Ecuagringo Report from Galapagos

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Galapagos Marlin Report

San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands was the place to be the last 3 months and perhaps the last 20 or 30 years to catch striped marlin. The water has been holding around 80 degrees on the Rosa Blanca banks and there has been no need to go anywhere else. The currents changed a few times and the boats had to look for fish on the different mounds that they were concentrating on. The winds died down immensely and the last week has seen beautiful calm seas. 2010 has been a first for many anglers, it was also the first time our company was graced by “Spanish Fly” host Jose Wejeve. Wejeve and his camera crew shot footage and should be producing 2 or 3 shows about the incredible striped marlin fishery in the Galapagos. Ecuagringo was happy to be the first company to fish with a major production for TV and ESPN in the Galapagos Islands. The National Park requirements for a TV show in Galapagos are infinite and a long bureaucratic process but we are proud to have gone where no one else has legally gone in the past with fishing here.



March 14, 2010 our first day of fishing with Jose Wejeve and “Spanish Fly” ESPN TV show was onboard the Jhonamar. The seas were reasonable and the visibility was great. The fish were abundant tailing everywhere but they were not at all aggressive. Short of 2 HD cameras and a cameraman thanks to American Airlines screw ups, Jose still managed to get some great footage. Fishing was slow and frustrating because we could see lots of life on the Rosa Blanca banks. We must have spotted over 40 tailers all day and not one would attack! We managed to raise 7 stripes, get 2 bites on a spinning rod and release Jose’s first Galapagos striped marlin of around 130#. Certainly not the type of day we had hoped for but the camera crew still managed to get some great footage.

March 15, 2010 was our second day with Wejeve and his film crew on the Jhonamar. The name of the game was to get the most footage of stripeys underwater. We started in Rosa Blanca’s famous Area 51 and Red Point but the fishing was slow. There was some life but the fish would not feed on what we offered. Captain Edwin Buenano worked his way to the first mound South called La Entrada. The afternoon picked up and the bank was teaming with life. The marlin, birds, sharks and dolphins put on and original display! At the end of the day Jose had swum with several marlin and sharks. We raised 16 stripes, had 5 bites on the spinning rod and released 4 with the biggest fish around 200#.

I was not able to get exact details for some reason of the other 2 boats fishing this day but the total raises between 3 boats was estimated at over 50 stripes.

March 17, 2010 a perfect day to fish onboard the Jhonamar with Wejeve. Sunny skies and very calm ocean made it wonderful for filming. We arrived on Rosa Blanca’s first mound La Entrada. The fish were much more active and again the bank was alive with sea lions, dolphins, birds, sharks and marlin. Jose fished with baits and his spinning rod and managed to get 19 raises, 9 bites and released 3.

Blue fished with Pete Santini and his group of Boston anglers. Captain Julio Rodriguez managed to raise 32 stripes, 19 bites and they released 3 fish.

51 fish were raised by 2 boats this day!

March 18, 2010 the show must go on so we continued with Jose Wejeve onboard the Jhonamar to try to catch a stripey on fly. The seas were a bit choppy today and the wind had picked up. The second fish we raised Jose was able to make a perfect cast and we got an incredible bite for the cameras. After a powerful fight the fish was caught but held in the water for pictures and cameras. It did not take long for the marlin to pop the leader and swim free. Although we raised 9 fish this day the only caught fish would be Jose’s stripey on fly.

March 19, 2010 our last day fishing with Jose Wejeve onboard the Jhonamar. Fishing was a bit tougher than we hoped for and although there were lots of fish present they were again being difficult. Jose cast to 3 fish and got 1 bite on fly. The hook did not stick for long. Next he tried catching one on light conventional and got a very nice stripey and broke another one off. We raised a total of 9 fish.

March 21, 2010 Swedish Angler Martin Malmstem fished with me aboard the Blue. Martin is a pure blooded fly angler and told the stories of freshwater catches in the Scandinavia. He was no ready to test the tough Galapagos striped marlin. He brought a 15 weight G.Loomis rod and the biggest Mylar flies with the largest Cam Sigler popper heads he could find. The fish were very active as we arrived on the middle of Rosa Blanca’s main bank we slowed at the site of stripeys busting on the surface. Dozens of marlin were seen slashing the water on sardines and flying fish. A few birds were working but the flat calm seas and the marlin themselves helped give away the position of the fish. It did not take long before we had a few singles in a row chasing teasers. We managed to raise 27 stripes had 4 bites on the fly of which 2 fish broke off. A bittersweet way for Martin to start fly fishing in Galapagos but nevertheless action packed.

Jhonamar was fishing with another Ecuagringo client and reported raising 12 sripes and getting 8 bites on the circle hook and baits and releasing 4 by one angler.

Anette was fishing with Pete Santini and his group from Boston and they reported raising 32 with 20 bites and 4 releases.

Not a bad day when you consider that 3 boats raised over 70 fish!

March 22, 2010 this is Martin’s second day fly fishing onboard the Blue. Lots of fish on the bank and things got pretty heated as stripeys gave fast action in the morning on the famous spot the Honey Hole! Martin managed to get 7 bites out of 31 stripeys raised. 2 hook ups were very solid leading to 1 release of a stripey of 140# and one broken line.

The Jhonamar fished next to us and raised 27 stripes had 16 bites and released 11 on circle hooks.

Annette fishing with Pete Santini reported 32 raises 17 bites and 5 releases on conventional.

March 23, 2010 we took Martin on the Blue for a day of fly fishing. Arriving on the honey hole the action was very fast and we raised over 16 fish in less than an hour. As the day moved on the fishing slowed but we still managed to raise 22 stripes and get 2 bites on the fly. The fish did not tease up well as they were chasing sardines.

Jhonamar reported raising 16 having 8 bites and releasing 2 on the circle hooks as well as losing a rod on a double bite.

Pete Santini reported onboard the Annette raising 22 stripes, having 16 bites and releasing 2 on conventional.

March 24, 2010 was Martin’s final day of fly fishing onboard the Blue for stripeys on fly. We arrived alone on Rosa Blanca bank fishing Red Point. A few birds were working but for the most part it was flat calm and quiet. It did not take long for a striped marlin to come out hot on the long teaser. The fish were very aggressive and martin managed to get bites from the first 4 fish we raised in a row. These were as close to prefect as marlin get for fly fishing, very aggressive on the tease showing bills and dorsal fins out of the water. The ocean was flat calm providing a clear display of fish behavior versus the tease. The best part of fly fishing is the actual tease and bite combined. 18 fish were raised with 6 bites on fly and 2 releases of big stripes of 150# and 170# more or less.

Jhonamar tried fishing the banks off Espanola Island before heading our way. No luck on Espanola. They still managed to raise 9 with 4 bites and 2 releases on Rosa Blanca.

Folks if you want to catch marlin on fly, baits or lures this is the place and the time to come. Our company has made the world’s best marlin fishing accessible for 10 years now. You owe it to yourself to experience it live and not just read about it. Our fleet has grown to a total of 4 boats owned or leased: Jhonamar, Blue and brand new Patricia and Big Fish which will be in service April 2010. We are already planning to build a 5th boat for late 2011. All our crews have been personally trained by American captains and myself. Don’t be afraid to try us for any type of reasonable fishing available. All our boats are powered by gasoline 4 stroke engines which run faster, quieter, pollute less and raise more fish!
www.ecuagringo.com


Braden Escobar
President ECUAGRINGO S.A Hunting, fishing and adventure in Ecuador, Galapagos Islands and Peru
Visit us on the web www.ecuagringo.com

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