The leaves on the trees did not stir. Not a breath or ripple to disturb the erie calmness of the vast Pacific Ocean in front of me.
This is to be my second encounter with the "Monsters of the Deep" in Panama.
My first time, I was cocooned inside a five star resort in The Darien jungle, safe within a $10,000-a-week world-record-setting sports fishing paradise called The Tropic Star Resort.
This time I was face the vast Pacific Ocean in an open boat, with nothing but a rod and a reel.
Man against the elements. The Old Man and The Sea.
Ok, three 'Old Men' to be exact - including my brother Dan and best friend Tom from Montreal.
Our status of Old Men being re-enforced clearly as we each struggled awkwardly over the seats. Each of us trying to swing old limbs over two foot high benches, that in younger years would have been a simple hop or an easy swing of the legs. Three old men in a tub... Rub a dub dub.
The boat was the AMORE, the newest acquisition of Jenny and Warren Ferguson, owners of The Santa Clara Beach Bar and Grill in - you guessed it - Santa Clara - or rather ON the beach. This great new restaurant /bar is a terrific addition to my local stomping grounds, with fantastic food, great service, cold beer and the best view of any bar in the beaches. (The sand and water are nice too).
Fishing charters are just one of their new additional services (I bought 27 lobsters right from the local fishermen through Jenny - who's kitchen then blanched them and kept them ready for my lobster feast three days hence).
They also do awesome birthday and anniversary parties, with live bands, dancing, karaoke on request, fireworks, bonfires on the beach, decorated cakes - the works.
However today it was to be man against the sea - a dual to the death (or sunburn, whichever came first)
Marcel, the expert fisherman of Farallon, was to be our guide.
Marcel is one of the most experienced fishing guides on the water. His son was an able first mate. We were hopeful of catching something.
Monsters lurked below the glass-like surface of this sea. This I knew.
Just in case, I had cooked up a batch of Tandori spiced chicken - which we finally ate after three hours of roasting in the gorgeous sunshine. 30 SPF was not enough.
Note to self: put lotion on the underside of your arms - the reason becomes obvious when you hold the rod with your fresh, white skin exposed.
The dozen beer I had brought with us had somehow simply disappeared in the heat of the day.
We watched in fascination as the water continued to remain flat, glass-like - while onshore, dark ominous clouds swept across the all inclusive resorts of Panama's Riviera as our area is called.
Marcel wisely looked for seabirds as we trolled almost seven miles out. Smart fishermen know that flocks of diving gulls and pelicans are harbingers of giant fish lurking below. Back and forth we trolled. Two small strikes, but nothing hooked on. We switched lures, to no avail.
We were getting discouraged and had decided it was best to return to shore when suddenly Dan's rod exploded, line ripping out at an alarming speed. A twenty pound Dorado jumped high into the air one hundred feet from the boat, crashed back into the water, and ran another fifty feet before he turned and raced back towards the boat.
Dan furiously reeled in the line with shouted advice coming at him from all directions - advice excitedly dispensed by the only two people in the boat that had NOT caught a salt water fish yet.
Flashes of scarlet and blue thrashed through the water as the fish raced past us on yet another run. Dan reeled - his arms weakening.
His pride was overflowing as he hauled the spectacular blue and yellow fighter onto the boat.
Jenny kindly had the kitchen prepare the fish with melted butter, fresh garlic and pepper - cooked to perfection. Dorado has always been my favorite fish, but twenty-minute-old Dorado is a gift from the gods.
Dan's fish fed all of us, including four women from The Netherlands that we had just met and talked into joining our table.
For your next fishing adventure try - Amore Fishing Charters
Santa Clara Beach Bar and Grill
Jenny or Warren: Cell: 6656 - 6140
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
