Botswana

Fall 2011

Submitted by Milton Hanburry

When I began working for Trek in 1980 there were several African trips being promoted at the time, a photographic safaris to Kenya, bird hunts in Botswana and Zimbabwe, and even a dove hunt in Morocco. Late owners Bob and Shirley Cloaninger loved Africa and visited the continent at least once a year for 16 years. Their son Mike and daughter Cara (my wife) made a few trips over as well but were more heavily involved with the booming Latin American market during the 80’s and 90’s. I too was heavily involved with trips in Central and South America and was fortunate enough to travel to Africa on a few occasions with one of favorites being a stay in 2000 with Cara and our two daughters.

The next morning we were transferred back to the airport and took a Botswana Air flight to Maun where we met our first of many crackerjack pilots for Wilderness Air. Maun is the jumping on and off port for photos safaris at both the Okavanga Delta and Kalahari Plains camps. Our first destination on this bush journey was to Chitabe Lediba Camp, a short 20 Cessna 206 minute flight north where the staff was lined up at the entrance serving lemonade and wet towels as it was very hot. Cara and I did not know what to expect on our first Wilderness trip, but the most applicable word would most likely be impressed. Despite still recovering from jetlag we made it out for an afternoon game drive where we saw several species of antelope, and a few herd of elephants. Despite warm temps, a fire was ceremoniously lit in the fire pit and we enjoyed a glass of champagne with the other guests who were all having a great time.

While Cara and I had been to various tent-style camps in Africa, it is hard to imagine anyone having a better designed inventory of camps than Wilderness Safaris. With three classifications offered in their luxury tented safaris; premier, classic and wilderness, there is a camp for just about any budget for the adventure traveler. We warn you, you will be spoiled no matter which camp you choose. Chitabe is rated a classic camp and was an excellent start in the southern reaches of the Okavango Delta and like all Wilderness camps, it featured no more than 6-10 rooms and plenty of staff to handle just about any request. Rooms are a perfect blend of rustic authenticity and expert modern applications using wood, canvas, thatching, and smart interior designs. Our game drives were done each day in 4x4 Land Rovers with tri-level seating for 10 passengers but in classic and premier rated camps only six ride at a time unless requested. The Rovers were perfect vehicles for this off road experience involving different levels of challenging terrain. Honestly, Land Rover could have filmed a commercial every day and sold countless vehicles just on our testimony. Our two days at Chitabe was some of the best viewing for mammals we witnessed on the trip mainly due to its location and accessibility to the animals. Giraffes, elephant, lions, baboons, and countless species of antelope were all present.

Our trip at Vumbura was great mainly due to the staff, including our game guides who were a wealth of knowledge and taught us a great deal. As was the case in all the camps we inspected (over 20), each had its own unique design, staff and personality. While we had our favorites, each had a distinguishing characteristic not shared by others, for that reason you will not have a bad experience in any of Wilderness’s camps in my opinion. Our tented room at Vumbura was a delight and featured a view of a lagoon, plunge pool and deck big enough to host a party of 50 including a gazebo and bed for afternoon siestas. There was an indoor and outdoor shower, huge closet and living space as well as a stocked bar and ice machine. In as much as Vumbura was a premier camp the staff, food and location to the game was excellent. While we saw similar plains game at Chitabe, we also saw many bird species as well as marine animals like, hippos and crocs. Vumbura has a sister camp called Little Vumbura (classic rated) that is reachable by a 15 minute boat ride that was very intriguing. Animals literally surrounded this island and Wilderness claims this camp has the most repeat guests of any classic camp in their inventory.

We lifted off from Vumbura in perfect weather heading southeast, never getting the chopper above 300 feet. Talk about game viewing, we saw huge herds of elephant, giraffes, and many impala from the best vantage point possible. With its large bubble glass cabin from head to toe, I felt as if the whole Okavanga was at my feet.  Our destination on this day was Jao Camp, another premier class camp offering both water and land based activities. Of all the camps we saw, Jao was the most visually stunning camp in the Okavanga. With two floors in the communal areas, and large covered spaces both upstairs and down, the feel was almost like being in a resort built amongst the trees. Tarzan’s got nothing on this place!! Jao also had in my opinion, some of the most creative interior and exterior decorations of all the camps we visited, just truly magnificent. Our room and wood deck offered expansive views of the Jao Concession and the Okavanga where animals came every afternoon to water. It was also a favorite place to watch the sunset and again, the design gave you a very nice feel for being up in the canopies, and at times I think you are just that.

At Jao, Cara and I met some very nice employees of Wilderness and got further insights into each camp we visited and what would be a good overall itinerary for our clientele. We all agreed that Jao would make a perfect change-up at the end of several days of more intense game viewing lodges, two days at Jao will get your mind right as they say!! As is the case at Vumbura, the rising delta waters will determine if you will see your game by boat or vehicle. There were three other camps in the Jao concession we inspected, Tuba Tree, Kwetsani and Jacana, all excellent and all classic rated. Here we saw some of the most stunning Red Lechwe populations Cara and I had ever seen.

While they were fat and content from an Impala kill that morning, the dogs were still in full hunt mode that afternoon and it took all the skill and experience from our guide to stay in sight of the dogs. This was truly exciting as the dogs tried on several occasions to take an Impala that afternoon but was unsuccessful, eventually trying to vent their frustration on an elder Cape Buffalo who would have none of it. Savuti Camp had three Land Rovers for its ten guests that week and all of them were hot on the tracks of the wild dogs and it took all of them to stay in contact as the dogs can cover many miles in minutes. It was truly a highlight of the trip to view the interactions of this family of wild animals if only for an afternoon, but by morning the dogs were on the other side of the channel where guests from another camp saw a kill of another impala. Cara and I both noted that of all the game lodges we have visited, the guides at Savuti were the most aggressive when looking for game, the radios were in constant chatter and eventually awarded us with lion, leopard, and of course the wild dogs. If you like constant action and appreciate good teamwork, you’ll like Savuti, just hang on to your hat!!

After our goodbyes to the Savuti staff we were off again in the Cessna 206 towards Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls. This was an amazing flight as it took us further north towards civilization passing many animals below, but what was different was the amount of vehicles chasing them, as many as 5-6 cars at a time with 10 passengers in each taking pics of herds of elephants. Wow, the safaris business is going strong in Africa but we were sure glad to have seen it with limited access. As we descended into Livingstone, our pilot gave us a wonderful aerial view of Victoria Falls and while the Zambezi River was down a bit, it is still an amazing scene and named one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. We elected to stay at Wilderness’s Toka Leya Lodge about 25 minutes from the falls and it was refreshing to drive again on paved roads. After ten days in the sweltering bush we found our air-conditioned room to be quite the hit!! Following a nap and quick shower, we took a guided tour of Victoria Falls which borders Zimbabwe and Zambia. Interesting enough, our guide’s pre-trip dialogue involved as much about local problems with baboons as the history of the falls. Among his warnings were to make sure your cross on the other side of the street, avoid eye contact and never try and get back what they have taken from you. Sounds a bit like dealing with human criminals doesn’t it? While we did not encounter many baboons this day, we did see the falls and all its glory but a bit less dramatic than my past visits in the wet season. I still have good memories of the old Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe but things have been a bit rough during the Mugabe regime and the area was in decline but we are hearing things are improving. For now, Zambia offers a bit more organized activities especially from Toka Leya where its location on the Zambezi offered boat tours, fishing trips, bungee jumps (must do) and some serious hippo sightings. Our room at Toka Leya was large, well decorated and far removed from the communal areas. Toka also offered game drives as they have their own private reserve, but we caught up on some sleep and Trek business. If you plan to go to Victoria Falls in Zambia, another nice location is the Royal Livingstone Hotel 15 minutes from the falls. A day or two is enough to see the falls and Livingstone.     

Wilderness Safaris has done an outstanding job of negotiating with the local governments to limit access to concessions which has preserved much of their habitat and created a very desirable product. They have also created much good will by hiring and training local employees and practicing good conservation policies while putting money back into the community. Besides the camps we saw in the various categories, Wilderness also has some other trips like walking safaris, exploration safaris and discover safaris that will fit just about any budget. Regardless if your photo safaris will take you to the incredibly beautiful camps I have described, or ones I just mentioned, you will be impressed with the organizational skills we saw with Wilderness and the ability to deliver a consistent level of service and accountability you look for in a tour company. That folks is what you call a platform for success!! While our trip was during the low season because of the heat, you do get a better rate but still it may not be for everyone. The most requested periods and highest rates are June-August (winter), but April/May and September/October should be almost perfect. Give us a call and we’ll offer our best advice, as always.

Panama

Summer 2011

Submitted by Kevin Gehm

Anglers have been traveling with Trek to Panama since the late 1970’s and with good reason, the place is full of fishing opportunities. I, along with Chris Adams, the newest member of our staff, took a week long road trip through this beautiful country in order to keep current with our current lodges as well as checking out a few new ones. Chris and I adhered to a strict division of labor, I worked out the logistics and Chris handled the photographic chores. If you folks knows us here at Trek, you know that for the most part, we are a group of guys who have spent many years on the back roads of Central and South America, finding the best way to get you to the best shooting and fishing locales with the least amount of hassles. So, as I’d traveled through Panama on my own several times, I was elected to do the driving and as Chris is a phenomenal photographer, he had his own responsibilities.

 

Due to mechanical problems, I arrived into Panama City a day ahead of Chris and took an hour flight from Panama City out to the town of David, just 90 minutes from the Costa Rican border. Prior to traveling, I’d contacted a long time Trek outfitter and good friend, Roy Ventura, who now lives with his lovely wife Dunia in the picturesque mountain area of Boquette, a place destined to be the next big place for American retiree’s. For over 25 years, Roy owned and operated the famous Zancudo Lodge in southern Costa Rica, a favorite of Trek anglers for as long as I can recall. Roy is what is commonly referred to as “larger than life” and if you’ve ever met Roy, you’ll know what I mean...about six feet five inches tall with hands like a catchers mitt and a shade on the exuberant side. We had a great evening and the next morning I traveled to the airport in David to pick up Chris before beginning our Two and a half hour journey to the Hooked on Panama Lodge.

 

Since we were visiting during the “off season” most of the staff was off but as with most businesses, the staff can take a break, but for the owners, it is a full time gig. When we arrived, we were greeted by lodge co-owners Rex and Connie Hudson who were busy to say the least. Connie was working in the restaurant area and we found Rex down at the boat hangar performing his mechanical and structural magic on one of their boats that was out of the water. Rex comes by his talent naturally as his father is credited for building the first molded all Fiberglass boat in the United States, and in the 1950’s opened his own boat manufacturing company. Rex, growing up in the family business, came up with his own designs and started Shallow Sports Boats in 1983. Since that time, Rex has had his son take over the business in the States and, along with Connie, has joined forces with brothers Dan and Mike Peavy and their wives Lynette and Gay, to build the Hooked on Panama Lodge. As the crow flies, they are less than 20 miles from Southern Costa Rica. The lodge boasts three 35 foot, Deep Sports, a deep water variation of Rex’s popular original boat design. Plans are to add boats along the way as Rex has the mold for the Deep Sports and can perform the complete boat construction in the nearby town of Puerto Armuelles. The beauty of this lodge is it’s proximity to some of the best fishing ground in Panama. Within 30 minutes of the lodge, anglers can wrestle with yellow fins up to 300 pounds, or go bottom bumping for grouper, snapper and maybe troll a blue runner for a monster rooster.

 

After spending a day with Rex & Connie, we packed our gear and began the journey to our next port of call, Panama’s Paradise Lodge. This lodge, about two and a half hours southeast of David, is the brain child and passion of solo owner, operator Chad Marquis. Chad is an energetic fellow of only 38 years who’s life experiences are those of someone much older. From a childhood in the northeastern United States, to a printing business in California and on down to Costa Rica where he built his own house. Chad’s construction skills were noticed by the owner of the famous La Paz Gardens Lodge in the central valley of Costa Rica and from there, Chad nurtured his desire to have his own lodge, but one geared to fishing. A few trips to Panama on his days off solidified for Chad that this was to be his future. Well, start with a dream, add a positive attitude and a terrific work ethic, throw in (4) maxed out 27 ft Contenders and a jaw dropping view atop the hills over looking the Pacific and you have all the makings of what is now considered one of the “must see” lodges in Panama. The mixed bag fishing here, much like at Hooked on Panama Lodge, is less than 30 minutes from the dock. Now, for those who are interested in trying their luck on monster blue and black marlin, your captain can take you out to the famed Hannibal Banks and Isla Coiba. Although this is a rather lengthy run at just over 90 minutes, the chance of hooking up with a 400 pound marlin, or several hundred pound yellow fin tuna, is often enough to swing the scales.

 

Our day on the water out of Paradise lodge was spent with one of their top captains Chicho who made the executive decision to run to Hannibal. We throttled up and headed to Isla Montuosa for our bait and filled our tuna tubes with Bonita before hitting the bank. Chris and I were armed with stout stand up gear; our conventional gear was Tiagra 50W and our spinning gear was loaded with 85lb power pro and YO-ZURI plugs. Minutes after our baits went in the water it was controlled chaos, a pair of Tuna rocketed out of the water off the bow before they circled behind the boat and slammed our fleeing Bonita on the surface. As I was getting in the stand-up harness, Chris was plugging of the bow and hookup briefly with a Tuna well over 100 pounds. After a back and forth battle we finally boated the Yellowfin estimated around 180 pounds. As the day progressed we had more shots and landed another large Yellowfin and a few other Skipjacks before making the run back to the lodge. One thing for sure, the famed Hannibal bank never disappoints.

 

After wrapping up with Chad, Chris and I proceeded to Panama City to visit a few of the outstanding hotel properties in this bustling international cross roads. While in Panama City, our long time associate Luz Fonger of Starlight Travel suggested that we visit the nearby, opulent Flamenco Marina to check out a few of the luxury vessels docked there. Although many of these vessels are there solely for the use of the owners on wine and cheese cruises, others, surprisingly, are available for fishing charters and the two captains with whom we spoke to were avid fishermen who had fished all over the world. After an hour of do you know so and so from Venezuela and do you remember this boat from Guatemala or this crusty captain who fishes in Australia, Chris and I bid farewell to all our friends, new and old.

 

Panama, with its lush tropical rainforest and bustling Capital City is a diverse country that is constantly growing. Although it has a background with years of United States influence, Panama has a wonderful culture all it own and is a must see in Central America.

 

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 Patagonia, Argentina

 March 2011

 Submitted by Chris Adams

Beginning around 38 degrees south latitude and continuing all the way to Tierra del Fuego, the region known as Patagonia is home to some of the most diverse landscapes and collection of wildlife found anywhere on this planet. One particular activity draws thousands of likeminded individuals each year to the famed rivers of Patagonia, fly-fishing.

The trip down was easy and uneventful, flight to Buenos Aires with connection into Esquel and 45 minutes later we had arrived at Challhuaquen Lodge. The lodge sits high above the banks of the Futaleufu which provided us with stunning views of the snow capped Andes Mountains. The group, consisted of a farmer, a former assistant athletic director and a guy in the “petroleum industry”, all of which were from Texas. Needless to say, they were a fun bunch.

The first two days at Challhuaquen began with light drizzle as snow fell in the higher elevations of the Andes. Christian, our guide, worked the drift boat as we nymphed our way down steam through deep runs and freestone flats. As the temperatures dropped we moved to deeper runs where we found nice concentrations of fish in the 16-18in size range. Copper John’s and Prince Nymphs in size 18 worked during the overcast conditions but with an afternoon of sunshine, a caddis hatch brought the trout to the surface. Day three, the group headed to Rio Rivadavia located in Los Alerces national park. If you had one public stretch of river to fish the rest of your life, this could be the one. This free flowing river is a connection between a chain of lakes in the national park and with pool names like, the aquarium; you can see why many anglers would die happy here. Rivadavia offers, riffles, pools, freestone flats, undercut banks and over hanging willows. If this river does not have it, it doesn’t exist and the fish here are smart, real smart, and have shoulders. If you have never heard 5x tippet pop like a .22 caliber rifle, you just might get your chance here. The eight hour float flew by as the incredible scenery caught us in a daydream but the quick flash from a rising rainbow snapped us back to business quickly. This float trip was my last day on the water with the Texans as tomorrow I headed south to Estancia Tecka. For the incredibly tough conditions we faced I have rarely seen guides work as hard as Cristian and Guillermo when the odds were stacked against them. As we fished hard, they worked harder; rowing, repositioning, and trying different techniques and flies to zero in on what the fish wanted. I honestly believe if we wanted to fish into the night they would have smiled and said, “no problem”. At that point, there really is nothing more you can ask of your guide. Back at the lodge, Chef Herman, certainly pulled his weight as well. Fresh bread bake every morning plus wonderful, meat and fish dishes that even would make to lady in your life jealous. Challhuaquen is one of the most well rounded lodges I have visited, catering to the hardcore fisherman and leisure traveler alike.

The following morning, Eduardo picked me up to make the drive to Tecka. From the scouting report, I knew it was a huge working ranch and offered many miles of private water to be fished but upon arrival I found no amount of study could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. A brief history on Estancia Tecka reveals a London based company purchased 385,000 acres in Patagonia in 1910 and called themselves The Tecka Land Company. The original cattle brand can be seen painted high on a sheer rock face and is evident throughout ranch to this day. In the 1960’s the Ochoa family, from Spain, purchased the ranch with additional acreage, making Estancia Tecka a total of 436,000 acres of the best sheep farming land in the region. Presently, Estancia Tecka still maintains over 95,000 sheep and 5,000 head of cattle, plus the two lodges with approx 95 miles of private trout water.

Martin, the head guide, has been at Tecka since their first season thirteen years ago. He knows every river, spring creek and resident Andean Condor by name. For the next two and a half days we became pretty good friends as he showed me everything this incredible ranch had to offer. We started at the Rio Tecka which is a spring creek that originates on the property and is the ranch’s namesake. This creek bends its way through the estancia for over 25 miles with grass beds, small riffles and over hanging willows. A size 10 hopper pattern landed me my first Tecka rainbow and although only 10 inches he fought like he was 18. We stalked our way upstream taking turns casting behind rocks and making drifts down undercut banks. We fished carefully upriver, using brush as our cover and in some instances backing off the river 15 feet to remain unseen. My hopper was half way down an undercut bank when it was ambushed by a stocky brown trout. Martin commented, “now, that is what Tecka is all about”. We continued up the bank crossing the river multiple times before making it to an area of heavily wooded willow trees. We scanned every over hanging branch looking for that one fish that everyone comes so far for. Holy shit, there she was, a huge brown, now all I needed to do was make the cast. Keep in mind; it’s a sunny day, surrounded by willows and brush in 20+ mph winds. It took five casts to place my parachute Adams exactly where she wanted it, but she wanted it, all 30 inches of her. After I calmed down and cleaned my language up a bit, we moved on, looking for more like her.  

The next day I moved lodges to Caridad, which lies on the banks of the Corcovado River in the Southwestern section of the ranch. Caridad was originally on an adjacent ranch to Tecka before the Ochoa Family purchased it along with the surrounding property. The lodge was constructed in the 40’s and still holds all the old world charm with original photos and large wood burning fireplace. Martin and I shared breakfast together before making our way to the drift boat on the Corcovado. Unfortunately, our fishing was cut short as the strong winds of an impending cold front moved in and we had to ditch the drift. One of the incredible assets of this property is the amount of different terrain and diverse water each angler has at their disposal. From what could have been an end to a day of fishing at any other lodge, we were able to move to a location on the leeward side of a set of hills in a valley protected from the wind. The spring creek Tucu-Tucu allowed for a few hours of fishing before lunch that filled the void left by the windy conditions at the Corcovado drift.

 Nicaragua Re-visited

 March 2011

 Submitted by Milton Hanburry

I have just returned from Nicaragua and witnessed one of the best duck hunts I have ever experienced in the 30 plus years of my association with Trek, and it wasn’t even peak season!!

Both Marvin and Richard were among many Nicaraguans who fled to the U.S. during those rough years, they received their education and eventually returned to find growing business opportunities. The late Mike Cloaninger (Trek President 1993-2001) agreed to contract the Townsend’s in 1995 for duck and dove hunting in the Leon/Chinandega region northwest of Managua and it was great fit from the beginning. The Townsend’s soaked up the wisdom Mike provided from his years as a guide in Central America and eventually were able to offer hunts to Treks growing base of traveling hunters. While instantly popular the hunts were not without initial problems from all those previous years of neglect and lack of funds during the communist regime. Bad roads, difficult logistics to the lagoons, and a lack of quality accommodations provided struggles for Nicaragua to become a world class hunting destination. But through it all the duck hunting has been pretty consistent and maintained a pretty sizeable repeat clientele despite morning wake ups at 2:00 AM!!

Our first morning delivered us with one of this region’s most treasured assets, warm gentle breezes from the Pacific as we made our way across the Rio Estero Real in our flat bottomed boat to the banks on the other side that lead into the beautiful Paulo Grande Lagoon where our Boss Trail airboat awaited to take us to our blinds. Walter, the airboat pilot had his small entourage pass out some ear muffs to further entice our already heightened sense of excitement that comes with a duck hunt before sunrise. The 502 cc engine cranked on the first try and in seconds we left the banks and headed down a series of canals where we saw the first flashlight signals of the pick up boys directing the boat in for a rendezvous. The first two hunters climbed on to the dry wooden blind and we continued on to the three other blinds in the same manner taking only a matter of 15 minutes at most. 

McClain and I were last to be dropped and the timing was perfect as the sky was just turning from darkness to a faint shade of red and the San Cristobal Volcano suddenly loomed overhead. Literally within five minutes, just time enough to load his gun and check his safety, McClain heard the first sounds of teal landing in our spread followed by shots fired by our comrades a half mile away. As the horizon began to brighten and you could actually see the ducks coming, McClain had steady targets in our decoys for a good 30 minutes or more before things slowed. After a series of walkie-talkie chats with Walter, the airboat was put into action and then teal heaven opened up for everyone with steady shooting for another 30 minutes. McClain was a deadly shot as it was apparent he was enjoying the fact I was taking only pictures this morning.  As the action slowed again, the walkie-talkies were abuzz with chatter and they determined what blinds needed more attention and once again the Boss Trail kicked up thousands of teal, tree ducks, and widgeons. McClain wanted only teal this day and he was rewarded mightily. Soon everyone was shooting as fast as they could load and before long the four box limit was achieved. The pick up boys deftly made their way around the shin high spread to retrieve the morning’s harvest and as if on queue, the airboat showed up around 8:00 AM to make the trek home.

The following two days I had the chance to hunt and take pictures of my friends, clients and heroes that I will never forget despite all my years of travels. Mainly because I have so much respect for the “Greatest Generation” and the sacrifices they made to make this country safe. I especially enjoyed my morning with Tiger as he deadpanned he wasn’t as mad at the ducks as he used to be, just before he got off five shells at numerous flocks of ducks followed by a familiar sound of ducks landing nearby. Tiger laughed and cussed simultaneously depending on his aim which was as impressive as I remember many years ago. Each of the last two days got better as we progressed and the organization of the duck hunts was superb with most everyone getting their liberal limits each morning. The Paulo Grande Lagoon and its 125 square miles offered three exciting and different hunts and were productive as, or better than I recalled keeping in mind that we were in March, supposedly a fringe period. Not so on this occasion and again the credit must go to the Townsend’s as they have invested in their hunts and it shows.

I want to thank Walter the airboat commander, the boat pilot, pick up boys, and helpers who all provided a top shelf hunt of which we are proud to offer. And I close with a thank you to Jason, Kenneth, G. , Mike, Tiger, Charlie and Bryan for making the trip so special in many ways.   

 Rio Negro- Brazil

Submitted by: Kevin Gehm 

 

A call from a business associate a month ago was the answer to a silent prayer as it had been several years since I was last able to visit the Rio Negro in northern Brazil to experience its unique beauty and unrivaled peacock bass fishing and was chomping at the bit to do it again. As you know, we at Trek have been plying the pristine waters of Brazil for nearly two decades and the guys here in the office always jump at any opportunity to get down there to visit our long time friends as well as establishing relationships with new acquaintances. In late October, a call came in to advise that Leonardo Leao, owner of our newest Brazil offering, The Captain Peacock, had one space remaining on a scheduled trip and that he would like someone from the Trek office to come down as his guest. Well, it took about thirty minutes for me to organize my calendar, get the process rolling for my Brazil visa and to get Susan from our travel agency to work her magic to persuade our good friends at TAM Airlines that I needed to be on that next weeks flight !

 

TAM Airlines, a Brazilian flagged carrier, thankfully still remembers the meaning of customer service and hospitality, what a concept, I know our anglers will enjoy this rare treat this upcoming season when flying to Manaus. After a pleasurable flight, we arrived into Manaus just before lunch, perfect for those who would like to take a few hours to visit the sites of this historical trading cross roads. I used my afternoon to visit with a few of our local associates, but did manage to get back to my room to watch some futbol (we call it soccer, in Brazil, they call it religion) before sacking out early for the night.

 

I met the rest of the group early the next morning at breakfast and could tell right from the start that it was going to be an entertaining week. It is sort of the chicken and egg conundrum, but I am not sure if it is that hunting and fishing attracts “characters”, or if folks who enjoy hunting and fishing just turn into “characters” along the journey. Either way, I cannot recall a time with a group of outdoorsmen that was not just a hoot and this week was to be no different. You know the drill, every guy gets his day of the trip to be good naturedly harassed by the rest of the group, there is no exception to this rule, or anyway around it and it is always comical, with the possible exception of your day on the coals.

 

We flew 90 minutes north to the town of Barcelos where we boarded the deluxe 95ft yacht Captain Peacock and began our westward journey. As the boat cruised the Rio Negro, the excited anglers began the process of rigging up their equipment and touting the “can’t miss” nature of a specific color of lure, or hand tied jig. The group then paired off and embarked on an afternoon of knocking the rust off and just getting acclimated to our surroundings. I was matched with Leonardo’s future son in law, Bolivar and between his broken English and my faulting Portuguese, we did quite a bit of nodding and smiling, but had a great day on the water with our local guide Danny Boy who thankfully spoke enough of each language to assist.

 

The next six days were spent rotating guides as well as fishing partners so that by the end of the week, we all became friends. Whether it was fishing a nearby estuary, only 30 minutes from the boat, or accepting the challenge thrown down by Leonardo and embarking on an exploratory trip, a good time was had by all. I now know that when I am on an “exploratory” trip and my guide smiles and says that he knows of a land locked lagoon that requires a little bit of walking to get into, the adventure is getting ready to start ! I will tell you that these guides never met a lagoon that they could not get into, I am not sure if it a machismo thing, or what, but once we began a journey, we did not stop until we were fishing in that secret lagoon, no turning around.

 

By weeks end, almost 800 peacocks were boated by our hearty crew and the stories that were either rehashed from previous trips, or were born on this adventure, are far too numerous (and private) to list here. It is amazing how a group of folks, relatively unconnected, can, after a week of serious fun, become friends to the point where they plan next years trip together as well as arrange meetings for times when one guy plans to be passing through another’s town. This season is just underway and with the fishing conditions we experienced, the predictions are that this will be a fantastic year. We are mostly full for this season, but a few slots are still available, so give us a call and we will be happy to hook you and a buddy up on an adventure you will not soon forget.

 

 Costa Rica-Guatemala  

Spring 2010

                                                Submitted by: Kevin Gehm

The next day I visited several of these recently opened hotel properties and restaurants then hit the new highway another hour south of Quepos to the town of Dominical, a place poised to be the next Costa Rican hot spot. Being in the travel industry, I am often torn between encouraging the development of new areas and wanting to just admire the natural beauty of an unspoiled mountainside. It was, however, refreshing to see that some hotel developers have finally gotten the message that they can develop an area while still maintaining its natural beauty. Arenas del Mar is one such property, a beautiful place constructed and operated with very little impact on it’s surroundings, from building around trees when possible to swimming pools maintained with minimal to no chemicals, kudos to you folks.

Casa Vieja is also now offering tours with a bi-lingual local guide named Juan Carlos, a fellow with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Mayan and Guatemalan history. This is a tremendous addition as for many years folks just traveled to Guatemala for the sailfishing and did not have a legitimate opportunity to learn about the region and it’s very rich history. For instance, I’ve been traveling to Guatemala for 15 years and never knew that geologists have determined that human settlements there possibly date back to 18,000 years B.C. and that until 1821, parts of Mexico, and all of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica were one entity called the Kingdom of Guatemala, very interesting stuff.

 

To the avid outdoorsman time spent with your father can not only be special but truly timeless. My father, The Rock, as he is referred to by his closest friends as well as mine, is no doubt, one of a kind. He was born as any Southern should, in beautiful Thomasville,GA, where there are more plantations than parking lots and the tall southern pines dwarf city buildings. He raised bird dogs, seen true covey rises, and landed big bass long before I was even a thought. 

The seemingly endless array of stories that include legendary pointers, the biggest bass ever lost, and a few hell raising events that may or may not have been embellished are told and retold throughout my childhood. The outdoors were always a huge part of my life and I think The Rock was more excited than I was when I started at Trek. Not in hoping he would get to travel, but excited for me and that is exactly what makes him dad. Right?

The next morning came early but just as I had been on my first hunt The Rock was up, dressed and ready. There are few things as beautiful as a sunrise in a duck blind. We heard ducks land in the decoys before we could see them as the night sky faded and began to glow colors almost but forgotten. I flew through the first box of shells shoulder to shoulder with dad and it was something I will never forget. It was the best duck hunt of his life, and mine. We were there together and nothing else mattered.

Before the next group arrived, I had a special morning of fishing planned at La Zona, where more world record Golden Dorados have been caught than anywhere else on the planet. We started just after 9am to allow the sun to burn off the fog and bring to temperature to above freezing. Our tackle was stout to say the least, 40lb power pro on Calcutta Reels and seven foot rods that felt like broomsticks.   Soon we were pulling up to the famed La Zona dam which spans between the Uruguay and Argentina border. The current is swift and retrieving 12 inch lipped plugs into the current was a fight all in itself. The closest thing I can relate to this fish is a tarpon. The Dorado’s mouth is like a steel trap and even 30lb+ fish hurl their bodies out of the water so they have a clean shot when throwing the treble hook laden plug right back at you.   Our forearms were sore from fighting fish and our lure back to the boat. After it was all said and done we landed numerous nice Dorado and inevitably lost the biggest.

The next morning we joined the group and headed to Estancia Ninette, which is as special of a place as the dog it was named after. The eight bedroom lodge sits high above the Rio Negro offering floor to ceiling windows which allow stunning views of the river and sunset. The dove are plentiful, the perdiz cover the surrounding property and long drives to the field are non-existent. We had two incredible days of hunting, with both dove and perdiz hunts before lunch followed by a quick siesta and ending the day at a dove roost. 

Beni Jungle, Bolivia

September 2009

submitted by Ron Stafford

 As you have seen in our recent newsletters we now have two new peacock bass operations in the remote Beni Region of Bolivia that we combine with our incredible dove hunting in the Chaco. As August arrived and water levels in the Beni receded, the fishing gets much better and I decided to make a visit. While I had been to our La Escondida Camp twice before I felt some further tweaking was in order (wink-wink), and I wanted also to visit our latest offering at Caño Negro fishing lodge which no one from Trek and very few outside of the owners in Bolivia, have ever visited. The Beni is remote, full of peacocks, and little to no angling pressure!!

Before I departed, I happened to mention my journey to long time Trek member Stanley Williams and to my astonishment he agreed to accompany me on the trip. Now when I say remote, I mean we were a three hour charter flight from Santa Cruz, our port of entry to Bolivia, with at least half of that over uncharted jungle to get to the hand made runways where we landed. The Cessna 207 we flew is great plane for missions like this but it is not the fastest plane either!

The first lodge we visited was Jorge Molina’s La Escondida tent camp on the banks of the San Martin River. It’s about an hours boat ride up stream from the closest village which is called Bella Vista. The camp has six "air-conditioned" Alaskan wall tents for sleeping plus a larger dining tent which is also air-conditioned. The camp is nothing fancy but it has just about anything you need for a remote fishing camp. Each tent has two full sized wooden beds and a wood closet rack to stow your gear. One of the most important necessities for a remote tropical fishing lodge in 2009 is refrigeration and is the beer cold enough which I can confirm that is was and the fact that we also have ice.

The first afternoon we arrived and ventured out a a short distance to fish a now almost completely landlocked lake as the rivers were still dropping. We quickly got accustomed to the loaner equipment and the need to be able to cast right at the waterline as that is where the peacocks hunt baitfish. The first afternoon we probably caught around 20-30 fish each and being still a little tired from the overnight trip down we decided to stop fishing as the sun was starting to set and reflected at the thought of where we were and what was to come. While Stan and I came here for different reasons, we both felt very special to be here in this place of solitude and beauty.

As we only had one full day scheduled at Jorge’s camp, he wanted us to fish their best spot so the wakeup call came before first light and we left the camp as dawn was breaking. We experienced the jungle explode with life along the way as flocks of countless species of birds headed out off their river roosts to look for their next meal. Arriving at the "honey hole" we noticed the camp had two boats already there waiting for us so we split up with each of us having a guide or two for paddling and releasing the fish. I would say we fished for about two hours before we stopped around 9:00am to take an hour’s break and compare notes. We each had over 30 fish and surprisingly we were already getting tired of catching fish! We fished a couple more hours and ended up each having around 65 fish before we stopped again for lunch. This does not count the piranhas that also attacked our spoons once they got away from the coast. Speaking of piranhas, they would sometimes attack the peacock bass as they were fighting for their freedom and a couple of the times there was not a lot left when we landed the poor fish. In a morbid way it only adds to the adventure of being in a South American jungle. I was fascinated by these aquatic cannibals, and when I went into the water later in the day to cool down my eyes were ever searching for these schooling fish and was not bothered. Piranhas "usually" only attack humans when the water is stagnant and the food supply is low or the person has a major cut that is bleeding and or appears easy prey. This area has a good flow and the food supply is rich with lots and lots of fish. We went back out that afternoon after lunch but fished a lot less aggressively and it seemed the 4 hours we took off for lunch slowed the fishing as well and we ended up with around 75 to 80 fish each for the day. Again this evening we stayed in and reflected on the location, the camp and the days fishing.

The peacocks of Bolivia are incredibly numerous but the average size runs from 2-6 pounds as they are of a different strain from the larger peacocks of the Rio Negro and Amazon. But they are so aggressive you would swear that you have a 10 pounder on the line, but the Boga Grip doesn’t lie. Actually it seems the closer you get to the equator the larger the peacock bass are! Thus Brazil and Colombia have the largest fish but in Bolivia you will catch volumes of fish that are great fun on light tackle or flyrod. It had been a year since I last fished for pavones and I am always amazed at how much fun it is to watch these fish strike. They aren’t looking to stun the bait, they are looking to inhale it!!

The following day we took the boat ride to Bella Vista and then hooked up again on the 207 for a 30 minute venture deeper into the jungle to the new Caño Negro lodge. This is a brand new lodge that just opened last November but is a work in progress and has loads of potential. Talking about being in the jungle, nowhere is closer than this place as for miles and miles the scenery and wildlife was incredible. Once we landed at their private strip we walked up to a lodge that has four 3-bed bungalows, a main lodge, and a separate restaurant and kitchen. The bungalows were surprisingly nice with private baths and hot water and made of native materials that give you that rustic jungle look that was so perfect for the area.

As we were getting a tour of the lodge, we met some of the local residents, two monkeys and not one, but two live jaguars!! The jaguars were raised here since they were cubs but are still very much wild animals. They have been trained to turn away from the guests to allow you to scratch their backs as with one quick swipe of their powerful and deadly paws, you would be on the ground. These beautiful animals are considered the strongest pound for pound cat in the "big cat" family.

Later that morning we headed out for more peacock bass fishing. Not only did Stan and I catch 30 + peacocks each, but we witnessed a six foot caiman trying to climb the banks with a four foot catfish planted horizontally in its mouth and pink Amazon dolphins attacking our peacocks as we were reeling them; just another day of showing who’s who in the jungle food chain. We caught several different species other than peacocks, among them being the Surubi catfish, the toothy Payara, pacu. Sting rays and several other assorted tropical varieties. If you haven’t caught a payara you are missing a "reel" treat, they jump like tarpon but possessing sabre-like teeth and a serious overbite. They hang in the most turbulent, fast moving water you can imagine and strike suddenly.

I was impressed with the owners of the lodge who are willing to invest and make the place as comfortable as possible. A larger generator is on order and that will take care of many heat related issues and allow them to refrigerate a larger inventory of food and make ice!!. Don’t get me wrong, I like eating the fish I catch just not every day. While this region is considered the Beni of Bolivia it stretches into the Mato Grosso region of Brazil which means "thick woods" and I can vouch for that. It also happens to be one of the largest flood plains in the world that is home to countless animal families. As we stood on the banks of the San Martin River, casting to peacocks, payara and Surubi on our last evening, a caiman that was at least 17 foot long made its way by looking for a hand out. I am from Florida and have been around, but that was impressive. After my visits I have determined that we will promote both camps next year from September to November. So if you are looking to catch a bunch of peacock bass every day and enjoy a real jungle experience by all means please inquire. And don’t forget that we combine this with one of the best volume dove hunts in the world.

Malalcue Lodge, Argentina

July 2009

submitted by Larry Price

There are a couple reasons to go to Argentina in June, the first is to get out of the heat in Florida and the second is I get to experience one of the best mixed bagged wingshooting destinations in the world. My latest foray down south came in the middle of the month where I visited Malalcue Lodge. The following is my journal for the trip.

Having been here at Trek in some capacity since 1986, mostly handling the Argentina destinations, I have forged some incredible relationships and so I was very excited to be in Argentina once again, driving to Malalcue Lodge near Esquina with owner outfitter Ariel Semenov. Given the distance to travel and my hectic time in the office, I cherish my visits away and I think Ariel appreciates the support. 

We arrived at Malalcue just in time to meet Mario Cabrera’s and Alex Joubert’s charter flight in the town of Goya loaded with 12 of their best friends and relatives from the Dominican Republic. It was a pleasure to meet Mario and Alex face to face as I had been corresponding with them for months and they were so excited about the trip and was their first time with Trek.  After introductions to Ariel’s staff and lunch, we quickly geared up for an afternoon dove shoot. Upon arriving in the field the bird-boys were already set up and the birds were starting to fly. A quick survey of the area I noted this was going to be pass shooting at dove headed back to their roost and they were coming in so fast and from every direction, they were having a hard time picking out just one bird to shoot at. This hunt lasted for a couple of hours and around a case and a half of shells (750 shells) were fired by each hunter. This session was just a warm-up and you could sense the fun was on!! Later we had dinner and drinks with the Dominicans and we discussed the days ahead and it occurred to me just how many avid bird hunters we have from the islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas are all well represented on our trips and love their travel.
 
The second day was scheduled as a full day of pigeon shooting coming into decoys. After a full breakfast we arrived in a cut sorghum field, the bird boys set up the decoys for the hunters and waited for the pigeons to come in. The morning started a little weird as all the birds were flying into two or three blinds and some of the group were getting a little antsy and started moving around, trying to find a blind that had some birds. Ariel and head guide Gustavo Pavon were not worried and told the hunters to be cool and wait. And sure enough around 10:00 the birds started trickling in and covering the field, so everybody was now shooting. We broke for lunch around 1:00 despite the heightened activity but again Ariel was confident about the afternoon. Lunch time in  the fields of Argentina are second to none with an “asado” that includes steak, sausage, salad, empanadas, bread and wine, and it’s all you can eat. After lunch, our band of pigeon warriors rested and napped off the effects of the Meritage and then ventured back to the same field where they were met full on by an assault of pigeons like I have never seen. Most guys shot almost a 1000 rounds each from their stands, and most all of them coming into decoys.
 
On the third day Ariel decided to split the group into two groups for ducks and perdiz. Around 6:00am the duck guys loaded into the boats for the short boat ride up the Corrientes River where we placed them two to a blind with each having their own bird-boy and spread of decoys. Luckily the morning was cold and overcast and the ducks started coming in at first light. Shooting small lagoons of the river is classic hunting as the ducks come in small groups or singles and decoy great. The hunt lasted about two hours and all six hunters came in with their limit of 25 ducks consisting of Rosey-bills, teal, and widgeon. One of the duck hunters, Alex Joubert, brought his fishing rod with him and started casting for dorado in the river after he got his limit of ducks. He fished for about 1 ½ hours and landed six Dorado’s the biggest coming in around 9 pounds. The six guys who went Perdiz hunting, all but one limited out their eight birds that morning. The perdiz shooting is amazing to watch as a spectator because of the dog work. The walking is easy and productive and usually you will find coveys of perdiz every 15 minutes or so but bagging them is a different story especially if there is any wind.
 
Once back at the lodge we had a big lunch, took a nap and headed out the door for the afternoon hunt. This time the groups swapped activities in the afternoon and had tremendous success again for ducks and perdiz. The next two days, the group again shot dove, pigeons and more ducks and we actually customized the program where they had a few more days of pigeon and duck shooting. And a few more guys actually joined in on the fishing routine even though June is winter there on the Corrientes. But that is the beauty of Malalcue, up to shoot ducks in the morning, an afternoon of perdiz followed by high volume dove shooting and the best pigeon shooting I have seen in years. The lodge is a timeless structure that represents the wealthy Argentines who fished and hunted these lands before the foreigners invaded. They sold their properties and memories for a fair price, yet we are still the guardians and very appreciative for the opportunity.
 
After dinner, Ariel and I left the Dominicans in the very capable hands of Gustavo and headed south on Highway 12 for Estancia Cortaderas where Ariel and Trek has another mixed bagged wingshooting destination and a house full of clients. As we drove we talked about the successful trip and the pigeon assault and I promised to get word out so in 2010 our clients can take advantage of the news. Well, now you know.

 Abaco Island, Bahamas

June 2009

submitted by Milton Hanburry

I was sitting at my desk in mid May browsing the internet and trying to get my work done for the day when an e-mail caught my attention. It was an invite from the owners of the new Abaco Lodge on the Marls asking me if I would to do a site inspection in early June. Uhhh…I had to think about that one for all of a nanosecond and promptly cleared my calendar, which was only a formality since the birth of my children and a family emergency are the only things that keep me from fishing the flats for bonefish.

The Marls, wow it had been a while since I last fished there, probably in the mid 90’s when Nettie Symonette was still operating the Heritage Club on Casuarina Point. Many a gray ghost slayer has tested their skills in the Marls and Nettie was directly responsible for our fortune. She used her persuasive powers to literally bulldoze a channel in this unique mangrove-lined labyrinth that allowed for an easy 15 minute access from her lodge where she kept some boats, otherwise it would have been over an hour transfer in both car and boat. That was Nettie, brash and innovative to a fault at times and you either liked her or didn’t and you were her friend or you weren’t. I chose to be her friend and I would like to think we had a good relationship and we enjoyed lots of memories.

Nettie is now an artist selling her wares in Nassau and the old Heritage Club is well past its prime, but in May of this year the new Abacos Lodge on the Marls opened its doors. The owners are a small consortium of Argentine and American partners who built a place reflective of the new traveling culture with eight single rooms, excellent equipment and incredible gourmet food. All of which I can expertly testify to, especially the food!! It’s the sort of place that is now referred to as rustically elegant, which is layman’s terms means cute yet wonderfully practical. The boats are proven 16 foot Hells Bay with 50 horse 4-stroke and guides who know the area. This is important because you can get lost in the Marls as it consists of over 400 square miles of mangrove-lined creeks and small lagoons; perfect bonefish habitat.

I had the pleasure of fishing at Abaco Lodge with marketing guru Santiago Seeber, an Argentine citizen with wonderful flats/fly fishing ability. Each morning around 8:00, Santi and I along with our guide would run all of ten minutes to reach a productive flat and about the same amount of time before we had our first bonefish hooked. Most of the fish here are between 2-3 pounds but we also caught some in the 5-6 pound range. Each of the three days were fished differently, one day we cornered a large school of over a hundred fish in a medium lagoon and hammered them until mid-afternoon, the next we patiently poled along the mangroves looking for singles and doubles, both were equally productive. Since this was June and the Bahamian summer on full display, the cooler earlier mornings were more productive except our last day which was mostly cloudy and we thought would be more challenging… NOT!!!

We entered a series of small lagoons where obvious holes of rooting bonefish were plainly visible, yet mysteriously absent. We poled for a good half an hour before we saw ahead in the distance a dark shape roughly 20 yards across moving around in a circle. As I got into position to cast, it became clear that this was a school of 50 or more bonefish of 3-4 pounds and it was just a matter of whether they were hungry or not. Well that was dispelled rather quickly as my first cast using a friend’s pattern called the Crazy Ivan (hybrid shrimp pattern) was inhaled as it hit the water. Minutes later Santiago was hooked using a similar pattern and strangely enough the fish were sill hanging around the lagoon without spooking. After landing a half dozen fish we poled our way further into the lagoon system and were rewarded with larger schools of gray ghosts even less nervous. I had not been that excited about taking bonefish in a long time and while I can get the fly where it needs to be most of the time, these fish were dumb as I have ever seen and some 25 fish later we left the lagoon still full of lurking bonefish in search of small sharks and barracuda.

The Abaco Lodge is a welcome commodity on an island that has always needed a facility befitting its annual traffic of salt water anglers. It is by far the best bonefish lodge in the Abacos and is easy to reach with commercial and charter flights into Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay from Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, and Miami. Word has it that Delta may soon be offering flights from Atlanta. The best months to fish here are like anywhere else in the Bahamas, March-June and then October to early December. The Marls is a perfect place for anglers of all abilities and can be productively fished all day with regardless of tides as they are slight at best. Abaco Lodge can also deliver anglers to outer ocean flats for double digit fish by trailering boats to well known flats like Snake Cay, Cherokee Sound and Bight of Robinson.

Take advantage of some great introductory deals being offered here at Abaco Lodge and I promise you will not be disappointed. Trek offers packages from two to six days fishing and can arrange the best airfare possible. Call today for more details.

Costa Rica

May 2009

Submitted by: Kevin Gehm

 Not that there really is a "bad" time to visit Costa Rica, but I personally enjoy heading down in late May as the seasonal rainfall has begun and the countryside becomes a barrage of vibrant colors. I elected to make this May trip for several very legit business reasons, but one cannot help but to feel like they are on vacation in these lush tropical surroundings.

 May is a great time for tarpon fishing off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast and I had the pleasure of meeting several Trek clients taking advantage of this tarpon bite. Henry Brooks and his group of avid anglers from Houston were on site to try their luck on boating these acrobatic Silver Kings. Henry and crew are also avid golfers spending a few days in San Jose to sample the local golf courses, a little surf and turf if you will. Also spending time in search of tarpon were long time Trek members John and Lucy Hart from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Due to weather problems in the States, these hearty folks endured well over 24 hours in various airports before finally arriving at the tarpon lodge at first light to begin their first day of fishing, talk about troopers. Lucy was only in the boat for 30 minutes before hooking into her first tarpon, a 130 pounder ! After a valiant effort, she finally agreed to hand the rod to John to finish the battle.

 I said goodbye to these good folks and embarked on the second leg of my journey, a visit to the Pacific coastal town of Quepos to check on the progress being made on a new marina. I grabbed a rental car in San Jose and hit the road for the 3.5 hour drive to Quepos. Although I’ve made this drive several dozen times over the years, I always find it to be a special journey. As San Jose sits in a valley, you must drive through the surrounding mountains for about an hour to reach the Pacific coastal road. With the spring rains, plants and flowers were all in full bloom, so keeping my eyes on the road was a constant challenge. 

Arriving into Quepos in the late afternoon, I was greeted by Milena Aviles, of Flamingo Bay Pacific Charters, our long time associates in Costa Rica. Milena introduced me to Diego, the property manager for several residences in the Quepos area. She wanted me to visit a new property, Casa Las Nubes, a multi level home built on the mountainside overlooking the Pacific. Sitting in the living room gazing out over the infinity pool at the sun setting into the Pacific is a sight you cannot fully appreciate unless you are actually there. Most of our anglers are historically groups comprised of guys, but we are receiving more and more families and Casa Las Nubes is going to be a perfect fit for that segment of our membership.

It was then on to visit the new marina, a project that has been in the works for a bit over two years. I was pleasantly surprised to see the progress being made on this marina, aptly named Marina Pez Vela (sailfish in Spanish). After viewing the site, looking over the final plans and speaking with several folks in the know, everything looks to be on pace to have Pez Vela up and running by the beginning of the 2009-2010 fishing season, so stay tuned for additional information on that front. 

So, after a nights stay at Casa Las Nubes (thanks for your hospitality Diego) it was back to San Jose for the night to prepare for the next day’s early A.M. flight home. No trip to Costa Rica is complete for me without spending a little time with Lupita Rojas, the principal at Flamingo Bay Charters. Those of you who have traveled through San Jose with Trek over the past 20-30 years probably have met Lupi at one time or another. Lupita, her daughter Nela, son Marco and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at a local Costa Rican steak house El Rodeo, a definite must visit for anyone staying in San Jose. 

In closing, the tarpon lodges are now all taking time off for R& R until they kick off the fall fishing season in September and all systems are go in Quepos for a great season. The prime fishing season in Quepos is December-May, so now is the time to begin etching out that week to get down to experience this little piece of heaven. Give me a call here at Trek and maybe I can conjure up an excuse to go back down and see you there !

‘Til next time,

Patagonia Red Stag

March 2009

Submitted by: Ron Stafford

Without a doubt the best part of my job is that I get to go and check out new places and new developments. I have guided and had the good fortune of traveling all over the world bird hunting so when I get a chance to do something different like fishing or big game hunting I am all over it. So when we needed someone to go and check out TWO new Red Stag hunting operations in Argentina with Andres "Cane" Saint Antonin, I was ready. Each hunt is completely different in both the style of hunting and terrain in which you hunt.

The first camp I visited was Cane’ Argentina Tent camp located in the Andes Mountains and Nahuel Haupi National Park. The camp is located in the middle of a valley next to a mountain stream with the elevation at camp about 3300 ft. This was a true fair chase, classic horseback hunt and it turned out to be one of the best outdoor experiences ever, and I was not hunting with a gun. I rode well over six hours a day, up and down crossing streams and fallen timber and can not begin to say how much fun it was. The roar or bugling season in the Bariloche area of Argentina is usually around mid March and runs anywhere from 10 days to three weeks depending on the conditions and I was there towards the end of the rut. As we sat around the camp at night, while we could not see them over the glow of the fire, you could hear them roaring, calling and or challenging each other from one mountain to the next. We had one stag defiantly roar every five or ten minutes as he moved across the ridge in front of the camp, seemingly mocking us as he knew we could not see or reach him.

The first day I learned quickly that this was no easy trail ride as five minute from camp we headed straight up, across a plateau and then up some more. Another thing about mountains is that the terrain changes from valley to valley and while it is breathtaking, it can also be unforgiving and you do not want to make any mistakes when you are going back down. While I was riding along we heard a roar above us and my guide quickly stopped and grabbed a big branch and started whacking and scraping it across a tree emulating the sound of two stags fighting. The stag up the hill paid us no mind and kept going but we were surprised by another that came in from below wanting to challenge. Again I was not hunting other than a camera but I saw around eight or nine that morning with at least two of them shooters. The terrain in some areas is heavily wooded and others you can glass for miles from one ridge to another. Again, this is classic fair chase hunting.

The camp itself is about as comfortable as you could want with a heated Alaskan mess tent and a fully enclosed bath complete with a hot water shower. The two guest tents are again wall tents with two full sized beds in them, a table, and light for reading. The camp has an electric generator that can barely be heard over the mountain stream which makes for great sleeping. The food is very good and if you are staying out all day, your guide will stop along a small stream and before you know it, he will have a piece of meat cooking over a fire and cold drinks chilling in the stream in the middle of nowhere. I even had time for a nap after lunch and a cigar!

I can not say enough about the horses they have at the tent camp. I am not (was not anyway) a well seasoned rider but these were without a doubt the best and most well mannered horses I have even ridden. They had no problem going up and down on loose gravel and shale and never once did they get spooked or temper mental with any of the guests and clients at camp as the three of us rode many kilometers up, through down the many valleys and mountains. Excellent horses!

Our second new operation for next year is at the Estancia San Ramon. San Ramon is calculated at 90 square miles of unfenced (other than a 3 strand cattle fence) rolling hills, streams, and sage grass similar to Wyoming. The Estancia has never been hunted commercially and has some enormous stags on the property and again all fair chase. The estancia is owned by a Swiss family who was in the chocolate business and has now diversified into several other businesses including sheep and cattle in Argentina. The only hunting has been when the owners come over and bring their friends from Europe and they will sometimes hunt one or two a year. Again the estancia will remind you of Wyoming or Nevada as only a few areas we visited on the estancia had trees. They have built several large "pit bunker blinds" in prime feeding areas in case the weather gets bad and those who are less fit still have a place to hunt. Actually these bunkers would make a great place to sit all day as they are well built partially underground and have plenty of room to walk around, take a nap or whatever and not spook the Red Stag. If stalking is your game, this is a great place to spot and stalk but you need to be in decent shape as you have many hills and ravines. Honestly I saw three of the largest stags I have ever seen at San Ramon. One was still too young to shoot but a monster already that is sure to have anyone ready to pull the trigger. Another one was believe it or not, just across the 4ft cattle fence boundary on the neighbor’s land and the third was taken earlier this year but the trophy was still at the lodge. The big guy on the neighbors land looked like he came from New Zealand and was so big and old that he could not raise his head past his shoulders. He was past his time for mating but he could still roar all day long. This ranch, as well as the tent camp are very much oriented towards mature trophy hunting and discourage you from shooting young deer. I was joined on this trip by long time friend and Trekkie Jerry Sharber, who harvested a very nice stag estimated at 13 years old! He had set up along a ridge by an outcropping of rocks and the big guy came up the ridge behind him with his harem. It was amazing as soon as the big fella went down, another younger stag that had been skirting them came right in, roared and led the harem away, the circle continues.

The accommodations at San Ramon are a remodeled guest house that has 3 double in suite guest rooms but again we can take up to four hunters maximum at a time. As typical in Argentina, the food is fantastic and I would not consider San Ramon as roughing it at all. In addition to the hunts, there was some trout fishing opportunities as well, but that’s a journal for another day!!

Ambergris Cay, Belize

February 2009

Submitted by: Milton Hanburry

As I made my way down the steps of my US Air flight, a warm steady Caribbean breeze smoothed over my face. It was February and it felt great. I was here, along with my wife, to host a very special group of customers who had been coming to this place for over 30 years (see more on this in the March/April Trek News). But it had been a few years since I last visited and was very glad to be back.

Ambergris Caye is an island located less than 20 miles off from the mainland shores of Belize. A short and very scenic ten minute Tropic Air flight from Belize City has you landing literally in the middle of downtown San Pedro Town. The island is 28 miles long and two miles wide and if you don’t have a boat, you will not see all of it as the north part of the island while currently being developed, has no roads connecting the main town of San Pedro. What roads they do have are mostly dirt and filled with potholes that are mostly traversed with the latest EZ-GO golf cart. Not that they are really needed but extremely popular nonetheless. Ambergris’s shores are protected by the Belize Barrier Reef which is only a few hundred yards from the docks of most resorts on the island. It obviously makes a nice aquatic resource that divers and anglers have shared for decades.

My very first visit to Ambergris was in the early 90’s as I took my family there for a Spring Break Trip as well as some business. Fortunately for me that involved a few days of fishing and back then I had a young George Bradley for my guide and saw very few other anglers during my visit. I was impressed with the huge populations of bonefish I saw in the Crab Cays and caught my share of fish. There were also Permit cruising these flats and on occasions you can actually get their attention. Back then we stayed at Victoria House and ventured into town where we had a few meals and did some shopping. I liked what I saw and Trek sent many an angler to Ambergris since my initial visit.

But during the pre-recession boom years here in the U.S., Ambergris grew as well and anglers and divers came in droves. It also became in my opinion more of a mainstream tourist destination and guides, hotels, and resorts became fat and happy and less interested in providing the type of experience that attracted us there in the first place. But I was eager to see what if anything had changed and I was very happy to report that guides were eager to please and the flats and reef were offering the type of fishing that our clients had been accustomed to. Within seconds of leaving the docks you can be into the fish and since most use a Panga Skiff or Lanchon, you won’t get banged up no matter where you decide to fish. My guide Ramon worked hard and we enjoyed each other’s company and I averaged 5-9 bonefish a day by wading and poling the flats. Those numbers can be quadrupled if you want to cast in the mudding fish.

This most recent trip I stayed in the Banyan Bay Resort and their crew did an excellent job of catering to our fishing crowd who along with divers are what put Ambergris on the map; not weddings and time share condos. Despite the downturn of the global economy, San Pedro Town was alive and almost to capacity. Some new restaurants have opened their doors and quite excellent I might add. And as well several of the more established eateries also expanded. All in all, Ambergris is a place where a guy wearing Tommy Bahamas has nothing on a Hanes T-shirt and jean shorts guy. Flip-flops are a must attire and the dollar spends well. But the best thing may be that you can find a Belikin beer on every corner!!

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

January, 2009

Submitted by Milton Hanburry Jr.
Trek Safaris President

Having visited Cabo off and on since my honeymoon days of March 1983, I have seen it transformed from a quaint fishing village with four hotels to a mega resort destination with hundreds of hotels, condos and mansions. Not to mention some excellent golf courses designed by fellas named Nicklaus, Dye, Jones and Weiskopf. The fishing has also transformed somewhat from the early days of small California Cruisers equipped with barely a compass to incredible fishing machines like Bertrams, Hatteras and Vikings. The fishing fraternity also changed in Cabo from killing every billfish for a trophy mount to now releasing most sails and marlin. 
 

I was invited on a recent trip this past January to visit an operation that included a 10,000 square foot, 6BR home in swanky Pedrigal and fish aboard a 46 foot Bertram for striped marlin. I must admit I was a bit skeptical as the best time of year to fish Cabo is a little later in the year, but I was heading out to Reno for the SCI Show any way and decided to piggyback the trips. Boy, did I make the right move!! Our skipper told us that for the last four months a striped marlin bite was happening on the Golden Gate Banks some 23 miles north of the Cape on the Pacific side and set the GPS for an area where we could catch our bait (mackerel) that was pivotal for taking the marlin. It was only minutes after catching our bait that we saw a merging and active group of seals, pelicans, spawning snappers and MARLIN!! We quickly pitched the stripers some mackerel and in minutes we were hooked up with a 90 pounder that danced in the calm waters of the banks. This drill of spotting the top water action and pitching baits was repeated all day until we had landed six marlin and lost a few more. While the water temps were a bit cool at 74 degrees, the action remained constant.


The next two days we continued to take marlin off the Golden Gate Banks and despite some 50 boat or more on occasions, everyone continued to take 5-8 striped marlin a day along with some dolphin and wahoo. But the fishing was only part of the fun, as each night we ventured back to our mansion on the Pacific to toast the sunset and get ready for a night in town which usually meant a ride back to the marina that is the heart of downtown Cabo. In the boom years you could barely walk around the marina at night but due to some tough economic times, we were able to walk in most establishments without a reservation. The weather was great and food was wonderful and brings me to an interesting offer. Trek has agreed to act as an agent for this wonderful trip that includes a house in Pedrigal and the 46 foot Bertram. It is perfect for three to six couples or small private groups of individuals. As in all Trek trips, we will have a coordinator and logistics person on the ground to assist the group during your stay.

Chinandega, Nicaragua

November, 2008
Submitted by Chris Adams
Trek Safaris Director of Hunting Operations 

With November, brings the happiness and stress of Thanksgiving followed by the Christmas holidays. With all of the hectic planning, shopping and dreading the arrival of select family members, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to get out into the field. Since I am blessed with an understanding family and loving fiancée I can break away to travel with long time Trek clients, The Bahu's, the Allsworth's, and the Pinder Brothers.

Nicaragua is still tops for the traveling Blue Wing Teal and the hunters that chase them. I just returned from a seven day trip with our outfitters Marvin and Richard Townsend in Chinandega, Nicaragua. The Hotel Cortijo continues to impress our hunters by taking our requests to heart and expanding the bar area and menu choices. The bar now boasts high top tables, solid surface bar top, and seating for 30. It’s a perfect setting for an after dinner cocktail, cigar, and embellished story. The food was outstanding with fresh fish, shrimp, chicken and beef that delighted the hunters during their stay. Our groups had four outstanding duck hunts and the two dove hunts provided a relaxing but challenging twist with the always popular white-wing dove.

Our mornings came early with a 2:30am wake-up call but a solid breakfast and cup of coffee got you on your feet fast. Drive times from Cortijo are quick with 20 minutes to the lagoon, then a 15 minute air boat ride to your awaiting bird boy and blind. The work ethic of the staff is incredible and upon your pre-dawn arrival to the blind, your decoys are set, shells laid out, and if you are renting a gun, it is there, cleaned and ready to take aim. You are only in the blind ten minutes before the lagoon begins to wake up before your eyes. Even before you can see them, Teal are buzzing the decoys and touching down in groups, which is almost more than most can stand. The last few minutes of darkness feel like an eternity as you desperately await the inevitable first shot.

The first 15 minutes is controlled chaos, ducks coming from all four sides and shots from other members fading into the distance as your concentration sharpens. Before you know it your first box is empty. As your bird boy re fills your shell pouch, you pause a moment to take in the scenery. The sunrise, mangroves, and the smoking San Cristobal Volcano stands guard over the lagoon and seems to drawn you into a daydream. As you stop and think to pinch yourself to see if this is all real, your bird boy snaps you back with "coming, in front" as a group of teal drop their landing on final approach… Take ‘em!!

Call Trek for more details at 800 654-9915 and take note to read the Trek News!!