The easiest way to sum up our July 20-21 overnight canyons trip with captain Willy Hatch of Machaca Charters was captured perfectly by one of our fishing crew: "This is what Ryan had in mind when he started My Fishing Cape Cod." We all agreed wholeheartedly.
The Journey to Get Here
The planning for this trip began well over a year ago. It was rescheduled several times before ultimately being canceled in 2024 due to weather. Brett Blaisdell and I were scheduled on those original trips and were fortunate to make it onto this one as well. Fast forward to 2025, and our MFCC team consisted of:
- Paul Aldrich (CCSonarCoach)
- Brett Blaidell (Brettblaidell123)
- Brian Blair (Bigbere44)
- Brendan Geggatt (Bgeggatt)
After exchanging hopeful emails and weather reports throughout the week, we connected at 4:00 a.m. in Falmouth and started our adventure with Captain Willy Hatch aboard the Machaca.
Departing Falmouth Harbor before sunrise, under some ominous looking clouds. The weather would prove challenging during this trip, but ultimately the crew would persevere and the fish would cooperate.
Day One: Weather, Fish, and Teamwork
The seas were sloppy as we headed south, but we made it to the canyons successfully. Brian was first up, and we managed to land a beautiful yellowfin on the troll. Soon after, the weather took a turn for the worse.
What happened next included a spectacular marlin display, multiple triple hook-ups, and a dawn-to-midmorning battle that required passing the rod nine times. Click to read the rest of this incredible canyon adventure →
About the author
Wow. That is one Awesome trip!!
Paul, thanks for sharing. Felt like I was in the battle with you while reading. Went out with Willy to the Sword last year and agree he is the man. Cheers Jeff
Great fish story Paul! Congrats on an epic trip. Really nice read.