Fishing

Meet the Captains…..Adan Valdovinos Olea
By Ed Kunze

Photo: Jorge Luis Delgado

We met at the Municipal Pier in Zihuatanejo. It was 6 in the morning. Fly fishing client Tom Burnes of Boston, guide Tom Guerin of Cour d’ Alene, Idaho, and I. The targeted species this January day was to be the aerobatic sailfish. Before the angler and guide got on the boat, we spent about half an hour discussing teasers, techniques, leaders, flies, and other fine points of hooking a billfish on a fly rod. The one thing that was never questioned, nor discussed, was the captain or his abilities. There was no need. The captain was Adan on the panga Gitana II.

Adan Valdovinos Olea has been fishing, with his brother Santiago, for the last 8 years on the panga Gitana. This combination has worked extremely well. For the last three years running, they have been the No. 3 boat in the world for tagging and releasing sailfish in the AFTCO Tag and Brag competition. That is a very impressive accomplishment! Their reputation has become so widespread, they decided the only way to handle the multitude of booking requests, they needed to get another boat. Captain Adan did that just a couple of months ago, and it has been very successful.

As the fish was sinking into the depths, Adan dove over the side!

Adan speaks English well, and is a versatile fisherman. He is not confined to just catching sailfish. Like most of the best captains here, he is also very proficient on dorado, tuna, and roosterfish. His attention to the details and work ethic assures him, once a client has fished on the Gitana II, Adan will have a repeat for many years to come.

I remember a couple of years ago, when the client had fought a sailfish to the boat on a 12wt fly rod. After Adan removed the hook, the sailfish exploded, and he lost his grip. As the fish was sinking into the depths, Adan dove over the side! Down about 10 feet below the surface, he grabbed the beak again. I was trying to maneuver the boat so I wouldn’t lose track of Adan and the fish, nor did I want to run over the fish with the propeller (or Adan – but only as a second thought). The client and I were spell bound by Adan’s struggle to get the uncooperative fish to the surface. Once he had the fish back to the boat, I grabbed the beak and Adan climbed in. I asked him “what the hell was that all about?” With a huge grin, his reply was short and simple. He knew the client, being this was his very first sailfish on the fly, wanted “a photo”. Now that is service.

One of Adan’s secrets to success is he always uses live bait, and until they are needed, keeps them in the live well. (Another advantage to this is when there is a floating log with dorado underneath, or a school of tuna crashing the surface). Most captains buy the dead bait sold on the pier each morning, toss them on ice, and then use it for their cut bait trolling spread. Adan understands fresh bait, which is cut up and trolled just like the bait bought on the pier, is best. Even though it costs more, it stays fresher longer, has more shine, and is still very firm when the sailfish starts swatting at it with its beak. This is not so with the baits caught the day before and sold many hours later the next morning. Using the fresh bait could possibly be the difference between catching a couple of more fish a day. In an area like ours, with an extra fish or two a day throughout the year, makes for some world class numbers.

The only question I have this year about Adan is who will be No. 3 in the Tag and Brag competition? There is no doubting his abilities, rather it is just a question as to whether he will break into the No. 2 spot.

The Gitana II charters for $190 a day and Adan can be reached on his cell phone at 011-52-755-558-1923.

Ed Kunze is Zihuatanejo's IGFA Representative and a charter fishing boat captain. He lives in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo year round and can be reached at 554-4876 or edkunze@prodigy.net.mx For more information on Captain Ed and his boats go to www.sportfishing-ixtapa.com or www.zihuatanejo.net/seaandsand.

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