Nice report, Leland! However, a couple of questions:
1) If you are concerned about bunking with people snoring, is it safe to
say you didn't bunk with Bill "Thunderclap" Hamilton?
2) You also need to tell about this new rod you have, the six-weight
590SP. Does this mean the rod is a light six, or a heavy 5? (grin).
Without your extra flyfishing goodies, so just talking about travel to
Cancun, trip cost, gratuitites, etc., is it safe to say the trip cost about
$2,500, is it safe to say the trip cost about $2,700?
Did you run across/cast to any other species of fish, like jacks or
snappers?]
So, it sounds like you wade-fished most, if not all, of the time? So, you
didn't fish from the boats much, if at all? Were you run out to the flats
in Florida-style flats boats? How often did you change flats?
Does your package assume X amount of guides per Y fisherpersons? I presume
a person could pay extra to have their own guide? What was that extra
cost/day? What was the average size fish? I presume a tan #6 Charlie was
probably a good bug . . . ? 8# 9' leaders? Were the fish spooky? The
average cast is probably 40'?
I'll sign out while I turn to page 2 of my questions . . . (grin). I
thought the List guys who may have some interest in a trip like yours might
find answers to the questions useful.
Richard
P.S. Gene gave me a report very similar to yours, but Bill "The Truth"
Hamilton has been strangely and unusually silent. Wassup?
-----Original Message-----
From: Leland Miyawaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sunday, July 02, 2000 5:04 PM
Subject: Re: Miyawaki/Hamilton/Gudger bonefishing trip
>>I believe it's been about 2-3 months since esteemed List members Miyawaki,
>>Hamilton, and Gudger (sounds like a law firm, doesn't it) went on a trip
to
>>Ascension Bay, MX. I also believe some List members are interested in
>>hearing the outcome of their trip.
>>
>>C'mon guys; give us some details!
>
>
>You're right, sorry.
>
>I have a ton of notes and am currently writing an article for an emag,
>Wilderlands, on a first time bonefishing angle. Gene and Bill can give you
>theirs from a return to Yucatan perspective.
>
>Here's mine:
>We were at Pesca Maya Fishing Lodge in Yucatan, Mexico from April 6 to 15.
>The trip was put together by my good friend, John Hergenhan of Countrysport
>in Portland, and cost $1,990. It included transportation from Cancun,
>double occupancy lodging, guides, boats and, this is important - all LIQUOR
>and meals. It didn't include the flights from Seattle to Cancun, or
>gratuities which amounted to roughly $20 per flyfisher per day for the
>guide and boatman and $100 to the staff at the end of the week. It also
>didn't include the $2000 I spent on tackle, gear and flytying materials. If
>you don't have enough people in your party to occupy the entire lodge, I
>would also suggest traveling in an even-numbered group of four good friends
>or more. That way you won't find yourself bunked down with a stranger who
>snores loud enough to negate the sound of the rolling waves.
>
>The lodge is off the single dirt road that goes south down a narrow sand
>spit that dead ends in Punta Allen. It is in the middle of the 1.3 million
>acre Sian Ka'an (Mayan for "where the sky is born") Biosphere Reserve. The
>Reserve is home to 339 different species of birds, many of which are
>endangered. During the week, we saw flamingoes, pelicans, herons, egrets,
>scarlet ibis, spoonbills, porpoises, greenback turtles, nurse sharks,
>black-tipped sharks, and the largest barracudas I have ever seen.
>
>The lodge is run by Brian Jones who is from Yorkshire, England. Maybe that
>explains why we had roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and Yorkshire
>pudding one night for dinner. Speaking of food, we had American or Mexican
>breakfast (basically whatever you wanted). We made our own lunches from a
>buffet every morning. The lunches were then put with the guides' lunch into
>a cooler and taken down to the waiting pangas. When we returned from
>fishing, nachos of some sort was waiting in the main lodge as well as
>Modesto, a terrific young man, who served up some nasty margaritas. Dinners
>were things like chicken with mystery green sauce, steaks, mixed seafood
>grill, and the aforementioned roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
>
>I fished with three different guides. The first, William (in hindsight -
>remember this was my first bonefish trip) seemed the least experienced of
>Francisco, and Javier, the acknowledged Permit master. I caught my first
>bonefish a couple hours after we began. It was pretty easy and it weighed
>four pounds. It had been tagged and was worth a small bounty for the guide,
>William. I learned to sight and cast to fish in all conditions: bright blue
>sky with wind, cloudy and overcast with wind, and breezy, windy and very
>blustery. I wade-fished most of the time and cast to singles, pairs, small,
>large and huge schools in flats, in amongst the mangroves and along
>beaches. I used a six-weight Sage 590 sp and an 8 weight Scott HP888, both
>with Abel reels. I didn't even come close to using all the flies I tied
>(next time, less will be more). I didn't land a huge number of bones, but
>it wasn't from a lack of coming up to the plate. On the last day, I had a
>permit experience that I will never forget. I didn't hook it, but it hooked
>me. I will be going back as soon as I can.
>
>Leland.
>
>
