That esc button in the upper left hand corner of my computer is really handy. Sometimes I wish it could do more with daily life. If I hit the escape button I could head to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico more often. Given a chance to plan a trip to Peñasco, I will check the tide chart and plan my trip for a quarter moon. Generally a smaller tide makes it easier to manage my inflatable pontoon boat when I fly fish the estuaries. I have caught some of my best fish on the full moon, large tide swings, but the big tide swings will rush you past some good fishing structure.
The reasons for planning a trip to Rocky Point are many and varied: My number one reason for visiting is the fly fishing. That is a good reason, but I also like the life on the beach, the music, the food, the people that I encounter, and the energy that I get from a visit to Rocky Point. One of my favorite fly fishing targets is the Gray Triggerfish. They are abundant in the Sea of Cortez and they can be found year round off our beaches in rocky coral structure areas. I recommend a smaller size 6 Clouser or Gotch’a pattern if you are targeting the Trigger, and using a sinking line will get you down to the fish. When you first start catching Trigger you will be amazed at their fight for their size. One more reason to plan your Rocky Point escape…Trigger are good eating.
With four grandchildren under the age of four, I’ll be looking for that escape button. Potty training is still not complete, pink eye, runny noses, and whatever debris a curious youngster leaves behind, makes me realize that the grandkids are not quite ready to play on the beach. Maybe next year. My house is impossible to walk through with all of the kid proof gates and kid proof latches. Even with all of that security the little guys are always escaping and running down the sidewalk with no clothes on. I think they got that trait from their grandmother. There is too much crying and sniveling and way too many fits and tantrums, but I am trying to do better.
Your escape to Rocky Point has many options: You can tent camp; use your motor home; get an inexpensive motel; or get as much luxury as you would like, and many of the resorts in Peñasco are spectacular. Dining can be a simple taco cart or a very elegant meal in a really pleasant restaurant. Many folks will plan Rocky Point escapes from early spring until around the fourth of July. Summers can be hot and humid through September. When I go in the summer time I plan to fish at sunrise and be off the water by noon. I’ll get out of the sun until dark, find some good air conditioning, and then go out for a late dinner. Puerto Peñasco is a year round escape for me.
If you are still stuck in winter somewhere, it is spring in Rocky Point and you can plan your escape and defrost. If you fly fish, bring your 6-8 weight fly rod, some Clousers, sinking lines and your pontoon boat. You will be surprised how easy it is to catch the saltwater fish around RP.
Vince Deadmond “The Fly Fishing Hardware Guy” can be reached at Best Hardware 237 N Apache Trail, Apache Junction, AZ vince@ajbest.com or at (480) 982-7461.