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Guatemala April 2007

Trip Report

By ray hutcherson

April 1, 2007 to April 7, 2007

Roland Coleman  and I traveled from San Jose, California to Dallas Texas where we met the third member of our party, Rich Devine who had flown in from Seattle, Washington. After  a quick reunion we boarded an American Airlines flight to Guatemala City. After clearing customs, immigration and picking up our bags we were met by the driver for the Worlds Famous “Fins n Feathers” Casa Vieja Lodge.

We traveled in the lodges Mercedes Van and arrived at  the lodge a 1 ½ later, where we were met by Antonio, the lodge manager. Margaritas soon followed and we off to what was to be the first of many great meals.

Being well into evening and 2 hours ahead of west coast time we were soon off to our rooms for a few hours before that magic time of our fist day after the Pacific Sails.

The next day arrived all too soon and  after a quick breakfast we were off to the harbor.

Casa Vieja lodge is located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala near the ports of San Jose and Puerto Quetzal. Long recognized as the Worlds Sailfish Capital the harbor is the home of 25 or so American owned sportfisher’s. Most are in the range of 37 to 38 feet complete with double tuna towers and outriggers, with at least one mega fisher of 65 feet. These boats are extremely well maintained and are captained by Americans with a wealth of experience. Both conventional light tackle and fly fishing are offered on all boats.

6 of the boats in the fleet are owned by the lodge and are most often booked during the prime season running from around the 1^st of November well into May. Sails can be found year around, but during “the season” the seas are usually flat calm.

This trip we were booked on the Spindrift, a Stolper 38. The boat had just been added to the fleet and the Captain Jason Brice had spent the last several years as a Captain fishing the coast of  Venezuela.