Hello y'all,

Welcome to the 2008 season of Spanish Fly, Vida del Mar and other assorted salt water goodies that are on ESPN 2's Saltwater Sunday block. The shows starts airing on December 30th, 2007. We've been to some interesting spots and met some great people in the process, hopefully you'll get to go there and get to know some of these people and places as well, even if it is vicariously through the tube.

Some of these places are close to home such as Key West, Islamorada and Florida Bay, and others are literally half way around the world in Australia. It drives home the point for me that fishing and the saltwater world is an adventure whether it is in your back yard or some far-off place. Water with salt and fish added makes a good medium for some fun events.

Really hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback,

Capt. Jose Wejebe

2008 Spanish Fly HD Show Schedule

All Episodes available on ESPN2 and in HD on ESPN HD
All times Eastern Standard Time

12/30/07 Sun. 9:30AM - Florida Bay Tarpon with Capt Rob Fordyce.

The 2008 season begins with Jose fishing with old friend and guide Rob Fordyce in south Florida near the Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.  Tarpon is Rob’s favorite target, and flyfishing for them in both deep and shallow water is an incredibly exciting and challenging adventure.  Shot and delivered in amazing High Definition makes these episodes truly epic.

1/06/08 Sun 9:30AM - Crooked Island with Carter Andrews, DEA in Bahamas

A return to the waters of Crooked Island in the Bahamas to meet Carter Andrews is always an incredible adventure.  The search for big tunas always seems to be a race against big sharks… But the Bahamian waters are known for more than just fantastic fishing.  They used to be known for major drug trafficking, and Jose meets up with the DEA to get a behind the scenes look at how one of their major operations, Operation BAT, put the crunch on drug trafficking in the 1980’s.

1/13/08 Sun 9:30AM - Islamorada Slam with Capt Rob Fordyce, History.

Jose joins friend Rob Fordyce in the Florida Keys in Islamorada, the world’s capitol of sportfishing.  Much saltwater history was born here, and it’s no different for Rob and Jose.  From Zane Grey and Hemmingway to Stu Apte and Flip Pallot, this show warps in archival history, and modern success.  The plan is to start with high water tarpon, then try redfish with the falling tide, and shoot for bonefish at dead low.  It wouldn’t be a Florida Keys Adventure without a meeting from the shark…  

1/20/08 Sun 9:30AM - Crooked Island with Carter Andrews, 1st Blue Marlin. 

“Hello, my name is Jose Wejebe, and I’ve never caught a blue marlin.”  That line from Jose starts the show, as we realize Jose has hooked and lost 27 blue marlin in his career, and never once gotten one to the boat.  Carter Andrews and Bahamian Robbie Gibson are tasked with trying to overcome the curse, all within site of land, in the waters off Crooked Island.  Another brush with a marlin Jose might loose, pushes the crew to the brink, and nearly incites mutiny as a furious Andrews reacts.

1/27/08 Sun 9:30AM - Isla Mujeres Mexico, The Crossing and Sailfish.

Start with a brand new 39-foot Sea Vee boat designed for regional and international adventures.  Attach FOUR prototype 300 Mercury Verados with about three total running hours.  Add in three Cubans, Jose Wejebe, Ariel Pered from Sea Vee Boats, and John Cabellero from Saltwater Sportsman.  Start them out in Key West at 3am and see if they can run all the way to the Yucatan in Mexico without stopping to experience ridiculous sailfish.  No other show this morning is quite like this.

2/10/08 Sun 9:30AM - Key West with Capt Steve Impellemeni, Permit and Bonefish. 

Jose fishes with friend and guide Capt. Steve Impellemeni in the Florida Keys’ waters around Key West.  One of the hardest saltwater accomplishments on the flats is permit on the fly.  That is a goal, but a true lesson in fishing the tides lays out in front of them:  where to fish the rising, high, and falling tides around the flats.  Truly a necessary lesson for all saltwater enthusiasts.

2/17/08 Sun 9:30AM - Isla Mujeres Mexico, Sailfish and White Marlin.  

Jose ran from Key West to Isla Mujeres, Mexico in a 39-foot Sea Vee with quad 300 Mercury Verados.  While there, he might as well take part in the ridiculous sailfish bite that is going off 30 miles offshore.  Saltwater Sportsman editor John Caballero joins Jose trolling through the incredible Yucatan waters, searching for baitballs with busting sailfish, but also encountering whale sharks, giant manna rays, and the crazy acrobatic white marlin.

3/02/08 Sun 9:30AM – Panama Adventure Begins.  

Depart Key West, turn south, south west, travel 4 hours, and land in Panama City, Panama, a surprisingly easy, exotic, and metropolitan city which served as a jumping off point for an adventure to the former prison island of Coiba, which is now a burgeoning National Park.  Coiba is the second largest island on the Pacific coast of the Americas, and a wild and unforgiving place, reminiscent of the Lost island.  Fishing the surrounding waters reveals hundreds of thousands of dolphins, bonitas, and yellowfin tuna busting on topwater poppers.  Incredible.

3/09/08 Sun 9:30AM - Isla Mujeres Mexico, Sailfish on Baitballs.  

Jose and Ariel Pered ran from Key West to Isla Mujeres, Mexico in a 39-foot Sea Vee with quad 300 Mercury Verados. That alone was ridiculous for these two Cubans.  Isla Mujeres is truly one of the jewels of the Yucatan, perfect for laid back beach and fishing enthusiasts that hate the Cancun spring break atmosphere.  Ariel and Jose troll offshore in search of frigate birds diving which indicate the massive schools of sardines, which can only mean one thing this time of year: insane sailfish. But there’s trouble when a great fish gets dangerously hung up in the motors…

3/16/08 Sun 9:30AM – Panama, Coiba Prison Island.  

The adventure settles into the island of Coiba. The inshore fishing includes rooster fish, blufin trevalley, and other cool Pacific fish. The island itself is the story though.  Formerly a prison island the last 100 years, Coiba is steeped in history.  Dictators such as Noriega and Torrijos banished foes to the island, which was a cross between Alcatraz and Papillion. One of the first crews to enter the prison sites turn out to be a powerful story.