“On to fishing…The guides are tireless workhorses.”

Sue and I had a fantastic trip and loved ABBC! This was the first time I have ever asked my wife Sue to join me on a trip of this type and was a bit concerned about how she would respond to long days on the water and how others fishermen may respond to her. But I can honestly say that the fine fellows in the lodge (Rudy, John, Geoff and Dave) were absolutely gracious gentlemen. And now, Sue wants to go with me fishing everywhere in the world because she thinks everyone will be just as charming, just as entertaining, just as interesting, and just as clever as Rudy, Geoff, Dave and John. The evening meals were among the finest entertainment a person could ever experience. It would always begin with Sir John seated at the head of the table, tapping his spoon against his wine glass to propose a toast in his fine English accent. About 45 seconds into toasting whatever happened to be on his mind, Geoff would interrupt with some derogatory or non-sequitur comment and the boys from Great Britain would start their row…which usually lasted about three hours. In the meantime Rudy would light up a few cigars, break out his special bottle of Port and tell tales of fishing Slovenia, Argentina, Montana and talk about the trout he’s yet to catch. It was Rudy who created Ascension Bay’s (new) Royal Permit Society. And as the founding member, he was humble as he introduced Geoff and I to this austere fraternity. I don’t think John really ever wanted to join “our dumb club” as he referred to it, or some such rubbish.

On to fishing…The guides are tireless workhorses. Just amazing eyesight and focus. They could see fish 200 yards away and I wouldn’t see them 20 years away. So I just cast where they told me and always caught fish. I really like the two guide approach. Always putting us in the “right” position to present a fly, always seeking another opportunity put us on fish, always patient after we created a Lithuanian Skunk Knot. And always, always just as excited as we were when we hooked up on Tarpon, Permit, Jacks, Bones and Barracudas. These guys are pros and very, very helpful with new fly fisherwomen.

We dined at some of the finest restaurants on Ascension Bay: The Mangrove Inn, The Selva Cafe, Chef Iguanas and Paradise Point to name just a few. All were simple, but fine Yucatan fare. Tell me, does anything taste better than an ice cold Dos Equis XX at the end of the day on the boat ride back to the lodge? Yup. And that’s two Dos Equis XX! Any questions, see Rudy.

The staff was exceptional as well. Each person seemed to go out of the way to be helpful. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, it was a flawless example of great service. I think this is a testament to our host Dave.

We will return to ABBC. It has everything we’re looking for and much more than we ever imagined. Thank you for everything. See you next year!