Mexico 2025 – Fly Fishing at the Absolute Limit
When marlins hunt and dreams come true
This trip had been on our wish list for a long time: marlin fishing with the fly rod – one of the greatest challenges saltwater fishing has to offer. But before we moved on to the supreme discipline, we were already in for a serious warm-up with one of the hardest-fighting coastal predators of all: the roosterfish.
With eight participants, we set off for Mexico full of anticipation. After the long-haul flight and several hours by bus, we finally reached our first destination on the coast of the Gulf of California. For two days, we focused exclusively on the spectacular roosterfish, whose wild runs and uncompromising attacks made one thing immediately clear: this trip would not be for the faint-hearted.
But that was only the beginning.
Next, we crossed the peninsula to the remote Magdalena Bay. After hours of driving overland and a final boat transfer, we eventually arrived in a small, simple fishing village – far removed from any civilization. Our accommodations were basic, but that was exactly what gave this adventure its special appeal: here, there was only one thing that mattered – fishing.
Marlin hunting at sunrise.
The alarm clock rang every morning at 5 a.m. A quick breakfast, then out into the panga boat. After about an hour and a half across open water, we finally reached the legendary marlin grounds.
That’s when the real tension began.
Our eyes constantly scanned the water: circling flocks of birds, hunting sea lions, boiling surfaces. Wherever life explodes at the surface, marlins are never far away. And when they are feeding, there is no time to think.
This style of fishing is extremely visual, fast, and uncompromising. Often you have only a few seconds to place the fly precisely in front of a charging fish – in wind, waves, and at full speed. If the cast is perfect, a merciless strike usually follows. Then the reels scream, the rods bend down to the cork – both tackle and angler pushed to the absolute limit.
This kind of fishing demands everything: technique, endurance, concentration. Every fight is a battle that drains your energy. Anyone who succeeds here experiences fly fishing in its most intense form.
Exhausted, happy – and infected for life
At the end of this extraordinary trip, everyone in our group had experienced their own personal marlin moment. Tired, sunburned, physically exhausted – but with a big grin on our faces – we headed home. Memories that last. Images burned into your mind forever.
A huge thank you goes to the organizers Helmut Zaderer and Christoph Hottgenroth. Perfect planning, perfect execution – this adventure could not have been any better. I’ll definitely be back on the next trip!
Tight lines
Stephan Kreupl