Today I was thinking about the great people I have had a chance to meet over the last year and the stories we all traded. life is a great journey and it takes us to places and to people we could have never planned to meet. Since my last blog there have been, let's say "moments". I have been to Martha's Vineyard to work with Chick Stapelton Owner of Island Spirit kayak. Yep, Chick and if there was such a thing as a 5th degree black belt in Kayaking she is it. She schooled me on the finer points of level II ACA Certification and showed me her Island and introduced me to many genuine people. I got back home to Vieques and had the opportunity to work on a project for The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Aura 360, a cutting edge production company out of Maine, Men's Journal and some lucky contestants racing there way around Puerto Rico and beach hopping in kayaks... That will be another blog entry later this month as apart of the best of 2008. A special use permit by U.S. Fish & Wildlife was made available to us allowing access to the farthest reaches of the island for Kayak-Fishing, Biking, snorkeling and overall exploration for all sorts of weiry travellers looking for that antidote only Vieques can offer. So a friend named Martin who has been coming to the Island for more than 20yrs wanted to go and give this kayakfishing thing a try. A very smart guy who has overcome a heart attack and Cancer treatments was looking for a real experience and I am happy to say we gave him one, here are some picture and video of his day with me out on the water. We both had a great time that day and it was a real rewarding thing to see the permagrine on his face as he went for his first Vieques Sleighride while landing a beautiful fish. As a wise elder once said to me "life is for learning" and so it is......

Labels: Garry Lowe, Vieques Adventure Company, Vieques Kayak Fishing

This blog entry is dedicated to everyone who took the time to get in touch with me here in Vieques and gave the new guy on the block a chance to share what we have to offer on the island. The Mountain Bike tours have been the base of the business and is the strongest leg growing due to the overwhelming positive feedback from last years trips. Kayak Fishing as a sport is the fastest growing segment of the current U.S. fishing market and the trickle down is being felt here in Vieques, with more trips booked for next year than ever it is obvious this sport is here to stay and further pull in fringe fisherman. We were happy to be the only equiptment delivery service on the island as an added bonus to our customers we will bring equiptment to your guesthouse, or if reserved to any of the beaches in garcia gate, the Wildlife refugee. Which offers endless oppourtunity for the soloist or DIY adventure traveler. Vieques Adventure Company is proud to be the only Mountain Bike Tour operator on the island with the special permitting necessary to take you onto the 54% of the island controlled by U.S Fish and Wildlife. This license allows us to offer Interpretive Nature Tours through out the old naval land. Some of the most beautiful beaches and vistas in all of the Carrribean and U.S Virgin Islands are found here in Vieques. Pristine is an understatement, these beaches make you feel guilty that you are the only one on them and the Flora and Fauna are more diversified than our island neighbors. This year will be one of new trips like our new paddle and peddle our peddle and snorkel, Deep Sea Kayak fishing and our early morning bird and paddles will attract even the most reserved travellers. We have had the oppourtunity to host many different people looking to accomplish many different personal goals while on vacation, let Vieques Adventure Company show and tell you about our incredible Island home. Look for upcoming Blog on the http://www.enchantedisle.com/ called "The So Real Life" an other perspective of our island home.

Labels: Camp Garcia, Ensonada Honda, Mountainbike Tours, Vieques Kayak Fishing, Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

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.....

Labels: Bonefish Hook-up Vieques Adventure Company, Ensonada Honda, Fly-Fishing with Kayaks, Nurse Sharks, Wilderness Kayaks, www.ViequesKayakFishing.com

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.

Labels: Ensonada Honda, Fly-Fishing, Jason Slaughter, Olympus Stylus 1030, Orvis Zero Gravity, Vieques Adventure Company, Vieques Kayak Fishing, Wilderness Kayaks

This Video Blog will have to speak for itself. Filming and Fishing are two of my favorite things to do, other than eating at El Resuelve after a good day on the flats. I finally got my Olympus 790SW back from corporate. I guess they are not as water proof as they thought. They were nice enough to get me a new one free of charge feildtesting, now it's back so I was able to pull new footage for your enjoyment. Very proud to say that this healthy little flat gave me the pleasure of catching and releasing 9 Bones in half a dozen sessions , ranging between 3-6lbs most caught on a shrimp Scampi, pink and tan seem to be the colors. Those two colors catch fish all over the world, one of my favorites would have to be Grey's Reef on the North Platte river just outside of Casper Wyoming. The AutHaus hole is were we would set up indicator rigs and drift with tan and pink scuds (freshwater river crustacean), Drifting with lots of weight and just waiting for the the line to stop then start hauling upstream, down stream, sometimes you would get a good jump after he mistakes your scud for a real one. Before this place was standing room only and now you can find anglers waiting on the banks of the river for their turn in this famous run. After fishing the rivers and lakes of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and up and down the east coast from New Brunswick Canada to the Keys I can say I have been blessed to have seen so much water. The Northside Flats area has made me a better fisherman and is a great training ground for any fisherman looking to hone his/her skills. The pure satisfaction of picking out an individual fish, making the cast, introducing your fly and having a lifetime experience time and time again with these great fish. I am looking forward to my next NorthSide Bone Fish Therapy session.....

Labels: Bonefishing, Flyrod, Garry Lowe, Northshore, Therapy, Vieques Adventure Company, Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, Wading, Walking

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.

Labels: Bonefish, Flats Fishing, Fly-Fishing, Permit, Vieques kayaks, WalkWade

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/

Labels: Photography, Rental Bikes, Vieques Adventure Company, Vieques Bike Tours