Saltwater Fly Fishing

Vail Valley Anglers ambassador Jason Paez (@finsandtwins) recently ventured into the middle of Baja to Magdalena Bay to pursue Mahi, Roosters, and Striped Marlin on the fly with friends and the crew of Los Locos. The following photo essay is a little recap of the adventure of the offshore fly fishing scene that can be experienced in Mag Bay! I worked with VVA guide and buyer Andy Leister to whip up a variety of baitfish fly patterns to take to Baja for Rooster, Mahi, and Striped Marlin. We prepped lines, knots, and backing at the shop prior to the trip. The morning run! The fishing was really good to the south so we had to run 60 miles offshore on average to and from where we were locating the bait balls. Super pods of dolphins and other abundant sea life of Mag Bay were all part of the action on the way out! Endless schools of aggressive Dorado aka Mahi allowed for selective sight fishing over bait balls to catch large bulls. It was the start of Mahi madness for the week! Bait ball below the surface with Mahi stacked from top to bottom. A fight with a Marlin that was eventually lost but the bruises from the fighting butt left a good memory! Bringing a Marlin to hand! Los Locos guide Steven Walker. Nick getting billed after a grueling fight! The runs back into Puerto San Carlos through Mag Bay during sunset were nothing short of breathtaking. Morning gear checks, 80 lb. leaders, and seeing which huge flies survived the chaos! Heavy sinking lines and 12wts were the go to combo! My setup was a Hatch 11 plus and Gloomis NRX+ 12wt. from Vail Valley Anglers. The Los Locos panga fleet. It was action packed running and gunning in these boats offshore. Each boat had a guide and a local captain. Big schools of Mahi could be found under floating debris structure or marauding the bait balls we located to find Marlin. Mahi can jump run and hit top water like nothing else and with the large numbers of Mahi migrating from the south it was absolute chaos with tons of action! Close-up of the quarry. Aerial view of the Marlin on a bait ball! Courtesy of lodge guide and co-owner Rudy. Guide and co-owner Rudy bringing a Striped Marlin to hand. This moment is what it was all about. Kyle with the release! Aerial sequence jumping a nice bull Mahi. Classic Mahi Colors! One of my favorite bulls! He absolutely bent the 12wt! Fighting Mahi of this caliber can gas the forearms when they jump, dive, hide under the boat, and run way out into your backing on lightning-fast runs! The Bay! Afternoons were often spent chasing Roosters from the beaches as you headed back into the mouth of Mag Bay. Some absolute beasts were caught on the fly during the mahi madness! The brotherhood! The Los Locos bar and lounge was perfect post fishing spot to hang with your crew and enjoy some Mezcal and Cervesas. Feasts of local fresh mariscos! The bay is famous for its seafood that is served around the world. George the owner shucked oysters and served up cold beers in the desert while hanging during a bad weather day and checking out the Baja 1000! Good company. Loads of Mezcal. Frigates, whales, and seals hunting bait in the Pacific. Running and gunning in Pangas offshore. Broken gear and bruises! Definitely a different scene running the coastline of Mag Bay! Huge thanks to the Los Locos crew (George, Rudy, Noah, Wesley, Steven, Alec, and Cam), and thanks for the most epic fishing trip memories (Pat, Jesse, Nick, Kyle, Griz, Alex, Shannon, Zach, Brett) If you are thinking of heading to Baja check out @loslocosmagbay! At Vail Valley Anglers we have been dialing in the equipment required for offshore fly fishing and can get you all rigged up! Feel free to message Jason on IG for ideas or swing by the shop in Edwards. Article and photos by Vail Valley Anglers ambassador Jason Paez (@finsandtwins).

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