October and November are my favorite months to visit Puerto Peñasco. The air and water temperature are good, the weather is very stable, and the fly fishing can be spectacular. I am not the only one who enjoys the fall in Rocky Point. Families with kids get a fall break, the motorcycle rally happens around Veterans Day, so I suggest you plan ahead and make reservations early to get your choice of dates and housing.

I usually camp at the Playa de Oro RV Park on Mirador Beach. It is a good place to launch my kayak for a day of fishing, and it is a very social park where it’s easy to make friends. I invite other campers over for something I have on the smoker or grill, and they usually join in with food and drink they have to share.  When the Desert Fly Casters come, we have a large group party that again is very social. We fly fish, exchange ideas on fly fishing, we eat well, and tell fish tales. The fall outing is November 15-20.

Orange Mouth Corvina are my fish of choice for table fare. They get big enough for a nice filet and they don’t have a fishy taste. Another good eating fish is Grouper. Recently the menu was Grouper on the half shell (skin on one side), prepared on the Weber gas grill, but on a cedar plank. Soak the plank (they come in different flavors) in water for about 4 hours so they don’t burn up. It’s a good idea to have a spray bottle of water on the side so you don’t have to call the fire department. The fish cooks more slowly on the planks, you don’t need to turn the fish, and it picks up a wonderful smokey flavor. A glaze of orange marmalade, jalapeño, Grand Marnier, and tequila was used along with a fresh citrus topping.

I hope I have whetted your appetite to visit Puerto Peñasco this fall, and it would be even better if we meet while fishing. Vince Deadmond The Retired Fly Fishing Hardware Guy can be reached at vincehasgonefishing@outlook.com or 480 818 1796.