Below is Dick’s report from today:

Pre-Season Week (December 31-December 6)

Eric Gioia

Weather was really tough for the Dallas area doc on his first trip to the Palometa Club. Eric got in early on New Year’s Eve and was able to witness some of the Punta Allen flavor that Kaye and I have grown to love so much over the years. We had a special week of good food and great conversation with a few Tarpon, Bones and near misses in the Permit department. I guess we will just have to see you again Eric, maybe even this season!!!

Week One (January 6-13)

Stephen P

David C

Scott Rogers

Tom Bie

This was the first of Stephen’s two week attack of the Ascension Bay permit population and what a great time to be away from up-state New York. Stephen was joined by his long time fishing buddy, David and together they set out to prove what a couple of focused, experienced anglers could do. Between them they landed 8 in their 6 days on the Bay with the split going 3 for Stephen and 5 for David. They told us the experience on Ascension Bay and The Palometa Club far outstretched all of their previous experiences at other “permit destinations”.

Also joining us for an abbreviated stay was Scott Rogers, for his second trip in 7 months and his first of 2 for the 2012 campaign. Along with Scott was Tom Bie of the Drake Magazine fame. Just a minute or two on this particular periodical. If you are like me and have given up on fishing rags in general, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of The Drake. The edgy and hip format and content of this high quality publication has some real meat and potato’s for those of us that are more than casual observers of the quiet sport. Even though Scott and Tom could only stay for 4 and 3 days respectively, they did manage to best 3 nice permit with one of Tom’s two landed being in the 18 to 20 pound class.

Stay tuned to see how Stephens weeks end up as well as the hordes that are about to ascend on us from all over the North American content.

Season Permit Count:  11

Scott Rodgers with palometa numero uno for this season.

Early Season Hospitality and New Club Members

Tom Bie with Tagged Permit. Day #1

Tom Bie and Drake Magazine Photo Spread Material

Tom Bie and Drake Magazine Photo Spread Material #2

Tom. Release.

January blue-bird day. Hard to complain about early season weather, eh?

We plan on tagging another 150-200 of these bad boys over the next six months.

The 2011 Off-Season

One of my first impressions of Dick and Kaye Cameron was that they have a very obvious sense of adventure.  This past off-season, and subsequent journey south to open for the 2012 season, is a small microcosm of their endless quest to live a life to the fullest.  The last six months have also been filled with reminders about what makes the Palometa Club so special at it’s core.  It is a real mom and pop lodge owned and operated by people who cherish the lifestyle, the community of Punta Allen, the natural wonders of Ascension Bay, their employees, and their guests.

Dick spent the past six months at the Kensington Gold Mine near Juneau.  He led a 150+ man crew on a dangerous and uncomfortable job site while living in a tent on the side of a mountain.  His weekly calls to check in were always filled with something laughable and upbeat despite the circumstances.  Meantime, Kaye assisted beautifully with the off-season phone calls rounding up repeat guests, worked at her salon, and did her best not to complain about the solitude and crappy SE Alaska weather.

The off-season work in Alaska and subsequent time apart from one another is just one of their hundreds of sacrifices made each year to offer the fly fishing community what is, hands down, the best Caribbean fly fishing experience out there.  I have come to realize it is the hard time in Alaska that actually fuels the fires to operate and improve their incredible fishing lodge.  I can imagine both of them bundling up, putting on the rain jacket (again), and working their hands to the bone while day-dreaming of their Mexican families, salty air, and the warm sun on Ascension Bay that awaits them.  Notwithstanding, when the off-season is complete, they are ready to blow off some steam.  Switching gears from the hard-ass mine boss to the mild mannered fishing lodge host and hostess definitely requires some down time.

The Texas Visit

Dick and Kaye arrived Dallas on December 2^nd in time for our 1^st annual “Palometa Club / Tailwaters Partnership Meeting”.  Translation = go out to eat a dozen times, drink too much, laugh, and forget to discuss anything of real substance related to the spirit of the meeting.   Not really… It was a very productive week and we had a lot of fun with my family and the staff at the shop.

Kreh and Kaye. Fast Friends.

Our original plan was to attend the Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company Christmas Party with Lefty Kreh and then head to New Orleans to chase redfish before Dick and Kaye departed for Punta Allen to open up the Club.  While we enjoyed a fun dinner with Lefty and Rick Pope along with some of his staff from Temple Fork Outfitters, The weather on the marsh was crappy enough to talk me personally out of the trip.  Dick and Kaye along with Club guests/friends, Ken and Janine Ferderer, took their chances with Mother Nature and went to the Big Easy for a few days.  As predicted, the weather was horrible, but the crew still managed to eat and drink well at the Woodland Plantation, catch a few reds, and over indulge in the quarter for the weekend.  My family took care of the Club dog, Digger, during their absence.

Loading the Uhaul with contraband for smuggling into Mexico.

Los Patrones y Digger departing Dallas.

The Drive to Punta Allen

Long story short, Dick and Kaye swung back through Dallas to collect Digger and an overkill sized U-Haul of inventory and gear for the Club before beginning the journey south.  The destination was Punta Allen, approximately 2200 miles from the parking lot of our store in Dallas.  En route to the border was a stop at Steve Swensen’s place near San Antonio to pick up a new truck, then head due east to Corpus Christi, and to Stiffy Fibertex & Supply to pick up a half dozen new push poles for the guides.

All the guides are going to get a stiffy when Kaye arrives (with new push poles).

I had been lecturing Kaye on the importance of providing lots of news and imagery this coming season for the blog.  She is off to an incredible start and texted me a zillion times along the way with updates along every bump of the road from the moment they were 200 feet away from the shop all the way to Tulum.  The best way to summarize the adventure is to simply post some of the images  from their text thread en route.   It takes people with a real sense of adventure (and maybe a little nuts) to provide such character rich entertainment.

The New Mexi-Mobile for the Road between Punta Allen and Tulum. Border bound.

Classic Mexican Welcoming Committee. Shortly after crossing border.

There is a stray dog problem in Mexico.

Taco Shop. Note Horse.

60 Pesos for Kaye's Birthday Lunch Feast.

Traffic jam.

First view of the Caribbean Sea in 6 months. The Emerald Coast.

Costa Esmarelda

"Auto Motel". Note phallic towel arrangement.

Carillo Puerto. Christmas Time in Mexico.

Merry Christmas.

2000 miles down the road. Almost Home.

Shopping for new beach chairs.

Parque Reinactemen. Chetumal.

Reunion.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Contact us today to get your name on the calendar: david@tailwatersflyfishing.com -   (888) 824-5420

• January 6-13 (4 Rods)
• January 20-27 (6 Rods)
• January 27-February 3 (8 Rods)
• February 10-17 (6 Rods)
• February 24 – March 2 (6 Rods)
• March 2-9 (4 Rods)
• March 9-16 (6 Rods)
• March 16-23 (8 Rods)
• April 6-13 (6 Rods) – Easter Week
• April 13-20 (6 Rods)
• May 11-18 (12 Rods)***
• May 25 – June 1 (6 Rods)
• June 1-8 (6 Rods)
• June 8-15 (10 Rods) – Tailwaters Travel Hosted Trip / Last Week of Season Fiesta

The Palometa Club has teamed with the BTT in conducting their new permit research on the Yucatan.  Join David Leake from Tailwaters Travel and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust board member, John Ain, for an enlightening week of fishing and science on Ascension Bay.  Anglers will participate in the tagging and data collection of permit and witness Dr. Ain provide guide staff training in tagging and tag recovery.  Guests will also enjoy evening seminars educating us all on the facts and myths of permit, bonefish and tarpon throughout the Caribbean – as well as learn about the fascinating research being done by BTT to protect these marvelous species.  Guests will also receive a FREE $100 membership to BTT.

About Jon Ain:

Jon grew up in the Northeast and attended Cornell University where he obtained a BS in Zoology. His Honors advisor was Dr. Perry Gilbert, the famous shark researcher, who went on to become the longtime head of Mote Marine Labs. Jon then attended Harvard Medical School and after a couple of years as a GP on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona/ New Mexico moved to Colorado where he did a residency in Diagnostic Radiology and practiced in a large group setting for many years.

In addition to BTT Board membership, Jon runs the March Merkin Invitational Permit tournament in Key West each year which has raised over 70,000 dollars for charities over its brief existence. Jon is the non-guide member of the board of Lower Keys Guides Association and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Psilos Funds, a group of venture capital funds.

To learn more about Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and their scientific initiatives, visit their website at www.tarbone.org

Space is available on our May 18-25 Permit Tagging Week!