Anne Vitale
07-10-2008, 07:36 PM
Yucatan Tarpon Tour Report 2008
Cancun --> San Felipe --> Chichen Itza --> Isla de Sabalo --> Cancun in eight wonderful days.
WOW what a tour!! When I signed on to take the tour hosted by Ken Hanley and arranged by Keith Kaneko’s Angling on the Fly, I was expecting great things. I am glad to report it was all that and more.
There were five us enrollees, each of us traveled separately from various airports and on different airlines here in the Bay Area and had a little difficulty finding each other and our driver from Tarpon Cay Lodge at the Cancun Airport. However, once that was straightened out the rest of the trip went off without a hitch. Well...almost without a hitch. The last to arrive was Ken, who unfortunately experienced the dreaded--Sorry, we lost your baggage, sir-- explanation from his airline. Even though the lodge was a two hour drive from the airport, on a smooth but ever narrowing road through what seemed to be impenetrable jungle, the folks at Tarpon Cay Lodge followed up on seeing to it that Ken had his gear found and delivered to the lodge within 24 hours.
Tarpon Cay Lodge is also the Hotel San Felipe. As it turned out, we shared it with a group of well educated and upper class pre-teen boys from Mirada (summer camp?). They were brought out to see how the rest of the Mexican’s live by Father Rorry, a Catholic priest from Denver. Getting to San Felipe requires driving through a half dozen villages. With the exception of TV antenna’s and Internet cafes in hut like structures, each village seemed caught in the 18th Century. It was early evening when we passed through the villages and the first thing one notices is that people were out on their front porches and visiting each other. Perhaps to escape the heat of their homes.
The San Felipe Hotel is a clean and modern three story structure, located right on the harbor sea wall (the middle structure in the picture below).
http://www.avitale.com/SanFelipeHotelfromthesea.jpg
All the rooms are air conditioned, have large showers and have several beds in each room. The meals were excellent (especially the breaded and deep fried whole grouper...yum) and as you might expect, Mayan/Mexican, in style. The next day’s breakfast order was taken after the evening meal and ready when you came down for breakfast at 5:30 AM. Just eat and go fishing. Here is Ken making sure we were all in our places for class at dawn.
http://www.avitale.com/KenGettngUsUnderway.jpg
We had three pangas for five of us; a rancher and his wife from the central valley, a tax accountant and his adult son from near Auburn and myself. That meant that I got to fish all by myself with my own guide the entire trip. Pretty neat. However, since this was a clinic, I shared a couple of days with Ken. Fishing with Hall of Fame inductee, Ken Hanley had been a dream of mine for several years now so I really enjoyed the chance to watch him “work” and pick up a whole lot of hints on how to fish for these amazing fish. Since only one person fishes at a time off the front deck, and it can be exhausting and hard work up there, I was glad to offer Ken the deck and watch the master do his thing. He, politely accepted every offer I made.
http://www.avitale.com/KenHFishing.jpg
Here is a shot Ken took of me with a nice sabalo on the line in mid flight. We ‘jumped’ several this size over the 6 days we spend in the Yucatan. It was almost impossible to boat fish this size in the narrow, log filled mangrove creeks. Nonetheless, just jumping these magnificent fish was thrill enough.
http://www.avitale.com/AnniesBigTarpon.JPG
Here is a close up shot Ken took of our guide Edwardo holding a little smaller fish but beautifully colored tarpon I boated in the San Felipe area.
http://www.avitale.com/TarponPortrait.JPG
The primary technique was to have the guide pole across the flats and up the rivers looking for rolling tarpon. In some cases out in the open the casts were 80 ft or more. However, while up at the end of some of those creeks, a roll cast was all that was necessary or even possible. The fly of choice turned out to be Hanely’s Mayan Warrior in olive/grey and size #1. I lost at least one fish when it bent the hook so if you tie some make sure the hooks are the best quality you can buy.
After three days of fishing at Tarpon Cay Lodge we took a travel day off to get to Isla de Sabalo on San Arena Island on the west coast of the Yucatan. On our way we took a small detour to visit the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Prior to leaving San Filipe, resort developer (Isla de Sabalo) and excellent caster and tarpon fisherman, Marco Ruz joined the group. The shot below is of the Kukulkan’s Pyramid. Ken is on the left with the green shirt and red backpack. Marco is in the center with the white t-shirt and the couple on the extreme right are the rancher and his wife from Aurbuckle.
http://www.avitale.com/MyanPyramid.jpg
Isla de Sabalo is a new lodge being developed by Marco Ruz. The lodge is located on the western coast of the Yucatan on the island of San Arena (about 40 miles north of Campeche). Most of the island is occupied by the very old fishing (Octopus) village of San Arena. All the basics of the lodge are now in place, along with a main restaurant there are now a half dozen, clean and air conditioned pallapas. Unfortunately, the meals, were not as good as I had come to expect from the San Felipe Hotel. We were served mostly chicken and fish but both were over cooked and somewhat bland.
http://www.avitale.com/IsladeSabaloPalopas.jpg
http://www.avitale.com/IslaDeS2.jpg
The lodge is bordered by a sea turtle rescue center. As it turned out I had the opportunity to personally release a just hatched baby turtle into the wild on one of the days I was there. I am not much of a sentimentalist but since it was my birthday (July 4th), I consider it one of the best presents I have ever had. I think about that little guy swimming off into that great big ocean often and hope he makes it.
Fishing at Isla de Sabalo was very similar to fishing at San Filipe. The primary difference was that the fish were a little bigger and harder to get to the boat. Here is a shot of a typical sabalo after my guide hauled it out of the water for me.
http://www.avitale.com/deSabaloTarpon.jpg
And this next shot is typical of the tens of creeks we ran up to get to the fish at high tide.
http://www.avitale.com/TypicalCreek.jpg
Unfortunately the relentless sun, high humidity and perhaps a bad ice cube or two unsettled a few of us at the end of our stay. Eight days after we arrived, we left for the five hour drive back to the Cancun Airport in our air conditioned (thank goodness) van. Speaking for the others, I think I can safely say that we were all tired and ready to come home.
I highly recommend the tour if it is ever offered again. I know I plan to return, especially if the tour is moved to the fall or some other cooler time of the year. Thank you Ken, Marco and Keith for a grand and wonderful fishing adventure. \:D/ \:D/
Cancun --> San Felipe --> Chichen Itza --> Isla de Sabalo --> Cancun in eight wonderful days.
WOW what a tour!! When I signed on to take the tour hosted by Ken Hanley and arranged by Keith Kaneko’s Angling on the Fly, I was expecting great things. I am glad to report it was all that and more.
There were five us enrollees, each of us traveled separately from various airports and on different airlines here in the Bay Area and had a little difficulty finding each other and our driver from Tarpon Cay Lodge at the Cancun Airport. However, once that was straightened out the rest of the trip went off without a hitch. Well...almost without a hitch. The last to arrive was Ken, who unfortunately experienced the dreaded--Sorry, we lost your baggage, sir-- explanation from his airline. Even though the lodge was a two hour drive from the airport, on a smooth but ever narrowing road through what seemed to be impenetrable jungle, the folks at Tarpon Cay Lodge followed up on seeing to it that Ken had his gear found and delivered to the lodge within 24 hours.
Tarpon Cay Lodge is also the Hotel San Felipe. As it turned out, we shared it with a group of well educated and upper class pre-teen boys from Mirada (summer camp?). They were brought out to see how the rest of the Mexican’s live by Father Rorry, a Catholic priest from Denver. Getting to San Felipe requires driving through a half dozen villages. With the exception of TV antenna’s and Internet cafes in hut like structures, each village seemed caught in the 18th Century. It was early evening when we passed through the villages and the first thing one notices is that people were out on their front porches and visiting each other. Perhaps to escape the heat of their homes.
The San Felipe Hotel is a clean and modern three story structure, located right on the harbor sea wall (the middle structure in the picture below).
http://www.avitale.com/SanFelipeHotelfromthesea.jpg
All the rooms are air conditioned, have large showers and have several beds in each room. The meals were excellent (especially the breaded and deep fried whole grouper...yum) and as you might expect, Mayan/Mexican, in style. The next day’s breakfast order was taken after the evening meal and ready when you came down for breakfast at 5:30 AM. Just eat and go fishing. Here is Ken making sure we were all in our places for class at dawn.
http://www.avitale.com/KenGettngUsUnderway.jpg
We had three pangas for five of us; a rancher and his wife from the central valley, a tax accountant and his adult son from near Auburn and myself. That meant that I got to fish all by myself with my own guide the entire trip. Pretty neat. However, since this was a clinic, I shared a couple of days with Ken. Fishing with Hall of Fame inductee, Ken Hanley had been a dream of mine for several years now so I really enjoyed the chance to watch him “work” and pick up a whole lot of hints on how to fish for these amazing fish. Since only one person fishes at a time off the front deck, and it can be exhausting and hard work up there, I was glad to offer Ken the deck and watch the master do his thing. He, politely accepted every offer I made.
http://www.avitale.com/KenHFishing.jpg
Here is a shot Ken took of me with a nice sabalo on the line in mid flight. We ‘jumped’ several this size over the 6 days we spend in the Yucatan. It was almost impossible to boat fish this size in the narrow, log filled mangrove creeks. Nonetheless, just jumping these magnificent fish was thrill enough.
http://www.avitale.com/AnniesBigTarpon.JPG
Here is a close up shot Ken took of our guide Edwardo holding a little smaller fish but beautifully colored tarpon I boated in the San Felipe area.
http://www.avitale.com/TarponPortrait.JPG
The primary technique was to have the guide pole across the flats and up the rivers looking for rolling tarpon. In some cases out in the open the casts were 80 ft or more. However, while up at the end of some of those creeks, a roll cast was all that was necessary or even possible. The fly of choice turned out to be Hanely’s Mayan Warrior in olive/grey and size #1. I lost at least one fish when it bent the hook so if you tie some make sure the hooks are the best quality you can buy.
After three days of fishing at Tarpon Cay Lodge we took a travel day off to get to Isla de Sabalo on San Arena Island on the west coast of the Yucatan. On our way we took a small detour to visit the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Prior to leaving San Filipe, resort developer (Isla de Sabalo) and excellent caster and tarpon fisherman, Marco Ruz joined the group. The shot below is of the Kukulkan’s Pyramid. Ken is on the left with the green shirt and red backpack. Marco is in the center with the white t-shirt and the couple on the extreme right are the rancher and his wife from Aurbuckle.
http://www.avitale.com/MyanPyramid.jpg
Isla de Sabalo is a new lodge being developed by Marco Ruz. The lodge is located on the western coast of the Yucatan on the island of San Arena (about 40 miles north of Campeche). Most of the island is occupied by the very old fishing (Octopus) village of San Arena. All the basics of the lodge are now in place, along with a main restaurant there are now a half dozen, clean and air conditioned pallapas. Unfortunately, the meals, were not as good as I had come to expect from the San Felipe Hotel. We were served mostly chicken and fish but both were over cooked and somewhat bland.
http://www.avitale.com/IsladeSabaloPalopas.jpg
http://www.avitale.com/IslaDeS2.jpg
The lodge is bordered by a sea turtle rescue center. As it turned out I had the opportunity to personally release a just hatched baby turtle into the wild on one of the days I was there. I am not much of a sentimentalist but since it was my birthday (July 4th), I consider it one of the best presents I have ever had. I think about that little guy swimming off into that great big ocean often and hope he makes it.
Fishing at Isla de Sabalo was very similar to fishing at San Filipe. The primary difference was that the fish were a little bigger and harder to get to the boat. Here is a shot of a typical sabalo after my guide hauled it out of the water for me.
http://www.avitale.com/deSabaloTarpon.jpg
And this next shot is typical of the tens of creeks we ran up to get to the fish at high tide.
http://www.avitale.com/TypicalCreek.jpg
Unfortunately the relentless sun, high humidity and perhaps a bad ice cube or two unsettled a few of us at the end of our stay. Eight days after we arrived, we left for the five hour drive back to the Cancun Airport in our air conditioned (thank goodness) van. Speaking for the others, I think I can safely say that we were all tired and ready to come home.
I highly recommend the tour if it is ever offered again. I know I plan to return, especially if the tour is moved to the fall or some other cooler time of the year. Thank you Ken, Marco and Keith for a grand and wonderful fishing adventure. \:D/ \:D/