Patty and Terry Flynn made their first trip to Rosarito Beach with Phil Friedman Outdoors this past weekend. The couple were a delight to be with and such giving people. Patty wrote the following story proudly presented to you now by Phil Friedman Outdoors.
I was recently invited to go with Phil Friedman on his trip to Rosarito Beach. My husband Terry, an avid fisherman , was very excited to go, and why not, he got to combine his 3 favorite things, fishing, helping others, and beer. I was a little more reticent. I’m a fisherman’s wife, not an actual fisherperson on my own.
What would I have in common with all of these fisher-people, what would I do? I found that I had quite a bit in common with everyone and had a wonderful time.
We stayed at the Rosarito Beach Hotel & Resort, an idyllic resort right on the beach. We stayed in the new tower and the suites were comfortable, spacious, and had a view you could look at for hours. We overlooked the ocean and below we could see the pier, the horses and the ATVs that were rented to the hotel guests. The days were warm with a slight breeze; the sunsets a cavalcade of color as the sun touched the ocean; and the evenings pleasantly cool.
The resort offered meal coupons for delicious dinners; in addition and right next door was Los Arcos offereing $1 tacos that we returned for time and time again. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a great $1 taco and $2 beer?
My husband and I joined four other anglers and travelled to Ensenada to fish aboard the Cazador with Sergio’s Sportfishing.
The day was perfect. The sun was shining, the water was calm and clear, and experience was wonderful. The boat was small, but there were only six of us aboard so space was not an issue.
The most important thing , though, was that it had a clean restroom to use (always my concern on-board a boat filled with men) The captain worked very hard to make sure that our trip was fruitful. This is good because as a fisherman’s wife, I am not a real fan of fishing… but I am a great fan of catching; and catching we did. Most of us onboard caught at least 10 fish. My husband and I shared a bag and we had about 30 fish between the two of us. We caught rockfish, sheepshead and white fish.
Terry has been fishing for years and knows all of the knots, the rigging, the ins-and-outs of fishing. I do not. Which is why Jesus, the deckhand was so awesome. He anticipated my every need--helping me with my rigging, getting the fish off the hook, even baiting the hook.
All I needed to do was put my line in the water, lean back against the boat, enjoy the beautiful day, the dolphin swimming by and wait for that all important nibble. What could be more relaxing then spending time with my husband, soaking up the sun, being on the water, and enjoying the day?
Back at the resort we had to decide what to do with all of our fish. The decision was easy as we were visiting a local all girls orphanage named Casa Estrella that evening; taking the children soaps, shampoos, and fun stuff like chips and toys. We just added fish to the list of things to drop off. The orphanage was quite a sobering place. It is a home that has been converted into an orphanage by a very nice man who saw the need to help the children.
It holds 20 girls who would otherwise be on the streets. When we visited there were 16 girls there ranging from ages 6 to 17. Many of the girls spoke English, two of them played the piano for us, and all of them were delightful, once they got over their shyness of meeting a bunch of strange gringos.
The young girls were thrilled to get the Betty Boop toys and other things picked up from the $1 store, but when we asked them if they needed anything, they said “No, we have everything we need here.” Their “everything” is nothing compared to what our children have, and still they want for nothing more and are appreciative of what they are given. Next time we go, my girls are going with me so they too can appreciate what they have.
The people on the trip had a cornucopia of interests. Our photographers are also ghost hunters. Our neighbors were 4 of the nicest people you would want to meet, who were there to have a great time, and they did! We had entrepreneurs and retirees;, fishing experts and fishing amateurs; party people and the calm crowd.
Regardless of the category, each one of us had one thing in common, the desire to help out those who are less fortunate than ourselves. These people are giving of their time, their money, and their hearts to children less fortunate. These are the kind of people you want to hang out with.
So as a fisherman’s wife did I have a good time? No I did not. I had a great time, and one I hope to repeat many times over. Would I fish again, YES!!! I can’t think of a better way to spend a day than on the water, with someone I care for, enjoying the day. You don’t have to be an avid fisherman to enjoy fishing, you just have to be open to the experience and enjoy life.
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