Ooooooh, Barracuda!
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
Although gratitude and thankfulness are my chief emotions during this time of year, the ridiculous amount of goodies that I consume help guilt work its way up there. This year, I wanted to experience something other than the normal, set-and-et turkey dinner that threatens my afternoon with a tryptophan nap.
I needed something a little more challenging. I felt the need to work for my meal. Fly fishing seemed to take some work. Then, I just needed a demanding fish. So, off to Pesca Maya Lodge in Mexico to do some fly fishing for Barracuda. The lodge is located about 80 miles south of Cancun in Ascension Bay .
A Barracuda, or Cuda as the pros call it, is a mean looking fish. Cudas are long and slender with a profile that looks like a military battleship. They also have a nasty under bite, full of razor sharp teeth. These fish are predators and stalk their prey before ambushing them within short range.
Most fishermen encounter Cudas when they are after other fish like Bonefish, Permits, or Tarpins. And then, there are some who seek them out. Not only are Cudas skilled swimmers and hunters, but they’re also intelligent. They actually use people fishing in their territory to plush out prey for them. But, this becomes their undoing as I am just a few clicks smarter than they. Or, at least my guides have set me up with a shinier fly (lure) and a real sharp hook. My guides told me that Barracuda need a fly at least 12” long to get their attention. Guides are certainly handy to have for advice like that.
However, another piece of helpful advice would have been that Barracuda over 4’ long are almost impossible to reel in while standing in waders. (The world record is 6’and 106 lbs) I certainly learned this first hand as what I assumed to be a Cuda latched on to my offering and took off like it just stole my mother’s purse. Before I could even get excited, I was being towed through the water like one of those parachutes on the bag of a funny car. I’m sure that fish got quite a work out. As my waders filled with the ocean, a tug of war ensued between my watertight pants and the monster on the other end of the hook with me in the middle. You would have thought that “let go” would have crossed my mind, but, hey, I had a healthy deposit down on that rod. After what seemed like an eternity (6-8 seconds), the line broke and then the laughter followed.
Well, this was certainly a wonderful experience, but I think my next Barracuda adventure will be with a 1970 Plymouth. :)
Until next time,
Marcos
Although gratitude and thankfulness are my chief emotions during this time of year, the ridiculous amount of goodies that I consume help guilt work its way up there. This year, I wanted to experience something other than the normal, set-and-et turkey dinner that threatens my afternoon with a tryptophan nap.
I needed something a little more challenging. I felt the need to work for my meal. Fly fishing seemed to take some work. Then, I just needed a demanding fish. So, off to Pesca Maya Lodge in Mexico to do some fly fishing for Barracuda. The lodge is located about 80 miles south of Cancun in Ascension Bay .
A Barracuda, or Cuda as the pros call it, is a mean looking fish. Cudas are long and slender with a profile that looks like a military battleship. They also have a nasty under bite, full of razor sharp teeth. These fish are predators and stalk their prey before ambushing them within short range.Most fishermen encounter Cudas when they are after other fish like Bonefish, Permits, or Tarpins. And then, there are some who seek them out. Not only are Cudas skilled swimmers and hunters, but they’re also intelligent. They actually use people fishing in their territory to plush out prey for them. But, this becomes their undoing as I am just a few clicks smarter than they. Or, at least my guides have set me up with a shinier fly (lure) and a real sharp hook. My guides told me that Barracuda need a fly at least 12” long to get their attention. Guides are certainly handy to have for advice like that.
However, another piece of helpful advice would have been that Barracuda over 4’ long are almost impossible to reel in while standing in waders. (The world record is 6’and 106 lbs) I certainly learned this first hand as what I assumed to be a Cuda latched on to my offering and took off like it just stole my mother’s purse. Before I could even get excited, I was being towed through the water like one of those parachutes on the bag of a funny car. I’m sure that fish got quite a work out. As my waders filled with the ocean, a tug of war ensued between my watertight pants and the monster on the other end of the hook with me in the middle. You would have thought that “let go” would have crossed my mind, but, hey, I had a healthy deposit down on that rod. After what seemed like an eternity (6-8 seconds), the line broke and then the laughter followed.
Well, this was certainly a wonderful experience, but I think my next Barracuda adventure will be with a 1970 Plymouth. :)Until next time,
Marcos
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home