Huge Sussex Stingray - May 2018

I was fishing the West Sussex beaches over the recent bank holiday weekend in the hope of finding a Stingray. I try most years when the conditions are favourable around this time of year, but so far had been unsuccessful.

This year, everything changed! I fished on the Saturday afternoon with my friend Scott but we never had a bite in a 6 hour session. I then returned alone on the Sunday evening to try the night tide instead, starting at 9pm. It was flat calm with gin clear conditions and I had a solitary dogfish on my first cast, then my ragworm baits remained untouched until 3am.

I was on the verge of packing in as I had used up all my bait when there was a knock on my right hand rod, followed by lots of slack line. Winding down fast, I came up against some serious resistance as a powerful fish kited down tide, taking line as it ran. I had to apply serious side strain to keep it away from some underwater obstructions but eventually managed to turn it. 

After a bit of toing and froing, the fish eventually tired and I was able to slide this huge stingray up the shingle. I was amazed at the sheer size of it, never in all my dreams did I expect to catch a stinger like this. After having tried many times in recent years and not getting a reward, I was suitably pleased. Over the moon is an understatement!

All the other anglers had left the beach much earlier due to the inactivity, so I had to perform some self take photos. I also didn't have any scales with me so the fish was returned without being weighed. There's no doubt that it was huge, some have speculated that it's getting on for record size. Personally, I'm not fussed about the numbers. It's all about the experience and the memories and achieving the goals that I set myself in my fishing. This is one very special fish that I won't be forgetting in a hurry. I doubt I'll ever better that one! What a fish!!

Panama Kayak Adventure 2018

double header on the Wild Coast of Panama

In the last ten years, I've been fortunate enough to travel around the world in my search for adventure and prolific fishing. It didn't always go to plan and there have often been times where I've followed up snippets of information or trusted my instincts and been disappointed. It's all part of the travelling experience for me though. The flip side, of course, is when you stumble upon a real gem. As far as I'm concerned, Panama is certainly the jewel in the crown of Central America. It keeps drawing me back time and time again.

Sunrise at the camp on the Wild Coast

With its Caribbean and Pacific coasts teeming with hard fighting fish, friendly people and that wonderful tropical climate.....I find it all very appealing. Regular readers may remember l organised a trip to the  'Panama Kayak Adventure Camp' last winter and had probably the most exciting weeks fishing of my life! With Roosterfish knocking on for 80 lbs, giant Cubera Snapper, big Wahoo, Yellowfin tuna, Amberjack and many more species, it blew my mind. I had to go back to their little corner of paradise again.

Giant Roosterfish are the no.1 target for many visiting anglers

One week at the camp was just not enough though. The five days of fishing passed so quickly that I needed to find a way to stay for longer. I made a proposal to the owner Pascal and rounded up four groups of anglers which made a stay of a month totally possible, acting as a host. It was a win-win situation for us both really!

The main rancho and kitchen/dining area at the camp

With quality fishing and a remote, paradise location it wasn’t too hard to fill the places. It's certainly a bucket list destination for any angler, there's nowhere else quite like it. The first group that came out to join me this winter were a bunch from the UK, followed by the team from 'Saltwater Boat Angling Magazine', then we had a group from Florida and finally more guys from the US and a couple of Colombians in the final week.

Relaxing in the evening after a fantastic day on the water

Getting to share the adventure with different folk from around the world was a wonderful and rewarding experience. The thrill of catching your first Cubera Snapper or Roosterfish is a pretty special moment, I'll certainly never forget mine. It's made even more special when you're sat in a kayak as every successful battle is hard won. It's a real challenge and very rewarding when it all comes together.

Robert with his first ever Cubera

Being in the kayak means that you have to think for yourself, battle against the elements and physically work hard at times. It's a totally different experience to fishing from a boat and I feel it puts you much more in touch with your environment. Being low to the water and silent means you are able to get surprisingly close to your quarry and the wildlife without spooking them. There were many occasions where we were literally eye to eye with big turtles, sea snakes and pelicans.

Loading the panga up before going out exploring the Wild Coast

The waters of Panamas 'Wild Coast' are teeming with life. On several occasions, I was fortunate enough to witness huge manta rays and eagle rays gliding through the water below me, totally unphased by my presence. I also had the pleasure of watching a Goliath Grouper of several hundred pounds chasing a 10 lb Jack that had taken my lure. I was willing the grouper to take the Jack but after a couple of minutes circling the 'bait' it gave up and sunk out of sight. The fact that you can still find Goliath Groupers there is testament to what a thriving and rich ecosystem it is. It's like the 'Jurassic Park' of fishing!

The stunning backdrop of the Cerro Hoya National Park and its mountains

I take most of my tackle with me and favour travel rods for the ease of carriage. I like a good sturdy heavy spinning/popping rod for the big lures teamed up with a 6000 size Penn Spinfisher reel, loaded with 50lb braid. I also pack a lighter rod paired with a 4500 size Penn that casts up to 120g for the smaller lures and a bit of shore work. Jigging rods tend to be one-piece affairs so I hire one from the camp when I get there. Many of the guests just bring their lures and terminal tackle as all the rods and reels you need are available in a hire package should they be required.

The camp entrance nestled at the back of a deserted beach

During the first week I was joined by Ross, Terry and Alfie from the UK. These guys were super keen and a pleasure to have in camp with us. The combined experience of the location and the fishing blew them away. It wasn’t the easiest fishing that week but they worked hard, covered ground and were rewarded with some cracking specimens. Effort equals reward on the 'Wild Coast, that's for sure.

It's not all about the monsters. Here's Ross with an incredibly beautiful Giant Hawkfish. The biodiversity is incredible - there are literally 100's of  different species to catch if you so wish

The Cubera Snapper were around and we had 3 good sized fish between us, all on top water lures. This in itself is an achievement and a bucket list fish for many, especially on a popper. The guys had fun with the usual smaller Snapper species and a quite a few Blue Trevally on the top-water lures as well. The jigging had its moments with some nice Groupers and an absolute belter of an Almaco Jack for Alfie. He won't be forgetting that fight for some time, they really do pull hard!

Alfie with his big Almaco Jack

We had a nice session with small Yellowfin Tuna one afternoon which is always fun and made for some grade-A sashimi. Regardless of their size, they pull really hard and always put a smile on your face. There weren't that many Roosterfish around that week, only 3 small ones put in an appearance sadly.

The school sized yellow-fin tuna are incredible sport....and also fantastic eating

The guys did manage a total of 24 species in the week though, helped in part by Ross who is a dedicated specimen hunter and was sneaking out all kinds of weird and wonderful mini species on his LRF gear – including an incredibly beautiful Giant Hawkfish. I took a beachcaster along this year and tried a bit of bait fishing in front of the camp after dark and was rewarded with 3 nurse sharks. A nice added bonus!

one of 3 nurse sharks caught right in front of the camp on bait

For the second week I was joined by the 'Saltwater Boat Angling' team from the UK and another friend of mine, Paul. The fishing definitely stepped up a gear this week and there seemed to be more fish around including good numbers of Roosters. Kyle caught the fantastic Rooster seen in the photo below, it was his target for the week and I know how much that fish meant to him. It was great to be a part of that special moment.

Kyle with his biggest Roosterfish of the week.

We spent a lot of time chasing the Roosters and enjoyed some great sport, each making multiple catches. There were plenty of Jacks around too, a few different Snapper species, some Pompano, good numbers of small Yellowfin Tuna, Blue Trevally and even a rogue Dorado. Plenty of variety keeping our rods bent.

Super Yellowtail Snapper caught on a jig

There were a couple of reasonable Cubera caught that week as well. One of which was so greedy that it took both Paul and Kyles lures as they were drifting and casting together. It took a while for them to work out what was happening as they simultaneously played a fish, only to discover they were both attached to it......incredible! The other one was a fish around the 30lb mark that was taken using bait from the beach in front of the camp at dusk. Another very pleasant surprise!

Kyle with a fantastic shore caught Cubera taken on bait right in front of camp at dusk

Week 3 saw John, Dave and Bob fly down from Florida to join us. They were most keen to get in to some Roosterfish and Cubera Snapper and they weren't disappointed. The Roosters were still around and in good numbers. We had some very settled conditions and were able to sight fish for them, it was very exciting angling.

This Dorado was caught on a popper just 60 yards off the beach.

Being able to spot groups of Roosters cruising around behind the breakers, shadowed by big Jack Crevalles was awesome. It was like casting into an aquarium. When they attacked your lure, it was heart in the mouth stuff. Watching the fish chase and nudge our lures before smashing them and tearing off on blistering runs or leaping high into the air was about as good as it gets. The whole group got to tick a Rooster off their list this week.

School sized Roosters are great fun on top water lures

The jigging was pretty hot as well with some nice Snapper, Almaco Jack and Pompano around. Jigging catch of the week went to John with his very rare Golden Trevally. The Cubera Snapper were feeding pretty hard and claimed a good few of our lures before we managed to get our own back.

John with a very rare and beautiful Golden Trevally - caught on a slow jig

We had 4 in total this week and I was lucky enough to catch the biggest of them as I trolled a big diving lure from an Island back to the mainland. Estimated at 60 lbs in weight, I don't think I'll ever better that. By far the biggest Cubera I've ever seen and what a fight it gave. The first run nearly melted the spool and once I got back on top of the fish it set about trying to pull me out of my kayak for a good ten minutes. Fish of a lifetime!

Monster Cubera Snapper on a lure - Fish of a lifetime!

In the final week, we had our Colombian/American friends come join us and they had a blast. Not only did they party hard, they caught some incredible fish too. This week was all about big Cuberas and Jacks. The guys weren't much into jigging so spent the majority of their time trolling or popping. The Cubera Snapper were on the move and hunting out in open water, giving the guys many opportunities. They had good numbers of big Snappers between them and stacks of tackle busting Jacks too, leaving them with stretched arms and big smiles.

Tackle busting Jacks never disappoint with their incredible strength

As I sit here now and look back at all the memories made, the good times shared and the incredible fish caught - I just can't wait to do it all again.  What a great adventure that was! Here's to the future......

INTERESTED IN JOINING ONE OF THESE TRIPS???

For more information and prices check out www.panamakayakadventure.com or contact me directly on UK 07813 640066 or panamakayakadventure@gmail.com or hit me up on facebook here. I have become a partner in the business and will be managing the lodge as of December 2018. Individuals and groups are welcome. Get in touch for prices, it's cheaper than you'd think!

The Anglers Cabins at the camp

The Wild Coast - the beach where the camp is situated

Cubera Snapper were plentiful - It was one of the best years ever for this species on the Wild Coast in 2018

Pacific Grunt - happy to take a slow jig on the offshore reefs

A nice sized African Pompano takes my flat-fall jig

The UK team from week 1

Ross Johnson with a nice Cabrilla Grouper

Fine dining in the Rancho of an evening - Amberjack Kebabs

Yellow fin tuna - thats sushi and steaks for the next 2 days!

A nice little spot to stop for lunch

Cubera fishing was ON FIRE! There were huge numbers of these tackle crunching monsters around

Alfie hanging on for dear life as a huge Almaco Jack runs for the reef

Ross with a stunning Blue Trevally

A beautifully marked Rock Snapper for Bob from Florida

The backdrop to the fishing on the Wild Coast is simply stunning

Dave from Florida with a big Jack Crevalle on the light tackle

A beautiful juvenile Silky Snapper

Simply Stunning. Young, fit Cubera - in immaculate condition!

Kyle with a stunning Dorado, caught on a popper

A stunning Mullet Snapper.....there are many snapper species to catch on the Wild Coast

Paul with another stunning Blue Trevally

Tackle busting Jacks never disappoint

Shore caught Cubera Snapper, right in front of the camp on the beach

An old warrior of a Rock Snapper for Kyle

Paul bent into a Rooster! Smiles-a-plenty!

Fly Fishing for Tarpon - Costa Rica 2018

As soon as Christmas 2017 was over I was counting down the days until my next, very much anticipated, overseas fishing trip. After much research and planning, I was off to the jungles of Costa Rica for a fly fishing adventure that would test my angling skills to their limits....and beyond.

My plan was to head near the border with Nicaragua, where I would be spending a week fly fishing for monster Tarpon. The location is rather special in that it's many miles from the sea and the Tarpon migrate all the way up the rivers to feed on the masses of bait fish that are present. As the rivers and wetlands drain off at the end of the wet season, all the bait gets washed into the main channels and the Tarpon know this. That's why they're there.

It's also exactly why I was going. To have the opportunity to sight cast flies at giant Tarpon in a freshwater river no wider than my local Sussex Ouse sounded very appealing indeed. Having caught Tarpon on bait and lures in the past, fly fishing for them was the next logical step.

I arrived after 2 days of travel and 3 flights, transiting through Nicaragua. The final leg of the journey was incredible as I flew right over Lake Nicaragua and it's volcanoes on a 12 seater plane down to the border area. After a nice easy border crossing (for a change), I met my guide for the week. He'd grown up in the jungle there and knew all the rivers and backwaters like the back of his hand.

Our first morning on the river was incredible. There were huge Tarpon everywhere. They were smashing bait all over the place and the water was erupting all around us as they gorged on the masses of 3 inch 'sardinas'. Only trouble was, they just wouldn't hit my fly. No matter what I did, they seemed totally preoccupied on the real deal. My artificial offerings just weren't cutting the mustard.

After the morning bite died off it was very quiet until late afternoon when the fish then started to rise occasionally. This was my cue to get casting and I got a good few shots at some actively feeding fish. After half an hour of trying I had a fish smash the fly right by the boat and was treated to an incredible fight. The tarpon tore off downstream in the narrow river and we chased it in the boat, I had to work hard to keep the fish out of the margins.

It jumped a few times and we got a good look at 100lb+ of solid muscle desperately trying to throw the hook. Fortunately, everything held and I fought the fish for a good 20 minutes or so. Then disaster struck....everything went slack. She was gone. Upon inspecting the leader, we found that the prolonged fight had just been too much and the leader had worn through. Such is the nature of Tarpon fishing. Gutted. It was a good hook hold too.....

The next day dawned in a similar fashion. As we slowly made our way upstream in the half light we could hear the Tarpon smashing bait in the margins all around us. It was an incredible sound! We positioned the boat just off a far bank run, covered in trees. The Tarpon were tucked right under the branches, swirling and sucking noisily as they fed. It was a tricky cast through a gap in the branches and it had to be just right if the fish were to notice my offering. 6 inches short and I was wasting my time. This was a real test of my skills.

After a dozen or so casts, some perfect, most not so - I finally got a pull, the line just twitched slightly as the fly made it's drift. I set the hook and the water erupted as a giant, estimated around 150 lb, leapt from the water before making  a blistering run. Another jump followed and then that sinking feeling once again as the line went slack. This time the leader was intact with the fly still attached, it had just come loose.....in typical Tarpon style.

I had 2 more chances that morning, fishing at close range with smaller fish. Both of which instantly threw the hook. They say that if you get one in ten to the boat when you're fly fishing Tarpon then you're doing well, so I wasn't too bothered at this stage.

Then the unthinkable happened. That night it rained. It rained hard. That kind of tropical rain that never lets up. Unrelenting. It was meant to be the dry season. It went on to pour down for the remainder of the week, totally unseasonable and unexpected. The river rose by a meter and turned the colour of hot chocolate.

That was the end of the fishing. The Tarpon just didn't like the cold, dirty water running down from the hills and stopped feeding. Game over.

That's just how it goes. You win some, you lose some. That's the chance you take when you travel half way round the world to go fishing. We are at the mercy of the elements.

I'll definitely go back there again in the future though. That you can be sure of.