San Juan River, NM photo fishing page

 Hello every-one,

 I got back Sunday eve.  What a trip from hell.  The flight and baggage all got to Nicaragua with me.  I met my bud at a motel across the street from the airport.  We traveled to San Juan Del Sur on the west coast that night made good time drank some cervezas when we got there and crash out at the Casa Blanca lodge.  Next morning We went and had breakfast at a beach front morning diner.  It was good and cheap.  Went back to the lodge to meet our captain.  He was there, introduced himself to us.  Next thing I know he is handing me back my deposit money, saying that he had a mechanical problem with his boat. and that he wont be able to do that day.  Jim, my friend and I went and surf fished the surfing beaches north of town.  It was beautiful but un-productive for fishing.  Surf was three- five feet.  Never heard from our captain.  We went to a dive shop and was talking with the owner, he called the captain, Gabriel Fernandez, the guy we where to go with that morning and offered his boat for Gabriel to use. He declined and dropped the ball on us. After we spent thousands of dollars to get there. That is what you call a real lack of professionalism. I am still pissed.  Ended up renting the dive boat and young non-English speaking captain, never been fly fishing before and went on the hunt.  I had a big Jack or rooster fish just about take the fly when he saw me and was out of there.  I did catch a small jack, barracuda, and some blue gill with four sets of 1/4" teeth.  So I didn't get skunked but not near what I was hoping for.   The people of Nicaragua are friendly and very helpful. The country and women are very beautiful.  I would love to go back. I felt safer for the most part there in Nicaragua, than southern Florida.

   I flew to Miami Tuesday and went fishing with a guy named Steve Kantner , the land captain on Wednesday.  We started near the Ft Lauderdale area and worked west looking for grass carp then peacock bass. Then we went to the everglades near the Naples area and fished for snook and tarpon. He was great, new his crap and was a good teacher. I caught a 15-20 lb grass carp, a two pound butterfly peacock bass, and some small snook, last but not least a ten pound tarpon all on the fly rod.  Steve was only thing that went right on the trip. 

   Then I went to Marathon Key about mid way to Key west in the Florida keys.  I saw a old friend Mike Drake, soon to be Captain Mike Drake.  We went out that Thursday afternoon.  Had four nice tarpon from the 60-80lb class cruising bye as soon as we got to the first flat.  I had nothing ready.  No second chances in the salt.  We worked the piers that afternoon.  I hooked a big Barracuda, the hook came out.  Strip set hard with rod tip down in water and I would of stayed hooked up.  I had a big jack, snook ,or tarpon bust me off, I thought I was snagged until it decided to hall ass out of there and broke me off.  The next morning we tried it again.  The first place we tried I had a big jack give chase, but turned away once he saw me.  We had some tarpon rolling, I tried a few blind cast in the general area where they been rolling.  I got a real light tap but that was it.  The weather got worse we tried the flats nothing. we tried the back country nothing. wind was blowing hard inland and the out going tide was strong. It made for a wet soggy cold trip back in.  I came down with the worst flu I've had.  I was delayed in rain soaked Dallas, and they lost my bag with all my fly fishing gear over two thousand dollars worth of salt fly fishing gear. I received it here on Tuesday.  Out of twelve days, I had two and half good days.

  Word of in-sight you never know what your going to get on international trips.  Make sure what the captain or service is to be provided and what they are liable for.  Or you will be like me and dropping a big chunk of change to guide yourself in foreign waters.

Mark Nesbit