Summer water temperatures heat up, the fishing gets better, and we get a new migration of fish here in Puerto Peñasco. Two of my favorite warm weather fish are Sierra Mackerel and Lady Fish.
Sierra’s have a tendency to bite off your fly and be gone in a hurry. They easily bite off my usual 20-pound fluorocarbon tippet. They are school fish, and you will get bit off again unless you add a piece of 40-pound tippet. I leave the 20-pound tippet in my rig in case I hook a large Sting Ray, a common problem. A large Ray can tow your kayak out to sea, leaving a frothy wake, until you grab the line next to the fly rod and pull straight back without bending the fly rod. The 15–20-pound tippet will break, and you will keep your fly line and fly rod safe for another fishy encounter. With the 40-pound tippet you will be in for a great fight with the Sierra on your fly rod. Sierra will take your fly aggressively and head for the horizon. They are a wonderful sport fish, but most folks don’t find them to be good table fare.
Lady Fish are called, “The Poor Mans Tarpon”. They jump, jump, and jump again! Lady fish can clear 6 feet above the water surface. A spectacular sight while sitting in your kayak and hoping the fish does not land in your boat. The Lady Fish are smaller than Tarpon, the ones I have caught have been 24-30 inches in length with not much meat on their bones. Again, not great table fare, but a heck of a good sport fish. Summertime fishing is an early morning event for me. Pack plenty of water and Gatorade, you can’t drink enough on a hot day. I usually plan to start early and be off the water before noon. An afternoon siesta is a good idea, then hit one of the cantinas in town after dark.
I hope this story will encourage you to pick up a fly rod and try this wonderful fishery. Vince Deadmond The Retired Fly Fishing Hardware guy can be reached at vincehasgonefishing@outlook.com and 480 818 1796.
