Saturday, January 27, 2018  

marlin bite continues

Got caught up in that after party and the after party results and failed to post about our last day.   Capt. James gave us our shots, but missing a grand slam on the last day is no way to win a tournament.   I did catch a stripey, giving me a grand slam for the event, but team Dragin Fly settled into the middle of the pack, a grand slam away from the top 5 or 6 boats....

Good that the marlin bite is continuing with consistent shots at grand slams.  Almost daily multiple  blue marlin bites with scattered shots at striped marlin and more sails showing each day.   The best of the bite has been up on the edge, so we have not ventured out to find the tunas lately.

Gotta get those marlin

We saw 2 or 3 yesterday, got a bite out of at least one of them and did not stay connected.   Our 4 sails were not enough to stay in the game.   A bit of a hill to climb but with this many marlin around, catching 3 or 4 in a day is a huge game changer.   Hope we can demonstrate that today.  After party is going to be good either way.  We are having fun.

Day 1 Grand Slam



The Dragin Fly caught a grand slam plus a couple of sails on day 1 of the Los Suenos Triple Crown.

We are good for about 10th place and within striking distance with a big day today.

Wish us luck.

$750/pound tuna

I went down to Quepos to make sure that the Dragin Fly arrived and got checked into the marina prior to the 2nd Annual Rock Star tournament.    Turns out that the team who chartered the boat needed and extra angler......I just happened to be availalbe.    As we signed up for the tournament I suggested that we also  sign up for the tuna money. 

Day 1 we only caught a blue marlin and a sail which kept us in the running for the billfish division but the 30 pound tuna we caught was good for 3rd place in that category. 

Day 2 we start off with a pair of sails and a blue marlin.  After catching the blue, James picks up and runs to a school of tuna to catch a quick fish before heading back to the billfish.   This is a brave move, but considering that only 5 boats caught tuna the day before, with another 30 pounder, we could lock up that tuna cash.  We quickly caught another 30 pounder, this one the only tuna weighed for the day, so good for the tuna daily and the agregate tuna money.   

Back on the billfish grounds, 5 minutes after putting them out,  we caught a 2nd blue marlin which temporarily put us in the lead for the billfish division.   Our lead evaporated in the afternoon and our fate was sealed with the striped marlin that I missed late in the day, potentially good for 2nd place, instead we settled for 7th.

The tuna we had for dinner that night was pretty good, worth about $750/pound.


That sums up the fishing, good tuna fishing, daily dorado and a couple shots/day at blue marlin.   Yesterday we had two blues, two sails, tuna and dorado.

Thank you for ten great years---Anna Beckwith

This week marks a decade since we splashed the Dragin Fly. It has been an incredible ride…sometimes nerve racking but also incredibly satisfying to see what we have all built together.

I first met Captain James in 2007 while the Dragin Fly was being built. I was 30 years old and had little idea of what was coming around the corner. We had frank and honest discussion about who we were and what we were trying to accomplish and I remember asking James to treat the Dragin Fly as if she was his.  My hopes and expectation were not only met but they were surpassed over and over again. When the great recession hit during our first season and the pressure felt overwhelming Capt James stood beside us as a true partner and helped establish the Dragin Fly as a superb charter boat. James’s professionalism and friendship where instrumental in making it all work out.

Berto our first mate and alternate Captain has also been with us since the beginning. His compulsion for perfection has kept the Dragin Fly and her equipment looking brand new from day one to today.  I have often sympathized with Berto that he has the hardest job on the boat. As first mate he is responsible for the care and maintenance of the equipment, he trains our second mates (which typically go on to be first mate on other vessels due to their excellent experience), and as alternate Captain he also has to fill some big shoes and does it very well.  He also continues to help me improve my sailfish hooking skills (a job forever in process).

Their wives and children have also been an integral part of the team giving James and Berto the support they need to work as hard as they do. Jacqueline’s and Glenda’s efforts deserve independent recognition!

In general I tend to be a shadow in the background Dragin Fly operations. I am involved in almost every aspect but George tends to be the face where the two of us are concerned. While the last ten years seem to have gone by in a flash one thing is clear, James and Berto are not our employees, they are our partners, our friends and a significant part of our family. I want to clearly express to them and their families that their efforts and contributions are immense and central to the success of the Dragin Fly and that my respect and affection for them is heartfelt and deep.

I am also thankful for the ten years of community that we have found here at Los Suenos Marina. The people we have met and have the good fortune to call friends and the facilities have made this experience all the better. 

I can honestly say that George brought (dragged) me into this with significant reservations, helped calm me down during plenty of stressful moments and was at the ready with a glass of Champaign when we realized that the light at the end of the tunnel was NOT A TRAIN. I am extremely proud of what we have all built together and hope that all involved know how thankful I am to have them in my life.

Anna Beckwith

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