ANGLING ON THE FLY: Trip Report: Isla del Sabalo (Aug. 20

Bob G. displaying a gorgeous baby Tarpon landed while fishing the rios...

After fishing Tarpon Cay Lodge for a few days, we ventured over to Isla del Sabalo to fish this incredibly pristine area. This fishery never ceases to amaze me with its lush mangroves and gin-clear flats. Fishing aside, this environ is as near-perfect as any angler can hope for in terms of sheer beauty, wildlife diversity, and remoteness. Fishing here always reminds me that I have a unique opportunity to fish a part of the Yucatan that has not changed for eons. This place is truly special...

During our days fishing at Isla del Sabalo... we had great conditions for fishing the flats in the early AM. This yielded many shots at rolling baby Tarpon on a calm glassy morning. We enticed a few to the boat, but were often reminded that this environ and calm conditions can require an "A-game". A game of stealth and long accurate presentations. This is my most enjoyable way to fish for baby Tarpon. I appreciate just seeing these Tarpon roll lazily against the glassy surface, while emitting an audible "bloop" sound as they gulp air... to me, this is flats fishing at its finest.

As late-morning and afternoon winds picked up, we would head into the extensive rio system of this fishery. Entering these rios is like having your own playground with Tarpon. Near the mouth, most of these rivers are half a football field wide and allow for open casting to rolling Tarpon. Then, as one ventures further up the river system the quarters can get very "quaint" and turn into an alleyway brawl with Tarpon. We all had our stories of 20+ pound baby Tarpon that slammed our fly in these tight quarters, only to have them win the battle by jumping into the mangroves and dislodging our fly.

The Tarpon at Isla del Sabalo are robust and tough. Their body shape is very stout and their fins erect and full. This is a tribute to the health of this ecosystem. These Tarpon are well nourished by the bounty of this vast mangrove coastline and the pristine flats. All Tarpon are tough, but these fish just seem to have an extra reserve of brute strength that means a tougher fight on the end of your line. I love them all...

In addition to our Tarpon quest, we were also entertained by catches of cudas, snook, and other mangrove inhabitants (snapper, pargo, etc.) One of our group members and his guide even had a close up sighting of a saltwater crocodile that followed them for a short distance while poling up a river. Again, this healthy ecosystem supports so much wildlife... Above the water, there is always a variety of avian life that creates a nice backdrop while fishing. We were accompanied by many birds, including beautiful pink flamingos that are a standout against the lush mangrove shoreline.

In final, this past trip to Tarpon Cay Lodge and Isla del Sabalo was a most memorable one... not only because of the fishing, but the wonderful camaraderie that comes with hosting a group. Lots of laughs and fun during the trip, but we all departed knowing that we have cherished fishing memories to add to our lifetime fishing journal. Travel safe, fish well, tight lines, and good fishing to all...

Keith