Hunting roosters Part 2
Paul Smith: Remember the rooster from two weeks ago? That’s the roosterfish, Nematistius pectoralis, and the species I planned and executed a trip to Mexico to catch. I suppose some of you may think that it’s somewhat obsessive and extreme on my behalf to fly thousands of miles to the south and west to catch a fish.
Remember the rooster from two weeks ago? That’s the roosterfish, Nematistius pectoralis, and the species I planned and executed a trip to Mexico to catch.
I suppose some of you may think that it’s somewhat obsessive and extreme on my behalf to fly thousands of miles to the south and west to catch a fish.
It is I guess, practically speaking, in the everyday normal workaday world.
But I’m all in when it comes to fly fishing.
I’ll try and explain my rational and madness. I ceaselessly crave fishing adventure and new challenges. It’s a terrible but wonderful itch. And the roosterfish is very special and itchy.
The rooster is a physically imposing and magnificent creature. It has seven feathery spines for a dorsal fin, like a rooster comb, that slash wildly and tantalizingly through the water as it chases prey, hence the name.
They grow big, up to a hundred pounds, but average around 20, and are gladiators to battle with, not giving an inch without ferocious fight.
The coloration of this creature is amazing, alternating stripes of silver and grey. Their distribution is limited to the East Pacific Ocean, from Baja California to Peru. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are mainly where the action is. Is this an easy gig? Not likely. Roosters have a unique ear physiology that presents us fly anglers with a bit of a pickle. The rooster’s swim bladder penetrates the brain through the large foramina and makes contact with the inner ear.
So it uses its swim bladder to amplify sounds. These boys and girls can hear a pin drop on the ocean floor in 20 fathoms. A rooster can detect a clumsy foot misplaced in a boat, of a fly rod tapped accidentally on hard gunwales.
You can’t just smack a heavy fly down next to these boys. Well go ahead, but you won’t get a bite. Their eyes aren’t bad either. It’s never simple to fool a fish with feathers, hair, and shiny stuff tied on a hook. But all fish are not equal in this regard.
Keener fish demand the offering to look and behave almost exactly like the natural. You should note here that we are tying flies that look like fish and not insects, like the designation of fly would imply.
Fly fishing began on trout streams, and flies were originally tied to imitate real flies. But fly fishing has evolved and expanded and now I think baitfish flies are at least as common as insect flies.
But it’s still considered fly fishing. Roosters are not east to fool. Colour, size and texture must be deadly accurate or no bent rod for you.
See why I was drawn to meeting this fish?
The challenge and mystic were much too enticing, not to mention the beautiful magical piece of our vast planet that the rooster chooses to swim.
I am weak. They serve sea bass tacos in Mexico, wicked salsa, guacamole, and beer that enhances so wonderfully with fresh lemon or lime.
I had to go. Tequila and sunsets go nicely also.
I needed a place to lay my head, eat, and fish in Mexico. I did my homework and settled on Rancho Leonero, an angler catering operation located in the East Cape region of the Baja Peninsula.
Here you can book a room and get fed authentic Mexican for a very decent price. And you can rent a boat and captain to take you fishing on the Sea of Cortez for roosterfish. Check them out at www.rancholeonero.com.
The wonderful thing about this place is diversity. Although fishing focused, there are plenty of other activities. I could bring Goldie along and she could swim, kayak, snorkel, or just lay around the pool or beach.
There is opportunity for the non-angling spouse, and this is a very good thing. Goldie’s favourite part was supper, cena por el mar de Cortez, and of course the weather.
I said Rancho Leonero is about fishing, but not specifically fly fishing.
Your captain may or not have a clue about offerings in feather for roosters. El capitán will find the fish, but catching these crafty critters of the sea is altogether another saga. Enter Jeff deBrown.
Jeff is a dyed in the itchy wool fly-fishing guide, and after fishing the world, he married a Mexican girl and settled on the East Cape.
He is enthusiastic about his job to say the absolute very least. He also knows where to find the best fish tacos in Baja California Sur. Catching roosters on a fly isn’t easy, and I’d need Jeff’s guidance, at least for a couple of outings. Jeff co-ordinates with Rancho Leonero for folks or swing the long rod.
And Jeff knows roosters. He ties the flies that work and knows which one to cast in a given situation. This is knowledge hard earned. Check Jeff out at www.thereelbaja.com.
I’m out of space again and still have not told the full rooster story. I think I may have succeeded in providing a peek into the mental workings of an addicted fly angler. I hope anyway.
Next week I will return to winter in Newfoundland, but stay tuned for more on fishing in Mexico.