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 Dermin
has the fortune (although he sometimes might feel it to be the mis-fortune)
to be born as the son of Pearl Cabral -- and hence the nephew of
Egbert, Wyatt, Julian, Daniel and Breeze Cabral. So he was going
to learn to fish whether he liked it or not.
Fortunately, he liked it - and turned out to be quite good at it, too.
Then Uncle Julian took him under his wing, and Dermin took to guiding
like, well, like -- a fish to water.
Dermin also liked to hang around with his grandfather, George Cabral,
who Dermin credits for his knowledge of the weather, the tides and
most of the marine life that he recognizes and will gladly tell you
about.
Like Uncle Julian, Dermin is a purist, and wholeheartedly believes in
the wisdom of catch and release, and using
 artificials rather than
live or cut bait , when a "man's not fishing for food for his table!"
Like
his Uncle Daniel, Dermin is determined that his clients will catch
fish, if there's any to be caught that day. (On a recent Grand
Slam day, Dermin fished his client north near Southwater
.jpg) Caye, out at
the reef near Ranguana Caye, and down south in the Sapodillas - now THAT's determination!)
Dermin is especially skilled at fishing the backwaters of the
Placencia Lagoon - another pool of knowledge he attributes to his
grandfather George, and his own curiosity about a body of water t.jpg) hat
many local guides ignore.
 When Dermin isn't guiding clients, and Grandfather George feels well
enough, he and Dermin can often be seen in Dermin's boat in the
Lagoon, quietly chatting and handlining for fish for the table.
And, if not with Grandfather George, Dermin is usually seen Denise and
their most recent pride and joy, Dermin Junior.
As for Dermin's clients, here's a recent comment from Jamal Mahdavian:
I have fished the
waters around Placencia for over 5 years and things had become
routine. Quite good, but routine. This past December I had a
pleasant surprise. I was paired with a young man who I am sure will
be one of the areas most sought after quides. His uncles are among
the high-end guides in the area.
Reportedly 22 years
old, Dermin looks a bit more like a high school freshman. My doubts
were quickly dismissed when the day began. We fished waters I hadn't
seen before and when the weather turned sour he found a back bay out
of the blow that yielded 6 tarpon in less than half an hour. These
weren't juveniles... they were anchovies! The largest 10 pounds and
the smallest about the size of a Largemouth Bass on steroids. It was
not a Kodak moment but in that weather he found fish on day most
people would hard be pressed to stay vertical on the water.
Dermin's skills out on
the flats were equally impressive. We saw dozens of permit and the
largest bones I've ever seen in Belize. Armed with a spare rod,
Dermin caught a 6+ pound bone while I played with the school.
His approach to the
sport is fresh. No fixed ideas, willing to experiment, lots of fun.
I have fished with at least 6 of the more senior guides in Placencia.
Their skills and experience are undeniable and for the hard core
angler, perhaps preferable. As for myself Dermin is
top 5... anywhere. He and his uncles are as important to a
trip as rods, reel, and cigars. JAMAL
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