Done Deal

I'm sitting in the Margaritaville Cafe at the Cancun airport waiting for my flight.  My previous blog didn't happen due in no small part to an intermittent internet connection.  Yesterday was my last day.  Doug Wall, my host, joined us just in time for the wind to switch to the Southeast and start to blow like hell.  We decided to give it the old college try regardless.  To use the correct maritime terminology, we got the snot slapped out of us for 4 hours in 4 to 6 foot seas, very short wave periods, and winds gusting at 25 knots plus.  I enjoyed the ride watching everyone get soaked from the air-conditioned comfort of the leather couch in the well-appointed salon.  George, the mate, raked up some really nice bonitos.  Things like weather become a lot less stressful when you've already got what you came for.

This last week has been amazing, I hope the photos do the experience some justice.  The sailfish is one of the most elegant of all the game fish and one of the fastest.  The sail has the grace of a flamenco dancer with her flowing skirt and fine foot work and the timing of a matador.  The bigger bill fish have their raw power and brawn but the sail is a true master swordsman, an artist with the bill and cape.  To see them en masse and lit up like the Vegas strip was incredible.  Life is good!

It's now back to Morehead City to get these images working and start setting up for the next trip.  Guatemala in April at Casa Vieja is looking good and then in late May it's off to the Med for big bluefin tuna (yes, there are still a few left there).  As the spring turns to summer I will be working off the North Carolina coast with some of my favorite boats and captains.  I'm looking forward to getting some shots of the great Carolina marlin fishery.  Thank you again for all the emails, comments, and Facebook messages from those of you enjoying the blog. As of this morning we are just short of 1000 visitors this week.  A big thank you to Doug Wall for the invite on his great boat, Captain Larry "The Switch" Toma and mate George for their patience this week.  There are not many fishing captains that will literally park their boat over a bait ball for more than three hours and watch while a hundred sailfish circle the boat eating bait inches from the transom and not have a single line out.  Larry, you are a strong man.

Cheers from Mexico.

Marc