Los Cabos – Saltwater Fly Fishing

-TFFM Admin — Tue, 18 May 2021 18:34:18 +0000

The streets of Cabo San Lucas are closed every October 18th for a parade to honor the city’s patron saint, Saint Joseph. I sometimes talk about Saint Joseph’s feast day parade as the reason I started visiting Los Cabos, since we share the name, but those who know me best know full well it was the marlin.

The best time to experience a bait ball and frenzied billfish on the fly is late October though late November, as long as favorable conditions prevail and the sardines do not move out too quickly.

The speed of a striped marlin is often exaggerated, with reports exceeding 50 miles per hour. While marlin are capable of impressive bursts of speed, they top out at around 25 miles per hour. A typical striped marlin is between 150 and 250 pounds, but a 12- to 15-year-old fish can approach 450 pounds.

The sardine schools have only their great numbers as defense. To confuse predators, they form tight balls, relying on the probability that some will fall but enough will survive. Not only do the sardines have to endure assault from below, but they are also attacked by frigates from above.

Marlin are pack hunters; they systematically take turns charging the bait, bills slashing, in an attempt to disorient, injure, and isolate individual fish from the school. Isolated prey last no more than a few seconds outside of the protective cloud of the ball.

The most common marlin flies are white topped with green or blue; they can be tied as straight baitfish patterns or a popper head can be added to create surface disturbance. You simply toss them into the boil and strip them to suggest wounded or isolated prey. During times of high activity, a few strips are all that is necessary.

The frenzy can last for minutes or hours, but it typically stops as quickly as it starts.

Even if it lasts only minutes, it’s truly a sight to see.

A Photo Essay by Andrea Izzotti
Words by Joseph Ballarini

Bio: Andrea Izzotti is an award-winning wildlife photographer based in Genova, Italy. He is the author of Tales from Blue and Other Colors (2020) and Travelers in the Blue (2020). His work has appeared in National Geographic Italy, National Geographic Viajes, National Geographic Kids, Focus, Focus Wild, as well as other books and magazines. You can visit his website at andreaizzotti.it.

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The post Los Cabos – Saltwater Fly Fishing first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Los Cabos – Saltwater Fly Fishing appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Five Tips for Marlin on the Fly

Admin — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:35:45 +0000

FIVE TIPS FOR MARLIN

WE’RE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU TO “LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDE.”
THIS IS BASIC, OVERDONE AND IF PLANS INCLUDE A
CHARTER IN CABO OR PUERTO RICO FOR MARLIN, CHANCES
ARE YOU HAVE FISHED WITH A GUIDE BEFORE. SOME ITEMS
THAT ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED OR UNKNOWN IS OUR OFFERING HERE.
HOPEFULLY THESE MIGHT HELP YOU WITH SOME OF THE
OTHER STUFF YOU MIGHT HAVE OVERLOOKED.

1. Stay Alert

You should be watching the teasers. A good captain & mate will be on top of things but there have been countless times when one of the anglers has spotted a fish before one of the working crew. Stay alert so you don’t miss any chances. Binoculars can help too, especially on a calm day, but if your are prone to seasickness, avoid them.

2. Take a few practice swings

You will be casting a large fly on a heavy rod with a heavy line. It won’t feel normal if you’ve been casting a 6 or 8 weight. A 14 weight feels like a baseball bat compared to a 6 weight. Don’t worry about it, just focus on getting the fly behind the teaser. Most times a 25 foot roll cast will do it. Stay focused on the fish and not how pretty your cast is or how strange the heavier gear feels. You definitely want to “choke up” and take a few swings before hand.

3. The Double Fly

Sometimes despite how good the fly is, you might need two. If you are not using the Trey Combs double hook style fly, you might want to try the double fly. Tie a popper fly & baitfish fly together using a 4-6 inch piece of 100 lb mono. Tie one end to the hook of the popper and the other to the eye of the baitfish hook (or vice-versa). This will increase the number of actual hookups.

4. Quick change

Use a quick change loop connection to connect your tippet & fly. Be ready to change quickly when on the boat. Sometimes the need may arise for you to change flies for one reason or another and a loop connection is always the best way to go. Marlin have great vision, but at 30 mph, they won’t be leader shy. Have different popper & fish color combinations in singles & double fly ready at all times. Don’t forget to make your loop big enough to pass the fly through.

5. Use your muscle

Unlike the finesse required for flats fish, sometimes you need to muscle a billfish, especially on the fly. If you are using a typical 9 foot fly rod, you will struggle to lift the head of these powerful fish. When you can pull on him with gentle consistent pressure, gradually adding some drag and gain line in that manner. When a fish is sounding, there is nothing you can do except try not to lose too much line. When the fish is jumping, this is our opportunity to work aggressively and take as much line back as you can. The fight could take an hour or more at times so do anything you can to speed things along, take advantage. It’s better for the angler but especially better for the fish.

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The post Five Tips for Marlin on the Fly first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Five Tips for Marlin on the Fly appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

marlin on fly - Tail Fly Fishing Magazine