Planning and timing are key ingredients for a successful fly-fishing trip to Puerto Peñasco. Fly fishers need to be aware of the tides, each month we have two Spring Tides (big) and two Neap Tides (small) the Spring Tides can be 25 feet difference between high tide and low tide, while the Neap tide is usually no more than five feet difference between high and low tide. The Neap tides are easier to manage fly lines and Kayak or pontoon boats.
Next important item is having the right gear. Saltwater fish are stronger than freshwater fish. You need a minimum 6 weight fly rod with a sinking line to fish with and an 8 weight is the ideal rod to use in RP. Again, a sinking line is the line of choice. Saltwater is buoyant, so you need something heavier than an intermediate sinking line or a short sinking line. Minimum sinking line should be 25-30 feet in length a full sink line works well also. Think of fishing 4 to 6 feet deep most of the time and employing a countdown method to get deep enough to fish 10-15 feet deep.
You can fish from shore and some days that is the best option if it’s a windy day. A pontoon boat or kayak will allow the fly fisher more options of pursuit to engage the fish, you can cover more water. One of my favorite fishing spots is the Second Estuary “La Pinta”. You can back your vehicle up to the surf and drop your pontoon or kayak right into the water. Move your truck to higher beach so you don’t have a disaster when you return.
The fish are strong, plentiful, and many are tasty to eat. My favorite target fish is the Orange Mouth Corvina. They have no fishy taste; they taste like what you put on them. I like to use a white wine, lime, caper, butter sauce and grill them for a short time. It’s amazing how many new friends you can make in the trailer park when you invite neighbors over for fresh grilled fish, and fish stories.
In March the Desert Fly Casters Fly Fishing Club had an outing on a Neap Tide, enough fish were caught to run a batch of fish through the smoker. We had smoked fish, and we made smoked fish dip, don’t turn up your nose at it until you try it. It’s always a delicious crowd pleaser. There were many Oranges Mouth Corvina caught in the 16–20–inch range, and even some big guys in the 24–28–inch range caught. We don’t catch as many 28-inch fish as the club members from the late 70’s and 80’s but we still catch a few trophies.
Vince Deadmond The Fly-Fishing Hardware Guy can be reached at vincehasgonefishing@outlook.com or 480 818 1796.
