09/07/2022
After 30 months stuck in NZ, the longest time i'd spent at home concurrently in over a decade, I finally managed to spread my wings again and go exploring.
Those first few weeks in the US felt like my first trip all over again, 18 years old and being overwhelmed with the hustle, bustle, obscene wealth and inequality. Except this time it felt 10 notches above.
I spent time visiting old friends and investigating new opportunities in the outdoor industry including visiting the Outdoor Retailer Expo in Denver, a true eye-opener. But after those 3 weeks in the US I was more than ready to get down to Mexico and operate at a slower pace.
Landing in Baja was like Deja Vu, little had changed, I had the same car and stayed nearby the same place. Everyday we hit the beach in what began to feel like a sense of Groundhog Day. The fishing was unlike other years I had been, we saw very few, some days none. We got a few good shots, a few nice follows and spent many hours on the beach (17 days all up for me) but failed to nail a Rooster of any reasonable size. Although I did manage to land many small Roosters and a nice size Jack Crevale (the mexican GT) off the beach.
I refused to go on a boat and get a fish, instead I persevered because in Baja, you just never know when it may happen, as it has for me previous times, this time just wasn't meant to be.
This short clip helps me to remember what the days were like, calm and slow, but never boring. We ran at our own pace, never rushing or wondering what might have been:
It is a magnificent part of the world and a wonder to spend time there. As with any Fly Fishing I do these days, the fish may be the reason I go, but they are not the reason I return.
Now i'm back in NZ, going from 35c degrees to Zero in just a few days has taken a bit to get used to but i'm now refreshed and ready to make the most of the rest of the year. I will be launching a new product in the coming weeks, one I have spent a lot of time and effort and ill be sharing more as we build up to launch.
Until then, enjoy what is probably my calmest and least fishy video ever.
https://youtu.be/a8pRjdFAi90