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CHILE!! 
*****STEELHEAD SIGN-UPS FOR OCTOBER ~ NOVEMBER ~ DECEMBER ~ TRINITY ~ KLAMATH ~ LOWER SAC*****
CHILE & ARGENTINA 2008 SIGN-UPS START JULY 31ST
DECEMBER BELIZE BONE FISH/PERMIT MAYAN RIVER CAVE TRIP SIGN-UPS
In Belize, Central America, there is a place where the Mayans once prayed to their gods in a cave with river running through it. Back on April 24th, 2007 I took the Gebhart family to place I knew deep in mountains of Belize, where mystic rules and tales of legend lurk deep behind the orange orchards that grow in the fields that lay in front of one of man’s most coveted secrets. To experience it one must float by intertube and once back far in the cave the Monkey Goddess of Fertility would be there to greet us.
So we picked our tubes up and headed out to see it first-hand!
Once in the river we could see the cave entrance and a rock that extended down in the doorway that resembled a snakes head!!
Once inside the cave the inside grew tall and it was like being transformed to another world as the lights got darker and darker. The group was having fun paddling through the shallow river that ran out of the cave. Cindy thought the water was the perfect temp.
Travis floated over a very deep section of river and everyone laughed as they floated deep within the cave’s walls.
As we entered a very sacred area of the cave, I could feel and see the energy that was running through us all! It was like the Ancient Mayans were trying to communicate through Cindy’s headlamp! Wow, what a trip it reminded me of the Winterland Concerts!!!
After that epic adventure we landed on shore to view some of the cave life critters.
We saw bats….. Very close up!
This cool crayfish- like, out of Jurassic park!! That ruled out skinny dipping for me!!
What the hell is this? Some kind of cave snot, this is getting more like an Indiana Jones Adventure by the second! This is what the Pit River has on those rocks that you and I slip all over the place, looking like Joe Cocker! They should just call the Pit River the Joe Cocker, and someone needs to get this cave a kleenex! (You know it is the cold and flu season)! This is actually made by a larva that traps other food organisms in this snot like a web. Some days I wish I could blow boogers like my worm friend!-CLEAR!!! Roger that- Houston we have lift off!!
Then we ran into this awesome huge cave spider, this guy looked as old as the walls! I reached out and held him in my hand knowing these crusty critters are harmless.(Looks like a politician).
Our head guide Abel has been my friend and guide for almost ten years, led us like he has led so many other tours in his native surroundings. He has guided the Discovery Channel several times and was getting ready to explore another series of ceremonial caves with Discovery in a later date that he had discovered on his own one year ago on his birthday.
Abel is an amazing interpeter and ambassador for his ancestry explaining to us the history and use of the cave by the Maya for religious and sacraficial purposes.
The ceremonial crystal drum. Ceremonies were performed here before the sacrafices were taken up 60 feet to another level in the cave.
Here’s us taking the 60 foot climb about 1 mile back in the cave at least! The Gebharts were really loving this trip and everyone was inthralled by the Mayan Lore.
After a nice climb we got up to the flat part and everything leveled out and we were 60 feet up looking down on the river. Everytime I’m up here it always amazes me that something so mystic, so out of a book, so out of my wildest dreams, could be so real right here in front of my face. I can tell you this folks, this is where they get the ideas for Indiana Jones films. Everywhere you looked, you could see broken pottery, chards of broken artifacts or a carving. You could feel Maya amongst us and we were happy folk, no threat just interested in the stories Abel had to tell us.
Abel explained to the Gebharts that the Maya were very superstitious and felt that the seasons were only delivered by the amount of sacrafices that were presented to the gods.
The world was thought to be square, and the inter-world was where the gods lived inside the cave. (After looking around and seeing where we were, I would have to tend to agree).
So the Mayans would go out into the forest previous to the ceremony and pick silicidal mushrooms and other hallucinogenic herbs from the jungle that were so potient that they couldn’t be taken orally. (That’s when I wear the “exit only” sign on my rear end folks!
That was so funny, we all got a chuckle on that one and I commented that wasn’t included in the tour today…..jt) The sacraficial lambs were then given the herbs to better enable them to talk to their gods, as an enhancer the Maya used fires in the caves and that would cast reflections on the cave walls. Godly shadows would appear and would play with their drug filled minds just before being pushed off the 60 foot ledge only to venture off into the after-world with a big fat smile on their face! (Wow- sounds like a fun party, no wonder they went extinct in the 16th Century AD. That’s the Mayans version of catch and release!). FYI~ The Mayan Calendar ends in the year 2012….
MORE MAYAN HISTORY FOR THOUGHT
In the first millennium AC (3rd and 4th century AC) the Maya had created an advanced civilization that revolved around such city-centers as Tical, Copan, Uaxactun. Their civilization had greatly influenced the development of the neighboring peoples. At around the 10th century AC for reasons so far unestablished, the Maya have abandoned their settlements and established new city-states such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Mayapan in the northern part of the Yucatan.(This is thought to be because of farmlands which soils became non-nutrient)In the times of the rule and hegemony of the rulers of Chichen Itza, the cities established an alliance, which in the 12th century was beginning to be lead by Mayapan. In the 15th century the city was defeated and destroyed by the other rebel cities. The long-term wars have lead to the collapse of the once great civilization. The arrival of the Spanish in South America in the 16th century had lead to the great destruction in the Mayan stateship and culture.
I always like looking at the artifacts.
Low bridge!
These pictures I’m taking do not show how dark it really was in the cave. When the lamps were shut off you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. (The camera I use has a fantastic flash). Through another chamber we were led then into one of the most coveted chambers…
Off in the distance up in the highest reaches of the cave you could see little statuettes
of the what was believed by the Mayans as monkey gods.
That was amazingly beautiful, what a chamber to be witnessed.
Back down the 60 foot cliff, we went on another tube ride deeper into the cave to see another Mayan pearl!
In another area deeper in the cave we could see what seemed to be shelves as flat as a table. These caves were formed milions of years previous by the higher ocean levels receding in and out against the limestone that would eventually give way to a serious of tunnels that were left that became an aquaduct for the springs that flowed off the Mayan Mountains which in turned formed a river from the inside flowing out. Were actually going against the current, the river flowed out of the cave.
Then we climbed a small ledge and there it was the MONKEY GOD!!! THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY,
WELCOME TO THE LOVE SHACK~!
MAYAN MONKEY GOD ~ YOU’RE MY SIZZLER OF THE WEEK AWARD WINNER!! CONGRATULATIONS MAYAN MONKEY GOD,
JACK TROUT
The climb down was slippery with the clay and the wet pants.
Back on our tubes the current took us for a nice ride, we shut off our head lamps and it was hard to tell if we were moving, you couldn’t see a thing….
We then floated out of the cave and the rest was burned into the basement of time as history shined on us that day and we all felt good about what we had learned in the inter-world.
We found this great place to jump into the river!
Abel drove us in mini school bus, it was classic!
Everyone was so happy and the vibe was great. What a fun filled day, little did we know it wasn’t nearly over.
Back at the ranch, we saw a King Snake in some tropical leaves and Abel caught it so I could share it with you. These snakes look very much like the deadly Coral Snake, I always suggest to use guides in Central America, snakes are found throughout the region.
So cool! Rock-on your honor.
Abel, thanks for a great tour see you again soon bro! Trout
After we left Abel, I took the Gebharts down the road to a park I knew of that we could swim at and I could do one of my favorite things to do, cliff dive! I was climbing back up to dive again when a Fer de Lance one very deadly snake slithered right over my foot! Once I saw it clear my foot, I jumped from where I was standing off the side of the cliff…
I grabbed some locals and went back up to shoot pictures for you, the Sizzlers! Check out this Fer de Lance, the most feared snake in Belize. The markings look like the hat on a joker with balls that hang down.
A Mayan Family clears their yard deep in the Belizean countryside.
The next day we took a long ride out to the outer reef and we caught so many bone fish it was silly! Richard had a great time fighting these silver bullets.
Jim couldn’t believe how strong they were.
Nice bone dude!
Double vision! Brandon and Travis both with barracudas over 20 lbs.
Christina up on the bow with a nice bone fish on.
Way to go!
(Jim and Richard Gebhart said; We’ve caught enough fish let’s go to one of the many atoll bars and meet back up with the rest of the group!
Nice views, lets stop here for sure!
Dos Amigos! Jack Trout & Robert Llyod having the time of there lives with the Gebhart Family in Belize, Central America! http://www.jacktrout.com/belize/belize.html
EMAILS FROM YOU:
I love your web site. I was born in Dunsmuir in 1947, my Dad was a Fireman on the Southern Pacific. The pictures bring back very fond memories. I think I will move back.
Thanks again.
Patrick Felde
Jack,
Thanks for such a great trip. Frank and I are still talking about what a great time we
had on the Klamath and McCloud. Being in the great outdoors and on the river is
always a welcome release from the day to day grindΣ
We look forward to another trip and maybe even Belize in the Spring.
Many Thanks,
Jack Holliday
Dear Jack Trout,
I get your email update, which is whetting my appetite for my trip with my three kids over to Lake Siskyou (one week) and Silicon Valley (two weeks) in August. The weather in London is rainy every day so I am looking forward to some trout hunting in warm California!
What kind of equipment do I need for small streams (upstream of the lake) and what opportunity is there to fish on Lake Siskyou? I am not a purist fly fisherman so I am happy to use any tactics needed.
Regards,
Justin Taberham
(ex Fisheries Manager in the UK)
Jack,
Can you make it Saturday night…You are very welcome to stay at my house ( if you don’t hook up with some wild El Dorado Hills Trout…Sucker).
Next chance is July 14th.
Let me know.
Robert Mills
Mi Amigo Trucha, bastante tiempo sin saber de ti…tu familia de Chile esta muy bien, las niñas perfecto y Catalina esta aprendiendo a leer asi que todo perfecto,
Lo unico nuevo es que se me acabó el Cafe….
Un abrazo mi amigo y espero noticias de ti
Juan Ramos
The Rio Senguer and surrounding waters interest me. What is the best time of the season for fishing there? What species are available? Dry fly fishing? Your rates for 2008?
Paul
Jack
My wife and I are novice flyfishers who are interested in fishing the McCloud in early September (if it makes sense).
Either 9/11 or 9/12, although 9/10 is also possible. We will be staying in the McCloud Hotel.
Are you available any of those days?
What do you charge to rent gear?
Will it be worth fishing the McCloud then?
Look forward to hearing from you,
Steve Matthews
Jack
Did you get the email I sent you a few days ago about scheduling a fly fishing trip with you? It would be sometime between the 26th of August and the end of September. Preferably a Monday.
Doug Saysette
I am thinking about planning a day with a guide for myself and a friend in October, on the Low Sac River.
How much do you charge?
Thank you
John
Hi Jack,
thanks fer the confirmation, its on my calender and will send $ to you
and book indian creek soon.
and thank you very much fer the discount, I appreciate it!!
having this date with you on my calender gives me something to look
forward to.
Janet and I visted Mt Shasta City on our way to Oregon and you were
right, she likes it!!
She likes Ashland too but Mt Shasta is the forerunner in the where do
we move when she retires question.
the weekend of Aug 4 we’re going to Mt shasta city to hang out and see
how it feels in the heat of summer. Is Trinity Café still
the best restaurant in town? I wanna take her to the nicest places so
she’ll bond with the town. Any other suggestions of stuff she’d like
are most welcome but dont worry about it if its a hassle.
thanks dude
yer pal
dave earl
Just wanted to confirm we had a great trip with Aaron last Monday – wish I was there now!!
It was our first time to the McCloud and we learned alot and had some fun with Aaron.
Thanks,
Ian Parrott
Great adventures, fabulous pictures! Who wouldn’t want to book a trip to Belize with Jack Trout, cave explorer, tube-floater, photographer, cliff diver, and tropical dancer…yes, dancer…what timing and fancy footwork it took to tango with a poisonous pit viper in the tropics of Central America and come out alive! Tracy Scmid
~TED FAY’S SON~
I look forward to your photos and up dates of all your trips. I’m sure the last name might ring a bell with you .Keep up the good work.
Michael R Fay~
I’m starting to put some photos together at this time ..The sad thing is as many photos that were taken of my father they all belonged to some one else .The funny thing about my father was he did not care about that part.All he wanted to do was fish and have a good old fashion at the end of the day.I will put together what I have and I would be more then happy to share them with you .Keep up the good work and as always I look forward to your tales and photos.
Keep a tight line
Michael R Fay
Hi, Jack:
Just a note to let you know how much the ladies at the Rendezvous enjoyed their fishing with you. We are scheduled next year for the 3rd weekend of June. I≠d possibly be interested in floating the Upper Sac that weekend (or shortly before) with our ≥credit≈ from this year≠s trip that we had to cancel. Let me know if we would be better off booking that trip earlier in the year (May), so that we can pick a date.
Also, I have a favor. I know that you took a group short of the ladies at the B & B. Might you be willing to email a copy of the photograph to me for posting on the IWFF website and in our Newsletter?
Thanks, Jack,
Judith Austin Brown