Back from Mexico...

[StudentofTheStream]

Well Gentlemen,

I have returned from Cozumel with great humility. I've learned that when practicing for bones it's better to do it 3 times as much as you think you'll need then double that.

My average distance to a fish was about 60 ft which is a very doable cast but one thing I totally under estimated was the effect the wind would have. It was near impossible for me to place the fly within a foot of the fish with that wind, and a foot or less is what they needed.

I hooked and lost 1 fish and had a very large bone follow for about 40 ft but other than that, it was casting practice. A good experience though nonetheless.

Snorkeling was awesome and my waterproof digital camera came in very handy. I only wish I could have fished inside the bouyes at our resort as there were many cuda and some monster snook.

The one fish I did catch I can't quite identify so I'm hoping someone here knows. Closest match I can make is a blue runner it seems one dorsal fin shy of that. Here are some pics.

 

[jayL]

Great pics. That one of you casting is magazine worthy.

 

[Acristickid]

Very nice! Saltwater is different and a nice change of pace- sans the wind. Nice underwater shots. Can't ID it.

 

[pcray1231]

Nice pics.

I'm 99% certain your fish is a jack of some type. Your best guess (blue runner) is probably correct. See the following:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/Saltwater/Bluerunner1.jpg

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Blue runner ,I do believe.The one small fish is a wrass,probably red variety.Those runners are prime bait for big kingfish and amberjacks. nice pics.As long as you had fun that's all that counts.

 

[MattBoyer]

The one underwater looks like a rainbow parrot fish. Awesome pics, dude!

Boyer

 

[Fishidiot]

Great photos! The mystery fish is a stumper. I'm convinced it's not a Blue Runner. Blue Runners (usually called "hardtails" in FL) have a dark spot on their gill cover and usually black tail tips and rarely exhibit such prominent vertical bands but are rather a silvery blue. My vote is for a juvenile Yellow Jack. Yellow Jacks lose the vertical bands as they get older. This fish lacks the black gill spot and its shape and fins are consistent with a juvenile Yellow Jack.

 

[Acristickid]

SoS- I was curious about the license? Do you need one? If so, how much was it- and where did you get it? I have no plans of heading south of the boarder but never know you in the future.

Thx Paul