Return to San Luis - part 3

[walrus]

Return to Isla San Luis – Day 4


Jim, Sven and I packed the kayaks in the morning darkness and launched as the sun peeked up over the point to the south. We pedaled the 4.5 miles at an average speed of 3.7 MPH. We made it the island a little after 7:00 AM. Jim and Sven were pedaling Pro Anglers and I was in an Oasis. I had made repairs to my second damaged mirage drive the night before, THANKS Sven for the parts loan.



By time we made it to the island the morning light breeze was dying the water was turning glassy and island flies were swarming. People attract the flies. The flies were about the size of a kelp fly and find you up to a half mile from the island. When you left the flies would stay with you for two and a half miles when leaving the island, even in a moderate breeze. While fishing there is never a moment of peace from the persistent buggers, so here’s a tip if you plan to visit. Wear a buff, hat and glasses to keep as much of the head covered as possible. A long sleeve shirt and long legged pants or there will be twice as many flies per square inch on you as you see on my hat in the picture above.

After the long pedal to get to the island I found fishing was no better or worse than the fishing along the shore. Actually the shoreline reef fish counts were significantly higher on that day, with three fishermen at each location. The difference could have been due to the extended time we spent traveling to and from the island.



Here’s a brief description of my catch and I’ll leave it Jim and Sven to tell about their fishing experiences.



I started fishing along the west shore of the island and caught only triggerfish, big triggers, but still triggerfish. I moved north around the northwest corner of the island I caught a damselfish that was about five pounds (sorry, I didn’t get a picture). Anytime I was moving I would slow trolling a Rapala swimmer, my homemade lure, or another brand equivalent. When I was casting I used a Candy Bar, megabait, laserminnow, or other brand equivalent. The fish bit anything that was flashy and moved.
Jim called us, he had gotten on a school of yellowtail. We rushed over, but arrived too late, they had sunk off. We spent most of day chasing fish boils near the north end of the island. Most of the time we hit a boil it would be the sierras, spottys, triggerfish, needlefish, pompano, groupers and yellowtail. None of them were trophy size, but I enjoyed every fight.

The conditions were sunny clear skies with a slight breeze. We fished for around five hours, grouped up for a minute to discussed going back. All three agreed the weather looked stable, chose to stay another couple of hours. Twenty minutes later, a breeze rose up coming from the south, this was enough of a warning for us to change plans and immediately head back toward the mainland. On the pedal back the swell was running north and smacking the kayaks broadside reducing the speed to 2.8 miles per hour. At the same time we were using three times the energy to maintain that slower speed. It took slightly more than two hours to make the trip back. We pedaled over 15 miles today.



Fresh Baja fish tacos for dinner tonight, expertly prepared by John. OMG! Thirds please?


In less than four hours of our return the wind shifted 180 degrees (now coming from the north) and wind speed jumped up to 20 mph. We had cut it close. The after dinner conversation that night was about Jim going home the first thing in the morning and how thankful we were to be off the water.
Norther – Day 4
The wind blew hard all night, not much sleep for anyone. Before the sun was up, Jim packed and headed home. The rest of us huddled in Bob and Robs humble adobe hiding from the blowing sand and howling wind.

At 9:00AM the winds were at a sustained 40 MPH, with gust of 50 MPH blowing due south. With the naked eye we could see waves breaking against the island shooting spray forty or fifty feet into the air. A thick cloud of pumas stones were blowing off the south end of the island for about a mile and a half. The water filled with tall breakers as far as the eye could see.


By noon the winds had not changed and sand was in the air, we could no longer see the island at all. We decide to pack up that afternoon and head home the next morning.



I am thankful this norther did not catch us off shore. I would have been the same as pedaling five miles crossways in a surf zone with fifty mph winds. When (not if) you fell off the kayak it would be blown away and you’d never catch it.


Travel with caution and tight lines, Wally.