San Carlos Sport Fishing

http://www.nicaraguafishing.com

NEWSLETTER  JULY  2003  

FISHING   

REPORT # 45

PICTURES 

 New Guest House

Long time since I wrote a fishing report and I am getting E mail asking what's hapening ...

We are well and alive still fishing sucessfully with Guests our San Juan River . 

Sorry for the missing reports but I have reallly been super busy with the improvement of the internet site at http://www.nicaraguafishing.com/ and building of the new Guests house on my land in front of San Carlos...on shore of Lake Nicaragua... a lot of work for all of us...on No Fishing days everybody fishing  guides included  become carpenter... and I move from my computer to the wood workshop... 

Obviously the international events: war in Irak and SAR Virus had negative effect on my booking in all spring 2003. but even in such situation we did have many guests coming fishing and as usual all of them had tarpon : Terry from Mineapolis.. , Julie and Fabien from France, Etienne and Bertrand from France Bill , Randy, Irvine, from Seattle and Alaska., Mike and lindy from Florida., Janos, Camilla from Sweden Bob and Family from New Mexico , Jeff and Kelly from Seattle..

We had coming:  strong single man, couple, women, family with young kids .. all knows  now than Nicaragua has been changing a lot and is not as next door neighbourg says an unsafe place...

It is always amasing for me and my guides to talk of that with guests on their first trip in Nicaragua.. ... I know than all will say than before the trip their friend and neighbourg told them .... " You are going to Nicaragua.. What happen to you? Waou this is tuff and wild down there dangerous also.." .NOT AT ALL , on the contrary people are very nice here as it is in most places in the world  before  Mass tourism  make it’s dammage...We have many good year ahead in Nicaragua... 

For most of these guests this trip with us was not the first one some where at trip #4 on San Juan river...each trip has been  diferent,  there is always something to discover...

As predicted ( see Report #44 ) from June we observe  in San Juan River really a tremendous quantity of fish ( Tarpon size 20lb to more than 250lb ) all around,  going up and down river.  Remarcable also , some changes concerning the feeding area... "Activity Zone"

I like to talk a bit of  this idea of " feeding area or Activity Zone" as I consider it is very important for the quality of  our fishing . I do not want to say than this  is true for all tarpon fishing all over the world.. but what I know is than at least this is true in our San Juan river river witch ls 120 miles long, also in Cano Negro and Rio Frio in Costa Rica than I also know very well...

Since 4 years we are Sport Fishing there..., we observe than there are diferent behaviour of fish according to where they are.. Exist places where you can see thousand of tarpon "Rolling" "breathing" slowly generally by two or three very close from each other in a behaviour we figure related to reproduction ...

There we are ... When you see this DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME...unless you want to enjoy super frustration... it is almost impossible to have these fish bite... trust me we tried... whatever the hour, the moon , the lure, the fly , the live bait etc etc this is what we called a DON'T LOSE YOUR TIME AREA it can be on a ,mile of river or 20 there may be 1000 tarpon or ten thousands... in variable sizes..( Note , In such a zone your only chance ..'' very very small" is to have one of the tarpon being Upset by a lure..he will then not grab  it but Push it  then you may have a chance...)  For me and my guides there is no doubt than this ballet is related to reproduction.. and in our San Juan River this may happen at any months in the year.. in these area tarpon do not feed .. but then 10 miles ahead or down river they will ... a totally diferent behaviour it will last 5 mn before they take this same fly or lure you could have try unsuccessfully for a half day in other place..

Since 4 years we studied the river and we have been lucky inoff to locate the Activity area ( Bitting in a specifiv one will be good for a month or three , location of these place also vary according to Water level and time of the year...)

Remark On writing that ( Specifically what concern reproduction ) I may give a problem at Marine Biologist... as it is said write and known than tarpon do not reproduce in Fresh water..??? Our Fishing grounds are Fresh water at 120 miles from sea ...So?

Well I invite all scientifics interested to be in touch with me, as I would like to start a tagging program etc etc... Please All opinion, comments from Fellow Fishermen are  welcome... I forgot.. I have report of Local professional Fishermen who said they caught very small tarpon...and what about this baby tarpon 15 cm. ( 6 inches ) . caught acidentally by the back in Solentiname by one of our Guest from Texas  in January 2002?

Back to Sport Fishing.. In my opinion success in Tarpon fishing in San Juan River is of course made of using the right type of Lures , ( or flies ) with the good colour according to light and water clarity...it is also  a matter of moon or hours and x Factors known from my guides.( they are all Born here ) .but In my opinion the most important is  being able to select the Zones of the river according to signal given by tarpon behaviour..

Size of fish  we catch and release in San Juan River is  generally between  80lb to 150 lb ( We also observed the presence of much smaller fish ..20, 30lb but not in big quantities.. ) then we have the big one from 150lb till 200lb and then the monsters as this 105 kg fish caught in June 2003 by Irvine from Seatle..... Exceptionaly (and unfortunately.) . we weighed this fish as it did swallow the lures , and was hold inside by the Gills and bleading dramatic circumstances.. ..This mean no chance to survive  reason why we know the Exact weight ...

  I know not many people will believe me but we already had bigger fish on in several ocasion but could not take them to the boat.. Remark ( For the real "Tarpon Aficinados" ) these Giants do not jump. only shake  with extreme violence , a third or  half of the body out of the water ..

Anyway Concerning this Irvine's Tarpon  I have been told than  this is the bigest tarpon ever caught in Central America.. and may be in all americas excepting this monster of 283 lb caught in Venezuela.. ( March 1956 this is the actual IGFA all tackle world record duce with another fish caught in then peacefull Sierra Leone. 1991. )

Another event I like to mention concerning this spring is than we have 5 new kids coming in our Junior tarpon club... Open to boys and girl under 12 years old..  each of them caught at least one tarpon  between 100lb and 150lb, congratulation to   Alex 9 years old , Alain 8 years old ( These two are my sons.. in begining of July they caught several tarpon  each...) then a very special mention for Sarah 10 years old from new Mexico who caught a 150lb ...( these weight are estimation as all these fish has been released..) . ...

Fishing will be great in the coming months as we have a year with Chayul... ( small insects, flies who do not bite but are many so many..) . baits feed on them....then tarpon feed on bait...Well you know.. ) when we have such a year we know than fishing is going to be great til ar least the end of February next year..Matter of Activity Zone 

I am now working on my planning it's time to be in touch with me for the coming months but also for the High season from October till March..

E mail Philippe Tisseaux Tropicalfishing@hotmail.com

Web Page English http://www.nicaraguafishing.com/

Web page en francais http://www.pecheautarpon.com/

All pictures Shot during  trips in Spring & Begining of Summer   2003

A San Juan Gran Slam for Camilla from Sweden

Gar

Snook

Tarpon

( 9 Released to the boat )

Sorry Camilla it is a Super Gran Slam as you also caught this Rainbow Bass 

.

A nice snook for Janos  ( And also many tarpon and Snook ...) 

First Tarpon for Kelly

Fish on...

Fish Jump

1 hour later Fish aboard Before release 

With Captain Augusto and Abraham

Nice Snook for jeff ( and as for Janos a lot of Tarpon...) 

Jeff and Kelly

Some Pictures of Trip of Bob and family, Elene, Sarah, Aaron, Elan..  Sarah is only 10 years old and caught a really big tarpon..100% alone..

Bob Tarpon

Sarah Tarpon

More pictures ....

What is that Fish? Caught by Camilla on San Juan River I have no idea . need some help...

Augusto favorite...releasing  a big tarpon... Not so easy to do it well it is necessary to take a lot of care... and wait for fish reaction...

Really it is not a problem to get bait in San Juan River even from pier of Saballo Lodge

Fish jumping 150 yards away

Julie fighting tarpon # ?

..

I really like her  style.. working with the tip of the Rod  close to water in order to be able to work the fish on side so  turn it  for example after a while of fighting when he want to come up to take air

To many Chayuls... We try to help the San Carlos Comunity on cleaning the River,,, these Flaoating Islands are made of Plants where aparently the Chayuls stays , feed and reproduce... .

Some additional Pictures of Lodge in Saballo

Another Nice Snook

E mail Philippe Tisseaux  

Tropicalfishing@hotmail.com

Opening of  New Guest House in front San Carlos will be in Falls 2003. No doubt  it will be a real improvement in  my trip and quality of service to my Guests..

Problem was the lack of good  Lodging in San Carlos, a pity as  it is in San Carlos than all our fishing adventures start...( Airport is there , Passengers boats arive and go from there to  Los Chiles ( Costa Rica ) , Granada, San Juan del Norte , Omotepe Solentiname, El Castillo..) 

 Also Fishing in the first 10 miles of San Juan Rriver and the Lake is first Class, and from there we reach in 20 minuts Rainbow bass fishing area... 

This Guest House is not an Hotel , it is our  private place  exclusively dedicated to people coming fishing with us. It  offer 4 large bed room with each full private bath etc... a large dining area , a lounge, a mirador, relax corner, Birwatching, Orchids...and I promiss NO ROOSTER  ...

The location is Unique on a 30 acres land  at the corner of Nigaragua Lake, Rio Frio and San Juan River.. It is also from there than Dr Thomas Thorson of University of Nebraska was investigating... I also habe been told than  Commandant Jacques yves Cousteau came here precisely on our land to study the then called Fresh water Shark whitch happened to be Bull Sharks.. (almost  gone nowdays..) 

" Helene and the kids all say hello. We all had a great trip. Sarah said she really had a great time as did the boys and Helene. I could have stayed all summer. " 

Best regards,

Bob and family, Sarah, Elene, Aaron, Elan..

Dear Phillipe Augusto and Abraham!

We would like to thank you for a fishing trip of a life time. A professional organisation combined whit probably the best tarpon/snook fishing in the world is a good summary of the trip. Amazing nature and friendly people makes it even more attractive for any travelling fisherman/woman to make a trip to the Rio San Juan area. We have learned a lot during our stay. Augusto and Abraham where among the best guides we ever experienced and they enthusiasm was breathtaking.

During a week we jumped more than 40 tarpon (40-200+lbs) and had 9 to the boat (40-150+lbs) we had also a lot of snook (10-20+lbs) The amount of fish in San Juan River has to be seen to be belived.

So thanks again and see you in the future.

 Best regards

 Janos/Camilla