A different kind of fishing report

[shoefish]

Hello all. As some of you may know, Nansea and I got back last week from a vacation in Mexico (actually it was our belated honeymoon following our spring time wedding). Since we got back I've been debating where to post this report as it is a little different than the norm, and I've come to the conclusion that the good folks here in Marty's world might be the ones who would appreciate it most.

If you are looking for piles of giant fish, this isn't the thread for you. If you only have 30 seconds, this won't be the thread for you. If you're looking to slow down a bit, get away from all of the recession and politics talk, and think that you might want to read something that could make you take a step back and give thanks and appreciation for everything that you do have, this might be the thread for you.

Are you still here? I hope so, because with all of the negative nonsense that goes on every day in the newspapers, on tv, and around the water cooler, this is the perfect time of year to take a step back and give thanks.

Last week Nansea and I headed south to Mexico for some time away. We were staying at a place called El Careyes, which is a 3 1/2 hour drive south of Puerto Vallarta. Because our flight was getting in mid afternoon, we decided to stay a night in PV instead of risking getting lost in Mexico at night. We were upgraded when we checked in, and had quite a nice room for our first night:


The next morning it was up and at 'em and we grabbed our rental car and headed south. For anyone who has done the drive before, the trip from PV to Careyes is very similar to the trip from San Jose to Jaco CR...you start off in the city, then wind up through the mountains, and then finally wind your way down to the coast. It's an extremely fun ride, and you never know what you're going to see. When we finally arrived at El Careyes we were shown to our room...and were greeted with another beautiful view:


Nansea just couldn't wait to jump in after the long drive, and immediately approved


El Careyes is a beautiful hotel that is nestled in a small cove. The hills all around have numerous well built and beautiful casitas:


So I know that all of you are looking at those rocks saying "those look like they might have some good fishing". Well, I couldn't get Nansea off of them
(check out the name on the panga...)


The fish, though on the small side, were really beautiful:








Here's a facial for you Geoff-


When we weren't fishing off the rocks, we would make the drive to a near by beach, Playa Carayitas, to do some surf fishing:


At sunrise, the jacks (fureles or toros) would swarm the beaches, and many times would force the bait fish up onto the sand. At that point, the jacks would lay on their side and "swim" up the white water (there couldn't have been more than an inch of water) to nail them. They are so much fun from the surf- they turn sideways against the receding water and dig right in.


At the end of the day, there's nothing like watching the sunset...


Digging in to some mahi ceviche that the kitchen prepared from the fish that you caught earlier...


And then finishing it off with some desert.




Had these things been the only things that we experienced it would have been a great week and we would have gone home extremely happy. But in addition to the above, we were able to really experience some things that made us take that step back, forget about our troubles (or what we thought we had for troubles), and realize how lucky we are and how much we have to be thankful for.

This is Javier. Javier is one of the waiters at El Careyes, and we became friends with him over the course of the week.


We met him the first night that we arrived, and when I found out that he liked to fish, Nansea was translating nonstop. After some time I invited him to take a look at my equipment to see what it is that he thinks would work best on the rocks, beaches, and in the lagoon. When he saw all the gear he lit up Very soon after he offered to meet me in the morning so long as I brought a cana (pronounced canya) for him. I didn't realize until later, but Javier works 6 days a week to support his wife and 2 kids and cherishes his one day off, so offering to spend that time with a stranger was very significant. I soon found out one of the reasons why he was so interested in going....when I met him on the beach at 6:30am, he communicated to me that I needed to show him how to use the rod- he had seen people use them, but had never cast one before in his life. I gladly sat there with him and showed him how to cast. That first day we didn't catch a lot, but we had a great time, and a friendship was born.

Two times over the remainder of the trip I invited Javier to come with me when I chartered boats, and two times he was able to get the day off or switch shifts with the other wait staff. Here is a picture of one of Javier's fine catches


Following the second day of fishing on a boat with Javier, I was invited back to his house. There I met his wife and one of his sons.


It was here that I realized that all of the material things that we focus on and all of the conspicuous consumption that we all partake in, really isn't the point. Javier and his family live in a small house that he built. It is a beautiful little house, furnished with the necessities. On his walls were pictures of he and his wife on their wedding day, and pictures of his kids. There were no flat screens, no Xbox's, no gps units or expensive clothes.

We walked to the back room of his house and there was a fresh water well with shrimp in it. He kept these as pets and as bait. He would use them to keep it clean, but would feed them as well, and would take them down the the river to fish for tilapia on his days off when he wanted to have a barbeque with his family.

Here is the well:


And here are the shrimp:


After getting the tour of the house we sat outside for a bit. I asked Javier how often it is that he gets to fish offshore (because he was very excited after his catches). He replied that including that day, he had been fishing in a boat twice- those being the two days that I invited him to come. I didn't know what to say. I can't count the times that I've been fishing on a boat, and can't say that I've ever stopped to realize how lucky I was to be able to do so.

I then asked Javier if he uses a hand line for fishing (as I knew he didn't have a cana), to which he replied that he goes fishing with whatever he can find. Again I was speechless. I pictured how often we all strip line off of our reels and toss it out because it's "no good", and then pictured Javier seeing that and being excited because it would serve as excellent line to fish with. I suddenly felt very wasteful, and very fortunate for what I have experienced in my time on this earth.

The conversation went on from there, and I won't bore you more with further details, but the point I want to make is that I hope that this holiday season you are all able to take a step back and realize how luck we are. Not for all of the material things that we have, but for the experiences that we've had, and for the friends and family that we are surrounded by. I know that every time that I am on the water, I am going to remember how lucky I am to have that opportunity to spend time with my friends and family.


Happy holidays to all. I wish everyone a safe and joyful season.

Shoe

[gradywhite273]

pretty stuff shoe, looks like a great vacation/ honeymoon.

[Tenacious]

Awesome report Shoe, glad you took the time to post.

[clt_capt]

Very nice - Great report and cool pics. Thanks for sharing

[hotshot1]

Damn nice report , good luck with your bride she is a keeper

[Shortfin]

Super read Shoe

Once again congrat's to you and Nansea

Nice to really get a feel for the local culture and meet some new friends

[WAHOONBOX]

ANOTHER CLASSY REPORT FROM THE SHOE AND BABE FROM THEIR WORLD....


WHAT A COOL READ AT 3:58 A.M. JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR SUSHI HUNT #9

[bigfish4me]

Way to put it all into perspective, looks like a great trip the you will remember forever..you have probably made a friend for life with Javier.

[La Gringa]

sounds like a great trip....

(wish i could see the photos - not yer fault)

[hunt4fish]

Great read Shoe,pics weren't bad either.