REPORT FROM GARY GRAHAM'S BAJA ON THE FLY: PROVIDING QUALITY SALTWATER FLY-FISHING 365 DAYS A YEAR IN BAJA Sat., Aug. 28, 2002 EAST CAPE AND MAGDALENA BAY FISHING CONDITIONS EAST CAPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO IN GENERAL: I have not seen the volume of fish that we are seeing along the beach in a long time. I am sure that local hotel owners/operators Bobby Van Warmer Jr. and John Ireland's success in eliminating the inshore gillnets in the area has helped. I was in front of La Ribera fishing around the bait receivers and looking down in the water and found the amount of sea life astounding. Pompano, pargo, roosters, jacks, triggers, needlefish, you name it. The biggest problem for us right now is the needlefish. They have become a nuisance and it is difficult to get the fly past them. A school of roosters will come up behind the boat and more often than not the needlefish will beat the rooster to the fly. However, our clients have had a good week catching dorado, pompano, jacks, roosters, ladyfish, pargo and of course needlefish – and we have never been further than two miles off the beach. AIR & SEA - The temperatures are few degrees cooler for the last few days and the evenings and early mornings have been pleasant. Hi 90° Lo 80° Wind: Wind in the afternoon for the last two days with quite a few whitecaps, but is calm by morning. Humidity: 75% Dewpoint: 69° Visibility: 15 Water Temps 79 - 86 . OFFSHORE: Overall it is fair with a few billfish, dorado and the tuna if you can find them. I find it amusing that so many folks insist on going offshore when there so much action taking place on the inshore. . INSHORE: Wow! If you can get past the needlefish and pelicans the action is phenomenal. . BEACH: Plenty of mullet and sardina from Rooster Alley to Punta Colorada. It is not solid, but enough to attract plenty of fish. As usual, early morning and late afternoon is the best. BILLFISH - They are there, but not in groups that are needed to provide enough action to keep most of our clients from getting bored. YELLOWFIN TUNA - It is a crapshoot and not a very good one at that. DORADO - There are a few everywhere, we even found some in the boat line at Rancho Leonero on Thurs. ROOSTERFISH - There are so many roosters to 15 pounds I can't wait to see what happens for the next few months. If you are willing to put in the time and slow troll larger mullet teasers you will get some shots a the big boys. JACK CREVALLE - Have seen some big ones cruising around the bait receivers, usually down further in the water column. BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK - Found several large schools feeding on the surface on schools of bait which is the perfect scenario for the flyrodder. PARGO AND CABRILLA - Plenty around and not just in the usual rocky points. I saw a 20 pounder caught that was feeding on a school of mullet 10 feet off the beach earlier this week. SIERRA - I didn't see any this week, but I am sure they are still around. Catch of the Week Photo: http://www.bajafly.com/weeklycatch.htm MAGDALENA BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO Sat., Aug. 31, 2002 IN GENERAL: Light pressure this week up in the esteros with only a few trips. The average catch was a couple of snook to 10 pounds, pargo, grouper and a few small corvina. Offshore, the dorado seemed to have taken up residence for the summer and the shark fisherman have been seeing a few marlin. This is basically on a heading of 210-240, 16-18 miles out from the entrada. AIR & SEA: Hot and windy. Air Temperature 69 - 83 Water Temperature 69 - 76 YELLOWTAIL - A few firecrackers and that’s it. CORVINA - A few smaller ones spread out the in esteros. SNOOK - Deeper holes up near Devil’s Curve are producing a few. HALIBUT - Any sandy beach that doesn't have any nets will probably yield a few. SIERRA - Supposedly, the gill-netters are catching 300-500 kilos a night on the east side of the bay. Whoops! There goes another fishery down the tubes! Catch of the Week Photo: http://www.bajafly.com/weeklycatchmagbay.htm