East Cape.....
Actually,.... The water there is probably better than you get here. It was explained to me that this is an inadvertant side affect of tropical storms that hit that area in the late summer and fall. The rainwater percolates into the ground and pumped from wells in that area. It comes out sweet and cool. I took a bunch of Imodium but didn't need/use it. Stay away from surface water (arroyo's) tho.
I found walking on the beaches to be really interesting and safe, for the most part. Aside from an encounter with the "Federales" marching down the beach one day (fully armed), the only people we saw were fisherman on ATV's. The surface of the sea was calm until the afternoon with gentle swells, most days. Surf was very small. There're afternoon breezes everyday in June. The sand between Rancho Leonero and just above La Ribera a course type. It feels good on bare feet but it wasn't fun with sandals..... Watch where you put your feet tho . There're dead jellies/puffer fish and other hazards on the sand (most can be seen). So, take a first-aid kit and lots of sunblock (SPF 36 minimum). I saw a couple of guys on their first trip get a really bad sunburn after a day fishing. They were in pain for the rest of the trip. You might consider taking a product called "Banana Boat" (green or blue) in case you get a sunburn. It will provide some relief.
Judging from what I've read about December in that area, you could encounter some heavier winds and surf. Of course the air is much more temperate then. Take a jacket, it gets cool at night and during windy days at that time. Not sure if they're around in December but jelly fish can be a porblem at certain times of the year right up into the surf. Check before wading barelegged.
Not sure what fish you'll encounter at that time of year as bait fish become scarcer and they're already scarce, this year..... The beach in the area around Punta Colorado is deeper than that around Rancho Leonero. Thus, you get more wash and there're some reefs/rocks around there, as well. There's almost always rock fish available. In addition to the usual Sardina patterns, I'd take some squid patterns. Pay attention to the length of your flies. When I was there, I was told by a local that my flies (approx 3" - 3 1/2" long) were too long. After returning, Ken/Jay confirmed that Ineeded to get down to 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" long. Bring some SoCal surf patterns, as well.....
Can't help you with 3 piece rod questions. All of the rods I took were four piece and packed into my check in luggage. For surf fishing, I'd stick to weights from 8 to 10. I used floating or intermediate heads (no sink tips) but that was because the beaches were relatively shallow. Might be different down there..... I like to keep the leader situation simple as possible. No complicated knots, etc. I used a few leaders that I made and some that I bought. Kiene's has all of the leaders stuff already made up and that was good enough for me. leader length was 9' - 10'; 20 lbs test with bite tip, if I felt it necessary. Take some wire with you.
I'm running out of wind here.... More later.
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