Member Login
|
Combining one fly angler and one conventional is totally doable, in fact I like it. Keep a bait long, three teasers short for fly. If fish teases in well we throw the fly, if not pitch the boat, or fish drops back and eats the bait long in the rigger…very productive way of fishing…. by Capt. Brad Philipps
Capt. Brad Philipps's average on the fly rod over the 15 years he has been here is 7 sailfish releases on the long wand a day, with a couple more thrown in on the backup spin rod for those that will not bite or tease to the fly. His top day is 51 releases on the fly rod for a single angler, all IGFA.
Capt. Brad Philipps recommends a 50lb spectra backing, in hi-vis color. A 50-60 yard section of 30lb hi vis mono running line. A 500 grain shooting head thin diameter fly line cut to 20 feet about.
Our prices are all inclusive of fishing, lodging, food, land transport, etc., but does not include airfare, alcoholic drinks and tips. We have found it easier and more benificial if clients book their airfare from their side, into Guatemala City, arriving the afternoon prior to their first fishing day and flying out the day after their last fishing day.
Your wife will love Antigua Guatemala, only 1hr from us and could easily spend a few days exploring there while you fish. Our setup here is also very private and if she is the sort would enjoy relaxing around our pool, walks and maybe a panga trip down the river.
Yes, the boat DECISIVE is fully equipped with fly tackle, but if you want to bring your own fly takle I (Capt. Brad Philipps) would recommend a minimum of a 13-14 weight rod, you can always put one of your reels on my rods if you like, I use 15-16 weights. Do not worry to much about rigging etc, we will do all that for you here, so rather leave flyfines and backings etc. off the reel if possible and we can walk you thru it all so you see how and why we do things. I recommend you bring some unrigged Cam Sigler popper billfish flies in pink. We have on the boat but it's good to bring about 6 extra per angler in case the bite goes crazy. We will rig them for you.
Which Eagle Claw Hooks is Capt. Brad Philipps using for the Sails? Using the EL2004 in 7/0. (Any kettering after that number is purely packaging ID). It has been my go to Eagle Claw Fishing hook for ever...it's the best. I use the same hook but in 9/0 or 10/0 on my marlin pitch baits, depend on tackle and bait size. We catch plenty marlin on the 7/0 with 20 or 30# test also.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, Our season runs from Oct thru Jun. Pinpointing the bite is the toughest thing. The fish move, although Guatemala has an outstanding record as far as consistency. Try find the pen dates that we have that best suit you and your buddies. I have had great bites in every month of the year really. Our weather here is ideal, with very few rough days which makes the fly fishing and fish in general so much easier.
Fishing 2 anglers to the boat while fly fishing is ideal. Some also fish by themselves but bringing a companion and having the rotation is nicer too.
I think you will love the billfishing on the fly with aggressive visual bite right in front of you and all that goes along with catching these big acrobatic fish on the long wand.
Catering to your group of 10 anglers will be a pleasure. We have 2 identical Villas side by side, giving us flexibilty to cater to groups up to 10 people or two separate groups of up to 5 each. Fishing 3 per boat is right on. At present we operate 3 boats, the 'Decisive' a 40ft Gamefisherman which I run and a other boats are available from 31ft to 37ft run by foreign Captains.
Not sure of booking a Fishing Package Online, please Enquiry HERE!
We do not deal with airfares as find that your personal travel agent will be able to find you the best deals. We stick to the fishing, accomodation and other logistics from our side and see to all that being flawless. You would need to fly into and out of Guatemala City, our driver will pick you up there and we are 1h45min down to the coast from there. Coming from a far away country, you should fish at least 4 days, maybe 5 and maybe a night in Antigua Guatemala for a look, it's worth it.
The sailfish range from 70-100lb in average weight and we use 20lb standup tackle on them. The marlin from 250-450lb would be average although we have seen leenty of much bigger fish.
The easiest flight down here is the American Airlines flight... It's a direct 3 hour flight. If you go to AA.com, and put airport code "DFW" in the from column, and "GUA" in the to column several flights will pop up. You probably don't want to go through Miami.... which there are some flights, but the easiest and fastest is the direct from DFW.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, It is my feeling that although we can have amazing fishing at any time during the year here in Guatemala, our most consisitent months are Oct thru the end of May into June. For the upcoming seasons, we will be starting in full force every Oct and going thru every Jun of next year. It is always tuff to predict the exact bite, but anytime during that period which suits u're plans and schedule is great. Give the website another look for dates which suit you and follow by first step (see above).
Oct and Nov are excellent fishing months here and highly recommeded for the sailfish and also some marlin or tuna and dorado inbetween. In fact they are some of my favourite months. A lot of people like to come down during the USA winter and hence Dec thru March filling sooner, but the fishing is good right thru, and all the big Tournaments are scheduled in Oct and Nov here for that very reason.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, Predicting the exact bite is always tuff, this is fishing. We have had 40 plus release days in every month here. I average 15-18 releases a day thru the entire season on bait. Your choice of early spring, March, April or May is right on here for great fishing and generally have flat seas, if you, your wife or kids get see sick, but those months almost guarentee it, and a plus in any book. Our season that we push bookings is Oct thru June, Nov thru May being most popular.
Please check our Calendar for Availability, look for Fish & Dine!
By Cindy Philipps, Our website is very upto date with available dates and is the easiest for every angler to pick his days which will suit the all group. Also the prices are on that too so it makes it easy. Pick the dates, fill out the details and you will get instant confirmation for your booking. If you would like to add more nights or tours, I will get back to you with an additional quote, you can email ADD-ON's
Whether and experienced or novice billfishermen we do it all and is a wonderful place to learn with the number of shots and experienced crew to help you along or to learn something new every day just like we do.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, I would recommend a minimum of a 13-14 weight rod, you can always put one of your reels on my rods if you like, I use 15-16 weights. Do not worry to much about rigging etc., we will do all that for you here, so rather leave flyfines and backings etc off the reel if possible and we can walk you thru it all so you see how and why we do things. I recommend you bring some unrigged Cam Sigler popper billfish flies in pink, 6 per angler.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, Having caught a bunch of large yellowfin in various locations, I like you have a great appreciation for these bruisers. We see some good yellowfin bites off our Guatemala coast around the spinner dolphins offshore and I'd say latter in the season going late May and thru June and in Oct being the better time of year. But we do not really see many big fish nor have I targeted them specifically. Finding them is fun and we take advantage of it when we do, to add to our sailfishing.
By Capt. Brad Philipps, Blue Marlin on the fly is certainly as high up the scale as one can go. I have done it both on the rod and at the helm and it sure is a challenge. Over the past few years we have seen more and more blue marlin off Guatemala and it is becoming a fairly consistent fishery. They move in and out of the area but I'd say one would have a better shot at seeming them more consistently from the May through till November. Our experienced flyfishing crews and the aggressive nature and average size of 200-400lbs, makes this one of the top destinations in the world to target blue marlin on fly. As you know trying for a blue on fly is about putting in one's time, being prepared and having the experience, technique, crew and team around you to take advantage of the shot when you get it. We have caught as many as 6 blues in a day here on 'decisive' and as many as 2 on fly in a day with 3 blue marlin bites on fly in a day. One big bonus is that while putting in that time, you will be catching sailfish on the fly rod which will only help in enjoying the hours, improving u're skills and giving you a better shot at the blue when it shows up. We would probably say we see more marlin in Oct, Nov and then again in May, June, so book during those periods and come down for 4, 5 or 6 days to give you a better shot.
The Pacific Coast of Guatemala is easy to get to, flat seas, great weather, has it all. We target mainly the huge numbers of Sailfish here, they average 70-90lbs, eight to ten foot in total length and are superb sport on light conventional tackle or fly-fishing gear. They have released as many as 91 sailfish in a day on 20lb line, 73 for a single angler in a day and 51 for a single angler on fly gear. 15 releases average a day. All gear on board. They make the most of what ever is around in addition to the sailfish and catch good numbers of blue marlin, dorado and tuna also.
We recommend that fly-fishermen bring additional Cam Sigler Popper Fly’s (pink).
Boat crew tips are not included.
You can see who we are, the boats you can charter, everything about the fishing, weather and seasons, the lodge, the food. You can create your own account, giving you access to our calendar and allowing you to reserve dates and book them online, program and customize your booking HERE!
Please email us with any queries that this website may not clarify for you. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you put your trip together.
Questions & Answers
Cindy or Brad personally will get back to you, with your Answers!
The boat DECISIVE is fully equipped with fly tackle, but if you want to bring your own fly tackle, we would recommend a minimum of a 13-14 weight rod, you can always put one of your reels on our rods if you like. Capt. Brad Philipps use 15-16 weights. We have Flies on the boat. Same as our 'Other Boats'.
By Capt. Brad Philipps I would recommend a minimum of a 13-14 weight rod, you can always put one of your reels on my rods if you like, I use 15-16 weights. Do not worry to much about rigging etc., we will do all that for you here, so rather leave flyfines and backings etc off the reel if possible and we can walk you thru it all so you see how and why we do things. I recommend you bring some unrigged Cam Sigler popper billfish flies in pink.
Copyright 2024 by Alan RamÃrez
USA : +1 (512) 535-1751 | WhatsApp Capt. Brad : +27 (71) 103-0030 | WhatsApp Cindy : +27 (60) 894 3401 Email : info@guatbilladv.com