The Sounds of a Guatemala Sailfishing Trip
Our five senses define our greatest fishing adventures, but it’s not always the same one or two that are most memorable. Our friend Cisco Sevilla takes his tightly packed Anglers Inn laundry home with him to Australia after every trip, and then intermittently opens the bag to take a whiff to refresh his memory about the great bass fishing. The sights of Panama, captured in pictures and in our minds, remind us of popping for tuna. The feel of cold water rushing along our legs harkens back to standing in a remote Alaskan stream dodging bears and targeting rainbow trout.
Fortunately, our sailfishing trips to Casa Vieja Lodge on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala are five-sense endeavors. We see, touch, smell and taste all sorts of exotic things. It may be the sounds that best define the day, however. Here’s how it goes, in a nutshell:
5:45am -- There’s a knock on the door. It’s one of the impeccably dressed ladies from the CVL staff, with hot coffee (or another drink of your choice). “Buenos dias,” it’s time to get up and go.
7:00am – You’ve finished breakfast, grabbed your Yeti bottle and some sunblock, and taken the 5 minute ride in a Mercedes Sprinter to the marina. Walk down the dock, hop onboard, and as quickly as you can get settled the big diesels (or in a couple of cases, the high-performance outboards) fire up and you’re headed to the fishing grounds.
Sometime between 8:00am and 9:00 – You’ve been lulled into a deep trance as the calm waters turn from green to blue. Perhaps you’ve seen dolphins or turtles, and you’re expecting a few more miles, when suddenly the engines quiet down and slow to a crawl. It’s time to fish.
Usually pretty early – You’ve just gotten the lines out, and perhaps a log or some other flotsam floats by, when suddenly the drag on one of the Alutecnos reels starts screaming, under the pressure of a mahi. A few minutes later lunch is in the boat, ready to be cleaned and later cooked.
Not too long later – The captain, up on the tower, screams “Left long rigger” or “Short right teaser.” There’s a sailfish – or possibly multiple sailfish – in the spread, and it’s time to deftly execute the bait and switch.
Mid-Afternoon – That’s the sound of your partner snoring on the ride back in. If he or she was smart, they grabbed the prime sleeping spot, tired from a day in the sun, battling big strong fish. It’s critical to restore your energy because happy hour in the pool is just a short ride away.
