We’ve now spent a total of 12 days on the water at Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, and we’ve released over a hundred sailfish, I don’t necessarily know much more about how to locate them. Every day CVL owner David Salazar, needs to work with his team to locate or relocate the billfish. They work collaboratively to narrow things down, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

While I may not have matured as a human being, I believe that in recent years I’ve matured substantially as an angler. I’ve been fortunate in my life to catch lots of different finned freaks of nature, and now I get a thrill when a newcomer gets their shot. Accordingly, as I look back on our travels during 2022, I’m glad that I can recall others’ catches fondly.

While Salazar’s fishing skills can’t be questioned, what really amazed me was his passion for the sport. He’s seen thousands of billfish come to the boat, and yet he was every bit as excited for each additional one as we were. He’s an exceptional teacher, and coached us through the bait-and-switch with remarkable patience.