CABO ANGLER LANDS FIRST-EVER MARLIN ON FLY FISHING
TACKLE ABOARD THE MEXICAN CHARTER BOAT SOLMAR III

Jan. 21, 2005, Boots Fawcett, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

On Monday, January 17, 2005, at Cabo San Lucas, at 11:20 a.m. Cabo time, Bob Newcomb of Carlsbad, Calif., landed his first striped marlin on a fly rod. It was a 45-minute battle on a 20-pound tippet. The fish, which was released, was estimated by the Cabo San Lucas fishing boat crew to be 125 pounds. Fishing on the Solmar III with Capt. Pepe, and mates Santiago and myself, Newcomb tasted victory after four consecutive days of fishing at Cabo San Lucas. His weapons were a Sage 13 RPLXI fly rod, a 4.5 Abel big game reel and a Curcione offshore fly.

The striped marlin was lured into the center of the set with live bait. When the bait was summarily removed from his view, the fish fired and moved rapidly from starboard to port and viciously attacked the awaiting fly. This is perhaps one of the most visually powerful moments in fishing; a moment which I refer to as " the leap in faith." For what emanates from that moment is why some of us continue to fish for really big marlin with a fly rod.

Pepe Cesena is the second oldest captain in Cabo San Lucas' Solmar fleet. Pepe speaks little English and so I would have difficulty categorizing him as a fly fishing guide. But he is clearly a man of great honor and some pride in what we achieved as a team.

Bob's fish was caught on the 95 Bank. Since we were fishing only for marlin that is basically what we saw, along with schools of football size tuna. If we had been fishing with trolling gear, we would have averaged one marlin per day and purple would have been the dominant color of choice. We fished on Jan. 14-17, 2005. Cabo San Lucas sea conditions reminded us of July, mild conditions but not as hot.