12month fishing Sabbatical

[balti]

Heya All

I been slaving sincing i left school. I spent eight years educating myself as an "OD" Ophthalmic doctor in my home country. I worked day in and day out in community based clinics and in private practice. this included my summer breaks and holdiays. I started a couple of successful companies which have been sold.
With all this hard work and commitment I have become burnt out, exhausted and in need to do something fresh.

I have been crazy about offshore fishing since a young age.
I took my first "billfish" trip , may 2007 in Costa Rica which left a profound after effect. I wanted that life and that excitement. The memories of hooking my first 350lb blue on fly (not landed) is a memory even the most half-hearted angler wont forget!

I have decided recently that I have to take a time-out and do what I always wanted to do and thats to work on fishing charter boats in Panama, Costa & Guatemala. I would like to work as a deck hand or even a skipper for a couple months at a time.

I am in the early stages of planning this dream but need some ideas and assistance from you guys and gals.

By next year I will have a full international skippers certificate.
I am passionate about Billfish on fly.
My current quarry is Yellowfin tuna on fly and hopefully this season will have a few Albacore and yellowfin tuna IGFA fly records.
I am planning on publishing a book on Yellowfin Tuna on Fly in the next couple years in conjunction with my fishing buddy whom is currently the "poster-boy" for ABEL REELS.

Has anyone on this forum done anything similar?
Do any of you have contacts in these countrys?
Can anyone offer me advice on working/living in the countries in question?
Any comment or suggestion will be apreciated.

Tx

[WAHOONBOX]

I WILL JUMP IN HERE BOXFIRST AND SAY HELLO AND WELCOME TO SFC....


I LIKE YOUR PASSION .........ONE MUST HAVE A GOAL AND NEVER STOP UNTIL THAT GOAL HAS REACHED PINNACLE.....THEN AFTER PINNACLE COMES REFINEMENT.......AND ....AS FLY FISHING GOES....A LOT OF REFINEMENT

I FOLLOWED A SIMILAR DREAM AS YOURS 30 YRS AGO.........AND THE REFINEMENT PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING WITH ME.....AND HAS NEVER REACHED PINNACLE..........AND NEVER REACHING SELF GRATIFICATION BECAUSE I SIMPLY LOVE WHAT I DO......( MAYBE I AM AFRAID IT IS COMING TO AN END ONE DAY)

CENTRAL AMERICA IS A GREAT PLACE TO ACHEIVE A GOAL.....BUT IT CAN ALSO BE MISLEADING WHEN IT COMES TO FISH NUMBERS....BUT IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO PRACTICE THOUGH! .....

THIS AREA DOES NOT REPRESENT THE NORMAL FISHING CONDITIONS THAT BLUE COLLARED TEE SHIRT AMERICA NORMALLY FISHES.........CENTRAL AMERICA FISHING HAS RECENTLY IMPACTED HOW I PERSONALLY MAKE A LIVING WHICH IS FISHING AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS.....I AM REFERRING TO THE CIRCLE HOOK CRAP THAT HAS TAKEN OVER THE BILLFISH SCENE....BEING A NATURAL BAIT RIGGER I BASICALLY HAVE TO CHANGE MY RIGGING STYLE OF 25 YRS TO NOW JUST TO CONTINUE MAKE A LIVING......BUT ENOUGH OF MY CRAPOLA....FORGIVE THE PERSONAL VENT HERE

I NOTICED YOU MENTIONED FLY FISHING RECORDS........I SEE A LOT OF PHOTOS IN MARLIN MAGAZINE WHERE JOE BLOW SOMEBODY SETS A NEW FLY FISHING RECORD ON SAILFISH OR BILLFISH ......I MEAN.... THEY (BILLFISH FOUNDATION AND MARLIN MAG)..... WANT US TO RELEASE EM BUT THEN APPLAUDE WITH A PICTORIAL LAYOUT WHEN ONE IS KILLED FOR RECORD PURPOSES ONLY........

NOW THAT MEANS THAT THE SAILFISH WAS KILLED SO THAT THAT PERSON CAN GET HIS NAME IN A LITTLE OL BOOK............A BOOK DUDE...............SPORTFISHERMEN DOT COM IS A BOOK AS WELL.............NOW IF YOU WERE RECEIVING A WHOPPING $CHECK$ FOR THAT RECORD I WOULD SAY ROCK ON DUDE! BUT A BOOK??? COME HERE AND TELL ME...US...THAT YOU CAUGHT THE BIGGEST SAILFISH IN THE WORLD AND RELEASED IT ON FLY AND I WILL PERSONALLY AWARD YOU THE SFC WORLD RECORD ON THAT FISH! NOW THAT WOULD BE AWESOME IN MY OPINION!



~~~~~~



DUDE............I HOPE YOUR MISSION WILL BECOME MORE THAN JUST A NAME IN A BOOK.......

I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HOLD "RECORDS"....AND THATS GREAT AND ALL THAT.......BUT WHY NOT BE "GREATER THAN THAT".......WHY NOT PERFECT OR ATTEMPT TO PERFECT A STYLE OF FISHING OR RIGGING ...ONE THAT CAN BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS........

WHY NOT JUST BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE NO MATTER WHAT FISH IT IS OR HOW BIG IT IS?

A 30 LB YELLOWFIN ON THE FLY AIN'T TOO SHABBY IN MY OPINION.............AND I WOULD BUY THAT "HOW-TO" BOOK!

ROCK ON


'BOX

[balti]

Heya Hoonbox

Thanx for giving me your time in way of an awesome reply.

I feel your passion too.

As for my motivation behind this...purely to live my dream and thats to fish most days of the week in better than average fishing environment.

Records are secondary and certainly not looking at any marlin or billfish records...those fish are way too stunning to destroy and am more than happy when they come off. Just let me have the first 30 minutes of the fight though.

You mentioned Central America aint all its made out to be ...could you ellaborate! I live in South Africa and am more than positive that Central America offers more than what the local waters have to offer as far as species on fly rod goes.

We have three primary species in our offshore waters, Yellowfin tuna , longfin tuna and Yellowtail....we may have the odd Dorado or striped marlin but very scarse. Come to think of it some chap hooked and landed a black here the other day but that being the exception than rule.

Well bud thanx for time I look forward to putting my plan into action and hopefully will have a great time doing so.

Keep the passion

Karl