Don't Leave Home Without It!
by President Sam Bishop
There's a wonderful article in this month's issue of California Fly Fisher magazine featuring Mark Won, a fellow we often see fly fishing the beaches, wearing a yellow wind breaker. I mention this because of the substantial interest we have in our club (over 40 members are on my special surf fly fish e-mail list). Mark has a great website (www.surf-perch.net) and anyone who even thinks about surf fishing should review it periodically. In the magazine interview with Mark, he tells of his ancestors being some of the first immigrants to Hawaii from China. Mark grew up in Hawaii and developed his love of fishing from his grandfather (who was fishing the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. He thought all the noise was just another exercise, until shrapnel landed nearby.) Mark's comments and insights about the surf, the tides, fishing and the aerobic value of a few hours in the surf are spot-on.
I now am in the habit of taking one of my 7-piece rods whenever I travel, just in case the opportunity arises. In the City of Montreal last month I caught a couple bass in the St. Lawrence River. Last week I was in Carlsbad, CA at a business conference. One morning just after 6 AM, I was on the beach, and landed three surf perch, then off to my 08:30 meeting. I've done the same at the Silver Strand in Coronado. My rods are like the credit card, I "don't leave home without it".
In July, four of us went to the Montana Trout Lodge on the Clark Fork River in Montana. The owner, Ray Byar, donated a stay at the lodge for our last January fund-raiser. After being out-bid by Dave and Kelly Lehrian for the outing, I got some other fellows together and we went up anyway. I can't say the fishing was spectacular, because during our three day visit, a cold front howled through and shut down the bite a couple of days. But my brother-in-law from New Mexico caught this 22-inch Bull Trout. (Yes it is illegal to target and keep them, he let it go.)
See you at the meeting, please bring your name badge!