TUNA SLURPING UP FLIES CONSISTENTLY FOR FLY FISHING ANGLERS AT EAST CAPE

June 26, 2004, Gary Graham, Baja On The Fly, East Cape fly fishing, Baja California, Mexico:

IN GENERAL: Tuna at East Cape are still slurping up flies like kids eating peanuts at a baseball game. Dorado, within a few miles of the hotel, changed the focus for the East Cape fly-guys as they would slide up on a shark buoy, toss a bit of chum and have the Sea of Cortez explode into colors of neon blue and gold as dorado chased down every single free swimming sardina not to mention almost every fly that hit the water.

The Mike Croft group, from up the coast in Seattle, dedicated fly-fishers, had quite a tale to tell their Pacific Northwest friends. They caught over 100 dorado one day and went back out the next morning and doubled the count. Mike and a buddy caught in excess of 40 dorado one day.

East Cape roosters were another story. There were plenty of hookups and stories of 200 yard runs and broken tippets. Breakfast on their last morning they were lined up to purchase one of the Rasta flies that I brought down this trip.

I even had a few personal beach stories. One Bubba chased my fly, creating a wall of water as he charged, only to have a dink (10-pounds) streak in and grab the fly at the last second literally right from the mouth of Big Brother. Hot weather . . . hot fishing . . .Baja Summer . . . I love it!

AIR & SEA—East Cape water temperature 70-84 Air temperature 80-90 Humidity about 64% Wind: Calm Conditions: Clear Visibility 12 miles Sunrise 6:35 a.m. MDT Sunset 8:09 p.m. MDT July 2, Full, July 9 Last Quarter, July 17 New, July 27 First Quarter

OFFSHORE: Blue marlin, striped marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and all within 25 miles off East Cape.

INSHORE: Plenty to look at jacks, roosters, pompano cruising close to shore, all East Cape reefs holding a plethora of fish that have me reaching for my fish ID book, even saw a couple of parrot fish this week.

BEACH: Not a question of shots, more a question of how long your arm will hold out before you find the willing one. In a two hour period the other day we had 36 shots on Rooster alley and we were the only ones on the beach.

BILLFISH – The summer blue bite has begun at East Cape. Do you dare throw a Billfish Baby at one of these monsters? Go ahead . . . no guts, no glory.

YELLOWFIN TUNA – Porpoise schools close and tuna boiling behind in the hot Baja sun.

DORADO – East Cape shark buoys holding and the fish looking for just the right fly to land in their neighborhood.

ROOSTERFISH\JACK CREVALLE – Rooster alley best bet early, Bartle Beach when the sun climbs a little higher and the lighthouse for Bubba class roosters and toros.

BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK – Still around, but way down the list as a targeted species

PARGO AND CABRILLA – Rocky points as the sun falls behind the mountain seem to be the best time. SIERRA – Still grabbing a fly every now and then.