Flytime Flyfishing

Had  a couple of great guys out this AM, Joe and Doug. Since We had the Ft3 film Festival later that day I could only squeeze in a half day for them. It turned out to be a nice morning! Nice steady pick at the Calico Bass and Sand Bass and lots of laughs by all. We lost a couple of “oh shit” fish that broke us off, but we stayed after them.

Doug was hard at work at the “Office” and got slammed! After a big battle of tug of war, up comes a Sand Bass that bounced between 6.5 and 7.0 pounds on the Boga Grip! Hell of a fish!

Tight Lines,

1/19/2015

1/17/2015

Had to make a quick run over to Catalina Island and get in on some of the great fishing that has been happening. quality Bonito and still some Yellowtail around! Great friend, Jon, and I hit the flat calm seas early and were fishing at sun up!

Jon got hit on his first cast, straight into a very nice Bonito only to have a seal come up and grab it! The only good thing about that was that that was the last of the seal trouble all day.  Nice steady action and great weather! We got Bonito, Calico  Bass and I even got a small Yellowtail. Not the bigger models, but what the hell, it pulled had on an 8wt!

1/11/2014

I had Mike out this AM all the way from Minnesota! Mike and his brother in law, Jim, were brave soldiers as we knew is was going to be wet! We hit the wall in the dark and no rain! We grab a couple here and there. Water Temp had drop a few degrees so bigger models had lock jaw.

Than the rain started to come, light at first, than steady drizzle. At tide change we ran to one of the Oil Islands that has been very productive, but we had a dog (sea lion) swimming in circles  in the slot that put the fish down. That sucked! We worked the outside for a bit, Jim got a nice Barred Sand Bass. Than the rain started to be a little harder. We were going to hit the Wall one last time, but the rain told us it was time to run back to home. Not a lot of fish, but great guys to have on the boat! Let’s get them next time with out the rain!

Tight lines,

1/10/2014

Just a quick run out to the Office this AM. Hit a couple of spots on the way out. Second cast I connect with a fat Calico Bass – great to be back on the water in the dark.  Spent the rest of the morning getting lots of medium size fish. Nothing big here today, but watching the sun come up is never boring!!

Jeff P and his crew were out also. They had several nice fish as well. Jeff had a 4 + pounder! We ran to the Pipe where we got hit by the incoming rain. I headed for the launch ramp. I knew this was going to be a wet one and I had clients the next day!

Tight Lines,

12/27/2014

Post Christmas day and we needed a quick spalsh on the salt! Nothing huge, lots of fun and yes, Lori is catching them!

Tight Lines,

12/15/2014

Well I got back from the Yucatan all in one piece. Wow, what an adventure! I got a chance to fish with 7 super anglers and try my hand at chasing Permit! Well folks, it ain’t easy thats for sure! These fish will flat out make you crazy!

Our goal was getting Permit, but we also ran into Bonefish, baby Tarpon, Snook and some Great Baracuda. We were just outside the town of Punta Allen at Pecadora Lodge. Super place to be, it really needs to beon your bucket list!

Here are some shots of our groups sucess

12/5/2014

Hello All,

I am off to the Yucatan at Pescadora Lodge to chase Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish and Snook for a week!! Flats fishing in December, you got to love that!!! A full report and pictures when I return.

Tight Lines,

11/30/2014

Leo called and wanted a post Thanksgiving day Catalina Island run. So we met early and headed out in the dark to get a jump on things. The crossing was easy and fast. Leo was alittle under the weather with some back pain, but that would not stop him. When we head to the Island, all he has on his mind is Bonito!!

So we had a little south wind coming at us once we arrived which made the drifts a bit challenging. No worries for us as we metered lots of fish and there was tons of bait in the water. We began our day….. Leo immediately gets a grab that came off right away, I get a solid hook up the end up with a Bonito pushing 7 pounds! So the day goes on with Leo getting quality fish all morning long. It was not wide oipen, but there was plenty of fish to make those rods bend and reels scream. These bigger Bonito will take out over a 100 yards of line!!!! We were fishing the new Sage Salt Rods and Method Rods in 8wt matched with Hatch Reels. Boy, did we ever put some bends into these rods! We could have / should have fished the 9wt or 10 wt, but like fishing light. The drags on the Hatch 7 Plus reels worked amazing – they really helped land these fish.

We had Capt. Vaughn on Saltyfly come by with his clients and they were into fish also. I do get a little boat jealous when you see his 26 footer cruise by, but then when it come to gas and maintenance, iam right back to my senses!!

The winds started to blow a little harder so we cut it short a bit and headed back. What a fun day on the water and some real quality fishing at Catalina Island!!

Tight Lines,

11/11/2014

Well folks, it was time for our annual run up to the California Delta. We make the run each yeat in November and the last two years it was during the Simms Pro day so we get to hang out with all our friends also. I  had Capt. Vaughn Podmore with me again this year. Such a great friend and fishing partner. We fished Friday afternoon, Saturday till 11:30 before the event and than all day Sunday.  There was 4 boats from Southern California up there this year and everyone caught fish! If you have never had a chance to fish the Delta, it needs to be on  your bucket list.

Home base for us was the Sugar Barge RV Park and Marina, we had the boat in the water with covered berth that had power to plug in the charger for the batteries, 32ft RV right on sight and made the whole trip so easy!

We fish a lot of water looking for the one, we never got the big girls we wanted, but boy did we ever catch some fish. Many times it was none stop for hours! Tons of fun, great folks to hang out with and such a fantastic Event put on by John Sherman and Simms. We will be back again next year both for the event, but still looking for the one.

10/25/2014

Well gang, once again I have been running around like a crazy man. Great news is that my fishing partner / fiance and I were married on Sept. 21, 2014 up in Mammoth Lake over looking Lake Mary. We did have a bachelors party of float tubing the morning before the wedding on Lower Twin Lake. Caught two small Rainbows, not a bad way to get ready for a wedding!

Here is an assortment of pictures from the last month or so.

Tight lines,

9/7/2014

Quick call with Jon and we both said lets grab a few early hours in Santa Monica Bay. Just wanted to fish the incoming tide. Jeff Priest, a fellow guide and his gal Michelle, met us at the ramp for an early session. By the way, did any of you catch the Moon Setting?

Today was a slow day, nothing like it has been, but that is fishing. We ended up with a few, nothing huge, but what a sunrise.

Tight Lines,

9/6/2014

With all the big swell we had last week, Jon and I needed to take a look at the LA Wall. We knew there would be some new structure and had to check it out.

The tide was not what we wanted as it was goingt o top out by 8:15 AM or so, but we hit it in the dark. Had a nice steady pick at them all morning. There are some big holes in the wall and made for so interesting currents. Cloud cover was no existent today and we new the fish would be sliding back in tight quickly.

All in all a solid morning with some nice Calico Bass, a few “Oh Shit” misses!

Tight Lines,

8/30/2014

Kurt gave me a call and said his good friend Casey was coming out from back east and they needed a day on the water. We decide we would hit the LA Wall and inshore for the day since we had a huge swell earlier in the week and there was lots of new structure to explore.

Now when I say new structure, I mean three big holes in the LA Wall blown out by the big surf, biggest enough to move some serious rock!

We hit it early as we always do and it was non stop most of the AM. We had good cloud cover till after 10 AM which kept the fish out of the super tight spots. Also with the high surf last week, a lot of the kelp has been cleared giving us clear shots are areas we could not touch before.

These guys where friends since high school and had fished together for years. This made for some great stories and tons of laughs all day.  To top it off both guys could put the fly anywhere they wanted it or where I instructed them, this is huge plus when fishing the structure. Great anglers and so fun to have on the boat. Best part for me, two new friends!

Tight Lines,

8/24/2014

Spent today fishing with some great friends, Leo and Greg. It had been a little while since Greg was on the boat so I was excited to have him join us. Greg is a master fishing net builder and really does some works of art. Check him out at Sierra Nets on the web. We are talking heirloom quality stuff.

We stopped at the bait barge and they only had big sardines, not what we wanted at all, but we grab a few. We would later regret that as they died quickly and were worthless. The run to Catalina Island was fast, making the first part of the crossing in the dark. We were at the Isalnd by 6:15 AM.

So we chased the Calico Bass, the Bonito and were in the hunt for Yellowtail, but never connected with them. Tons of boat traffic made the fish nervous and with out chum bait it was a little tough. None the less we caugh fish all day! Lots and lots of laughter, fun and super anglers!

Great day on the water,

8/23/2014

Today was fishing with a local  that wanted to know more about his own back yard, Santa Monica Bay. I met Brian at 5:00 AM at the launch ramp and off we went into the dark. I promised that I would show Brian the places I fish and give him a good opportunity to get some hook ups. We hit a little spot that I know and it did not take long for Brian to feel the grab. It was game on! Brian was very impressed with grab and pulling power of the Calico Bass.

We worked that area then moved over to the Office for a few more, always talking about technique and tactics on how to fish the area. He was a great student and great guys to get on the water.

By the way, he emailed me a couple days after and he is already on his paddle board out there fishing and doing well! I love sharing the sport.

Tight Lines,

8/10/2014

My long time client and great friend Leo called and said he needed some “target” practice….. That means only one thing, hitting the LA Harbor Wall and putting flies in tight places! He absolutely loves this type of fishing. He wants to find the perfect pocket and drop in that fly and have the fish jump on it hard. He lives for the take!

So, for Leo this was going to be a day of steady bites and lots of laughs. The banter with Leo is none stop all day and I am constantly reminded why I do this, when I see Leo’s pure joy on every fish no matter what size it is! Just for the record, this guys works way too hard in his career and does not fish near enough, but he is also an amazing caster and can put the fly anywhere I tell him! Awesome day with one of by best clients and friends.

Tight Lines,

8/2/2014

My good friend and client, Jon, was up for a early morning secrect spot mission. We hit the MDR launch ramp early and headed out. We had a falling tide and knew where the fish should be stacked up. As we pulled up to our starting point it was clear this was a special morning…. There was bait being attacked everwhere! It was unreal to see the onslaught of baiting fleeing for thier lives!

First cast and we were into fish! Steady pick on a great grade of Calico Bass! Awesome morning with many fish caught and a few “oh shit fish” that broke off (we were using 20 lb. tippet). Got to love the secret spots we all have….

Tight Lines,

7/27/2014

Lori and I needed to do a quick get away so we headed up to Mammoth for a quick sesion on casting dry flies. We fished Rush Creek & the Upper Owens River and had an amazing time with small fish on the dry. Tons of fun, in small water on the hunt. Even the salty guys need to get fresh once and a while.

Tight Lines,

7/20/2014

It was over to Catalina to get into some of the Bonito fishing that everyone has been talking about. Pretty flat crossing after picking up a half scoop of Anchovies. Now Lori had caught some Bonito before, but in the samller two to three pound class, today we were looking for 5 to 6 pound fish!

As soon as we pulled up and threw out a few chovies, the fish were on the boil…! Fast cast and she gets hooked up. This fish was head out of town…. with the reel handle spinning Lori did get her knuckles whacked a few times and she was fast into backing. She did a great job of getting back on the fish and it made several more  big runs the kept her smiling. We stayed on them most of the morning with a dozen to the boat all in that 5 pound plus range. Great day on the water!

Tight Lines,

7/19/2014

Just a quick early morning session with Lori out to the Office in Santa Moncia Bay. We got after them early and put a couple good fish in the boat. Very flat water with an out going tide (falling). Nice set up for the few secret spots…..

Tight lines,

6/29/2014

Fished this morning in Santa Monica Bay with Greg, who was traveling thru on vacation from England. Met Greg at his hotel and off we went to hit a few spots on a half day trip. Our goal was to try a few of our Calico Bass spots and see what we c ould bring to hand.

We launched out in the dark at MDR and soon came on to the first spot. Greg was a little new to throwing the weighted lines, but quickly got the hang of it. After a couple of misses on “drive bys” grabs, Greg stuck one and was very impressed at the pulling power of these fish! First fish by 5:10 AM! We countinued to work our first spot picking up fish even as the local seals started to stir. Then it was off to the “Office“. The “Office” normally bites best on a higher tide for me, today we had super low, but it was comiong up fast. We had a nice steady pick and yes, Greg got the “Oh Shit Fish”! You know the one, the one that kicks your butt and goes right back into the rocks! Even though we missed that one, the look on his face was priceless!

Tight Lines,

6/22/2014

Today was Lori’s day! She has been wanting to hit the Office and few other spots in Santa Monica Bay, so we headed out in the dark, on the water by 5:00 AM

Pulled up to first spot and  she was hooked up! It was a fish or so every other other cast for her! She loss a big one that popped the 8 pound tippet she is using (she wants the 8 pound tippet record now!). We hit a few more of the spots around the office and had a great morning inspite of a south wind, that was really rolling the chop a bit much.

Decide we would hit one more drift, before head back in and Lori throws a nice cast to the boiler rocks, Wham! Fish on! This was a good fish. It would take some line, she would get it back, it would take more line, she would get it back, she was doing all the right things and we knew this could be the “One“!  As she started to get the line back in I grab the net with excitement and up comes a 5 plus pound Trigger Fish! I am stoked, but Lori say ….oh Shit! She is hooked on Bass and I love her for that!

We had a great day on the water, she caught lots of fish, lost a few big ones and added a new species to her list.

Tight Lines,

6/21/2014

I had the “Fantastic” John Hart out for a day on the water today. I decide he should go to the “Office” to do some work…… Today was a “NO Fly” zone as John was a light tackle and plastics guy. Well, John went right to work putting on a clinic on how to catch lots of quality Calico Bass. John caught fish all morning long. There were a few “drive bys” that made us go “WOW, what was that!”

Great morning, fish busting bait all around us, great sunrise, flat calm and tons of fish.

Tight Lines,

6/15/2014

Father’s Day 2014…Got an invite to fish with two great friends / clients (Frank and Jon) and my dear friend, Capt. Vaughn Podmore of Salty Fly Guide Service today. What a treat!! Rode down to the dock with Jon, picked up at the dock by Capt. Vaughn and Frank and made our way to Catalina Island. Capt. Vaughn has a bigger boat, 26 ft, which does nice job on the bumps. Now this is service! LOL

We had a bit of wind and fair amount of bump as we started to fish, but that did not hurt the fishing, it was epic! Vaughn has really got the island down. We hit a spot and spent the entire day in that same general area and put over a 100 fish to the hand. All I can say was amazing day!

We had Calico Bass (major case of Bass Thumb), Bonito and Barracuda to the boat. Jon even had a big Yellowtail on till a seal (aka Fur Dog) came over and spooked the fish and it popped the line. So many fish, so many laughs and stories.

If you get a chance, give Capt. Vaughn a try, I have him linked on this site. Many, many thanks for my friends for a great Father’s Day on the water.

Tight Lines,

6/14/2014

Brian came down today from Bakersfield to get a little time on the saltwater action. Our goal was to try and look at Catalina Island, but due to the cross swell, the bump made it a little to much to make the crossing. We chosse to hit the LA Wall and Harbor instead and avoid the beating….LOL.

Not on fire today, but some good grabs and lots of laughs and smiles all around. We did go outside and work a spot that we know is very good and Brian got the “Oh Shit” hook up! This fish hit like a train and started to take line back from Brian, I could see the line ripping through his fingers! As hard as Brian tried, the big fish got deep into cover and broke off, but the look on Brian’s face was worth it. This is why we keep coming back, to get a shot at the big ones.

Tight Lines,

5/31/2014

Had Milford back out and this time he brought his good friend Phil. Now Phil had done a little surf fishing, he had never done any fishing in the salt off a boat. So this was going to be a fun day introducing someone to the “grabs” of Calico Bass on the Wall.

We started the day off with a few grabs, than the blue bird skys came out, which are great for sun bathing, but make the fish a little shy and you have to put the cast right on the rocks. These guys kept at it all day and we had tons of fun, good “grabs” and Phil was hooked! I think he liked the tug that these fish give you. “Tug is the drug”

Great day, with great guys!

Tight lines,

5/25/2014

Did a quick little trip to the LA Wall with Lori along with JP and Michelle (they were on their boat). Not a wide open morning, but fun for a few hours  and THAT my freinds is what it is about….. FUN

Tight Lines,

5/24/14

My good friend and client “Leo” was feeling the stress of work and asked if we could hit Catalina Island and of course my answer was YES! Although we had a little bit of a mixed swell, the crossing was pretty good making it over in just over 45 minutes to Yellowtail Point. As we hit the island, we were on the hunt for Baracuda, Calico Bass and Yellowtail.

We soon found ourselves slowly being surrounded by a large number of boats that clearly had the same plan in mind. Although we had several great hookups, closing the deal was tough and the boat pressure kept the fish down. The Barracuda and Yellowtail were hard to get, but we hammered the good quality Calico Bass all day. All fish were stocky and full bellies.

All in all another great trip on the water with Leo…….

Tight lines,

5/8 thur 5/12

I had to get out of town for a bit and we decide to make a run to the Green River, Utah. I had not fished this river for almost 20 years and I can only say it was my mistake! This place is as wonderful as I remember it! I am going to add this to my annual trips.

We fished with the Trout Creek Flies group out of Dutch John, Utah. This was who I had fished with years before and a few of the orignial guides are still there! We got to spend a couple of days with “Boomer” Stout on the water and what an amazing time. Awesome fishing, fantastic canyon views and super guide. I highly highly recommend this river and this outfitter!

We got ran out by the huge winter storm that rolled through – that was dicey to say the least.

Tight Lines,

5/3/2014

We had a early morning seesion on the LA Wall. We knew it was going to be a blue bird day with bright skies so we tried to hit it early for some gray light action. Had a nice steady bite most of the morning than it slowed a bit.

Highlight of the day was Jon getting Calico Bass, Sand Bass and Spotted Bay Bass for a Bass Slam today. Great to get all three in one day. The Spottie was a nice chucky 2.5 pounder.

Tight Lines,

4/20/2014

Easter Sunrsie on the water is a tradition for me and I was going to hit Santa Monica Bay. Jeff Priest and Michelle where going to be on the water also in their boat. JP called the night before and said they wanted to hit it very early…like 3:00 AM early! I told him that was too early for me, but I would see them at 5:00 AM.

I am getting my boat in the water at 4:30 or so and my phone is ringing, I see it is JP, but I keep working and getting underway. As I am running down the channel I check my message and JP is saying Michelle just laned a 6.5 pound Calico Bass! Game on!

I meet them on the water in the dark and they are having a field day catching some quality fish. Jeff has some up to 4 plus pounds and lost some bigger ones, Michelle is getting worked over and had the big Calico, things are on fire! A few cast later Michelle is bent again and this one is kicking her back end , but she is sticking some serious heat on it. Up comes another big Calico that is just shy of 6 pounds!

We fished the first stop till it slowed up that made a move and were quickly back into the fish again. Wow, what a special morning and great sunrise also. Off the water by 9:00 with big smile, a case of bass thumb and sore arms.

Tight lines,

4/19/2014

Spent the morning on the Wall with good friend and client Jon W  today. We ran to the outside and hit some of our spots and had a nice bunch of grabs – Jon was putting on a clinic at one point showing me how to catch fish! This guy was unstoppable…. WTF? Even catching a great looking Cabezon!

So we do a bet each morning, dollar for the first fish, dollar for the biggest, dollar for the most and dollar for the most species. Well today we had a side bet of $5 dollars for the first over 5 pounds……. I got my butt handed to me! So why does the guide have to pay the client $9.00 dollars????

Oh yeah, when the tide went slack we hit some inside sections and got a few more and I missed a really big hit. The next thing I know Jon is hooked up and bent to the cork. he is putting some serious effort in to what ever is on the other end of the line. Well after abit of time, he is making head way and up comes this big Halibut! Over 32 inches and 10 pounds!

So much fun,

4/12 & 13/2014

Fly Fishing Event at the Fishermen’s Spot in Van Nuys this weekend. What a great turn out for one of our great shops. Cool list of vendors / guides along with tons of customers getting in on the lessons, classes and seminars. I did my program on Southern California Saltwater Opportunities to a full house and I was the first program on Saturday morning!

Also some great food! Captain BBQ on Saturday along with Grilled Cheese Truck on Sunday, simply amazing.

Tight Lines,

4/6/2014

Had the chance to run down to the local beach with Jeff Priest and his crew today. The tide was not great and the swell made it a tough morning, but such fun with friends. We caught the usual Barred Surf Perch Perch up and down the beach. The best part was running up to the lcoal El Segundo Breakfast spot and chowing down on ham and eggs!

Tight Lines,

3/27 thur 3/29/2014

I had the pleasure of working on a video project with author, lecturer, former guide, amazing fly fisherman and a great friend, Ken Hanley. Ken’s site is pacificextremes.com and if you have not visited the site you should, there is a ton of info on his site and some amazing video projects.

We got Jeff Priest and Dave Valedez to help out with the project and it will be released at the upcoming Fly Fishing Expo at the Fishermen’s Spot on April 13th. The Expo is actually Saturday and Sunday. I will be there on Saturday with my boat and I have a show in the AM. Please stop by and see me and Ken.

Now making the video was a ton of fun, the catching however was a challenge as the water temps had drop by 4 plus degrees. When this happens the fish get lock jaw and we had a tough time, but did manage a few.

Tight Lines,

3/23/2014

Fighting off an anoying cold, but had to go out for a few hours – hit the LA Wall on a falling tide, but did nolt get much love today. Had a few misses and one huge slam that took Lori right into the rocks! That was one of the hardest hits she has had in a while. We have her fishing IGFA 8lb with a 20lb bite tippet so it is really tough to get them out of the rocks.

Had fun, great morning watching Jeff Priest work his boat with his new trolling motor. That guys is loving it! Whole new level of fishing the LA Wall.

3/15/2014

John from Bakerfield came down to hit the saltwater today. We decide to make the run to Catalaina Island in search of some of the Bonito that have been hang around. Quick stop by the bait barge for a few anchoives and we hit the road. We had a easy crossing and arrived at the island just before sun rise.

We set up and I throw out a hand full of the anchovies and it was game on. Second cast I was hooked up to a little firecarcker Bonito. What happend next has the been the story as of late, a “herd of Sea Lions” came rushing the boat. The seals have been keying in on us when we begin to get into the fish shutting the bite down hard. We move around the area, but could not shake the dogs anywhere near where the Bonito were.

Fished the rest of the front side trying to keep away from the seals and managed a few Calico Bass, but not a great day – although the weather was sinply amazing!

Decide to make our way back across the channel. Mid way back we saw a small  Minke Whale and as we slowed up ro watch it, it came right over to the boat and began to follow us. It played with us for 25 minutes or so before we had to continue back to San Pedro. Watching this amazing anaimal circle our boat, coming up beside it and looking at us was very cool. He would stick his head out of the water and check us out. What a great way to end the day with a very cool encounter with this whale.

Tight Lines,

3/9/2014

Well it was time to get “Sir Charles” and Jon back on the water this week. It has beed a while since Charlie was on board and dad wanted to get the young man out and get some fresh air in his lungs. Charlie was a little on the tired side with a late night and daylight savings time, but was a trooper and hung in there.

Solid bite beweeen 6 AM and 8 AMon the WALL, than soften up a bit and the brighter it got the slower the bite. We love the blue bird skys, but the fish like a little cloud cover….LOL.

Jon had several very nice fish and than hooked “the One” ! This is humbling when you see the client getting his arm pulled back out with the line and the client can not turn the fish…… Fish 1 – Client 0 on this one. We like to call these the “Oh Shit” fish, because that is what you say when you hook them and try to pry them out of the rocks! Well we will get him next time!

Tight Lines,

2/23/2014

My client and friend Jon, was speaking about the “office” in Santa Monica Bay, so that was our plan for a few hours in the AM. Hit Marina Del Rey launch ramp to a fair amount of fog, but still safe enough to run slow to our spot. Fishing was steady with a falling tide. Jon’s new “Night Stalker” fly for me was the hot ticket. I bagged a few nice fish including a fat Sand Bass that put a great big bend in my Sage Xi3 8wt.

We only had a few hours, but had a great time! Being on the water and watching the sun come up is always an amazing sight! This spot was not on fire, but all the signs looked very good. This place will “blow up” as we move into late winter / spring and we will begin to spend some quality time there searching for the “one”

Tight Lines,

2/15/2014

Some of our freinds have been doing the “Night Shift” on the Wall as of late and have been having some amazing action. Although I am not a night person anymore (up at 4:00 AM most days), we decided to hit it last evening. Perfect weather, great tides and low wind.

We put in at 4:30 and headed to the Wall. We began to work it in the fading light, catching a fish here and there. As the light faded (maybe me a little bit too) it became a challenge to judge the right distance on the cast. We “donated” a number of flies to the Wall last night, but had a lot of fun. It is not an easy trip, you must be on your game.

We did not get the big guys we were after, but had tons of fun catching. We had dinner on the boat, Lori had a hot cup of tea, thanks to her new Thermos she got for her birthday, all in all a great night, We ending it at about 10:00 PM and I must say I was tired on the drive home. In the dark all your sense are on high. You focus to see what little structure you can make out, you focus hard on the feel of the line and you try to keep the boat in the perfect spot. So if you want as shot at some of the big boys, try the “Night Shift“.

Tight Lines,

2/8/2014

Ok, so I am busy and have not been keeping up. So here some randon shots for the last few months. Funny how time flies….. I would rather be fishing than on the computer.

12/1/2013

Had the chance to buddy boat with Capt. Vaughn Podmore of Salty Fly Guide Service and his clients last Sunday for a trip to Santa Catalina Island. Capt. Vaughn and I were saying how much fun we had up in the Delta for the Simms weekend, that we needed to do a trip together in our own backyard, so off we went.

Capt. Vaughn has been working the island a lot this year and we share a bunch of info. I knew he had it dialed in since I had not been over in about two months. We both grabbed some anchoioves to use as throw bait to get the Bonito going and blasted the channel. It is about a 27 mile run from the San Pedro to the east end of the island. The run was fast as it was flat calm. I was pushing 38 mph plus on the last 5 miles or so on my 18 ft Edgewater!

We found the fish right off the bat, exactly where Capt. Vaughn said they would be. Funny I have been fishing this very spot for over 20 years and it still produces at the right times. My gal, Lori and I had instant doubles on our first cast, the game was on. Double were very common all day long. Capt Vaughn and his folks were fast into them also. The Bonito were not super sized, mostly 3’s to maybe 5 with tons of 4’s, smaller ones also. We fished the 6, 7 and 8wts, but alot on the 6wt and 7wts. Fantastic day on the water. Lori and I had to head back a little early with other obligations and left the fish biting, now that is fun to say….
Great Day with great friends,

11/30/2013

Jon and I had to get a quick trip to the LA WAll this AM. We both wanted to try a few new flies on the Wall. Off we went, but had a run in with a piece of wood that I did not see in the water! I really keep my eyes peeeled for thsi sort of stuff since I leave out early most mornings. Well today it got the better of me and banged up my prop some. We still head out to the Wall and got in great hook ups and laughs.

We called early and slowly head back in. Got home and put on the spare prop and ready for the next day!

11/8 thu 11/2013

Well everyone, it was time for the annual trip up to the California Delta. The timing was great as we would hit some great weather and the Simms Delta Day Event. Capt. Vaughn Podmore and I hit the road early Friday AM with my boat in tow. We had also talked Dave Valedez and Matt Wilson into coming up with Dave’s boat. We met them just outside of Bakersfield on Hwy 5 and headed up. The drive was easy and perfect. We had both rented RV’s at the Sugar Barge RV Park and had coverd boat slips to boot! Now this is first class!

Day one was Friday afternoon, just a few hours of exploring and fun. Found a spot where we started to get some grabs, not huge, but more than fun!

Saturday was an early half day fishing than the Simms Event at noon. We had Trent, a guide from Truckee fish with us that morning as he was down for the event. Now this was a fantastic day! 50 plus fish in a few hours , Wow! Simply outstanding for a half day. Trent was amazed to say the least.

Sunday was a day of looking, we got fish here, there and than hit the spot from the day before and it was game on!Lost count on how many fish we caught. One of the highlights later that afternoon was that we got to share a cocktail with one of my favorite mentors and fly fishing legend, Dan Blanton! He is Mr. Delta !

All in all an amazing trip with some great frineds and fantastic fly anglers!

11/3/2013

Just got over being sick with the flu for a week! Man, I am to old to get beat up like that……. Needed to get some fresh air and talked my gal, Lori into hitting the Santa Monica bay for a few hours this AM. This also gave me  a chance to try out my new propeller and tune-up on the boat. Boy, does the boat run GREAT!!! Big improvement, not that it needed one.

We worked our local hot spots for a slow pick. Dropped a few really big hits, I blame my slow reaction due to being sick….LOL. Lori mean while had a nice steady pick going.  Ending up with a nice Calico Bass off the MDR Wall. As is the situation, Lori was asking for “just one more” cast & fish.

10/6/2012

Had short day on the beach this AM. Client needed a little tune up and asked for a couple of hours. Hit El Porto and got into a  few Yellowfin Croaker right off the bat. Added in a few Surf Perch here and there and topped it off with a Shovel Nose Shark that went over 10 pounds.

Very happy client indeed! Not to mention that we worked on his casting  – nice way to start the day.

Tight Lines,

9/29/2012

Johnny Mack came down from the heat in Bakersfield to fish Catalina Island. Weather looked good at the start, but had a small wind from the north. Got to the island only to find that the wind was blowing right onshore on the front side of the island. This is not the normal wind, we are very protected from wind on the front side most of the time.

Fished all the usual spot and had a nice pick going on Calico Bass and lots of laughs going back and forth. Johnny and I set up our usual bet, Dollar for the first fish, the most fish and the biggest fish! I have to say, my new name is “Three Dollar Bill” – yes he took my money!  How is a guide to put food on the table????

The ride home was a mess! Not good at all. Nothing dangerous, but sloppy and wet. White caps, wind blowing from the north, it was bad! We crawled back running 18 MPH or so, some times less for most of the way. One and a half hours on a trip that normally take half that.  Glad I had my Simms Rain gear, really great stuff and dry as a bone. Check it out on their website – it is the bomb!

Tight lines,

9/24/2012

Was out fishing the LA Wall with a client and had my good friend Jeff Priest (guide) and his girlfriend, Michelle in their boat fishing the same area. Weather was great and we all had a steady pick on nice Calico Bass.

Michelle decided to cast into the channel and away from the wall, resulting in a major hook up!   The fish took her around the boat, deep into the backing and was not coming in. After a while she finally asked Jeff for some help and handed off the rod.  Jeff put some wood to the fish and still had a battle on his hand. Again doing some laps around the boat. I came over and started to shoot pictures for him from my boat.

After a while the fish slowly started to come in, it was a Thresher Shark hooked in the mouth!!!! I told Jeff to be careful of the tail and he was ready. As the fish tired, Jeff grab the tail and boated the fish. Truly an amazing catch!!!  This is the first Thresher that I have see fly caught and fly in the mouth. Had Michelle not handed off the rod – I see IGFA all over it. Next time I am sure you will not be able to pry the rod out of her hands……!

Tight Lines,

9/8/2012

Client and his son out today for half day trip in Santa Monica Bay. Forecast was for light winds and small swell, it turned out to be small, but pushed together making for a lumpy day. Nothing huge, just harder to get set up and hold tight to the cover we were fishing. Add in a very small tide changes makes for a slow day.

Had a few of the SWBA tournament guys out prefishing with the same results…slow.

Great sunshine and a day on the water is always good, just wish we had a few more to the boat. Father was on the fly and son was on the spinning rod. Numerous short strikes all morning long. We had swim bait tails bitten off, small hits on the flies, but the fish were not helping us close the deal. We work all the normal spots. It was great to get them on the water and at least show them what’s in out back yard. We’ll get them next time for sure!

Tight Lines,

9/3/2012

Ran out to the LA Wall this AM with Lori in our boat along with Jeff and Michelle in their boat. Fishing had cooled down a little since the day before, but still was a great morning. Everyone caught fish and had lots of laughs.

Met Mat from Santa Barbara on the water. He was out on the wall with his boat banging a few fish. Great guy, gave him a few flies to try.

Tight Lines,

9/2/2012

Forecast was a large swell and early winds for the weekend, but Leo had a day booked and he was not changing his plans. Although he really wanted to go to Catalina Island – I told him that I had gotten some Intel that LA Harbor Wall was on fire. My good Friend Capt. Vaughn Podmore filled me in that the big swell was washing bait off the rocks and the inside was fishing really well.

We hit the water early in the dark and motored to the spot. We were soon into fish! The swell would hit the outside of the wall and we cast into the wash water. The fish were stacked up waiting for things to be pushed out of the rocks!!

Officer Bo Pak – Long Beach PD came by this morning to check in and hand me some new Sculpin flies to try – Articulated Woolies. The flies were tied on and put to work! I slammed a very nice Calico Bass first thing!!

I think we ended the day with about 50 fish!!!!  Big Sands Bass of almost 4 pounds, lots of 3 pound Calico Bass and one solid 4 plus pound Calico Bass, with many many more. I even got a huge Sargo!  Always fun with Leo on the boat, he has been a great cleint and friend over 16 years! I am looking forward to fishing with him again later in the month.

Tight Lines,

8/24-25/2012

Had two new clients out today – John and “Cob”. John was an experienced fly fisher and Cob had never really fished! This was going to be a fun day! Cob did not know how to cast a flyrod so we set him with the spinning rod and plastic swim baits. I worked with him on his casting a little and we were ready to start the day.

Once again the winds were up early and had us looking for places to set up. All of our fishing was inside the wall. It was a cool and overcast morning, but we soon started getting the hits! Cob did get a hit and landed his first Calico Bass – nice job!

The Calico Bass had amazing orange color on their faces, spawning colors, very cool to see. We worked lots of the local spot and had a steady pick on Calico Bass and Sand Bass. We tried the outside of the wall, but the bump was just too much. Very hard to work the surge.

Ended the day with two guys with big smiles and one than maybe might be a budding “angler“!

Tight Lines,

6/9/2012

A very good client and his grandson were the guest today for a session on the L.A. Wall. The winds had been up all week and we even had early morning winds blowing right out of the south. Very few places to hide.

Well we got into them in spite the winds – working the wall and hiding behind oil islands all paid off for us. A nice steady pick all day. Even a few very big fish that broke off! The Calico Bass all had full bellies and were very healthy. These guys hit the fly so hard, this is why we chase them.

Ended the day with two happy campers and great day for a grandfather and grandson on the water.

Tight Lines,

6/2/2012

The winds had been up all week and getting over to the Catalina Island was out of the question. The plan was a session on the L.A. Wall. The Calico Bass had really been going off according to the reports.  As we headed for the wall the wind was already up a bit and we thought it was going to be tough.

We were wrong, Jon got a hit on his very first cast! It was non stop action after that!! The Calico Bass were eating the fly hard, major hits. We lost a couple of really big fish. The client and I had a serious case of “Bass Thumb” (were you catch so many fish and from lipping them your thumb get raw).

We did make a run outside to the Horseshoe Kelp as we heard that there was Barracuda. The bump on the water made for tough fishing, but we did manage a nice fish and a couple of lost ones.

All in all a great day in spite of the winds that kept changing all day.  Jon even got the infamous “Starfish” ! You know you are fishing tight to cover when you peel one of these guys off!. Laughs all day long!

5/12/2012

One of my regular clients had his father out from England and he wanted to get him over to the Catalina Island. We set off in the early AM of a flat calm morning. The trip over was fast, just under 45 minutes. Water looked great, weather was outstanding, but the tide / water movement was a little light.

We had reports of tough fishing, but had high hopes. We got a couple of big hits, but never close the deal. However we had a major “Mack Attack”, plenty of rod time with these little fighter! All in all a great day on the water.

One of the highlights was seeing a 300 pound plus Mola Mola and having Jon’s father on board. Just was we started to motor back up after that we spotted two Minke Whales cruising right in front of us!! We followed those two for a while and it was amazing! Our English visitor now has some great memories to take back with him.

Tight Lines,

5/5/2012

I had been promising my girlfriend Lori, that we would spend some time on the water, so I suggested we try the L.A. Wall. Lori has only been casting the fly rod a few times, but is really liking it. I spoke to JP about going, so he and his girlfriend buddy boated with us this morning.

Water was flat on the inside, but had a bump on the outside with a 3ft swell. Started to work the inside on the Los Alamitos side. Worked with Lori on her casting, trying to get her to let the rod do the work. She started to get the hang of it. I know some of my friends think teaching her with weighted lines is a bad idea, but those are the lines we use the most on my boat, so she has to learn with those in order to fish with me. Oh well, she’s a trooper.

After a few strikes, but no hook up we move to the Oil Island only to find a 17 ft boat with 5 guys in one of my hot spots! These guys were fishing shoulder to shoulder!

Jeff had moved to the opening and the outside Wall and told us to come outside that the bite had picked up. So off we went. Started to work the Wall with Lori in the bow and my job was getting her into position to cast. This was a little more bump than I would have wanted for her on the first trip outside, but she wanted to stay. Said she liked the challenge and wanted to get after it!

She made a nice cast into a pocket and on her first strip back she got slammed! The fish was pulling hard and she was screaming. I was laughing my back end off. She did a great job of bringing it in. Netted her first Calico on the fly, a chunky little pound and a half.  Smiles all around! We than picked up a few more before we called it a day. Great fun with Lori, JP and Michelle on the water.

Tight Lines,

4/28/2012

Today was the adventures of “Johnny Mack and Two Dollar Bill“. Johnny was in the mood for Catalina Island and the weather was perfect for the crossing.

As we headed out, we soon heard a sound behind us, it was the Harbor Police! They were doing their job checking fast boats heading out of the harbor in the early AM (looking for drugs and illegals). They ran through all of our paperwork and we were soon back on our way. Frankly, I am very glad that we have these folks out there working to keep us all safe.

We arrived at the island and soon “Johnny Mack” was into fish. Great weather, no Bonito, but way too much fun had on the boat today! Lot’s of laughs. So I challenged “Johnny Mack” to a bet of $1 for the biggest fish of the day and $1 for the first Calico Bass. Johnny got both! Hence, I am now known as “Two Dollar Bill“. Johnny ended the day with over 30 fish! Perfect crossing on the way back.

Tight lines,

4/21/2012

Today was the One Surf Fly being held at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo. This event is amazing and a great gathering for 60 plus flyfishers all working a section of water. After the fishing we headed to the Fisherman’s Spot for the raffle and fund raising. Casting for Recovery was our charity for the event. This group provides “Flyfishing get aways” for women recovering from Breast Cancer and it’s effects. Over $2800 was raised for this group! I highly recommend this event to everyone who fly fishes.

Tight Lines,

4/7/2012

Had a chance to spend a few hours on the L.A. Wall with Frank today. Frank was on call and could only fish till the phone went off. It did go off and we had to head back in, but before that I had him hooked up to a very nice Calico Bass! Always good to get this guy on the water.

Tight Lines,

3/18/2012

Fished the beach today with fellow guide Jeff Priest. This guy has a great beach sense and really know how to read the water. We worked El Porto – Manhattan Beach with our girl friends and had a ball!  Leopard Sharks were the goal and they did not disappoint us.  If anyone is interested in a guided trip on the beach, I highly recommend Jeff – 310-489-6131.

Tight Lines,

3/10/2012

After a great day on the beach, I decided that I needed to check out some of the local spots in Santa Monica Bay. I thought I would return the favor of the beach info by asking Jon to fish with me in the AM, he was up for it. Our plan was to just hit a few spots in the early AM.

As we launched the boat I saw that the water had dropped by over 4 degrees since the week before, seems like the storm that blew through mid week really did a number on the bay. When ever you get a quick temperature drop fish get lock jaw and the bite really slows. It takes several days for them to readjust and get back on the bite.

So the bites was slow, but had amazing water, lots of bait and all the signs that when the water starts to warm we are going to have some great fishing. The bay is ready, just need a good stretch of warm days and good warm current.

Tight Lines,

3/9/2012

Got a call from one of my clients who had a great day on the beach. Seems like the Leopard Sharks were in tight and very thick in the water on one of the local beaches. These are amazing fly rod fish! So the plan was to hit it on high tide the next AM

Got to the beach just before high tide and rigged up. We walked down to the beach and it was not long till we started to see them cruising the shallows . Wonderfully exciting, some were pushing 5 to 6 feet in length. It was at that time that I knew I had made a mistake by bringing my 7wt beach rod. Clearly should have gone with a 8wt at least.

As we started our casting it seemed like they really keyed in on the red and white clouser for me. I had a total of 4 fish on for the day with the shortest time of 20 minutes and the longest of 40 minutes only to have them come undone! Very tough to land on 12 lb leader with and 7wt rod. Jon, did manage to get a very nice one to the beach for a quick photo. Just amazing animals. During the fight for Jon’s fish he really put his new Winston to the test, not sure if I would have put that much pressure on the rod, but he pulled it off. Great job!

Tight Lines,

2/26/2012

Was asked to meet the clients over at Catalina today. It was Frank’s birthday weekend and he was spending a few days with his gal. Picked up half scoop of bait and made the run in the gray light. Flat seas made for a fast run getting to Avalon Pier by 6:30 to find them on the dock ready to go. The plan was to chase the Bonito on the front side of the island.

So we ran up the front side to a little spot that has always been good to us and Frank scores a nice Bonito on his first “cast”, actually he was getting ready to roll cast and the Bonito just had to have his fly! It was game on after that. Both Pat and Frank had a field day with almost 20 Bonito and over 50 fish overall! I was pretty tire working the center of the boat with these two putting on a clinic.

So much fun and so many laughs. Yes, we even had a few double hook ups. While most of the Bonito were in the 3 pound range, it should be noted that Pat was fishing a 6wt and Frank had a 7wt. Light rods equal amazing fishing on these size Bonito.  At days end I dropped them back off that the Avalon Pier so they could continue with their weekend and headed home. The channel was like a lake! Running almost 35 MPH all the way in. Great way to end the day.

Tight Lines,

2/25/2012

Fished the LA Harbor area with couple of great guys on Saturday. These two gentleman have been fishing together for many, many years and were so much fun to have on the boat. I tell you it was amazing listen to the great stories.

We headed out to the “Wall” and had a steady pick on the Calico Bass even though the water was a crisp 59 degrees. Lots of bait in the water and the dolphin were chasing it all right next to us. They came within 20 feet of the boat! Seems like they were doing a better job fishing than we were!

Wind started to come up in late morning so we ducked behind the Oil Islands and continued to have a nice steady pick at the Bass.  So after being blown around for a while we called it a day and headed in. Excellent day on the water.

tight lines,

2/4/2012

Had Frank and Jon back on board and Catalina Island was our choice for the day. Had a little bit of a bump going over, but what a great sunrise on the water. It is just awesome to see this as we head across the channel.

Water had cooled off a bit at the Island only being 58.8 when we arrived. It did shut the bite down a little. We did manage to get a couple of Bonito to grab our flies! These guys are just amazing on the fly rods. We were fishing the 6wt and 7wt rods today and had a blast! Catching Bonito in February at the Island in t-shirt weather, now that is very cool.

Plenty of Mackerel around to keep the rods bent. Not wide open due to change in water temp, but I am sure that if we keep the warming trend the Island will be red hot very soon!

There is so much bait over there, you could see bait dimpling the water everywhere. We even had porpoise pushing and chasing bait right inshore all day as well. Good to get back over to the Island and great to have Jon and Frank back out – too much fun.

Tight Lines,

1/27/2012

Jon and I tried to make it out despite the weather forecast of strong winds. The plan was to hide behind the Wall and some of the Oil Islands. Well we hit the water by 6:00 AM only to find that the wind was already up. In a normal windy day we usually have two to three hours of lite winds in the early morning, well not the case today.

No wanting to call it too early we headed for the Wall. That too was not going to work well for us fly guys! Next it was off to the Oil Islands. Found some relief, but no bites on the fly. We covered as much water as we could hiding in and out of the wind. All in all a “blue bird” day, but strong steady winds. We even had a few white caps in the harbor!

Well we did end up with one “grab”. A very very slow one at that… LOL. My story is that he reached for the fly with one arm and held on to the rocks with the others! I did manage to get him out of heavy cover…….. Too much fun and lots of laughs. Next time we’ll get them.

Tight Lines,

1/8/2012

Got a call from John D needing to get his “saltwater fix” to start off the New Year right. Made the call to fish LA Harbor based on the fact that Santa Ana winds were going to blow that day and we need to find places to fish out of the wind. The night before was calling for small craft warning on the outside, so making the inside our choice was the right call.

Hit the Wall in the early gray light and found that the wind was coming right up the face. Normally Santa Ana winds blow across the wall and we can hide behind it and fish all day. Well we did manager to pick up a few here and there. Most of the day we found ourselves trying to find a place out of the wind – it changed direction all day! I have not seen that in a long while! Hit all the regular spots for only a hand full, but had lots of laughs with John. Great guy to be on the water with.

Tight Lines,

12/10/2011

New client decided to come out before the holidays with his son and get into some of the local saltwater action. We hit Santa Monica Bay for some of the hots spots searching for Calico Bass. Dad was fishing the fly gear and son was hitting the spinning rod and plastics – not sure what the case was, but there was a serious competition going on, these two were giving it to each other seeing who was going to get the biggest! Lots of laughs.  Well, this day the son was the winner with a very nice Calico out of the rock pile. Tons of fun and laughs with these two on the boat.

Tight Lines,

11/7/2011 – 11/12/2011

Had the chance to spend another week in the wonderful California Delta, for those who have not tried this spot it really is an amazing place. The fishing was tough this year and we had to move around quite a bit. No huge fish, but a great week to get out of LA and see some new water.

Tight lines

11/5/2011

John came out to fish with me from back East. He was visiting his daughter out here and talked her into an early AM session.  We head out the LA Harbor to fish the “Wall” and “Oil Islands“. Turned out to be a very fun day with John getting the Saltwater Bass Slam, the hard way…. Calico Bass, Sand Bass and a White Seabass! We were blessed with great weather and had big fun.

Tight lines,

10/24/2011

Vic and Ed joined me today leaving out of Marina Del Rey. Vic had fished with me before and was bring Ed to see the Southern Ca.  Saltwater.

We started out at some of  the regular spots and found dirty water with some “red tide“. Red Tide is due to an algae bloom and depletes the oxygen out of the water so fishing slows down as fish either leave the area or sit on the bottom.  So we needed to find cleaner water. With that we ran up and down the bay.  The really good news was it was as flat a day as I’ve seen in a long time. Running the boat wide open.

We caught fish in a few places with both guys starting out with spinning rods and plastics. As we started to make our way back from Palos Verdes, we stopped at Redondo Breakwater and found some small Bonito. We broke out the fly rods and both guys got a few grabs and saw the rods get bent. So it turn out to be a good spot to work on the casting while getting in on some action.  I have even made a couple of cast going two for two, one Bonito and one Calico Bass. Too much fun. Great guys to have on the boat.

Tight lines,

10/15/2011

One of  my clients wanted to take his son out for a short day on the water. Jon and I have fished several times together (great angler) and I thought it was a excellent idea. His only concern was Charlie had felt ill the last time on a boat. I needed to make sure that I kept an eye on our new fisherman to make sure he was in great shape.

I had no worries, small swells – very flat ocean and Charlie could have cared less, he was there to fish! We fished the spinning rods with little squid and some plastics along the inside of Marina Del Rey wall. Charlie was doing his own casting and and really working things well. Charlie said he wanted to catch a sting ray, well his dad did in fact did catch a Thornback ray! We got a couple of fish and slowly made our way outside. Charlie was in great shape so Jon asked if we wanted to make a run to some rocks we know of.  We asked Charlie if he wanted to go fast in the boat and he was all for it!

Got to the rocks and started fishing, next thing we know Charlie is bent hard on his rod and fish is taking line, although Charlie did a great job, the fish did get in the rocks and we ended up loosing it. Charlie said his arms hurt after that one! A wonderful day on the water sharing our love of fishing with Charlie was amazing.  Worked the area for a few more fish before heading in.

As we headed into harbor we had to stop at one last spot. Jon capped that one off by taking a very nice barracuda! Great times for father and son.

Tight Lines,

10/14/2011

Several weeks ago I met one of Long Beach Police Department’s officers who operate the Patrol Boat in LA Harbor. Come to find out he is a avid fly tyer! This guys can really tie up some great looking flies, top quality. The odd part is he did not fly fish! Well that had to change fast!

We met in Marina Del Rey to do a day of casting and a little fishing. The goal was to introduce him to the salt and fish his own flies. He picked up the casting part and soon was getting some bumps on his flies. He did manage to close the deal a few times and put some to hand. It was great to see him catch fish on flies he tied. This put everything into perspective for him. We now have a new fan of the salt and the fly as well as one hell of a fly tyer!

Great day on the water witha new friend.

Tight Lines,

10/8/2011

Final Stop on the SWBA tournament series today. All I can say is tough fishing. Storm just went through two days ago and we were going to try and make something happen, but it never did. We made a 20 mile run from Newport Beach to Long Beach Wall for only a handful of small fish. The good news it that is was a blue bird sky day and warm! The catching was slow, but the fishing part was awsome.

Tight Lines,

9/17/2011

This weekend was a early fall run with my friend Rob. We made an early morning run to Catalina Island. Slight bump on the water was not bad, but the wind was coming out of the south. I was concerned that it would be blowing up the face of the front side of the Island. That was in fact the case, not an ideal wind for us.

Made our first stop at Long Point, had a couple of grabs, but nothing worthwriting home about. The current was ripping aroundthe corner heading west bound. Really tough drift to get the flies down to the right depth.

We than ran down the front heading East were we would hook up with John Loo who was working on a project and needed some photographs. After helping John get some shots we were back at getting a steady pick, but on the smaller Calico Bass and a few Mackerel thrown in. Rob did manage to get on very nice bonito while we were on that spot.

The rest of the day was working down the island all the way to Church Rock. We never really found the fish, but had lots of laughs, nice weather (except for the wind). The run back was wide open throttle till just about 4 miles out than the usual bumps from traffic came in. Over all great day on the water witha good friend.

Tight Lines,

9/3/2011

It had been a short while since we had fished together, but had a chance to fish with my buddy Al “Q” this AM. We were going to hit the LA Break Water Wallearly for some pre dawn and gray light Calico Bass.

The tide was not ideal and had heard that the water temps had dropped. As we launched and got under way, Al looked at the meter and said the water was 58.5 degrees! I had to do a double take as this was a big drop. Yes, he was correct, it was COLD. We did not know what to expect since this normally shuts down the bite for a while.

Well, this did not stop “Q” from putting on a clinic! This guys was sticking fish like it was going out of style! He started with a “black fly” in the dark than switched over to one of his “Thin Lizzys“, both were on fire! I was keeping the boat on track and managing a few, missed a couple of big ones, but totally enjoying the show that “Q” was putting on.

We had a visit from some of Long Beach Police Department’s finest, Officer Bo and his partner came by to see how the bite was going. Bo is an avid fisherman and is just getting into flyfishing. Very cool to have these guys around keeping an eye on the port.

We end the morning as we had planned by 9:30 with Al getting over 25 fish! Master fly tyer, author, graphic artist and one hell of an angler! Great to get back out witha close friend, have some laughs, watch the sun come up with amazing clouds and all the while catching fish….. does not get better than that.

Tight Lines,

8/20-21/2011

I had the pleasure of fishing with Ken Hanley, Author, Educator, Guest Speaker and Fly Fishing Celebrity this weekend. Ken is working on a new video project and was kind enough to ask me to be involved in this segment. I have known Ken for over 15 years and was even in one of his earlier books, so to get a chance to spend a couple of days on the water with him was very cool.

Our goal was to work hard structure – Walls, Boiler Rocks, etc for Calico Bass. We had a series of images that Ken wanted to capture and set out to get the shots. Lots of fun showing Ken some of our local hot spots and how we do it in Southern Cal. The Calico Bass were very cooperative and had some great action. Even had an insane bite in the dark with Pelicans diving, Dolphin pushing bait against the wall, pure mayhem.

I think we got the images needed and now just have to wait and let Ken do his magic. I am sure he will do an announcement on his site http://www.pacificextremes.com/

8/14/2011

Ran over to Catalina Island with John. Had a great crossing averaging 30 + MPH! Fishing was a little tough as the water turned over a bit since our last visit. It did however warm back up to 68 degrees and should be back on track in no time.

Had a steady pick at the smaller Calico Bass all day. We kept moving around searching for the Bonito, but no luck. John did get to hear his reel scream with a nice chunky Cuda.  That’s what keeps us coming back…..the anticipation of the next one!

Tight Lines,

7/30/2011

Had Frank back out today along with his friend John. We were looking at the island, but with the reports that the wind would be up early we made the call for LA Harbor – The Wall. That was the right call today! We headed out to the second section and began our drift. We had fish on straight away! John is an accomplished flyfisher, but this was his first venture into the salt on a boat. You would have thought he had been doing this for years.

Frank was great to give John the front of the boat and he took the stern. I am not sure if he did that to help John or the fact he had something up his sleeve. Frank was giving a “clinic” in the rear of the boat as he had hook up after hook up! Great bass fishing on the 6wt and 7wt rods. Great fun and great fights. We had fish on all morning! Both guys did great making the cast, learning the strip and getting the fish out of the rocks. They made my job easy.

So I am explaining to John, that even though we are picking up 1.5 to 2.5 pound fish there are big ones laying right in there also and to be ready. A few minutes later I hear John say he’s hooked up. I look back to see line going out through his fingers! This fish was taking line and heading back home! I used the trolling motor to help keep this fish out of the rocks and John got him to the reel. I have to say, John did and excellent job of fighting this fish. He knew when to put on the pressure and when to back off a little.  The 7wt Sage Xi3was bent hard! I got the net and was ready when the fish came up, as it came into view I knew this was speacial. I netted the fish and brought on board.

We were looking at a great flyrod fish, it was bouncing on the digital scale (movement of the boat) between 5.5 and 6.02 so we’re calling it and easy 5.75pound Calico Bass. No bad for his first day on the boat! John and Frank were all smiles. Great guys, great day on the water and looking to do it again.

Tight Lines,

7/24/2011

Spent a wonderful morning fishing Newport Baywith Hack and Kathy. They had done some river float trips with the fly and now wanted to learn to fish the bay. They were also looking for a few pointer as they were going to the east coast later in the year. Fishing was tough, but had a lot of fun taking them to a new level of casting. I think with a little more practice they will do just fine chasing the east coast stripers. Now we are try yo get them to LA Harbor to fish the Wall to chase some big Calico Bass.

Tight Lines,

7/16/2011

Santa Catalina Island was our destination today. I got some good reports from Capt. Vaughn Podmore that our spots were fishing very good. I had a new comer to the Saltwater Fly game with me today and I needed to put him into some fish. Met Frank at the dock and we left at 5:00 AM, picked up a half scoop of anchovies and off we went. Pretty good crossing with very tiny bump.

Pulled up to Long Point to make a few cast and get Frank ready for the day. Got a mackerel to start the day off, but the tide had not started to move yet. Decided to run to “the” spot.  As we pull up to “the” spot, I see Capt. Vaughn pulling in at the same time. Great to buddy boat as we can really get the fish going strong.

Well the next 5 hours were pretty much non stop action with Calico Bass, Bonito and Baracuda eating the flies like it was going out of style. Capt. Vaughn even got a couple of fire cracker Yellowtail! Frank had a follow on a nice yellowtail, but no take. I think Frank had to go home and take some “advil” for those sore arms! Way too many fish to count. Great day on the water with a super client.

Tight Lines,

7/10/2011

The Bakersfield Boys were back! Had the pleasure of fishing with Brian and Rocky once again. These guys are fun to have on board and are very good anglers. Decided to try Santa Monica Bay for the hot bass bite. Although the bump was a little more than we wanted, it still turn out to be a great day on the water. We headed for one of my spots and Rocky breaks the ice with a first fish on the first cast! From then on we had a steady pick most of the day. Than a boat load of divers show up and decide they want to swim in our spot? WTF?

We move on to another spot that had been real good the week before and it turn out to be a good call. As we arrived at the spot we saw another boat, turned out be another guide & friend, Jeff Priest. Now Jeff is a very good angler and he was putting on a show for us! We got right into the action. Lots of fun. One of the highlights of the day was watching Jeff on his small boat get a major hook upandbe towed around. Turned out to be a 70 + pound Bat Ray, he is now known as the BATMAN.

Tight Lines.

7/9/2011

I did a show at Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing store on “Inshore Tactics and Techniques” today. Tied some flies and spoke to some great guys on to getting set up and how to approach our waters. Good turn out and I think everyone walked away with some information that will help them on the water.

7/4/2011

Got the report that the Calico Bass were on the chew in Santa Monica Bay. Had a chance to hook up with another boat and tag teamed the area that we knew was holding fish.  Arrived on the spot,  made a few cast and were in to the fish. Both boats has multiple double hook ups and at times three or four going at once! Just outstanding.

We all had commitments later that day so this was an early morning session and we were not disappointed. Short run in the boat, great fishing and amazing sunrise. What a way to start off the 4th of July, with early morning fireworks on the water!

Tight Lines,

7/2/2011

Had a chance to take out a guy “new” to the saltwater fly game. Launched out of Cabrillo with heavy fog. Use the mapping on the GPS to get us out the harbor and on to the “Wall”. It did not take long till we got big John his first Calico Bass on the fly! We worked the wall for a while and had a nice pick on the Calico Bass and Sand Bass.

The fog was lifting so we decided to head out to get in some of the Barracuda fishing that has been happening. We arrived at Horseshoe  Kelpto find the fleet of party boats and a host of private boats as well. All seem to be getting in on the “Cuda” bite. We made a few drifts and had solid hook ups! Blue and White Clouser tied on jig hooks did the trick.

I think we have another convert!

Tight Lines,

7/1/2011

Made the early morning run to Catalina Island after hearing good reports on Bonito on the front side of the island. Easy crossing with very little bump.

Started off the morning with a lot of breezers coming through with a few hook ups. Still not the volume of fish that we had same time last year, but it looks to be building. Worked the section from Frog rock down to the east end with a steady pick.  This place is just ready to go off!!

Tight Lines,

6/18/2011

Well back to the guiding and getting clients on fish! Had Milford and his grandson Mack on board today. What a good couple of guys. Had Mack casting early in the AM on the fly than moved him over to the light spinning tackle a little later. Meanwhile Milford was throwing the fly with great success. We had a nice pick on Calico Bass on the LA Harbor Wall both inside and out.

Seems like Mack was a little competitive with his grand dad and the shots were flying back and forth, who’s was bigger, who caught the most, etc. Too much fun. So Mack goes to make a cast, it goes almost no where, we all start to laugh, than the rod goes bent! After a nice struggle Mack lands a 3 pound plus Calico Bass!!! So remember casting does not catch fish, fishing catches fish. So we end a great day on the water by chasing a few Barracuda outside ending with two and missing a few more.  Excellent day with two super fisherman.

Tight Lines,

6/17/2011

Participated in the SWBA’s – Olive Crest “Hook Them for the Future” charity event in Newport Harbor. This event was a pro am tournament were we paired folks with various Captains for a day of fishing!  Something different that the normal “golf tournament” . We had 21 teams on the water and everyone had a wonderful time. Many of these folks had little to no fishing experience prior to this event. The event raise of $67,000 for the day and was a huge success. Very impressive all the way around. Just a note, the fishing was excellent with lots of big Sand Bass and Calico Bass willing to bite! Newport Harbor and the OC / LA coastline are all full of eager fish. We also had several White Seabass brought in (not part of the event) that went 30 to 50 pounds! There is a good chance at WSB this year on the fly!  So now is the time to get out there!

6/11/2011

Saltwater Bass Anglers event today in Newport Harbor. 65 teams of the best saltwater bass anglers on the coast. Since my fishing partner was in Florida fishing this was a solo day. Started off the morning working the docks in the back bay with over cast skies and calm winds. Had a steady pick on the Spotted Bay Bass, but nothing big. Moved out toward the PCH bridge and found more fish willing to take the fly.  Ended the day working the boats and edges of the eel grass in front of the Coast Guard station for a few more. Nothing epic in fish size but a lot of fun. I learn a lot from these guys! Always willing to share the information. You can take their tactics and color choices and adapt that to the flies and how we fish.

Tight Lines,

6/4/2011

Pre fished Newport Harbor today for the up coming SWBA Spotted Bay Bass tournament. Had lots of takes in and around the docks. Nice grade of fish in the eel grass in front of the Coast Guard Station. Going to be a fun event. This is a great area for folks throwing the fly! No swell, great views and fun fishing.

Tight Lines,

5/7/2011

While fishing the beach the other day I met a father and son that happened to be fly fisherman. Well got a call from them a few days later asking if I had the next day open, which I did and the plans were made. Santa Monica Bay was going to be our target. Our goal was to get some grabs and show this team what we have to offer in our local waters.

Started off the morning with some nice Calico Bass eating the olive and white clousers. They had the bass on the chew! Not sure how many fish we had but it was way into the double digits. Added a couple of Rockfish also in shallow!

I had seen in the previous days fish report that a few Barracuda had been caught on the sport boats. I told the team that we should go outside and hunt some down. They agreed and off we went. Found the “fleet” in about 130 feet of water and they had the surface irons flying! We got a few  “cuda”  to grab the flies and make our reels scream. Great fight with these guys!  Oh yes, I had Stephan (father) on the 6wt CPX and Spencer (son) on the 8wt Xi3! Gotta love the light rods!

Great day with some new friends on the water and hope to have them back out again!

Tight Lines,

5/1/2011

Had a session on the beach here in the South Bay this morning. Found lots of hungry mouths to feed! The surf has really come alive with all the regulars, perch, halibut, croaker and some leopard sharks….. a few corbina also. Now is the time to get on the beach ad have some fun!

4/16/2011

Pre fished Dana Point today.  Had a mixed swell and peaks running only about 6 to 8 seconds apart. This made for some tough fishing on the boiler rocks. We always think safety first and getting in tight with a bumpy swell can be dangerous. We did the best we could given the area and swell.

Although we did not knock a home run on the fish, we did manage to put a few in the boat and better yet, focused on learning some more details on this water. Lots of structure, kelp andboilers. We will be back on a smaller swell as this area has a ton of potential.

4/10/2011

LA Harbor was our target today and we called in right! Little bumpy outside so we decided not to try for Catalina Island and take the pounding. We started our drift along the outside of the “Wall” (LA Harbor Break Water) after a long 5 minute run. Gotta like those short runs to the fish.

Second cast on the first section and we were tight into the Calico Bass! We kept the pace up all along the wall. It was on FIRE all day! We landed over 40 fish to almost 4 pounds, all solid fish on the 7wtand 8wtrods. My cleint was laughing all day! Spring is here and the fish are waiting for us. Time to get that trip booked!

4/2/2011

My partner and I fished the Saltwater Bass Anglers Tournament in Marina Del Rey today. Over 70 boats of the best saltwater bass fisherman Southern Califonia.

We fished one of our “spot” with 13 of our “closest friends”. Wow, 13 boats all in our house, now that is tough. We scratched out a limit and began to cull to add to our bag weight. All in all a good day on the water. We came in Second Place in the Fly division, just missing the first place mark by 2 ounces!

3/27/2011

Hit Santa Monica Bay for a little pre fishing for the SWBA tournament. Water was still a little cold, but had started to clean up nicely! Quite a few other boats on the bay checking out the spots for the Calico Bass & Sand Bass. We had some real nice tugs on the flies and a great day. Yes, we did get a little rain and it was wet, but all good. The bay is going to break wide open with the warming weather patterns. Time to get out there so book your trip.

3/24/2011

What is up with the storms???? There are plenty of fishing opportunities, just need a little break in the weather!  Got a small break on Tuesday and spent a few hours in MDR Harbor in the float tube. Nice little pick at the Yellowfin Croakers– all eating the fly on the slow strip. Lots of fun and great to be on the water. Trips this weekend coming up, so I will give reports after those.

Tight lines

2/27/2011

Long time clients wanted to go out just after the storm, so out we went to L.A. Harbor. Although the wind looked like it was going to be a rough day, it in fact was a gorgeous day! Sun shining, good tide swing and lots of fish! The Calico Bass were on the chew. Our first stop was to two and a half hours. Never left the wall all morning. Adam was going to throw the plastics and Leo was on the fly.

Overall a 30 plus fish day! Mostly in the two to three pound size, but on a 7 wt, that’s big fun! We lost several big fish, but that happens when you fish light tippets.  All in all a terrific day on the water with two great guys, tons of laughs and some great pulls.

Tight Lines,

1/30/2011

Santa Monica Bay is starting to heat up. The Sand Bass are on the chew and the water is cleaning up. Not wide open yet, but given some of the warmer weather we should start to see the Calico Bass come alive.  We had  a fair size swell today that kept us off some of our “hot” spots, but still a great day on the water!

1/15/2011

Well gang, it was off to San Diego Bay with the Fli Flicker crew on their annual gathering. Some were in Kayaks, some were in float tubes and a hand full of us were doing the boat thing.

Started the morning off on a high tide so we headed to the back end and started to get into the spotted bay bass. Had a pretty good little pick the the spotties. Moved over to the Coronado Cays for another round of hook ups.

Overall a very fun sday with a great group of guys! Great BBQ afterwards as well.

Tight lines

12/14/2011

We had a chance to get over to Catalina Island before the storm. Overcast cold day, but beautiful water. Bald Eagle flying overhead (yes, there are Eagles on Catalina) Tons of bait, dolphin everywhere tearing it up!

Fishing was very slow, maybe due to the amount of bait and no current, maybe due to the slight drop in water temperature. A few days earlier one of the party boats had 60 plus Bonito to 7 pounds! They are still there, just a matter of finding the window. We are booking weekend trips as weather permits, so lets after them!

Tight Lines,

11/27/2010

It has been a while since I was on the local waters. Too much other work and than a week on the California Delta (Bethal Island). Check out the photo gallery for some Stripe Bass shots.

Al and I decided to check out some local spots in the Santa Monica Bay, although the water was a bit cold – 56.5 degrees! None the less, we hit our first stop and had a few nice ones. Al quickly put a 3 plus Calico on the boat that ate this amazing black fly he created.  We also grab a few of these rock fish on the fly as well.  A slow pick for a couple of hours before we headed in. Great day, crisp, cold, but still caught a few.

Tight Lines

10/17/2010

Been off the water for a few weeks, my other job has been too crazy to book guide trips! Even though we had some overcast and a little drizzle, the ocean was flat calm! Made the run to Catalina Island at over at 30 mph plus and had lines in 45 minutes after we left the dock.

Al “Q” was the first to strike, getting a very nice Bonito. After that fishing was quiet. Ran aroundthe island picking up a few here and a few there, but never really on fire. I will note that this day we did not stop for anchoives for chum bait andthat was our error. With the anchoives you can always get the bite going. I did manage to get a White Seabass, just not a very big one! Oh well, that’s fishing.

Fast run home with just a little bump at the 5 mile out range (40  minutes to cross the channel!)

Tight Lines,

9/26/2010

With the warm weather for last couple of day I fished the Santa Monica Bay this morning looking for some increased water temperature. The water was back up to 65 degrees and I hope for the best. We did have the bright moon overnight (almost full) which can put the bite off a little.  Found lots of willing takers, but all on the 1.5 to 2 pound range. Farmed a good one, but oh well, that’s fishing. Still lots of fun on the 7wt rod!!

Tight Lines

9/11/2010

The team from Bakersfield (Rocky and Brian aka… Bako Boyz) came back down to get another day on the water. Catalina Island was our choice to get in on some of the late summer Bonito action. Smooth crossing in the dark had us at the island at sun up. Ran down to the East End where we had good luck the week before and it was the right call. Started off with a few dink Calico Bass that got right into the Bonito! Both guys were fast into them. Reels screaming, clients screaming, it’s all good! Even had a few doubles going on! We lost a couple of real big fish, never even got to see them, but the runs were amazing.

We made a run to Church Rock, but no love there, so back to one more spot for more Bonito and little lunch. Ran into a couple of other boats doing the “fly” thing one being Dave V. who was fishing the quarry area. Chatted for a few moments than off we went.

Wind started to come up and so we made the call to get back across and had a little bump, but missed the nasty stuff. Great day on the water! On another note, Brian had won the Abel “One Surf Fly” reel a few months back, so he got a chance to fish it and it worked flawlessly

Tight lines,

9/4/2010

Another round at Catalina Island today. Client’s choice, he said the Island and I said lets go! Made the run over in small bumpy water, but found smooth water on the East end of the island. Fished Church Rock for a few nice Calicos and a big line ripper that broke off, not sure what that was and can only guess.

Solid bite all day long with Bonito pushing 6 pounds. Great fun on an 8wt! The 3 B’s – Baracuda, Calicos Bass and Bonitomade for an excellent day at the island.

Coming home was a different story…… very, very bumpy as the wind came up and the chop was tough. First time getting soaked on my boat in a long time, but I guess you have to pay for the fun.

Tight Lines

8/15/20120

Catalina Report….. Bonito in the 4 to 6pound range are wide open in the areas near the quarry and the heliport! Had my regular clientLeo Marmol onboard and his 8wt Sage Xi3 had a bend in it all day! The fish seem to be favoring the Minty Mack clouser along with the gray over white clouser. With the fish there all growing and getting bigger we are looking at a excellent fall fishing season. Get those trips line up, I am sure you will be looking at  screaming reels.

Tight lines,

8/11/2010

The bay (Santa Monica) was so good from our last trip I had the pleasure of a new client who wanted to throw the plastics. We headed out to some of our favorite places out of Marina Del Rey and had nothing short of a amazing day. Calico Bass  ranging from 2 to 4.5 pounds! There were several 3 and 4’s in a row! We were using MC Swim baits in light green. My client had a great time.

8/4/2010

Santa Monica Bayhas been setting up for a really big bite! Water is cleaned up, lots of reports coming in on White Seabass. We had a few hours on a half day charter to do some searching and although no WSB’s we did have a great day of Calico Bass! We even had a strange catch (or snag if I have to be totally honest……)

7/24/2010

Mike and Al spent the morning with me on the water, hit a few of the local spots. The water had dropped a few degrees so fishing was a little tough, but we managed to get a few. Always a good time with these guys on the boat.

7/23/2010

Ron and Mike had won one of trips raffled with the local club. We decide to hit Santa Monica Bay and see who was home. Good day on the water, got to share some techniques and stories and grab a few fish as well.

7/11/2010

The NO FLY zone…. Fished with couple of guys to do the plastics and get away from the flies, not that I need that, I still prefer the flies! Just needed to get a little more practice from someone who really knows the plastics game. Lots of fun, lots of laughs and even some great fish.

7/10/2010

Took a a great couple out to get a little saltwater experience. Spent the morning working on the casting since throwing a shooting head is different than a floating line. Even got to pull on one.

7/6/2010

A “change of pace”, float tubing the Alamitos Bay (Long Beach). Hit the water this morning to fish some of the inner waters in the Long Beacharea. Glass like conditions withlight winds made for a great morning of kicking around.

Found the Sand Bass very willing to slam the fly today. Fished the boat docks for a fun filled morning. Lots and Lots of scrappy Sand Bass that made the Sage Xi3 – 7wt bend big time. Nothing huge, but tons of fun. Very relaxing on the water floating.

Tight lines,

7/5/2010

Had the pleasure of taking out Jim Soloman to fish the LA Harbor area. The tides were not ideal and water was pretty high with a strong 4 to 5 foot swell. The swell was spaced far enough apart that fishing the Wall was not a problem.

We found a steady pick at the Calico Bass all morning long. What was very cool was seeing the spawning colors on the faces of the bass. Beautiful orange all around the mouth almost like make up.

6/26/2010

We went searching for the Barracuda off of Long Beach in an area known as Horseshoe Kelp.  The tide was uphill till about 11:00  AM so we hit the water by 5:30 AM and made a quick stop on the LA Break Water for a few grabs by the Calico Bass  then out we went.

We found the conditions to be the lumpy bumpy with a cross swell and little wind chop thrown in.  After some searching we got into them, not wide open, but a steady bite. Great to get the strong pulls and hard hits.

I heard that the bite was much better on the afternoon tide with many fly guys scoring on the cuda. There was also a ton of very, very large mackerel thrown in as well.

Tight Lines,

6/19/2010

Made the plan to run up to the northern end of Santa Monica Bay today and had a pretty lumpy ride all the way up. The plan was to go after the White Seabass that have been swimming around that area. When we arrived to some lumpy bumpy conditions we found 6 other boats on scene and a few kayaks.

Current going one way and swell going the opposite made for a tough drift. We worked it for a while getting a few misses and few Calico’s to the boat.  Good news (if there was any) was nobody else was catching either. Finally decides to move back down toward home and look at other spots.

Overall a slow day, good color water, good temps and just a little windy.  The bay is looking great with lots of bait and real clean water.

Tight Lines,

6/7/2010

Grab my partner in crime, Mr. Al “Q”, for a quick session at the “office” before he had to go to work. Launched out of MDR with heavy cloud cover and made a quick run to the “spot” only to find another boat “anchored” at the start of the drift!

This is the first boat andfirst time we had ever seen anyone on the spot!  There was room at the start of the  boiler rocks for us to slide in without crowding them, so we make the move. As we set up the boat position, both Al and I make the casts. The results were a double hook up on the first cast of the morning! Two quality Calicos to start the day off right.

The other guys in the boat just watched and very soon pulled the anchor and left after getting no bites.  The flies beat out bait again……. Good new is the the water is starting to really clean up  and get warm,  the bite should be on fire soon.

Tight Lines,

6/6/2010

Had the pleasure of fishing the “Bakersfield Boys” – Rocky and Brian, over at Catalina today. What a fun couple of guys, lots of laughs and even some fish too! Started the day early with a run across the channel, we were at the island with lines in the water by 6:15 AM!  The wind was coming up the face of the island and I thought we might have a tough time, but it soon laid down. Turned into a great weather day.

Both guys had not fished Catalinabefore so this was a real treat for them. Beautiful water, great scenery and about 50 plus, Toad Mackerel (pushing 3 pounds!), Calico Bass, Bonito  and even nailed a “Firecracker” Yellowtail!  Smiles all way round at the end of the day and couple of new friends that I am sure to fish with again.

Tight Lines,

5/30/2010

Long Beach area was our shot today and it did not disappoint us. Launched out of Davey’s on 2nd street and hit the south end of the “WALL”. Started off with Calico’s on the first and third cast! Nothing epic in size, but great fishing on the 7 & 8 wt rods.

One exception was my client on the bow of the boat almost lost his rod after being hit hard fishing the olive over white clouser. He was working the wall and turned to ask a question during his retrieve only to get grabbed hard bending his rod to the butt section! The fish took him in deep to the rocks and the rest they say is history. If you let the big ones get their heads down and back into the rocks, it is very hard to get them out. What a rush, now that was a “oh shit” fish.

Next was the Barracuda on the outside of the “WALL”, not the 7 to 10 pounders that were in the area earlier in the week, but  2 to 4 pounders. We found (as usual) that they loved the blue and white clousers. If you missed the strike on one, another would come up and hit it! We just watched the birds and ran up and stared to cast, next thing you know you were on.

Another quality day on the water in the sunshine, Tight Lines.

5/16/2010

I was sure that Santa Monica Bay had cleaned up by now, but not quite so. There was still some off colored water, but the “bite” was starting to come back and the water temperature was back to the low 60’s.

I had a young man on board that we wanted to introduce to the Calico’s that make SM Bay home and that we did. Seeing this guy’s face light up time and time again as the bass just slammed his sculpin was great.  It was a learning curve for him to change up his strip to something that looked appetizing to the “Checker Boards“. After a few word of encouragement and a little direction on timing, he was fast into bass  all morning long and had a great day.  He was amazed how hard these fish take the fly. I think we have another saltwater convert.

Tight Lines

5/7/2010

With all the off colored water around, I decided to check a little further north in the Santa Monica Bay. It was the right call. All the usual spots still had not cleaned up yet.

Topanga Reef was the spot and it was the right one! 20plus fish for four hours! Nothing huge, but fun fishing the 8 and 9 wts. Clean water, fishing the kelp lanes, gave you some serious strikes, the Calicos would come out and ambush the fly hard! Flies for the day, the “Minty Mac” clouser in 1/0 and the “Tan Sculpin” in 1/0. Both flies were equal in how they worked.

5/6/2010

“L A Harbor” was the spot for the day. With over ten miles of rock wall, oil islands, pilings, piers and other assorted structure, this place can be golden. Unfortunately we are still suffering from some dirty green water and red tide. So we made the best of it, hitting a couple of the good spots and had a nice little pick. Smaller calico bass, barracuda and sand bass were the call for the day.

5/5/2010

Fished the beach (El Porto – Manhattan Beach) this morning only to find the water off color and dirty. Very slow fishing with only a couple of small perch caught. The beach has some great structure  and with a little clean up I am sure thing will heat up fast. Great troughs and bowls in the sand will make for some good fishing.

5/1/2010

Well folks, just got back from the “One Surf Fly – www.onesurffly.com” up in Carpinteria and what a great time! My hats off to Al “Q”, Shane Chung, Gary Bulla and the team for an outstanding event. Raised $1600 toward the Matilija Dam removal project on the Ventura River.

Over 50 flyfishers converged on the beach in the morning for a two hour fun filled event. Prizes went for first, biggest and most fish caught. Ton’s of raffle items that included rods, reels, flies, etc.  Many more items than at other events and this was FREE to enter!

Windwasupon Friday when we arrived, tough fishing in the Santa Barbara Harbor that day. The wind laid down over night for a nice Saturday morning on the beach. Water was a little off color, but very fishable. Lot’s of surf perch andleopard sharks around. I am sure with a few calm days this area will be red hot in the surf.

When up there please stop by the “Artful Angler” shop and say hello to Eric.

Tight Lines,

4/26/2010

The plan was to check out some of the spot in Santa Monica Bay that have been holding some good Calico Bass fishing.  Launched out of Marina Del Rey and headed north. Ran into some colder water, 63.0 degrees at the harbor mouth and 58.8 near the Getty Center rocks. This is a big deal since it was a fairly fast drop in temperature over the last several days. When the temperature drops quickly the fish can get lock jaw and the bite can be very tough.

We slowed down the strips and let the lines sink with a 15 to 20 count (25 to 30 ft of water). Short, slow strips were the only way to get a strike. Overall the north end was quiet.

Ran back to the MDR breakwater to finish the short day andfound a nice bite on the south end of the wall. Again, short slow strips were the call. Used olive/yellow over white clousers and dark sculpins to get 20 plus Calico’s all in the 1 to 3 pound range.  Not a bad day all in all. On the water tomorrow again and will run south to check that area out.

Tight Lines…

4/18/2010

Fished Catalina Island today with my good friend Rob Baldwin. Easy crossing with a little ripple out of LA Harbor in the early AM, but otherwise smooth.  Just a few miles out we had a large Minke whale cruising just off to the side of us, what an amazing animal. Fun to watch it come up and spray in the early light. We got to the island just on the tide change. Little slow starting out, but had a few Calico’s and one very big Mackerel (toad) to the boat.

Moved to an area that had some very fishy water (milky).  With several other boats fishing the same area, we knew they were looking for white seabass. We set up a drift through the area when I got a very big hit on a “Minty Mack” clouser. It was not doing the run of a seabassjustalotof head shaking, turned out to be a 10 pound halibut. Not what we were looking for, but fun all the same.

We added a few more smaller Calico’s at which time the windcameupblowing right down the face of the island. When the windruns down the face of the islandthereare few places to hide for the fly fisherman. With the windbuildingwedecidedto make it back across the channel. I think the island is ready to explode with great fishing and there are a few white seabass being caught already. Just a little more calm weather and it should be epic.

Tight lines,

4/10/2010

The waters inshore are still a bit cool and most of the fishing has been off and on.  However we have had some amazing fishing on the structure for really big Calicoand Sand Bass.  These fish are sitting tight to the structure and it is a game of inches in getting the fly in the right spot. We just need a bit of warmer water and to have it clean up a bit from all the big swells and it will be on fire.

Catalina Island is starting to come on line with good fishing for Bonitoin the 2 to 4 pound range. The fish are spread out all along the front side. It is a matter of finding the schools andgettingthem working witha little chum, than hang on! Very fun on the 7wt and8wt rods. Calico Bass at the island are tight to the structure and are eating the fly very well. We just need a little warmer water there and it will be wide open! White Seabass are being caught by the bait guys, but still not wide open yet.

The bays are in getting better and cleaning up after the run off. LA Harbor has shown good Spotted Bay Bass & Calico Bass bite and a few Halibut for guys on the fly.

The local surf in and around LA has been once again, on and off. The bigger swells have really stirred things up and fishing has been tough. There have been a few breaks between swells and the fish come on the bite. Just watch  when the swells calm down  a bit and we should have a fun spring bite.