Los Roques, the archipelago of…
Three more weeks in Los Roques have passed by, and summarizing all impressions, views, and experiences is not an easy task. First off I need to point out some «fake news». When reading about traveling to Venezuela, the impression is not very reassuring. But when arriving you realize that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m rarely impressed by airport personnel in certain parts of the world. However arriving/departing Caracas has been 100% stress-free, and even security officers are being very forthcoming and helpful.
Times are changing, and Venezuela is making a real effort to become an attractive destination for various tourists. And this shows in all aspects of the journey.
The small town of Gran Roque is as always a very easy place to fall in love with. Sandy streets, where you can walk barefoot, friendly people, and the most mellow atmosphere. Getting up early in the morning for a stroll around town as the sun is rising, is something I’d highly recommend. Take a walk down the main street, and watch the community come to life with the first light. Local people out on their morning walks, cats and dogs lazily watching the street sweepers, tidying up, gathering leaves from the trees that frame this little town.
Make a right-hand turn, and go down to the beach, hundreds, maybe thousands of seabirds, pelicans, boobies, and seagulls are already diving into schools of sardines chased by jacks, bonefish, and tarpon as the Caribbean sun is breaking the horizon, all to the sound of waves slowly lapping at the white sand. It would be hard to find a better way to start the day before breakfast. Through our last stay this November we experienced more baitfish action than on previous trips. And the archipelago was boiling with prey and game fish.
Walking the beaches, and seeing the flats all cloudy with sardines is a serious trigger to anyone who knows what is following these poor little fish. Suddenly you see the carpet of bait open up, creating a clear path for the predator. Suddenly the water explodes, and a big silvery fish breaks the surface while inhaling a big mouthful of sprats. Game on!
Our two first weeks, approaching the full moon had lots of tarpon action! Several big fish were landed, several of course also lost, but never forgotten. In between the busting tarpon, we also caught more bonefish than anyone expected, plus Horse-eye Jacks, Barracuda, Mutton Snapper, Bar Jacks, and Yellowtail Snappers. A funny detail these first two weeks was that our «beginner» tropical anglers were the ones nailing all the big tarpon. This again underlines that Los Roques provides for all levels of expertise within fly fishing. As the moon kept growing fuller, the tarpon bite died out. But there are many other interesting species to target, and far from all are as sensitive to a big moon as the tarpon. Where the tarpon left off, big jacks took over. Our guys Jens and Nerses made a massacre on their last days there, getting both double hookups and some seriously large specimens that put both gear and angler to the test!
Not to mention the mutton snappers we caught. The Mutton is surely one of my favorite fish to target. They are often big, they are super pretty and they pack a serious punch, fighting harder than you’re often prepared for. They can be finicky, but also greedy, eating from a size 8 bonefish fly to a 6/0 brush, all depending on mood and situation. An under-estimated adversary on the flats, that deserve more attention.
Usually, Los Roques is synonymous with bonefish, and this is 1000% accurate. The bones there are not like other bones. Of course, you’ll find the «classic» bonefish, searching the shallows for crabs and crustaceans whilst waving their tail.
But they also specialize in sardines, and you’ll see schools of bait being busted by groups of bones. They are so aggressive that you can even catch them on topwater flies, such as the Crease Fly, or other slim floating patterns. Creating a whole new dimension within the world of bonefishing. Every trip and every day fishing in the Los Roques Archipelago brings something new to the table. And it’s seemingly a Pandora’s box of experiencing, learning, and achieving old and new goals as you go along.
I’ve already started making some new flies, from new ideas, making new plans for our next season, a season that honestly can’t start soon enough.
