I love fish, always have and always will. Ever since I was a kid fish have mesmerized me. I am infinitely intrigued by the variations of fish shapes, sizes, colors, fin formations, feeding habits and so on and so forth. I think that is why I have always loved pictures and paintings of fish so much, because each fish is truly a work of natural art. Brook trout have red fins and crazy dots, striped bass have lines, albies have beautiful patterns on their backs, bluefin tuna have vertical teardrop patterns, steelhead transform from bright chrome to a myriad of color variations, bonefish look really cool from the top down, brown trout sometimes have red dots and sometimes not, atlantic salmon jump, marlin literally light up, tarpon are silver, snook have one lateral line, redfish are red, bluefish are blue and roosterfish have hair. Ok, well its not really hair it’s a “comb” but it looks like hair. And, ready for this? When a roosterfish gets all fired up and excited the comb sticks straight up out of the water! So, I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to fish biology, why fish do this or that and all that sort of stuff. In-fact, when it comes to fish, I don’t know that much has changed since I was a kid with a bobber and worm. The only thing I know is that I love fish and fish mesmerize me. So, several years ago I saw a picture of a roosterfish that my friend Kory had caught on the fly. Immediately, when I saw that fish with its beautiful patterns and ‘hair’ sticking up, I was mesmerized and dreamed of the day when I might get a chance to fly fish for roosterfish. Well, some years passed and to make a long story short, I became good friends with Jeff DeBrown. Jeff has lived full time in Mexico for 9 years or so, loves saltwater fly fishing, speaks fluent Spanish and owns The Reel Baja. So, when Jeff invited me down to try my luck at Roosterfish I knew that this was a once and a lifetime opportunity. I asked Jeff if Joey could join me and Jeff said, “Ya sure, Justin and Kate (aka K8) will be down here at that time too and it will be fun.” Well, “fun” was an understatement. It was nothing short of incredible. Justin and Kate had driven down to Mexico from Oregon in an old diesel pick up truck! Jeff fished the 5 of us in every way possible. We fished for roosterfish from the beach and from pangas and Jeff guided Joey and myself to our first roosterfish on the fly. I don’t know what made the trip better, the fish or the people? The roosterfish is an amazing species of fish and fishing for them is very similar to other rewarding species of fish. There were often long durations of time with no action and no sign of roosterfish, followed by heart pumping windows of opportunity. Fly fishing for roostefish is all about getting “shots.” Some days we would get 5 shots and other days we would get 20 shots at fish. And, when you get your shot it is important to make it count. It happens fast. The roostefish appears out of nowhere. Its comb is sticking out of the water and it is keyed in on a sardina, mullet or lady fish that is running for its life. It is a very visual experience and its important to get your fly to the fish quickly. Limited false casting, being able to cast into the wind, maintaining your composure and fly line management are just a few of the important keys to success. Then, there is the fly! The fly has to be good. It was very common to have a roosterfish raise his comb and get fired up on the fly and then refuse the fly at the very last minute. I will never forget one afternoon where Jeff and I were fishing together. Jeff spotted a solo “grande” roosterfish cruising the beach. He helped position me ahead of where the fish was traveling and then it was up to me. I saw the fish coming. I made a good cast ahead of the fish. The fish saw the fly, turned on the fly and raised its comb. This was a big fish! I kept stripping the fly at the same speed. The fish was all fired up now and its comb was fully out of the water. My fly and the fish were getting closer to the beach. I swear I could see the fish’s eyeballs about 3 inches behind my fly. I crouched down, way down so the fish wouldn’t see me. He’s going to eat it, eat it! eat it! … I had no more room to strip the fly as it was almost on the beach! The fish followed it within a few feet of me and then turned away. That’s the game, and that is what makes it so much fun! In regards to the people, they were all equally as cool as the fish. I felt very comfortable in a foreign country with Jeff. He knew all the locals, all of the places to eat (which is critical) and I did not have to stumble around trying to get by with the few words of Spanish I know. And, after 9 years of living there full time, he truly understands how to fish for roosterfish, big jack crevalle, mahi, marlin, tuna and many other species. The local Mexican people that I met were top notch. And, it was great to have Justin and Kate there with us to fish and hang out with. I will never forget riding down the endless dirt roads in the back of their diesel truck that Joey referred to as “The Starship Enterprise.” So, thank you Jeff, Joey, Justin, Kate and everyone else I met down in Mexico for helping make my roosterfish reality better than my roosterfish dream!
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
If this video and story doesn’t resurrect those dreams of the baja. nothing will! If the weary travel keeps you from the journey, ah, 2 people drove from Oregon!!
Now it’s just how bad do you want it?
The usual over the top quality of story and inspiring video from flies and fins. The bar has been raised and the gauntlet thrown!
Once again J… ridiculous
Right in the face of the “Swine” we got it done. Incredible trip for sure. One of a lifetime. Awesome company and killer fishing. I cannot take credit for the starship enterprise though. That is kates creativity not mine…..Thanks to Jeremy, Jeff, Kate and Justin for making this an unbelievable trip.
Did not know you could do the chicken dance and catch fish at the same time. Looks like fun.
In the game of baseball we have a word for mad talent……..FILTHY!!!!
Nicely done!
Those roosters are absolute dreamfish….
you did it ( again) Jeremy…
Seabass
Ya greg, no kidding. I thought it was a long and big trip for me. Fly cross country, then to mexico .. passport etc.. the whole deal actually too 23 hours of travel time or something like that. Then, I arrive to meet Kate and Justin who DROVE down from Oregon in that diesel pickup truck! Upon seeing that truck and hearing that they drove … it suddenly made any of my flying travel ordeals (crammed in coach on jet blue next to the toilet and screaming babies, sleeping in atlanta airport on the floor etc..) seem like kids play. All of that travel though .. was well worth it.
Thanks man! Joey, Jeff and I worked hard to try to get some cool shots on video .. those roosters move fast and everything happens fast, so there were a ton of missed opportunities and lot’s of time when “the action” was over before the camera even powered on .. but, we ended up with some cool shots of those spectacular fish that were somewhat able to show how they react to flies and the total experience .. glad you liked it – thanks for the comment!
Joey — you rocked it on the camera brotha! The trip wouldn’t have been the same without you! I will never forget you and me ridin’ in the back of kates truck getting knocked around and beat up by those dirt roads … oh ya, and also when you ate the entire hot pepper at that taco joint … that was hilarious! Great trip man -always so much fun fishin and filming with you.
John — ya that was Justin in the clip you are referring to .. he had just done an epic sprint to a massive pod of busting fish .. got his fly in the mix and hooked up … and did some “fancy foot work” to get the fly line untangled from his feet and toes ..
Thanks gilly! Appreciate the comment… there was definately A TON of talent involved .. from jeff helping us find the fish and know how to fish to them, justin and jeff tyin’ some killer flies for us (without those, we would have been screwed), Kate teasin’ fish in like a pro and keepin’ the “starship enterprise” on the road and joey workin the camera and getting killer shots in the blazing sun and then on the drop of a dime bein’ able to put down the camera fire a cast off and hook a rooster ..
Zeebars – thanks for the comment man!!! Those roosterfish definately are “dreamfish” .. honestly though i gotta give credit where credit is due .. I simply showed up! Ya, I guess I made a couple good casts here and there … but in reality if not for Jeff there might not have been any casts to make. This was totally foreign country and fishery. I really had no clue where I was as you know, finding fish (any fish) is often the biggest part of the task .. I simply followed Jeff. And, to be fair, I went down there without any flies. How would I have flies? We don’t have Roosterfish in Maine .. So, thankfully Jeff and Justin had the PERFECT flies for these fish and they handed them out freely to Joey and me …
So, “getting it done” was definately a team effort and definately a result of being with good fisherman and friends who helped me.
What can i say? probably the best video to date on this site, and that says alot. I’ve never seen such copious amounts of killer content cramed into five minutes of web video. congrats on knocking out another stellar video as well as catching your first roosters…im green with envy
Thanks austin .. i know you love chasing the bonito and albies and you can probably tell from the video that in many respects the roosterfish is very similar .. up, down, here, over there, hot action for 10 minutes and than dead for 3 hours. And, the foot game for roosters was very similar to on-foot tunoid chaising. the don’t come close to shore all that often and when they do .. you gotta be able to get your fly there, make 1 cast count and no room for error … you would love it.
PS. speaking of albies and bonito and bluefin tuna .. won’t be long now till we are chasin’ ’em.
l love fish too and now after watching this video i have a new obsession. great stuff guys. -Ed
That is just too freaking cool. The footage of the roosters smashing bait and the fly landing just ahead of it got my blood rushing… That and all those shots of fish tracking the fly! That’s what saltwater fly’s all about…
Ed,
Let’s fish this week. Give me a shout.
Hey man — how’s everything in australisa? hope your having some good days on the water … I know that Australia has lots and lots of opportunities similar to this and with all different sorts of fish species … I can’t wait for the day when that long time dream of mine comes true .. and i get an opportunity to toss some flies in australian waters … australia saltwater fly fishing is something i would really love to try at some point in my life. thanks for the comment. hope all is well over/down there.
Killer footage all the way around left me dreaming of chasing hard tails soon I love the way those fish hunt like fierce warriors ripping through that crystal clear water. Awesome tune and amazing work getting those ultimate fighters to hand especially from shore. Wish i could have joined you all on that one..next time cheers Alex
whats up bro! ya man you would have fit in perfectly on that trip, for sure! it felt kind of like chasing albies in argentina (if that were possible:)) … Anyway, word on the street is you got a zodiak with a 25 hp on it! When are we takin her out for the maiden voyage to chase to fins? I’d bring a bottle of champaign to smash over the bow, but I don’t want to pop it!:))) lookin’ forward to gettin’ out on it and fishin’ with ya! Perhaps we can tow her behind my boat and then cut her lose out in the big water .. that would be a blast! give me a shout.
went tonight and it was squid-tastic
Nice! You were right .. seeing those stripers on the squid was outrageous. Loved seeing those squid popping out of the water and trying escape from the stripers that were hot on their tails and jumping all over the place .. Not a slow feeding ritual by any means .. Hope a few more squid stick around for another week or so .. did you see any “turnadic”activity on the inside? rough or calm seas on the outside?
Kick ass video and great story J! Glad i could help inspire you to chase those crazy fish. Like you, I have been a psycho for fish my entire life and to this day can never get enough. It is interesting though how as time goes on it becomes a lot more about the people that you share the fishing with and not as much about the fish. Sure the fish are what brings us all together, but i don’t think it would mean very much if we couldn’t share it with others.
jeremy, definitely have to join the chorus on this one; absolutely SICK video!
been dreaming about sea of cortez, this will just make those dreams more vivid. great music, beautiful fish, just amazing man
-tight lines
Kory,
100% agree … Every so often I enjoy going fly fishing by myself for a little peaceful time and to just relax .. but, the majority of the fly fishing I do is with friends and people that I really like to fish with and people who like to view a fishing trip as a team effort. Sure its great if I catch a fish but honestly not that much better than if someone else on the team catches the fish or the biggest fish or the only fish on the trip. Because, like you say even though its all about the fish and all about fishing …. ultimately, its really not. Its all about the totality of the fishing experience .. and, to be honest, the thought of going to Mexico by myself to fly fish .. interests me about as much as getting an oil change. And the best part of Flies And Fins, for me, is that its like a never ending 24/7/365 trip .. even though I am not the one actually in Alaska catching the salmon, or in the sierra mountains catching the trout or in maine at the “new secret spot” …. it feels as though I am on “the trip” because I know that the person who did the trip wanted to share the trip for the very same reason that I like to share my trips with friends and people (whether they be actually on the trip or just see pics, read the story or video or whatever) .. Anyway, ya I was stoked with this fish! Let’s fish soon. Peace bro.
Much appreciated man! I’m already “dreamin” about getting back someday .. In my mind I still see that one giant comb that followed my fly right to my feet and then refused it at the last minute … so, i guess i’ll just have to dream about hookin’ for a while .. until i can someday make it back. so many fins, so many dreams, so much water .. and so little time.
so many fins, so many dreams, so much water .. and so little time.
it’s my life…..
Seabass
That video made me speechless unless u consider drooling a form of speech.
awesome job jeremy!
Jeremy,
As always…Sweet Video and Tune loved some othe the underwater shots, and close ups of the roosters combed up…Saaaweeet!
Congrats to you and Joey on bagging your Roosters on foot…quite an accomplishment…
Can’t wait to get some salt time in…soon
Kodiak – i’ve drooled over a few of the naknek naknek rainbows you’ve locked horns with up/over there in alaska — so, i know the feeling … thanks for the comment.
boz …. ya man, you would like fishin’ for the rooster, much like albie, bonito game from foot .. speaking of those .. start tyin’ up the epoxies .. its loaded with sand eels .. and the bonito, bft’s and albies love sand eels .. looking forward to fishin the hard tails with you this season .. AND, gotta get up to fish with ya .. i hear your getting some really big salmon consistently .. perhaps we should do the hex hatch next week .. give me a shout.
phenomenal footage and great tune. so amped you guys sealed the deal from the beach down there, an incredible set of circumstances you will never forget.
Thanks whip! Speaking of “sealing the deal from the beach” — you better be comin’ to fish the hard tails again this fall .. Sept. 19th – we are having a big party on Montauk .. mark the date!