Denny

El Capitán

Denny was one of the people I met when I bought my house in Estero, Ensenada México. It's a

close community that welcomes strangers cautiously. My wife and I bought the house from two

chain-smoking alcoholics who didn't fit into the community, so Denny had reason to be skeptical.

Denny was a trophy fisherman who competed around the world. He and his wife, Leslye were

retired PE teachers who coached and loved water polo. When we arrived, he and his wife were

cordial and friendly, but we were still outsiders for the first year.

As a child, I loved to fish, a hobby that I got away from as an adult. When I got to Estero, I got

excited again seeing the big catches that my neighbors would bring home. Denny would always

catch at least a couple of big halibut whenever he went out on his boat. I was still fishing like I

did in the lakes and rivers around Michigan. I'd but frozen bait from the local tackle shot, stick a

sinker and hook on my pole and fish from shore. I caught a few smaller fish this way, but nothing

compared with what Denny caught.

But after about a year, Denny started giving me some fishing tips. First he told me if I was

going to use bait, it should be live bait. He showed me how to catch shrimp at low tide. That was

a big help and I probably doubled the number of fish I caught. But I still wasn't catching the big

ones.

So, Denny showed me how to use artificial lures and which kind to use. After that I started

bringing home some halibut, a bit smaller than his, but big to me.

Since then, Denny and Leslye have been out guides to life at Estero. I would sit around with

them, enthralled with the fishing stories Denny would tell.

They also looked out for us. I was new to the ocean, and I didn't know the strength of the tides.

One day I took my four sons out in a large kayak. We were planning a short trip to the

peninsula. About 2⁄3 of the way through, a heavy outgoing current started pushing us out into the

open ocean. I panicked and jumped out of the kayak to guide it into shore. I was having no luck

at all and my fear was swelling. Just then, Denny showed up in his boat to help me get safely to

the shore. When we returned safe and sound, although a little shaken, Denny showed me what

a tide chart was and helped me get one on my phone.

Denny and Leslye welcomed us into this tight community, introducing us to other skeptical long

timers down there, making us feel part of the group.

To this day, I still don't catch the big ones that Denny brings home, but I caught something more

valuable, a friend who made us feel comfortable in a house that would eventually become our

retirement home.