Twenty five years ago, when I first went to Alaska, I did not own any Gore-Tex. I might not have even known what it was. This, my friends, is hard for even me to believe. I had some crappy discount hiking shoes, a sieve-like rain jacket. Even if I’d been aware of better gear, I would not have been able to afford it. Despite those deficiencies, over the course of a month with two friends I had the time of my life.

Anglers Inn President Billy Chapman Jr. knows he can’t control the fishing, even on the best waters in the world, so he makes an effort to exceed expectations in any way that he does have control over. He doesn’t tolerate employees who don’t buy into that game plan, and it shows. Everyone who stays around is constantly hustling.

As I anticipated the arrival of my payara mount, I thought back to that amazing trip organized by Billy Chapman Jr. to the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. We caught so many big fish of various species, and experienced things few gringos will ever get to see – especially because the similarly remote regions of the world are shrinking or evaporating daily. 

It took us about two seconds to reach the executive decision to extend our El Salto trip through the holiday (which was about 1.99 seconds longer than it should have taken). As Hanna has written, it’s our home away from home, and the staff have become our second family. Nevertheless, neither of us had ever spent turkey day outside of the U.S. We had no idea what to expect on the “Dia de Gracias.”

Billy Chapman Jr.’s motto has always been: “Service is our focus.” That extends to eating, too. The staff wants you to be well-fed and satisfied. Accordingly, they’re willing to go the extra mile to make that happen.

Despite what some people claimed would happen, the COVID-19 did not abate after election day. In fact, as Hanna and I prepared to leave for Anglers Inn Lake El Salto on the ominous date of Friday the 13th (of November), numbers were surging throughout the United States. Friends and family members expressed concern over our decision to persevere with our planned weeklong vacation, and truth be told we were a bit worried ourselves.

This Thanksgiving Pete and I were supposed to drive to Chicago to cook, eat, relax, eat and eat again on a long overdue visit to see family and friends. We were scheduled to be in Mexico from November 14 to 21, but that wouldn’t give us time to quarantine or get a COVID test, so we made the decision to not make the drive. This will be my fifty-third (!) Thanksgiving and for each and every one I have been thankful to be surrounded by close family and friends.

I figure I’ve been to approximately 25 countries, but my niece, who is almost 15, has likely been to at least as many, probably more. Most of her earliest memories came while living in Tokyo, she spent last summer at Oxford, and she’s made it her goal to visit every country on earth (good luck with North Korea, Yemen and a few others). That may not happen in the post-COVID-19 world, but she’s off to a damn good start.

If you’re flying to an epic fishing trip, in most circumstances you’ll have to check a bag at some point. While TSA does provide some vague guidance allowing for hooks to be in your carry-on luggage, ultimately the US government, foreign governments and individual airlines will interpret the regulations differently. Also, remember that TSA has the final word in America, but when you’re on foreign soil you’re playing by a whole different set of rules.

Well over 80 percent of Anglers Inn’s business consists of repeat customers. In our trips down there we see many of the same people over and over and over again, some of whom have been coming for over 20 or 30 years and visit up to five times per year. So if before you depart you’ve already decided that you want to return, you should start preparing ASAP. Prime dates get booked up quickly, and particularly in the era of COVID lots of rescheduling filled them up ever earlier than usual for 2021.

You don’t need to go fishing for a vacation to be great. Yes, it’s true. While we are classic “maximizers,” trying to eke out every bit of fishing time that we can, occasionally we make non-fishing detours, or entire trips where we don’t make a cast – and we enjoy them.

In some respects it’s probably a good thing I haven’t returned – the baggage fees, let alone the credit card bills, might be enormous – but just writing this and reliving the experience has me anxious to hop on a big ANA or JAL jet and make the trip. I don’t technically need more tackle, and a lot of the more “exotic” gear is readily available stateside, but I still feel a compulsion to make another pilgrimage.

I want everyone – and especially women – to be cautious, but I also want them to have a chance to experience the great fishing at Lake El Salto and Lake Picachos. I’ve been visiting Anglers Inn properties since 2009, and while there have been a few women in our groups, historically they were mostly or entirely male, except for me. Back in June of 2017 I decided that listening to all the men jibber jabber about all the fish they caught, how they caught them and how many beers they drank was getting old -- we needed some more lady anglers in the mix.

Potential guests often ask us which lake they should visit, or whether they should go to both. There’s no hard-and-fast rule. People assume that El Salto is the “big fish lake” and Picachos is the “numbers lake” but we’ve seen weeks where that has been reversed. The single best numbers day we’ve ever had was at El Salto, and Hanna’s PB to date is the 9-12 that she caught at Picachos.

Have you ever seen someone waltzing onto an airplane with just a paperback book, a small tablet, or perhaps nothing at all? I’ve always wanted to be that guy, someone who travels light and doesn’t seem to miss anything, but the truth is I will never be that guy. I’m an overpreparer, a true belt-and-suspenders type.

It’s your vacation, and only you can meaningfully analyze your own alcohol tolerance, but I strongly suggest that upon arrival at a fishing lodge or fishing camp you take it slow on the booze for the first portion of your trip. I know, you’re away from the office, possibly away from your family, and you want to let loose. That’s ok, but if this is a serious fishing trip, I’m almost certain you’ll be happier if you wait until later in the trip to let loose, if you do so at all.

Many of the fishing packages offered by Anglers Inn include a half day on the water, either on the day you arrive or the day you depart. For a variety of reasons, it’s most likely to occur on the front end, if at all. If you’re already in Mazatlán, it may not be a problem to arrive in time for lunch and a full afternoon session, but if your plane arriving and you’re headed straight to the lake, you’ll need to be efficient if you want to make it count.

Whether you’re an experienced world-traveler or an air travel virgin, each airport presents its own set of challenges – and if you’re traveling to fish those concerns may be compounded. Whether you’re headed to Anglers Inn El Salto or Picachos or a number of other destinations in Sinaloa, General Rafael Buelna International Airport in Mazatlán (MZT) is likely your arrival point.

When learning to fish you need to go where you will get a lot of chances. If you’re only going to get one bite a day, and they’re only hitting one particular lure, it’s hard to refine your technique. If you only catch little fish, you won’t be tested. In Mexico, not only are there numbers of fish, but lots of quality specimens, too, so you’ll have tons of opportunities to catch them just about any way you want.

Right on the heels of “Who is the best guide at El Salto?” the top question we receive is whether it’s safe to go. It’s certainly a valid question about any foreign or domestic vacation destination, and especially when you’re discussing Mexico, which has gained a reputation for violent crime in recent years.