For live and premium content, sign up for our email newsletter and we'll send reports directly to your inbox
Subscriber Jim Duke says he wanted to fish for roosterfish and dorado for one day only this past October out of Loreto, Mexico, only to discover that his regular guide was not available and the agent he had used in the past was not interested in booking such a short trip. That sent him scurrying for another source of information. He writes:
“I found a reference to a company called Baja Big Fish (www.bajabigfish.com) in a book called Fly Fishing Southern Baja. Their Web site looked impressive; however, of the two reviews I found, the most recent said, ‘never again.’ Out of desperation, I contacted them anyway and made arrangements to meet them early in my trip to, in effect, ‘interview’ them before making a commitment. At our meeting, the owner, Pam Bolles, brought along the guide/captain I would fish with if I went forward with a booking. I was favorably impressed and promptly made arrangements to fish one day.
“Baja Big Fish operates out of Loreto, and my hotel was some 25 miles south of there, but they agreed to pick me up and drop me off on the beach at the hotel. Everything went as agreed. The panga was clean and the forward casting area was free of obstructions that might foul a line. Included in the price for a day of fishing was fly gear arranged for a left hand retrieve (two 8-weights and a 10-weight rigged with appropriate lines and tippets), flies, lunch, water, and chum. Francisco, my guide, was competent, and he handled the boat safely. His fishing English was good and he had a pleasant personality.
“The weather was ideal. The water was smooth as a pond. We fished a number of locations within five to 10 miles of the pickup point. The bad news: in spite of great effort, we caught only one fish, not counting the numerous needlefish that were a real nuisance at times. I cast to fish attacking schools of baitfish and I saw some fish near the bottom but managed to raise only one. The cost of my full day of fishing, everything included except license ($12) and tip, was $250. If I return to Loreto, I will fish with this company again. I’ll be happy to answer further questions from anyone.”