Blue skies, popcorn clouds, and gentle winds set the stage for unbelievable
Tarpon action on the saltwater flats of Belize. At the El Pescador Lodge,
north of San Pedro on Ambergris Cay, Ali and Logan Gentry are gracious hosts
and manage a turnkey Fly fishing operation, which accommodates expert as
well as the novice fisherman. The accommodations are excellent, the services
complete, and the cuisine is unique. The lodge dining room provides a full
service bar, which is the gathering place for raucous afternoon fish tales
and rowdy card games. With El Pescador as base station, Nestor Gomez, a king
among tarpon guides, engineered a game plan, which proved fantastic. Early
morning starts were the cornerstone of success. Rising at 3:30 A.M. to
travel under cover of darkness allowed access to fishable flats at first
light. Within minutes of the first drift, the sounds of rolling tarpon
electrified attention and forced sightings of telltale silver backs and
rippling fins. Fly-casting any target was simple in the absence of defeating
wind. The roll call was incredible. " Tarpon rolling 200 feet 9 o'clock, 60
feet at 2 o'clock, two of them at 50 feet 1 o'clock". Choosing a target
proved to be the most difficult decision. Once chosen, inducing a take was
not a problem. The fish were aggressive and slammed flies, at times with
aerial assaults. In all we fished six days, covering five flats in three
different areas from mangrove margins to deepwater. Hundreds of fish were
sighted. Of presentations made there were thirty takes, twenty-seven fish
jumped, and nine landed. The largest weighed 165 lbs. [68 inches long, 43
inches girth], and was subdued after a two-hour battle, which included 27
runs, 7 jumps, and 5 lurches under the boat, the last of which destroyed my
# 12 Loomis GLX rod. Two other fish went over 100 lbs., the remaining ranged
from 15 to 85 lbs. Many of the fish jumped were on for multiple jumps and
were lost for a variety of faults: snapped leaders, poor hook sets, and
unexplained. The experience was the realization of the quintessential tarpon
fantasy. I am planning to reproduce it as soon as I rest my weary back and
trunk. Nestor, Ali, Logan, El Pescador , thank you for the experience.
Written by Dr. Anthony Cuomo on August 28, 2000
A.K.A. Tarpon Tony
PS..
Dr. Anthony Cuomo had an unforgettable week of tarpon fishing at El Pescador
Lodge in Belize last week. Dr. Tarpon Tony has been a guest and friend of
El Pescador for over 11 years, always fishing with his favorite guide,
Nesto. Tony landed the lodge record for the 1999 season last May with a 157
pounder. He now holds the 2000 record as well with a 165 pounder caught on
August 26th. He is only 4 pounds shy of the lodge record for our 30 year
history.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
