Six Reasons to Fish Guatemala NOW!
What a difference a year makes. In February of 2020, when Hanna and I joined my parents at Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala to celebrate my 50th birthday, we’d barely heard of COVID. When we headed back just 360 days later, it had taken over the world.
That intervening year was a tough time for the travel industry. Hanna and I still managed to fish in Alaska and Mexico, but we were nervous travel to-and-from those locations, as well as about any health risks we might encounter abroad. We returned from both locations without COVID, but as we prepared to leave for our return to Guatemala numerous friends and family members expressed concern over our decision. With cases spiking – indeed, more acquaintances seemed to be diagnosed in the last two months than in the prior 10 months combined – I understood their objections.
Nevertheless, we made the executive decision to follow through on the trip with your friends Lee and Emily Byrd. We can’t transpose our risk tolerance onto you, but if you are otherwise inclined to travel to fish in the near future here are six solid reasons to make Guatemala the destination.
Ease of Travel
Unlike some fishing destinations in Central America, you can leave your home in the morning (or even in the afternoon) and arrive at a resort like Casa Vieja Lodge that same day. There are direct flights to Guatemala from major American cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Newark and Los Angeles. The direct flight from Washington-Dulles only runs on certain days, so rather than flying down Wednesday (the day prior to our first day of fishing), which would have required a connection, we went Tuesday night after work. With the 90 minute ride from the airport to the lodge, we were there around midnight, then had all day Wednesday (previously a travel day) to hang out by the pool and relax.
They Take COVID Seriously
In order to get into the country we needed a negative COVID test within 72 hours, and they had an efficient team at La Aurora airport to certify that the test was the right kind and timely. If you can’t get a timely COVID test close to home, you can arrange for Casa Vieja Lodge to mail you one. For the return trip test, as required by the CDC’s January 12th order, they arranged to have us tested on-site, so we wouldn’t have to miss a single minute of fun or otherwise be inconvenienced. At the lodge, the staff wore masks at all times, kept the facilities impeccably clean, and respected social distancing protocols.
They Answered the “What If” Question
Even if your COVID testing is provided on-site, what happens if you test positive in a foreign country? You could move to a hotel, but you’d be putting someone at risk if they had to drive you there, and you’d likely incur substantial charges. In some countries, like Costa Rica, they force you to provide evidence of specific travel insurance to enter, to ensure that you’ll be able to repay any costs relating to testing positive. Guatemala didn’t implement that requirement, but as soon as the CDC order came out Casa Vieja got rolling. Their most recent newsletter read, in part that if you produced a positive test and a re-test produced the same results, “You will be quarantined in your room for two weeks (we’ll provide room & board), or until you test negative. Unfortunately, you will not be able to go fishing! We will take care of you and provide you with what you need to help you return home quickly.”
Prime Dates are Available NOW
After we returned home last year, we conferred with our friends, selected our boat and chose dates. When I called the lodge, however, that boat was already booked 12 months out. That’s not atypical for the best lodges the best boats and the best captains. In some cases, they may be reserved further out than that. Because of COVID, however, that world has been turned upside down. Some boats that would normally be taken every day are sitting idle for a few days at a time. If you’re willing to hit the road or the air, this is a chance to call up any desirable lodge or outfitter and get normally unobtainable opportunities. The airlines are cutting some deals, too – we spend about $100 less per person this year for direct flights than we did to connect through Atlanta now.
The Sheer Numbers of Fish
If your travel options are limited, or you’re not going to travel as frequently as in the past, you might as well go where the fishing is most likely to be good or great. Anyone who’s done this for a while knows that there’s no such thing as a true guarantee on the water, but from all of my research (and just a little bit of experience) Guatemala seems to be as close as it comes in the billfishing world.
The Weather is HOT
We left here in the midst of a 36-hour sub-freezing snow disaster, but once we arrived in Central American the long pants went away and we wore nothing but shorts or bathing suits. It reached about 90 every day and barely dipped below 70 at night. On the boat, it was glorious, and if you ever got too hot you could go into the air-conditioned salon or just grab another beer.
Again, nothing in life is risk-free or guaranteed, but if you want to get out of a COVID-induced malaise, a trip to Casa Vieja Lodge is a quick way to jump start your heart. CLICK HERE for more information.
