Puerto Peñasco is a wonderful vacation spot, that boasts miles of tranquil beaches, memorable restaurants, accommodations from camping to the luxurious, at modest prices compared to other destinations. Many first-time visitors, who also fly fish arrive in Peñasco without any fly-fishing gear and no idea of the fly fishing opportunities. While walking the beach you will probably encounter a fly fisher getting ready to fish. Most are happy to talk about the fly fishing and will encourage you to bring your gear next time. Fly fishing is a do-it-yourself program. Bring all of the gear you may need, no one sells gear or has guide service in Peñasco. The closest fly fishing gear can be found in Yuma, Tucson, and Phoenix.
Start your fly fishing journey with the Upper Sea of Cortez Puerto Peñasco – San Felipe 2023 TIDE CALENDAR from www.tidelines.com it can be purchased locally or online. I use the tide chart to plan my fishing trips. I choose to fish the neap tides (smaller tides) they make it easier to handle your kayak or pontoon boat.
You can fish all year, but January-February are the least productive months, because of cold weather. August-September the fishing is good, but you could develop a terminal case of heat rash.
Gear: You will need a minimum fast action 6 weight rod, and the 8 weight is the rod of choice. Your sinking fly line is the most important part of your fishing set up. A 30-foot fast sinking shooting head attached to intermediate running line is the hot ticket for catching fish in Peñasco. Usually, a quickly striped Clouser Minnow will catch a nice variety of fish.
The most common catch of the day for fly fishers includes the following: Orange Mouth Corvina, Parrot, Trigger, Cabrilla, Pompano, Grunt, Flounder, Bone Fish, Grouper, Red Snapper, and Mackerel. Seasonal changes will bring other fish into the mix. If you fish Peñasco long enough you could catch 30-40 different species.
Vince Deadmond can be reached at vincehasgonefishing@outlook.com or 480.818.1796.