointed. Within ten minutes a fish was on and after
15-20 minutes David had his first sailfish aboard.
It was one of the best fishing memories I have ever experienced.
After releasing the fish (following the mandatory photos) I was on deck
and was hooked up within five minutes.
Within a few more minutes we had a double on and successfully landed
both. This
was the first of six doubles on day one.
Throughout the day we raised fifty sailfish, had forty bites, and landed
25 fish. In
the afternoon I did switch to fly fishing and while the number of raises is
lower due to smaller spreads and the teasers being much closer to the boat I did
land one. Quite
a thrill, not because the fishing is difficult (it is not) but you can see
everything happen because it all takes place 20-25 feet behind the stern.
David also landed a 20 pound mahi that we ate on the boat for
lunch-delicious!
The following two days we fished on the Sirena and while the action was
slightly slower - we raised 67 sailfish, landed 25 on conventional tackle - 7 on
the fly rod, and got another 30 pound mahi plus an albacore.
The weather was consistently 85-90 degrees with some cloud cover, and
light winds. The
seas never got bigger than 4-6 feet and most of the time were 2-4 feet which on
a 35 foot boat are pretty inconsequential.
Still, dramamine is recommended as you are a long way from shore and no
one wants to come back in when the fishing is good.
On the final day we spent only the first hour with conventional gear and
after landing a triple (despite there only being two of us) we spent the
remainder fishing with fly rods.
The boats were supplied with Tibor reels and Cam Sigler 14 wt. rods that
we rented for $100 for three days-a bargain.
All flies, lines, and leaders were included.
The fly fishing for sails involved trolling four teasers (as opposed to 5
plus 2 baits for conventional) from 25-100 feet behind the boat.
When a fish came up the mate would reel in the teaser the fish was after
and, when 20 feet back, the captain would yell, “cast”. The fly would
hopefully drop close to the teaser that would then be jerked out of the water
and if the fish saw the fly all you needed to do was point the rod at the fish
and let it hook itself. Then hang on.
Sailfish are acrobatic to start with but with a fly dangling against
their face or in their field of vision they seem to get absolutely manic.
Again you have to remember this all happens right in front of you (at
least for a few seconds) then suddenly the fish materializes 200 yards away and
you spend the next 15 minutes fighting them back in.
A good captain greatly accelerates the landing process by keeping the
fish off the stern and backing them down quickly.
Both the Sirena and Mad Bavarian crews were very competent at this.
After three days of fishing, eating, and beer drinking, we were shuttled
back to Guatemala City, a place that has few redeeming qualities other than
being the main point of entry.
The following morning we were again up early for a short flight to Flores
and a visit to Tikal.
Tikal is the largest Mayan ruins site in Guatemala and was a truly
fascinating side trip.
Like everyone, I had seen photos of Mayan ruins but seeing them in person
one gets a truly different perspective of the amount of effort that went into
constructing them.
The guide we had was Mayan and was well versed in the history of the site
as well as being able to speak a good deal of their language.
Despite the rain-it is a rain forest-Dave and I spent the day awestruck
by the temples.
Overall, the trip was one of the best tropic fishing destinations I have
ever visited. The
food was superb, the lodge perfect, and the fishing great.
Tikal was a wonderful experience and no one got sick!
(You really cannot drink the water in Guatemala!).
Add that to spending a few days alone with my son and I have no
complaints. Should
you wish any further information regarding Sailfish
Bay Lodge feel free to contact me at traydog@enter.net.
