Vieques Adventure Company

Show and Tell / Bone School 101

2008-08-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

This journey begins with a phone call and a big group coming to Vieques to watch there friends get married and some wanted to MountainBike others wanted to doYoga ,Hiking ,snorkeling and the lone fisherman who could get away requests kayakFishing, oh yeah!, with in a few days there was a plan for everyone. I dropped off 8 MountainBikes and picked up Mike at Inn On the Blue early enough for the roosters to still be a bit groggy and we drove across the Island to the only place open for a Jamon Y Queso this early. El Serrucho a local breakfast haunt I have been visiting early mornings, there is more action in this little spot than you would beleive. Sandwiches are hot and fast just like the coffee, warm milk and sugar...Good Morning! With sandwiches half gone we embark to our launching point, I begin to walk Mike through the flow of our day and what he could expect from our 3 mile round trip paddle, after lil blue lumbaring down the road at at 15miles per hour we finally arrive. kayaks come off the truck and inventory is taken as we pack the kayaks for a great paddle to a very unique place on the Southside of the Island. Like clockwork the wind slowly began to increase and I knew our first leg would be more challenging than anticipated, but we would be safe, just a little wet and tired by the time we got there, but it would be worth it, I assured him. So, with that we began to paddle straight into the wind,technique, focus and strength make this is an attainable paddle for most people and Mike was loving it, water, wind, waves and a perspective gained only while paddling a kayak. I am so excited to be able to show almost anyone how to make Fly-Fishing in a small boat or Kayak fun and easy with virtually no impact on the very thing you love the most. These fisheries are incredibly diverse and some of the best examples of healthy food chains, From the algae on the mangroves to the minnows and endless other organisms that thrive from their mere existence, these food sources create these ridiculous conditions for great fishing. Now the wind will always be there for you, but the angling oppourtunity is everywhere once you begin to learn the cycles of the bay. There were really big fins out there and I had to made sure I knew what was hanging around as we were walking to post up and wait for those sweet Bones swimming up into the current feeding on what every they want, they are pigs okay now that mostlly applies to the Wild Browns found up in the North Park area of Colorado,. There was this one irrigation ditch....oh forget it. Back to the Bones....So Mike was standing next to me on the flat and I began to explain to him how to see the water, that's right "see", like camouflage the wind whips the water and creates lots of horizon that looks the same, now the job of sighting is recognizing the subtle differences you can see in active areas of water that just looked different and if you looked closer, you could decide things like species, overall direction, size, etc. The wind was blowing so my knowledge of this area told me he would have a shot at a fish if I got him behind some cover. On the way to.. we see a nice size bone and nice is 6lb-8lbs and a shiny tail sending the"Hey over here", A couple casts, First one you know shaking a little nervous, I mean all this nature 25ft away this is the kind of stuff you see on fishing shows and Mike was in his own. Second cast came off and landed perfect, I instructed him to watch the S in his line and well....we stood there and let that bonefish do his thing and find that fly, slowly he came right over, we saw his shadow and tail by the time he ate it. This bone was not happy with the hook in his mouth and well Mike learned a thing or two really quickly. He listened to every crazed comment coming from his guide who was so psyched to have this guy on a Bone especially considering the conditions and time constraints. Mike fought his first Bone with valor, but this wild bone got the best of him in the deep weeds. Mike was doing everything perfect, rod above his head with all line cleared and playing his first Bone on the real, so good job, better luck next time, we'll get him. Fly-fishing those bones put some things in perspective that day and it was my pleasure . I promised Mike I would get the evidence up for him cause you know what they say......A Fish Story is nice, but pics and video make the story! So I hope you all like it and by the way, my editor was on vacation, so just read it as painful as it maybe and enjoy what you can. Mike see ya next year and here is the footage of the Nurse Shark we found out there while waiting for those Shiney tails to appear in the distance... If you have any questions like .??? How you can be like Mike contact: garry@viequesadventures.com KayakFishing Paddle On.....

Can't Stop The Flow.......

2008-07-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

The month of July has been very hot and full of afternoon siestas, sunsets on the malecon in Ezperanza and mornings at the bakery with all those sunburned faces, mine included. Yep... it is summer, for sure. To top it off a group of my friends from Ft.Collins, Co came down for a summer get away and we have spent a great time enjoying the festivities,Beaches food and lots of laughs...Oh yeah fishing was having a hard time working itself into the rotation but one night dancing the night away to salsa with so many familiar faces in th new town square listening to a famous band calle El Gran Combo and they played one incredible song after another and everyone knew the words...even me. I had to get my old fishing friend Jason Slaughter (aka Peewee..he will explain the nickname) out to one of my favorite spots to paddle the kayaks stake off and start hooking fish that run faster than anything I have ever been tied to, including cars... So after a couple deafining exchanges at close range trying to hear each other over the blarring salsa , it was on.................. The following morning at 5:30am I pulled up to the big old house on the hill in Ezperanza to get an old fishing buddy on his first Bone fish. We squeaked and rattled down the road to the last stop on the USFW access and began to get the kayaks off "little blue" my 1993 Chevy s-10 and it has the nickname because there is very little blue left on her, but that little truck has been hauling gear and people all over this island for years and not once left me stranded. It didn't take but a couple of minutes and I could feel the wind speed increasing and the white caps on the horizon were beginning to multiply. I looked over at my fishing buddy and began to explain the finer points of paddling his Tarpon 12o Kayak through waves and wind, PW and I had fished in tons of wind in our adventures of old which took us into the Colorado Rockies, the plains and Parks of Wyoming and into a group of lakes at around 8500ft called the Delaney Buttes and we were tortured up there in the elements for the fish we would break morning ice with our 8ft pontoon boats on the lakes trying to catch the big morning bows cruising the shore looking for a few good crawfish, 10lb 25in my personal best on those lakes .....so I knew PW was up to this 1.5mile paddle straight into the wind and waves. 84degree water, piece of cake and we were going to the promise land.....Ensonada Honda and I am not talking about just the flats, but the whole bay holds a huge array of life, both above and below the surface. the paddle out was a challenge and with a little cadence and lots of patience our Kayaks sliced through the waves and wind. We had arrived at the protected coves this great piece of water offers variety in species and techniques, sure EH is know for it's great Bone fish, Tarpon and Permit opportunities but it is so much more. On a well equipped Fishing kayak you can see and get on water so thin you almost feel funny being in a kayak, but you glide over silent and touching nothing. The traditional antiquated gasoline pollution and sonic noise pollution are motivation for me to promote a greener alternative with less overall eco-disturbance. When using Kayaks...I am challenging anglers to go greener, I am challenging them physically, Mentally. The rewards are obvious and the experience is truely personal. It is a movement catching on all over the world and what a better time than now to begin to change our lifestyles to a healthier and greener way that will foster obvious benefits.

Okay back to the story, we get to the fishing grounds and begin looking for our first target and we saw plenty of choices, the wind direction and distance pretty much made the choices easy, it took a few attempts for PW to get the distance down, when you are out there with so wide open water and sky, everything becomes relative especially the distance to a tailing Permit...as soon as he was there he was gone ...the ghost teaches and another lesson that day, preparing PW for his first bone. I could see weather moving in and we got to see tropical rain closeup and personal, we took cover and waited for the Chubasco cloud to pass.The front passed and the wind calmed just enough to see Pw's first bone coming into range, silvery glisten reflecting on the tail like a signal mirror telling where hhe was and what his feeding dispositon was... first cast way short, picked up his line I told him to just relax and cast. Next shot was a couple feet off target which ended up being great. I pulled out my Olympus 1030 and began to record, watched and waited, one small 3in strip fast and short, it was all this wiley bone needed to decide he would eat, the take was soft, the s shape your line makes when on the water, I instructed PW to watch his line and sure enough we could see the line slowly growing tight, "Fish On".......Yeah explosion and the run almost put Pdub on his knee, it took seconds for that bone to take PW"s backing to places it had never been before hit a tangle............."Game Over" He battled his first monster on video for almost a solid minute.Now I have seen PW hook into more fish than anyone else , I mean Hogs!! I know in most any place he goes with a rod , it's bent this guy catches and it was great to see the respect in his eyes once he realized what he had just experienced...he was ruined for ever. PW got the bug after his first success with an Ensonada Honda bone and will be back for more. We got into the typical Barracuda and Pargo (Mutton Snapper) who inhabit the mangrove lined Shore, on the paddle back to the car he looked at this place and knew he would be back and could have some of the best memories ever fishing in Vieques with friends. Fishing green is not as hard as people who have never tried it would want you to believe, Kayaks slow you down to natures pace and this is the next level of do it your self guide excursions, with the correct guidance and gear, you will gain the experience and confidence to go to destinations like this on your own to explore your fishing dreams in the most beautiful place I have ever called home. Good luck on your journey and happy fishing. Mi Isla Nena Contact us for information about the outdoors at http://www.viequesadventures.com/

GOT FLATS ?

2008-06-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

It was just another one of those gorgeous mornings in Vieques, there was a slight wind, the sky was blue and I was on my way to a very public yet unknown shallow water fishery which has treated me well from the day I lay eyes on her. As I rounded the corner there was a car parked in that spot, you know the favorite fishing hole parking spot. I get out walk down the beach to investigate and it's two guys walking all over the little coral heads and chucking gulp minnows as if they were at the lake or something. Now do not get me wrong this resource is here for everyone to use , but not abuse. These guys probably did not know the damage they were doing with every step, but they were still hurting the flat and that was a problem. We got to talking after they had come in, they were not even sure of the name of the beach but SOMEONE told them to go down there and fish and so they did did the best they could with what they knew about their new environment. But unfortunately every time a Bonefish, Permit, Ray, Shark or any other aquatic inhabitant of the flat has a traumatic exchange with the human world we make it harder to get close to these creatures. The fish on other flats on the island get far more pressure and there learning curve are much higher. The recent influx of fisherman on this incredible little flat is evidence they are becoming human savvy and it's because of our bad angling habits. This flat is tucked away on the north side of the island is a little piece of heaven and well, world-class would be the only way to describe it. Now like any good thing , it won't last and because of that we must all do our part when it comes to keeping the habitat intact and fish with a conscience.
Take a morning lesson and you will be able to walk onto a flat with much more confidence. learn the methods of fly-fishing for Bone fish and Permit. Learn fly selection, approach, presentation the hookup and finally the release after a great picture. With just about 2yrs of experience fishing the waters of Vieques, I am the first to say I have lots to learn and that's the best part of this lifetime sport. I have been allowed to fly back in time to a place that has not yet seen the pressures of many more popular and historical fishing locations around the world. Which in turn allows me shots at fish that have otherwise disappeared from the landscape of other once famous flats. There is no substitute for time invested in learning a piece of water, spending as much time on the water as humanly possible teaching and orienting new anglers to what works and when. I have fished almost every flat with in a 6mile round trip in my Tarpon120 Wilderness Systems Kayaks. You pull up to a flat mostly invisible, stake off the boats and you look for your first target, it is a real simplistic way of getting to your preferred fishing location as well as giving a more intimate experience as you paddle to your next destination.
So at the end of all these metaphorical comparatives and strong opinions. I just want to say this island is for everyone to experience and cherish. I do not know another place in the world I can do the things I love everyday with some of the most interesting people you could meet anywhere. Outdoor Adventurers and fly-fishing fanatics are finding this place weaving a network with common threads that will keep these flats fishing for many generations to come.
That little piece of heaven on the North side is where I caught my first Bone and it still keeps me coming back looking to finally land that monster I have seen many days before. Tomorrow feels like a good day to make a little history. If you are looking to make a little history of your own take a look at http://www.viequesadventures.com/. and tell us how we can help. Happy adventures and tread lightly to preserve this one of a kind Island we call home.

Alternate perspectives

2008-04-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

From far and away devout nature lovers are coming out of the wood work looking for that antidote found only on Vieques Island. If you have never heard of this paradise then it is time to get back in the loop and check out this one of a kind world. The picture for this month came from a recent ride with a friend of mine (Jim) who came to visit. He said I want to ride to beaches, climb hills to get the best views available and i want to do downhills that will make my heart race. So at 7:00 am sharp we were off to many of the hidden yet obvious spots once you have started riding here on the island. We stopped and picked tamarindo right from the tree, took a nature walk, saw things only found in Vieques, ended up on the south western side to find nothing more than ourselves and all that unspoiled beauty. No roads, no houses,no nothing except a pristine untouched coastline. For those of us who have come to Vieques for her incredible beauty and the resilience found in her people and history we are proud to be the Stuarts of this precious place. Take a picture it lasts longer and you can take it home unlike anything you would find here on the beach. Thanks again and tread lightly. Look for more posts:
Vieques Adventure Company or send us any requests to garry@viequesadventures.com or to learn more about what we do go to wwwbikevieques.com or http://www.viequesadventures.com/

Team Building....???

2008-02-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

7:30am getting everyone in the door of the little sandwich shop on the water in Isabella II was a trick but I had no Idea what we were about to get into. Letting ten lawyers from Tampa on a team building get away, release there stresses on my Mountain Bikes was a beautiful thing to see. We rode through rain and sun, poopwater puddles Bayahona (local tree with thorns reaching 3" plus ), wild horses, old ruins laying awaste in the jungle, Flora and Fauna every where.... you get the picture. Many of these people had not ridden a bike of any kind for sometime and they were tired and wet but excited with what they had accomplished through out there guided excursion with my buddy Dunkin: a retired NY Firefighter turned Island enthusiast and me the only Canadarican in the Caribbean. We finished with a few group shots and some already engrained memories from the new found confidence and comradery in the group. We all said our goodbyes and hoped to cross pathes again on bikes with Dunkin and the Canadarican. I always feel like the luckiest man on earth to have an opportunity to share the boundless beauty of this one of a kind destination, my little island haven... Vieques. Check out my website http://www.viequesadventures.com/ or e-mail me garry@viequesadventures.com for more information about how you and some friends can get on a MTB Tour with

VIEQUES ADVENTURE COMPANY and set the tone for your trip.

Garry- Borat & the Barracuda

2008-02-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

It was just another one of those days in paradise and I was not sure what was next and kayak-fishing was on the brain. I loaded up the boats and headed for one of the not so popular places to launch from PG, we battled the waves and got out beyond the breakers...time to fish. With my 12ft Wilderness System Tarpon 120 and my Penn rod and 309 reel the game began. After a little paddling into the wind my reel began to sing an all to familiar sound click.click..yeah! My friend Alex was besides himself with the prospect of dealing with this fish and well honestlly i was not much better. What's it going to be this time, to my surprise what ever it was it was taking multiple runs and on this rig this fish felt big..... The closer it got to the kayak my heart rate escalated and I was face to face with a pissed off 3ft plus barracuda. If a 6in rapala with multiple trebles and rows of razor sharp teeth is not enough to keep you on your toes I just happened to be ...oh yeah.. in a kayak. I landed and released him, as I watched him slip into the depth's I was thankful for yet an oppourtunity to be that close to mother nature and for her allowing me to enter and exit her world unscathed and able to fight fish another day. As for my friend Alex he will never look into the water the same again. If you want to try your hand at some kayak-fishing whether it is trolling, spincasting or fly-fishing, contact garry@viequesadventures.com. or http://www.viequesadventures.com/ Look for more postings about Kayak-Fishing in and around Vieques.

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2008-02-03T06:33:00.001-08:00

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