After a flawless disembarkation at Cabo San Lucas, we continued the journey north in weather conditions that were exactly what we expected, and a stark reminder of why the majority of anglers choose to avoid this portion of the adventure. Speaking from a perspective well acquainted with this run, I can assure everyone that there is no fun involved. Drudgery is how I would best describe the overall tenor as the miles click off slowly and we apply our effort to various maintenance projects in need of attention. There is an underlying theme of tranquility however, as there are rare occasions when the weather is nice and the scenery spectacular. But, regardless of those isolated occasions, this ride is not one that I would recommend to all but the heartiest of individuals; and even then I would hesitate.

That said for us it is simply another day at the office as we are accustomed to the ocean's mood swings and whatever she doles out. As we head north I can't help but pine about the amazing opportunity we, and all of the anglers who have participated in prior Revillagigedo tagging voyages, have realized over the past five years. From the first voyage, that was surrounded by skepticism from anglers and industry leaders alike, to the voyage just returned we have come a long way. I vividly recall the prevailing sentiment of "why would you want to go fishing at the Revilla's and not keep any fish" dominating the discussions surrounding this project. The idea of tagging fish for science met stiff resistance from the old school element that could not imagine anyone having a good time doing it any way other than how it had been done before. The old school measure of success, a mountain of fish stacked like cordwood on the sidewalk following a trip, was tenacious as it took several incredible voyages, with glowing reports success from participating anglers, to crack the foundation.

Now, four years later, the majority of anglers have recognized that there is much more to fishing than a huge body count at the end of a trip. There are times even when the act of releasing a fish is more rewarding than retaining it. I have experienced this countless times now through the tagging projects we have had the opportunity to be a part of on Royal Star. By no means am I am going over the edge becoming a purist, catch and release only advocate. But I, and likely everyone who has participated in this project, have evolved our thinking to genuinely embrace, appreciate, and enjoy the act of releasing a relative few of these incredible game fish for our, and our children's future. It is something to think about. If you do happen to be one of the rapidly shrinking minority of anglers who believe otherwise, I can only say that you are missing the boat, both figuratively and literally.

In advance of our day's photos I should provide a little background on the anglers from Thailand who all carry and use nicknames according to their culture. I was given a lesson on this by long time Royal Star favorite Dr. Stuart Exall who was solely responsible for his fishing friends from Thailand making the Revillagigedo voyage. None of the nicknames listed in the daily reports were a result of any anglers on board, I, or the Royal Star crew. The Thai anglers were, Stan, Ek, T'ai, O, Jai, Jew, and Boy. All of the nicknames have a meaning in Thai and as I understood it are assigned by their parents. Today's photos feature another phenomenal angler who's skill set is on par with any of the finest fishermen I know. Somchai Pisankiwanich or "Boy" adapted to our style of angling in short order, and within a couple of days was fishing and catching alongside experienced long range anglers as if he had been doing it his whole life. In addition, Boy's magnanimous personality kept everyone laughing and in high spirits at all times. Look for reports to continue as we have a couple more days of traveling up the line to maintain the narrative.

Tim

Photo Here...
Photo Here...