bertram31.com

After a number of years of talking about, the Warden and I finally booked a trip down to Guatemala with Brian B – Prosportfishing. Only regret, and its a big one – not going sooner.

Flew down on Thursday evening. Stayed the night in Guat City. Real nice accommodations. Friday morning we made the short drive to the coast – bit over an hour and fifteen minutes – and we were off fishing by 7:20 or so.

Brain had three vessels in the water at the marina – a Dusky 26, a Bert 31, and a beautiful Jim Smith 47. We had previously selected the Bert 31 (duh for me, right), so we had a great ride. Nice little early hull, Bahia M., Cummins 210's. Ran great.

The Captain was instructed we were up for just about anything, so he proposed taking a bit of a chance on some marlin. Man o man did that bet pay off. After I swung and missed on a sail – due to sheer panic and excitement – the Warden struck gold with a blue about 9:00.

Fish took a circle hooked mahi strip bait right off the transom. The Warden has caught blues before, but this was her first try doing it stand up. She was a bit nervous, but very excited at the opportunity. Unfortunately, it got kinda ugly.

About 10 minutes in, she mentioned it was fighting different or funny, just dogging deep with little or no movement. Fishing 50 pound line, she was getting little more than stretch with each pump, and she couldn’t apply much more drag due to line class. We suspected the fish was tail wrapped, and within a couple minutes, that was semi-confirmed. Basically, she ended up dragging this fish up backwards 3 inches at a time. The last 15 minutes or so of the fight were brutal. Brutal. Just grinding the fish in. She was exhausted, and we even helped her lifting the rod. She stuck it out and gave it her all, but when the fish came up tail wrapped and brown, her heart sunk. Decent fish, around 250 or so, but brown.

The crew jumped into action, and we spent well over 40 minutes slowly working the fish back to life. I thought it was a goner, but these guys simply would not give up. After about 25 minutes, we were finally getting some tail movement, and slowly, real slowly, color started returning. After about 40 minutes, it was shaking its head and giving the guy holding the bill a nice work out. Just goes to show, one can never give up. Not that we know that fish survived, but these guys went above and beyond to give it the best chance possible. Seeing it swim away certainly buoyed the Warden’s spirits.

Next, we banged out a couple sails, before another blue showed up. This one went around 400 and put on an incredible display. Two real nice leaps just off the transom after taking a bait. That classic full vertical, body completely out of the water. Looking into the sun, the fish cast a huge shadow that made it look even bigger. Brian’s lovely wife Lissa was on the rod, and she battled the fish for a good 25 to 30 minutes before we got a clean release. Of course, now the girls talked smack the rest of the day.

We ended the day with a C&R on 6 sails and 2 blues. Had one more blue on for a cup of coffee, but it threw the hook on a jump. Of course, but for my ham fisted drop backs, we would have had a couple more sails.

Spent the night at a real nice little lodge facility down there. Great food and a nice place to stay, but frankly, the Warden was so tired, she would have slept in a dumpster. She wolfed down her supper like a convict, chugged back a half gallon of water, and hit the sack with no so much as a good night kiss.

Saturday the girls were a bit stiff and tired from the previous day’s events, so we decided to focus on sails. Its was what they call an average day down there – raised 39 bills, including 2 blues, had 37 hit a bait, and we C&R’ed 26 sails. My average improved a bit, and by the end of the day, I had 10. Warden had 9, and Lissa had 7.

Saturday night we drove up to Antigua – about an hour away. Stayed in this stunning old convent/church turned hotel. Breakfast and market day on Sunday before catching the afternoon flight back to Houston. Talk about scoring points. Warden got a blue, 10 sails, and a shopping trip in three days.

All in all, a great short trip. The people were very nice, and Brian B. runs a first class operation. The fishing was nothing short of fantastic for what we were interested in doing. We will definitely be going back to fish with Brian B/Prosportfishing. Likely in August to check out his new operation in Mexico. I hear the fishing is even better.

I call BS without pics!!

Just kidding, sounded like you and the wife had a trip of a life time.

Congrats to the crew on the revival.

Where will their Mexico operation be located?

Great account. Ain't life Grand!

Huatulco, South of Puerto Escondito, in Oaxaca. I fished w/ them a few years back great opperation, bar none!
Rob C

Way to go , Ernest. Thanks for recap.
How'd it compare to TSL?

I thought the fishing compared very favorably. They use bally on circles, instead of strips. Not a live bait place. Action was non stop on day two. But, different season, so that may not be fair.

Boat was nicer, but there are very few not nice B31's. It was a quieter boat. No doubt, and faster, but those are small issues. Capt. was great. They had two mates, one clearly more expereinced, and one in training.

The lodge was much the same style, but smaller in scale. Food was good, just not quite as fancy. But, I eat plain food. I really don't care if the sauce is drizzled around the edge of the plate or the colors are coordinated.

There were some other lodging choices in the area. Plus, its in a small town/village. So, there are some stores, bars, and whatnot around. We did not go out or really see the town.

I would say its a different experience. TSL is very much the peeled grapes type deal situated in the middle of nowhere. This was more like a traditional fishing thing without some of the "lodge" atmosphere.

The big thing was the travel. TSL burns days on the front end and back end.

But, I am kinda biased against lodges. I like the TSL cause I enjoy hanging out with you guys. On the other hand, the Warden and I spent almost a week at Silver King lodge fishing tarpon, and after a couple days, I was ready to kill myself.

Having to eat all the meals in a family setting with some f'ing geeks from Iowa showing me pictures of the family, talking about exciting times back home raising gerbles, or the serious dangers posed by operating a weed eater without safety goggles and gloves.

"Oh, our oldest girl Jenny, thats Betty's sister by my first husband Earl, you remember, I told you about how he died in accident at the hot dog factory over breakfast, is starting girl scouts this year, and I am going to be the den mother because my dear dear friend Glenda, you remember, the Avon lady who lived next door at our old house, is having her stomach stapled. She has big bones. Her sister, my half brothers ex-wife, not his recent ex-wife, but the one before that, was addicted to pain pills cause she had big bones too. "

I just wanted to scream - STFU. But, thats just me. I perhaps run a tad bit hot at times.

Bob LeBlanc, Greg Payne, my cousin and I went to The Great Sailfish Company in Guatemala in February. It was 4 nights and 3 days of fishing. Our intent was to Fly fish for Pacific Sails, and that's what we did.
The facility was a complete villa just for the four of us with staff... Chef, maid and gardner. A driver to and from the boat (20 minutes away), open bar, cigars, pool, pool table, poker table, Satelite TV, cell phone to home and I don't remember what else. The boats were bigger-Bertram 35 and a ChrisCraft 38 when the Bert was down with a problem. Fishing felt a bit further out than TSL...about an hour's run out. Left the dock at 7 am and trolled all day to 3pm, then ran back. We were fly fishing, so the raised fish had to be teased to the stern before we could cast to them. We all got fish, but had we been trolling baits we might have matched some of our TSL days.
All this was for $2250 each (less air fare). Given the amount of fuel those boats used at $5.00 a gallon (then), I don't know how they did it. We may do it again in 2009. Walter

ernest.......i admire your restraint.

Having to eat all the meals in a family setting with some f'ing geeks from Iowa showing me pictures of the family, talking about exciting times back home raising gerbles, or the serious dangers posed by operating a weed eater without safety goggles and gloves.

"Oh, our oldest girl Jenny, thats Betty's sister by my first husband Earl, you remember, I told you about how he died in accident at the hot dog factory over breakfast, is starting girl scouts this year, and I am going to be the den mother because my dear dear friend Glenda, you remember, the Avon lady who lived next door at our old house, is having her stomach stapled. She has big bones. Her sister, my half brothers ex-wife, not his recent ex-wife, but the one before that, was addicted to pain pills cause she had big bones too. "

Shoot me now. Please.

Oh, our oldest girl Jenny, thats Betty's sister by my first husband Earl, you remember, I told you about how he died in accident at the hot dog factory over breakfast, is starting girl scouts this year, and I am going to be the den mother because my dear dear friend Glenda, you remember, the Avon lady who lived next door at our old house, is having her stomach stapled. She has big bones. Her sister, my half brothers ex-wife, not his recent ex-wife, but the one before that, was addicted to pain pills cause she had big bones too. "

That right there is funny, I don't care who you are. Ernest, who did you get to write this for you??

Matt