Guide Samuel, "Oz", and Baby Tarpon on the flats...
A group of our most avid baby Tarpon clients have recently returned from Isla del Sabalo. This was their 6th annual trip to this fishery and they reported in with smiles once again! I must give tribute to this group because they truly understand that ebb and flow of Tarpon fishing. They reported back with an atypical fishing report,... not a bad report, just a different experience this time.
Isla del Sabalo is renowned for its incredibly vast system of mangrove-lined "rios" that are the arteries for baby Tarpon migrating in and out with the tides. It is along these routes that guides and their anglers will ambush the baby Tarpon as they migrate out of the rio with the falling tide. This group has always cherished stalking these fish in the channels. Intercepting the baby Tarpon as they unsuspectingly and lazily roll on the surface, revealing their presence. But again, this trip was different.
On this trip, there were not many baby Tarpon in the channels. This trip was booked on the same tide profile as past trips, but Mom-Nature served up a different playing field on this trip. During this week, the baby Tarpon were out of the mangrove rios and were cruising the shoreline flats. As such, this group adapted their strategies and played the flats fishing game instead with the baby Tarpon. What an exciting pursuit,... to pole across thin flats and encounter sight fishing opportunities for baby Tarpon. Even more, the group reported that they found some larger baby T further off the coast in the deeper flats.
Isla del Sabalo has a multitude of facets, and that is what makes this remote fishery such a gem. This group understands the jewel they have available to them. The quality of this fishery keeps them coming back. And yes, they are already looking forward to their 7th trip to Isla del Sabalo in 2015!
Robert and a gem of the baby T taken on the flats...
Majestic ocean-front view from the lodge...
Judy hooked up with the largest Tarpon of the trip...
... and a "grande" this was!
Some baby T were found in the channels...
Happy guides and...
... happy anglers.
