San
Pedro Daily  |
Sunday, July 19,
2009 Belize's Only Daily |
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Glimmer
Man – Abby Marin
 This Is Fly (Fly Fishing Magazine) features
local
Fisherman – Story and photography by Wil Flack
Rumor has it that these guides were the best in the country, if not in the Caribbean. Local legends if you will: men who were literally born into the job. Generations of fathers, sons, and brothers have been drawn to the sea. One particular family, the most famous, is master of their realm. Their captain’s seats are not plush white vinyl, but gleaming towers of observation to see the world. And their job? To find silver when not just any glimmer will do. I first met Abner almost ten years ago, at a time when his hair was long and pink was his color of choice. He was 28. Not the oldest or the youngest of his family, although most would say he is the spiritual one. He is a soft-spoken Pedrano whose family comes first, macabi (‘Mack-a-bee’ Spanish noun – bonefish) second, and everything else follows in its own order, depending on the tide and moon.  >Abner is the planet’s finest bone
fisherman,
without equal! This is quite a statement considering the number of
saltwater anglers out there, but it is the truth. No one executes like
this guy and if you have any doubts, go fish with him! When you cannot
make the shot, give him the rod, stand back and take notes. I have
witnesses it a thousand times and will likely see it thousands more
because this perfection lives at 18 degrees North.
In his decades of chasing the elusive ghost, every day on the flats brings him closer to the ultimate goal: the perfect bonefish. Anyone who has spent the better part of their life chasing these fish either has seen one, hooked one or lost one. A lucky few have actually brought one to hand. These fish are seldom seen and when they are, you better have your $@#%&*! together. The shot will be extremely difficult, the wind most likely will be fierce, and you had better start praying macabi wants to fly. Bonefish might be Abner’s passion, but permit is the itch that must be scratched. These queens of the sea have the ability to drive sane men crazy, including Abner. How does a fish reduce to this? It’s only a fish, right? Maybe it’s the fact that they are never around very long: sometimes you see them, sometimes ya’ don’t. Whatever it may be, they are without a doubt the sexiest fish in the ocean. Regard their lips, the dorsal fin sweeping back, and that massive forked tail that make a permit perfect in every way – but it is still just permit. Once Abner gets his fix, he will turn his attention back to bones, until the itch resurfaces. It was four-thirty when the buzzer pieced the air to signal that another day of chasing tails had begun. Having come to a paradise like this is for the last several seasons, one becomes acquainted with the locals, especially the fishermen. A wealth of knowledge lies at the water’s edge, usually around three when the sun drops in the sky. At first, you do not say anything but you just listen. Tricks are learned, fish are found and fish are lost, but you still just sit and listen. This is the life of a protégé.  A former bartender turned guide, Abner can
credit
his move from the dark side to one person; Mr. Carlos is the godfather
of la familia, and this humble human started it all. I think any man 69
years old, who still poles clients around on a daily basis, is damn
cool! We should all be so fortunate! And he has passed all his skills
and know-how on to his boy Abner to allow the next chapter to begin.
Saltwater fly fishing takes a special commitment and not everyone has what it takes to be a saltwater angler. To achieve a greater understanding requires decades of dedication and patience. And if bone fishing is about one thing only, sign me up under patience. It is at the heart of every great saltwater angler. Stadium-sized schools of six-pounders cruising toward the casting deck make even the most experienced anglers tremble with fever. “Don’t hurry strip,” he calmly muttered. Abner has seen it all and seen it again. If you want to go bone fishing, just ask around and his name will come up every time. Even his siblings praise their brother. “When it comes to bone fishing, he is the Michaelangelo with a fly rod.” Bonefish are the toughest fish to catch on a fly rod. To rephrase that – big, tailing bonefish are the toughest fish to catch on a fly rod – most anglers cannot do it. This fish is big that your fingers will not touch when you go to grab them and that is the whole mystique of it! If you think you are gonna come down here and catch an 8 to 10lb tailer, you are mistaken and likely crazy, Save yourself some money and buy a ticket to your local trout pond. 
Macabi are so spooky with their excellent
camouflage that anyone who even gets a shot at one, or better yet, sees
one, is having sheer luck. Usually something always @$#% it up. You
line the fish or he hears the fly drop, whatever the case may be, and
they prove to be the hardest fish to catch on a fly rod. Even if you
somehow hook one up, 99% of the time it will snap you off in seconds,
the 15-lb. test breaks, your ego is smashed, and your nice, expensive,
stainless steel fly is gone. It could be due to too much line pressure,
backlash, slight trout set, or possibly everything mentioned. A big one
will test all your skills and then some. Next time, pray to the gods
and hope the planets align, but next time will be a long, long, way off.
I once asked Abner when he would be done guiding and true to his style, he summed it up in the simplest of ways. “When I can’t make the shot, I’ll be done guiding.” Although Abner has fooled many a bonefish and landed countless thousands, I know that with every cast he makes he questions, “What if this is the moment?” Before you try again, it is best to forget everything you think you know about bone fishing. Eight-pound test does not work. If you say you can cast 60 feet, you are lying, because you can’t hit forty, and the wind is always smacking at you like your new best friend. Persistence pays off and the one who controls the weather live above the clouds! There is no time for excuses, only learning experiences, then one day, most likely years from now, you will get your shot. If you have been paying attention, you might just see that line straighten. Wil Flack spends winters chasing ghosts and has been fishing with the master for the better part of the decade. To book you own wakeup call, contact gofishbelize.com and make sure you bring your game! Ambergris Today Commentary:
Affordable housing needed in Belize for Belizeans living in the United States Wellington C. Ramos 
Most Belizeans who made the decision to come
and live in the United
States came for one of the following reasons: to join their family, to
avoid political persecution, to further their education or to improve
their economic situation. Many of the Belizeans who are living in the
United States today have also committed themselves to go back home and
live when some of their goals have been achieved.
I know some Belizeans who have Green Cards to come and live in the United States but have refused to do so. I also know many Belizeans, who have been told by their family members in the United States that they would like to file their papers for Permanent Residency and they have refused. My point is that most Belizeans plan to go home as soon as the opportunity arises. The Belize government should then have a program in place to accommodate these Belizean Americans because such a program will bring ongoing economic opportunities to the people and government of Belize. Over the years, there was a Housing Program to give Belizeans the opportunity living in the United States to own a home in the country of Belize. Many Belizean American citizens rushed and paid down some of their hard earned money to get a home, only to discover that it was a hoax and a scam. This program at the time was introduced by the Minister of Housing and Belizeans felt that it was a legitimate program and got involved. They ended up losing their money that was not refunded to them without any home and no explanation. Despite this loss, the concept of owning lands and homes in Belize is still one of the most popular programs for Belizean Americans living in the United States. Belizean Americans have the money to put down towards owning homes in Belize more than the Belizeans living in Belize. They also have the capacity to pay and meet their mortgage payments unlike their fellow Belizean brothers and sisters who are at home struggling with unemployment and other social ills. If a plan of this nature would be implemented by the government of Belize, it would boost the construction industry in Belize and provide jobs for many unemployed Belizean construction workers. It would allow less money to be borrowed from the financial institutions in Belize and more revenues to come into our country from the United States to improve the rate of our foreign exchange. I have received reliable information that the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will resume lending money to Belizeans soon again. I hope that this time around Belizeans will be evaluated for these loans based on their financial capacity to repay the loans and not on their political affiliation or loyalty to the government of Belize. The process of obtaining lands and lots in Belize needs reforming because we have Belizeans who have submitted applications for lands and lots several times and are still waiting for a lot or land to be issued to them. While they are waiting, foreigners are coming into Belize and are being given lots and lands in front of their eyes while they remain on the dreaming and hoping list. After years of waiting, they end up finding out that there is not even a record showing that they have applied for any land or lot. I am still puzzled as to why, when a person applies for a lot or land, his or her application cannot go into the Land Department’s database and the person be sent a letter of acknowledgement that it was received within two weeks. The person can then go and pay for the land or lot after the survey and subdivision is completed and identified after they have accepted their parcel of land or lot. Another issue with lot distribution in Belize is the issuance of swamp and other undesirable lots that are not ready for Belizeans to commence construction on their properties. Our Belizean government should begin to identify responsible land developers and urban planners to clear, develop and make sure that all the roads, electricity, water sewer and other pertinent community requirements are in place before we subdivide lots to issue to our citizens. It is insane to issue lots to our citizens with a lease and then include a stipulation that they must construct their homes on their properties within one year, when we know that the lots are not desirable for construction. Sometimes these citizens have to incur the cost at their own expense to get roads, electricity, water and other needed services. Belizean Americans are ready to put their down payments for acquiring homes in Belize. All the Belize government needs to do is to clear the lands, build the houses and come to the United States with the titles and they will sell those homes so fast, that they will have to continue building homes throughout our country. Belizeans living in the United States cannot wait for such a program to commence immediately. Caribbean Net News LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Planned Power
Outages
July 19, 2009 all that area from Royal Palms to Casa Manana. This will commence at 6:00 am until 12:00 Noon *****
Recycle your
aluminium cans.
For the next several months Wil Lala needs your uncrushed bright colored or silver aluminium cans for an art project. Call Wil at 226 2716 or email lala2@btl.net and Wil will come pick them up.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Lost time is never found again Benjamin Franklin
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© SAN PEDRO DAILY, PO Box 45, San Pedro Town, Belize. Inquiries to editor@sanpedrodaily.com |
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