With things looking rosy and not much rough water – we hosted Cam and Iain Nicolson and David Barber on the Captain Hook, Kirk Weisman on Intensity, Ross Darling on Rum Line and the Krzyzewski group on the Makaira and Spindrift:
- Cam and Iain had fished at the end of January on Spindrift with great success, but now they were going to battle with the fly rods and getting the fish to eat was a different story. In their 3 days (1-2-3) with Capt. Hamlin, they raised 30 sails, got 15 to taste the steel and released 6. PLUS Cam caught his very first blue marlin – about 200 on his first cast! His brother caught a juvenile about 150 the next day.
- Following the Nicolson’s were David Barber and Jonothan Lark from the Barta Boys & Girls Club of NC. In their two days (4-5) they raised 24, had 12 bites and 11 releases, plus a 150 blue.
- Ross and Ed Darling were back on Rum Line, as they are every year at this time. Fishing 3 days (3-4-5) they raised 41, had 20 bites and released 9 on flies with Capt. Chris;
- Kirk Weisman and his Brit partner Bob Smithson fishing fly and spin aboard the Intensity (4-5-6) raised 50 sails, hooked 18 and released 15 and raised 2 marlin, but no takers.
- The Krzyzewski group had to fly out of the midwestern snow to get down to the sunshine of Guatemala. Fishing on Makaira and Spindrift for 3 days (4-5-6) they raised 141 sails, with 112 bites, and 82 releases. I know they’ll be talking about this trip for years to come.
- Capt. Jason Brice aboard the Makaira – 37 Rybovich has the following report:
- Frymire Group from Chicago – in four days of fishing (08 thru 11) raised 43 fish, with 18 bites and 5 releases plus a blue marlin on bait 350#
- Hanson Group, mainly from Florida (13 thru 15) raised 42, with 36 bites and 27 releases and also raised one blue
Capt. Hamlin says “I had the privledge of having my old friend Dennis Rahlves back for another trip” aboard Captain Hook:
- Dennis Rahlves party (Dennis fly fishing and Barry Kannon spinning) (07 thru 12): raised 95 fish, with 40 bites and 16 releases, half on fly also raising one blue marlin. I had to leave for Miami to participate in the Skip Smith Billfish Expo and receive the IGFA’s Tommy Gifford Award
- Braddock party from Jacksonville (14 thru 16) fished on Captain Hook and the Rum Line, raising 83 fish, with 69 bites and 48 releases plus 2 blues – 250 & 275#
- Capt. Hamlin: “I had Gerry Graunke and Phil Carson (18-19-20) on the Captain Hook – I must be snake bit – we raised 34, had 9 bites and NO releases. Then Bill Brinton (21-22-23) fishing solo – first day on Release raised 16, with 6 bites and 4 releases and raised one blue; next two days on Captain Hook – raised 19, with 7 bites and 2 releases. Mind you these two parties were fishing fly only. Once we got them re-educated on how to fly fish here, they started hooking fish!”
- Fintel group (Bill Fintel, Edward Sigda, Mike Fritz & Bob Edelen – 19-20-21) fishing aboard the Rum Line struck Gold – raising 50, with 38 bites and 18 releases and one blue marlin raised.
- The Pirtle family from New Mexico fishing aboard the Makaira (17 thru 20) raised 68, with 61 bites and 37 releases
- The Siska party (21 thru 23) fished their first day aboard the Intensity raising 11, with 3 bites and 3 releases on fly. Then the next two days on Rum Line, raising 26, with 11 bites and 8 releases all on flies.
So far for the month:
1108 raises
717 bites
437 releases
28 blues raised
14 bites
10 releases