BDF in the Pacific

BDF had the chance to fly fish the Pacific Ocean in Northern California recently. Although I only had a few hours to cast a line for surf perch and ling cod, it was a lot of fun.  

I recommend always stopping by the local fly shop to buy a few flies, and gather information.  As was the case in California, often a local customer will over hear the conversation, and offer some helpful tips about where they are catching fish...stuff that might not even be on the shop's radar yet.  I find that folks that fly fish are generally pretty nice folks, always willing to lend some advice. 

I enjoyed fishing both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean in the span of a couple weeks.   A great way to start the season!

Shark!

Saltwater fishing is different then my typical trout stream in several ways, as I talked about in my last post. The conditions are different, the gear heavier, and as I discovered, there are a lot of creatures in that big blue pond.

Turns out I was fishing on a beach which leads the entire world in yearly shark bites. Towards the end of my second evening of fishing, I noticed a shark swim about 15 feet in front of me. I casually removed myself from the spot and clung to the delightful sand on the beach. I was told later that it was most likely a nurse shark, which sounds harmless enough I guess...

Bottom line, I would fish that spot again. However, here are a few tips I learned from my Florida friends.

-Don't do a lot of splashing around.
-No shiny jewelry
-Most of the times it is the surfers who get bitten
-Bull sharks love the brackish water. They can be trouble
-No snacking on beef jerky while in the water

BDF in Florida

It's my understanding that a blizzard is about to hit Colorado. Fortunately, BDF is safely in Florida. I had a couple hours during this trip to try my hand at Flyfishing in the Atlantic. My last saltwater experience was fishing for striper off the rocky coast of Maine, but I figured that I would pack an 8 weight and fly fish the surf while in Florida.

I had a great time fishing...but not catching. The guy at the shop told me that it was hit or miss this time of year. I fished several clouser patterns that I had tied, and of course, some local patterns I picked up at the shop. Saltwater fishing is a different game, and I learned a ton on while fishing. The purpose of this trip was not fishing, but the lessons learned will help me on the next trip I take, which will be focused on fishing the salt.

A few observations I made:

-Practice your double haul before hitting the windy ocean.
-A stripping basket is a very handy thing to have
-Rinse your gear thoroughly after fishing in the saltwater
-Good footwear is important, even on the beach
-Flyfishing the ocean truly tests your gear.
-The beauty and majesty of the ocean makes not catching fish quite tolerable.
-Tenkara might not be the best choice in this situation! Sorry NOCOnympher!

Watch for future reports on this experience, including a review of gear put to an extreme test. Here are a few photos of my experience. I'm wearing a Rep Your Water hat generously sent to me by TFM.