FISHERMAN'S PARADISE

[Music] on the southwest corner of this continent there lies the Gulf of California a marine valley of fabulous death to which sportsmen are drawn from all over the world the first white men do marvel at it's lonely beauty where the conquest adores of Cortez Dunn searched the Gulf of pearls as they cruise it's quiet bays pelicans flapped away majestically gulls wheeled overhead and cormorants hide them from their nesting places on the rocks the seals paused briefly in their endless play to contemplate the strainers then plunged again into the served and western fish for seals cormorants gulls and pelicans all are fishermen and in the days of the conquest adores a gulf belong to them to them and to the inexhaustible array of fish they pretty but now the fishermen of still another breed has joined their company the newcomer is a sportsman a man who hunts big game fish in the sea usually he drives down to the Gulf across our Western deserts in his car his first destination is likely to be old Tucson in Arizona a city whose frontier atmosphere has only recently been tempered by the arrival of handsome visitors from nearby dude ranches salt of Tucson he finds himself in cattle country where Cowboys still ride the range then he crosses into Mexico and a wide barren land still traveling south there is no gullies from a seal then less than 300 miles from Tucson one an ancient Spanish city land of hearts delightful big-game fishermen from all the world the city itself is interesting both for its architecture and its history but few fishermen pause for long to stare at anything as they drive in they move straight through until they reach their destination the playa de cortes are shining or gotcha bump obey this gracious Hacienda beneath the towering mountains is the very home port of deep-sea fishermen their place to play and rest between back-breaking box with the great game fish of the Gulf it's no hardship to arrive here in the afternoon too late to go fishing until the next day pour guaymas is a place of leisure there is time to unpack get set time to listen to the guitars and relax the long hot ride is over an enchanting gardens welcome you from all sides the late hours of the afternoon are ideal for a dip in the big pool and there's no better way to sharpen your appetite for a buffet supper in the open air mariachis in their gala costumes entertain you in Mexican style with plaintive ballads and love songs as evening comes on an unforgettable Guaymas evening with the Gulf ablaze under a canopy of powdered jewels morning's first thought is for the tackle the big reels like this 9 aught Templar unpacked mounted on the rods rod with an 8-ounce six and a half foot tip is just about right for Marlin and sail then the leaders are fastened on with exactly the right nut we start the day with an 8 oz book sharp is a thorn and tempered like a sword then the girls have a strike right now yes and it's a dolphin the most beautiful fish in the sea and they're reeling it in pretty hard [Music] their tackle is heavy for fish this size so all they need to is keep pumping you'll come aboard bye and bye [Music] unfortunately those beautiful colors won't last in spite of the ice at the fish pond the next one will catch as a sails as the mate as he baits up again well that may be but you can never tell what you'll get in these waters only be sure you'll be busy once you throw your bait over the side [Music] he was right it is a sale and a beauty just look at those jumps 36 minutes later the fish is in close to the stern he was brought in a little too fast and is still green so there's plenty of fight left [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this is dangerous work for the mate that steel leader can cut like a buzz the long bill can be dangerous to solo the skipper jumps in there him [Applause] [Music] of a board order but not without some persuasion persuasion and two broad facts [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] alright ladies you can come in now and admired everyone cause a big one not right away sometimes it's fun to pause on your way out just to catch bait for a Guaymas you never know what you've got when you feel that big tug on your life [Music] [Applause] [Music] this one is giving the light tackle in that little capital real quite a workout [Music] it behaves like a mackerel not a Spanish mackerel but one of the cero mackerel that abound in the Gulf yes and that's what it is too and wait a minute fella don't dairy come in like that you sell them wait long for a bite when you are fishing at guantes here's another daring operation and this one boats the trigger fish [Applause] [Music] the belly conceived to be shocked by these amateurs or perhaps it's just the ter jealous well it's fun anyway and the Pflueger tackle will tell [Music] but this time the mate is ready to reach for the leader and it's another mackerel [Applause] [Music] what's this still another oh no this time we have a red snapper well put him away in the fish box that fish would make bait for a hungry man well cooked he'll make an excellent dinner [Music] but let's board a boat where they're out after bigger game [Music] this party is looking for sale and here's action look at that real on one it is a sale and a good one to that star drag is set just right you can see the spool unwind even as the hand cranks forward when the fish pulls too hard [Music] they're getting him in closer tunnel but it takes real skill to bring these fish to the boat on light tackle [Music] [Laughter] sales are tremendous fighters they often take up three or four hundred feet of line on a run and many are bought a dead from exhaustion this fish will weigh 80 odd pumps another technique of baiting for sale consists of filling some good-sized fish like this tuna then stitching the filler into place around the shaft of the book a bait so made troll's well behind the algorithm but usually not for long the sale has his own way of first prodding the bait with his bill then taking it gingerly into his mouth and running with it you let him take it for a while before you hit it here's a strike no it's like fireworks [Music] these are the spine-tingling moments when you know that you've got him hooked [Music] [Laughter] [Music] with such light tackle as this expert fisherman is using it will cost an hour at least to bring a good fish alongside a little more tension on the drag helps but too much will part the line 50 minutes after this sail was on the hook he was a long way out and still making powerful right [Music] after 85 minutes of fighting he still had these jumps left in him great strength was suddenly gone in just under an hour and a half he was both a prize fish for light tackle weighing 165 pounds one fisherman's paradise whether you're out for big game fish or just catching bait there's a thrilling every time you put your hook in the water pour it in this vast aquarium it's never too long between strikes and there's no way of telling what's coming up next days on the water here are an experience no one ever forgets what fisherman's paradise [Music]