Norma 029

As you might remember from our past newsletter, on May 15, NOM-029, the infamous shark norma – a hotly debated work in progress for the past decade – became law.   We didn’t know what to expect from commercial fishermen – whether there would be a war on the high seas over fish by-catch – or if the legislature would take emergency action.  We are happy to report that the sport fishing industry, conservationists, legislators and concerned members of the hotel and tourist industry, says that there have been no problems and “things are working out for the best.” There are some actions being taken to modify this law to safeguard our resources.

            We will continue to keep our eye on the situation and report on it periodically.  But it’s good to tell you that at the end of May there had been no incidents and our sport fishing is in great shape. 

If you have any concern about the future of recreational fishing in Baja, we urge you to see http://www.billfish.org and http://www.seawatch.org and express your outrage to fisheries officials and Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon.

When Bob Preble and Michael Reeve, a couple of saltwater fly-rodders from New Hampshire, visited Buena Vista Beach Resort, the last thing they were thinking about was a nearly 7-hour fight with a large swordfish.  But that’s just what they got.

            On May 22, fishing with Capt. Ramon Tamayo and mate Teodoro Araiza (Jesus Araiza’s grandson) aboard the cruiser Tres Hermanos, the guests were looking for striped marlin, dorado, tuna, and other flyrod-friendly fish.  That’s when Capt. Ramon spotted the swordfish slowly finning on the surface of the calm Sea of Cortez.

            With discretion being the better part of valor, they stowed their flyrods and “baited” the swordy on conventional gear.

            The basking behemoth took the bait and the game of tug-o-war was on! 

            The fish was hooked at 12:23 and finally gaffed and brought over the boat’s gunwale at 7:14 p.m.  It weighed 167 pounds.

            Preble, from Hampstead and Reeve, from Exeter, New Hampshire shared the chore of fighting the fish on striped marlin-size rod and 40-pound test line, so there was no world record possibility; but what a story of aching backs, pulled muscles and dogged determination by two New Englanders.

            “This was the third swordfish hooked and landed at the hotel in 2007,” said Buena Beach Resort sales and marketing director Axel Valdez.   

            “Sometimes we get one sword, some years two or three and sometimes we don’t get any.  But this is definitely the earliest in the summer season we have landed three.  Who knows . . . maybe there are three more out there?”

            For Reeve, a retiree, and Preble, a software engineer, this was their first trip to Mexico, although they had fished all over the U.S. and as far as Costa Rica for sailfish on a flyrod previously.  “I can’t give enough credit to Ramon and Teodoro.  A number of times the mate held the rod straight down to avoid the prop . . . and Capt. Ramon eventually lashed a boat hook to the gaff to make it long enough to get beneath the fish,” he said.

EL  NAVEGANTE’S SCRUMPTIOUS VANILLA FLAN

Easy, delicious and always a favorite!

Carmel Sauce:

2 cups sugar

¼ cup white vinegar. 

In a medium saucepan, mix sugar and vinegar. Heat on low to medium heat until the sugar has caramelized and is a nut brown color. Pour mixture into a flan mold. If you don’t have one, a nine-inch round, two-inch deep cake pan works well. Let the syrup set up in refrigerator while making the flan.

Flan:

1 cup whole milk

1 can sweetened, condensed milk

5 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla 

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend. Pour mixture into the mold or cake pan. Set this mold inside a larger mold (a ten-inch round cake pan works) filled a quarter of the way up with water. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees, Remove from oven and refrigerate for four hours. To serve, loosen edges with a knife and invert onto a platter. Cut flan into eight wedges.