Big Bend Sportsman Guide Fishing Stories
"Stories from the
Caribbean"
From a Series of Short Stories
By: Capt. "Tato" Reyes
A Champion
Fish
Jesus M. Vela is one of
the best fishermen I have ever met. His attention to details makes him
one of the best light tackle fishermen in the world, something he
proved through his years of fishing international light tackle
tournaments on the ILTTA (International Light Tackle Tournaments
Association). It was during his years of splendor that I met him and
he became my mentor. I studied him and learned everything I could
until I found myself fishing next to him in international light tackle
competitions. We became great friends and I even tried to challenge
the master several times.
Being from the same
hometown we had the opportunity to go fishing together. When you fish
with “Chuito”, it is always a competitive event. He is the kind of
person that is always challenging you and would not waste an
opportunity to play the game.
Just the two of us, in a
“mano a mano”. Two rods, two natural dead baits, we both take over the
helm changing at one-hour intervals. Who ever is at the helm decides
on the speed, direction etc. for that hour. When the fish strikes the
other becomes the captain/mate and is there to help.
Of all my years of
competitive fishing these were the most intense moments, “mano a mano”
with greatness itself.
This was a Saturday in
August and we decided to have a “mano a mano” but we wanted to test
some artificial bait. All the other rules remained in place. Not much
luck that day in the early hours. Some birds, bait fish and cobalt
blue seas were indicative of good fishing grounds, but we had no
action for hours.
We were fishing 80# test
gear since August is known for big fish North of San Juan. We were
also dragging some pretty big artificial bait using a new concept we
had just learned called the “tag line”. (Please remember this is back
in 1983.) It should help cut the slack caused by the outrigger and
just hook the fish as he strikes. The device is made out of heavy line
a rubber band and a tag line retrieving device. It is kind of hard for
me to explain how it works but I can tell you it takes half of the fun
away from bill fishing, actually I feel it takes away the “”you must
hook, fight and bring the fish to gaff/tag…” Using this device the
fisherman does not hook the fish, the tag line does! Had my opinion
mattered, it would not be IGFA legal… but I don’t have a word.
Back to our fishing day,
it was about two o’clock in the afternoon when we saw a very
pronounced water color change and we decided to cross it from blue to
green. We always said that in these color changes the fish would be in
the blue water side. This day it would prove our theory wrong. The
very same moment we crossed the color line and on the green side, a
small but very aggressive blue marlin charged my bait. The tag line
did its job as I waited for the fish to calm down a little bit so I
could take the rod from the rod holder. The fish was doing at least 30
miles an hour as we were chasing him in a flat ocean. Finally we
caught up with him and I sat in the chair, harnessed myself and set my
usual 19# pounds of drag to my 80# test outfit.
To make a long story short,
I fought that little fish for three hours using all my 19# pounds of
drag on him and having the best captain in the island at the helm. At
the end of the three hours he was still fresh and I was soaked in
sweat and very tired.
I told Chuito to finish up
the fish and I took the helm. Chuito raised the drag to 25#s and still
fought the fish for another hour before I put a gaff on the fish.
Still then, he jumped right next to the boat with the gaff in him so
high and so vertical that I was afraid he would fall into the boat so
I pushed out as he was falling back.
The fish weighted 133# and fought for over
four hours like if he was 500#. He was not fouled hooked or body
wrapped. This is the first time in my life that I felt I should have
released a fish. One like him does not come along but once in many
years.
He was a champion fish!
From a series of fishing
stories submitted by Capt Tato Reyes
copyright Capt Tato Reyes
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