In this past year, I was fortunate enough to get away for one international vacation for a birthday trip! Punta Mita, Mexico was the destination to be exact. Although this was primarily a couples trip, I made it a point everyday to get out on the beach and sling some clousers into the surf to see what might be hungry. When I was younger, my Dad and I used to fish this beach all the time with spin rods and soft plastics, so I knew that fish should be around and would hit baitfish imitations. This really was my first time returning with solely a fly rod to explore what possibilities might exist.

Similarly to much of the year unfortunately, the weather wasn’t terrific! Even had a minor hurricane watch occurring for two days of the trip, but fortunately there was some “calm after the storm” that allowed some fish to be caught. After close to a decade of throwing flies from the beach in a multitude of different scenarios, I have learned that you never know what you might run into, but there are a few common recipes to success. Above all things…find the rocks. Any time waves are hitting against rocks, I will throw there. Easily would say that 75+% of my fish caught off the beach in tropical locations come from rougher areas in the surf around rocks. This is due to predatory fish hiding in the rocks to attach baitfish that are getting pushed in from the wind and current. For this trip, the recipe of throwing clousers near the rocks paid off in a major way.

The first fish I caught was a major surprise…a fish I had never seen before…a Blue Spotted Cornetfish. I was stoked to get a new species on the list, and was shocked that this fish engulfed a large clouser. Later on the week, ended up catching another one, but this was a fish that even the craziest imaginations could have a hard time imagining.

After the cornetfish, I was able to run into some of the typical beach species: jack crevalle, ladyfish, and some needlefish. However, I really wanted to see if I could run into some new species of snappers in the rougher areas around the rocks. One day I unfortunately broke off a huge snapper that took me straight into the rocks that would’ve most likely been a best from the beach for me, but was able to make up for it with a beautiful Yellow Snapper (Pargo) that crushed a chartreuse and white clouser. This fish would have made a terrific plate of fish tacos, but there was no way that I was keeping a fish this pretty (especially on vacation). It swam back to enjoy life! Also managed to get my hands on a couple of Cabrillas – some of my favorite fish to catch from the rocks in Mexico, They fight hard, and have some amazing camouflage that are a sight to see. They hit a large variety of colors and flies, but usually do best on smaller white clousers moving fast through the chaotic rough waters.

There is nothing like watching the Mexican sunset after catching a few fish, drinking a margarita, and spending the day with loved ones. Really am thankful for where life takes me, and for always having a fly rod near by to see what we can stir up. Fun and success can often times be had in a DIY scenario when a hour or two pops up during the day!

Tight lines,

Joe