| Galapagos Marlin School Fishing Reports |
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| Galapagos Striper on Fly |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 31, 2007
Greetings from San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 31, 2007; Today after coffee at the Miaconia Hotel, George & Sharon Maybee and I walked across the street at 6:30 AM to the municipal dock where we met up with Braden Escobar, Captain Alan Starr, and mates Tito and Julio aboard the vessel “Blue”. As we headed out of the harbor here at San Cristobal, Galapagos, the air temperature was 72 degrees and the water temperature was 71.9 degrees, with thick fog.
Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein decided to take the day off to pack for her upcoming trip to Panama and to meet up with her husband Herb Goldstein, who returned from a 4 day nature cruse of the Galapagos today. After a 1 hour thirty minute to Rosita Bank we began trolling the soft head teasers and looking for Marlin.
Around 11:00 AM the sun came out, the fog burned off, and the water temperature got up to 75 degrees. George Maybee was the first to hook a Striped Marlin on fly today, it was a hot fish that tore off 200 yards of backing then proceeded to jump 21 times and charge the boat. After a 25 minute battle with George getting the Marlin within 30 feet from the boat six times, that Marlin went crazy and ripped off 300 yards of backing again and jumped another 10 times. After 46 minutes George was 40 feet from landing this world record sized Striped Marlin when the 20 pound test tippet finally wore through and broke. As soon as the tippet broke, which took the pressure off of the hooks in the pink and white Cam Sigler fly, the fly and broken tippet floated to the surface after falling from the Marlins Mouth.
Thirty minutes later Sharon Maybee got her chance when Braden teased in red hot striper which was the biggest hooked fish of this trip, Captain Alan Starr estimated this fish to be over three hundred pounds. Sharon made a good cast to the Marlin which crashed her fly, then when she set the hook that fish went grey hounding away from the boat while ripping drag from George’s new Ross Momentum # 8 Fly Reel. After a 44 minute battle which was a tug of war Sharon’s back gave out so she handed the TFO Big Game heavy fly rod off to George, who proceeded to put the heat on the big Marlin. Thirty minutes later that Monster was still 40 feet below the boat when the 20 pound tippet gave way and that big Striped Marlin swam away free. Today we raised 12 Striped Marlin, all were between 160 and 350 pounds, my students got four bites and landed none.
Fishing for Marlin with fly equipment while using IGFA rules of engagement along with 20 pound test or lighter leaders is like hunting Elephants with sling shots, It is the thrill of the hunt and battling these monsters where they have more than a fare chance to win is what makes this sport so exciting. Just think, 20 years ago no one had ever caught a 200 pound Marlin on a fly, during the last 11 days fly fishing here in the Galapagos we landed several world record sized Striped Marlin (Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein's 200 pound plus on 20 pound tippet, and my 240 plus pounder on 16 pound tippet) and cast flies to at least 4 Marlin over 300 pounds. These folks attending my Marlin on Fly Schools are not seasoned professional fly anglers, they are people with that passion to do something really hard and they have chosen to try this wonderful sport. I am frankly amazed at how far we have come in such a short time. For me at least, releasing that Record sized Marlin (My biggest ever on fly) was another milestone in my pursuit of Big Billfish on the Fly. During the last 11 days of my Marlin Schols my students and I saw hundreds of Striped Marlin between 140 and 350 pounds, we raised over 100, teased in dozens, and had more than 30 eat the fly. That last big Marlin which I caught was my 64th Striped Marlin on fly, however I can tell you that these are much bigger Striped Marlin than the ones in Mag Bay Mexico.
I will be back in North Carolina on Tuesday morning, then I will be in the Keys on April 6th to begin My Tarpon season, however I will defiantly be back to The Galapagos for more of this awesome fly fishing for Striped Marlin just south of the equator. I will write a complete report on Galapagos Fly Fishing for Marlin' and post lots of great pictures on my website when I get home. I love my Job, more reports to follow.
Regards:
Jake
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| George Maybee's Big Striped Marlin on Fly |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 30, 2007
Greetings from San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 30, 2007; Last night after a great dinner of yellow fin Tuna, (Caught by George Maybee) at the Miaconia hotel restaurant, we turned in about 9:30 PM. This morning George Maybee, Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein, and I boarded Blue with Captain Alan Star and Braden Escobar, and began our one hour run to first national bank.
Half way to the fishing grounds we ran into a fog bank which remained all day until we got almost back to San Cristobal. The water temperature varied between 72 and 75 degrees today however we had 200 yard visibility most of the day. We had a tough time seeing the 5 Marlin which we raised, or the 13 trailers that would not tease in to allow us to cast to them.
George got a weak bite early but it missed the fly, later Suzanne had a hot fish tease in but it turned away after a feeble attempt to eat the fly. I had one fish tease in but it never even looked at my fly, so we got home with a score of Marlin 3 anglers zero!
One more day of fishing before we head back to the mainland then home on Tuesday. This Marlin fly fishing here in the Galapagos has the potential to be the best in the world; we had several shots at 300 pound plus Striped Marlin, and caught several world record category fish on fly during the last ten days. When I get home I will write a complete story about this trip and post hundreds of awesome pictures. Hopefully we will find some hot fish tomorrow to wind up our Galapagos fishing adventure. More reports to follow, I love this job, wish you were here.
Regards:
Jake
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| Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein's Record Size Striped Marlin on 20 pound tippet |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 29, 2007
Greetings from San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 29, 2007; Today after coffee George Maybee, Suzanne Schmidt and I met up with our host Braden Escobar, Captain Alan Starr, and our two mates and boarded the vessel Blue for a 1 ½ hour run to a different bank to look for more aggressive Striped Marlin. The weather was sunny and calm, with 75 degree water temperature when we began fishing.
I got a weak bite on the first fish but it never got the fly, then George Maybee hooked a 180 pounder which ran off 200 foot of backing then spit the fly out.
The next bite from our 19 Striped Marlin raised today came near mid day when a big Marlin hit the middle teaser, then dropped back and attacked the long teaser.
As our mate teased the fish to within 30 feet of the transom, Suzanne made a great cast and that monster jumped all over the well placed Pink and White Cam Sigler fly which was rigged with 2 6/0 Gamakatsu hooks and 20 pound Mason Hard class tippet.
That Marlin jumped at least 40 times and several times charged the boat, while Suzanne worked her magic with that fly rod and reel. It took Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein just 36 minutes to wind the leader into the tiptop of the TFO Big Game heavy fly rod to score the catch. Twenty minutes later Braden grabbed the Bill of that 200+ pound Striped Marlin to remove the fly so we could release the fish.
After we took some well deserved pictures of Suzanne’s magnificent Marlin it swam away free and healthy. By the way that 200 pound plus Striped marlin was Suzanne’s first ever Marlin, and it was also the first Marlin taken on fly tackle by a female angler ever, in the Galapagos. In addition to that, I also think that it would also have been a world record; however Suzanne had decided to release her Marlin before it was ever hooked. At her first Sailfish School with me she caught and released a 150 plus pound Sailfish on fly in Guatemala.
Later George Maybee caught a 30 pound yellow fin tuna which we will have for dinner tonight, and then He hooked the fourth bite of the day. This fish was a monster but again the hook pulled loose and the Marlin Swam away. We still have two days left in this Marlin School, and the fishing is heating up. More Reports to follow. Wish you were here!
Regards:
Jake
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| Suzanne with leader inside of rod tip |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 27, & 28, 2007
Greetings from San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 27, 2007; Today we started a new Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly-Fishing School aboard the 32 foot vessel Blue with Captain’s Alan Star, and Braden Escobar, along with mates Julio and Ronnie. I am the fly fishing instructor and my students for the next 5 days are: Sharon and George Maybee from Colorado, and Suzanne Schmidt Goldstein from Florida, Suzanne’s husband Herb Goldstein is here to support his wife’s habit.
Last night after an excellent seafood dinner, we went through the techniques that we will use to catch these Marlin on fly tackle. All of my students have attended my Sailfish School in Guatemala in the past and are ready to step up to the Marlin. At 6:30 Am after a god nights sleep at the Miaconia hotel and several good cups of coffee, we boarded Blue and headed for the first national bank in search of the elusive Striped Marlin.
Our first encounter came at 9:05 when George Maybee had his first Striped Marlin bite ever, a 150 pounder teased in, ate his fly while coming at the boat, then pulled the hooks after pulling 50 yards of backing off of the fly reel.
We wound up raising 14 Marlin today of which we convinced 5 to bite the fly. George got 3 bites, none stayed connected for long. The last shot of the day at 4 PM turned out that we teased in a triple, (Yes there was 3 Striped Marlin swimming around trying to eat my fly). The first 200 pounder hooked itself, took out 100 foot of line then came off; I wound the line into about 30 foot from the boat where all three fish were still trying to eat that fly. I made a cast to the smallest Marlin, a fish of over 150 pounds. That Marlin came out of the water and pounced on that pink Cam Sigler fly. This was my hottest Striped Marlin ever on a fly, This magnificent fish ran off over 450 yards while leaping in 30 foot greyhound jumps, mixed with left and right leaps, and then he doubled back, jumped onto the tippet and broke off after 5 minutes of the hottest action ever.
This Marlin fishing is awesome, we have 4 more days then I have to head home to begin my Tarpon season. These Galapagos Islands are unbelievable; I sure do love my job. Today we saw over 30 Marlin, teased 14, and got bit by 5; this is first class marlin fishing. I feel like we are shooting elephants with a sling shot by trying to catch the Striped Marlin in the 200 pound range on fly tackle using 20 & 16 pound tippet. More reports to follow
Regards
Jake
March 28, 2007; Today we all had coffee at the Miaconia hotel then walked over to the “Blue” to head out for another day of fly fishing for Striped Marlin. Today the water temperature when we began fishing was 72 degrees with fog. We pulled teasers from 8:00 until 11:00 AM in the fog. The sun burned through at 11:05, and then at 11:50 a big striped marlin teased up and attacked two of our teasers.
I cast the pink and white Cam Sigler fly and that Big Marlin ate it as she charged across the wake at full speed. She jumped 22 times as she ripped off 300 plus yards of backing, before changing directions and heading full speed while grey hounding at the boat. She passed 10 foot off of the starboard side of the “Blue” and then ripped off 200 more yards of backing before settling down for a long battle.
I fought her on a Temple fork Blue Water heavy fly rod, using an experimental fly reel built by Jack Charlton, a Rio 550 grain leviathan head, with 16 pound test Mason Hard class tippet, for 51 minutes. At 12:41 PM I reeled this Marlin, which was estimated by our two captains to be between 220 and 240 pounds, up along side of the boat. I had the whole but section inside of the tip top with the rod tip 2 feet from the Marlins mouth. As I backed away to allow the mate to grab the Marlin to remove my fly, the mate pulled on the leader and the frayed 16 pound test tippet broke and the fly fell out of her mouth. That wonderful Striped Marlin was released and swam away unharmed. I sat and watched her swim away with a big grin on my face.
The rest of the day was beautiful, we saw more than 20 Striped Marlin tailing on the surface however we could not get another bite. This was my largest Marlin landed on fly ever, I sure do love my job. Tomorrow is another day in the Galapagos, wish you were here!
Regards:
Jake.
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| Jakes Big Striped Marlin on fly |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 26, 2000
Greetings from San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador:
Today I got to fish alone with Captain Alan Starr running the “Blue”, Braden Escobar and Julio as my teaser men, and me as the angler. The water temperature was 75 degrees; Calm Seas prevailed, with bright sunshine all day. We raised 7 Striped Marlin, all between 180 and 240 pounds, of which we teased 4 to the boat.
I hooked all four of those Striped Marlin on pink Cam Sigler flies, the first was 180 pounds and I released it at boat side in 22 minutes. The second fish was estimated at 240 pounds, ten minutes into the battle it jumped at me and landed on the tipped, GONE! Fish number three looked to be 190 and was red hot when it ate my fly, after a 20 minute battle the hook pulled out about 30 feet from the boat.
My forth fish of the day was a 200 + pounder which came completely out of the water to eat my fly. This magnificent fish fought valiantly for 42 minutes on 20 pound tippet, and then I finally wound the leader through the tip top of my fly rod, which made this fish count as a caught Marlin. As Braden reached for the bill to take the fly from the Marlins mouth, the tippet broke, and she swam away happy and unharmed. We arrived back at the dock at 2:00 PM which means that we did all of this fishing in 5 ½ hours.
What a great place this Galapagos is, I have not yet seen the hundreds of Striped Marlin as in the past; however there is more than enough to make any fly angler in pursuit of Striped marlin very happy. I just released two Striped Marlin on fly in one day, with one of them weighing over 200 pounds! I love my Job, Wish you were here. More reports to follow from the next Marlin School which begins tomorrow.
Regards:
Jake
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| Jakes Marlin at the Boat |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 25, 2000
Greetings from San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 25, 2007; Today the Striped Marlin School continued aboard the vessel “Blue” at Braden’s Bank in the Galapagos. The Striped Marlin were thick with the total of fish seen over 30 Marlin on this last day of fly fishing for Craig Machado and Randy Genis. Craig caught a Marlin of about 180 pounds to start things off, then Randy hooked a fish that was way over 200 pounds, only to pull the hook after a 10 minute battle.
Randy hooked and fought an even bigger Striped Marlin later in the day only to loose this fish to a pulled hook after a valiant battle. Today the crew raised 10 Marlin, teased 6 up to the boat, and got three to bite the fly.
During our 6 days of fly fishing aboard the vessel Blue with Braden Escobar, Alan Starr, along with mates Julio and Ronnie, we saw close to 100 Striped Marlin, we raised 52, got 17 to bite the fly and caught three Striped Marlin on fly. The fish we saw averaged about 180 pounds with quite a few over 200 pounds. This is great fishing and I still have a week to go.
Please stay tuned for more fly fishing reports from the Galapagos and from “The Marlin School”. Wish you were here!
Good Fishing:
Jake
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| Craig Machado's first Striped Marlin on Fly |
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Galapagos Striped Marlin Fly Fishing School Report
March 20 – 25, 2000
Greetings from San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador:
March 18, 2007; on my 65th birthday I boarded an airplane and headed to Guayaquil Ecuador, where I was to meet Marlin School students, Hugh Chatham, Randy Genis, and Craig Machado, from northern California and Nevada. As it turned out Craig was not allowed to board his airplane in Oakland Ca due to the fact that his passport was due to expire in 4 months. It seems that many countries will not allow entry unless your passport has at least six months left before expiration. Craig got a new passport and joined us in the Galapagos 2 days later.
March 19, 2007; We flew from Guayaquil to San Cristobal island in the Galapagos, where we were met by our host Braden Escobar from Ecuagringo Sporting Adventures, and were driven to the water front Marconi Hotel across from the boat harbor. We had lunch, talked about our fishing, and then went for a tour of the Island. We saw the giant turtles, flora and fauna, incredible beaches, and lots of unique wild life (Birds, seals, sea lions, marine iguanas’, blue footed boobies, whales, and dolphin). Tonight after a great seafood dinner we talked about the fly fishing for Marlin as I rigged the fly fishing equipment.
March 20, 2007; We had coffee at the hotel at 6:00 AM, then walked across the street to the municipal dock where we met up with Captain, Braden Escobar, and mates Julio and Ronnie, and boarded the 32 foot sport fishing vessel “Blue” for our first day on the water. We headed out for 45 minutes to a bank named Braden’s Bank, where we began to troll teasers while looking for Striped Marlin. We saw thousands of seals, sea lions, and porpoise, and a few tailing Marlin in the 80 degree water. We saw more than a dozen Striped marlin which looked to be between 150 & 250 pounds. The mates teased 3 to the boat; we got one to bite the fly and the Marlin missed the fly completely.
March 21, 2007; Today Captain Alan Starr (an old Florida Keys Charter Boat Captain), took the helm of “Blue”, and Braden joined us in the cockpit. We ran 1 ½ hours to a bank in the opposite direction, the water was 79 to 81 degrees and we only saw 2 Marlin all day. None of these fish would come near the boat so we never got a shot today.
March 22, 2007; Today with Craig Machado joining us we set out with Alan at the helm of “Blue”, for a 3 hour ride, over 100 miles to a bank just north of the national park boarder. There was 2 long line boats from the mainland working on this bank, the water temp was 79 to 81 degrees, and we never saw a Marlin all day.
March 23, 2007; Today we boarded Blue, then headed out to Braden’s Bank, where we put out the teasers and began fishing at eight o’clock AM. At 8:41 we raised our first Striped Marlin of the day, Hugh Chatham cast the pink and white Cam Sigler fly to that fish and the Marlin attacked the fly. After a 30 minute Battle Hugh released his first Striped Marlin on fly, a red hot fish of about 160 pounds.
A few minutes later another red hot fish attacked the middle teaser to set up a cast for Craig Machado. Craig made a good cast and that Marlin pounced on the fly and ripped off three hundred yards of backing before performing about a dozen great jumps. Craig fought this fish valiantly, then at 11:20 AM we released our second Marlin of the day, this one being over 150 pounds. Two casts, two caught Striped Marlin, this Marlin School really works well! Randy fished the rest of the day as we raised 8 more Marlin, teased in 3, which ate the fly, broke one off and the hooks pulled on the other two. Maybe it is not as easy as we thought. We celebrated catching two Striped Marlin on fly with a great seafood dinner and a bottle of good wine.
March 24, 2005: Captain Alan Starr headed back to Braden’s Bank where we found 76 degree water and herds of big Striped Marlin. During the morning they were teasing good and eating the fly well. We hooked four marlin before noon, all over 180 pounds, Randy fought 3 of them for at least 15 minutes each then one came off and the other two broke the 20 pound tippet while jumping. Lots of fish were tailing but the bite slowed for a couple hours, then they turned on again, we were seeing schools of 4 to 8 fish tailing on the surface in the dead calm seas.
Each of my students hooked Randy and Craig each fought another fish and either pulled the hooks or broke the tippet, then on Hugh’s second fish of the afternoon he hooked a 250 plus monster and fought it for 20 minutes before that fish jumped and landed on the leader and broke off. Today we saw close to 40 Striped Marlin, teased in 19 to the boat and hooked 8 of them. Marlin fishing with a fly rod is not easy however we are having a ball with lots of great action and several caught Marlin on fly!
Hugh Chatham graduated from “The Marlin School” and flew home today, Craig and Randy have one more day, and then on Tuesday another group arrives for another Marlin School in the Galapagos. I love my Job, wish you were here! More reports to follow.
Regards:
Jake.
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| Hugh Chatham after Releasing His first Striped Marlin on fly |
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