As we pursue the sport we love, we often place ourselves in hazardous situations. The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen Board supports an informative corner to sharpen our be smart and safe behaviors.
Surf Fishing Safety
By Kent Hull
Surf Fishing Safety
By Kent Hull
I'm sure you already know this stuff (maybe a lot better than me), but hearing it again could remind you to take a little more care.
It's just a gently sloped sandy beach, a progression of waves all about the same size. What's there to worry about? Three main things: getting knocked down, getting carried out in a rip and getting hooked with a tailing loop or hooking someone else with your backcast.
It's the big wave you're not looking at that'll knock you down. Waves aren't all the same size, and every so often, one will be a lot bigger or smaller than all the rest. It's not the seventh that's bigger. If you're watching the waves, it's relatively easy to back up or brace yourself for a big one. If you're knee deep, you can be head deep in the one you weren't watching. If you're unsnarling the inevitable tangles, walk backward up the beach.
Don't turn your back to the waves and spray, or keep your head down and ignore the waves. And if you're relatively inexperienced on the beach, it's easy to get disoriented looking at the moving water right in front of you, especially if the currents are digging your feet deeper in the sand or if you've just stepped into the rare hole. Look where you're fishing, not at your feet.
Rips are where the along-shore currents turn away from the beach. Fish often concentrate just past where the rip crosses the break. If you wade too far out into a rip and lose your footing, you can be carried out by the strong current. So:
Don't wade beyond knee deep (less in heavier surf).
Wear neoprene waders (extra flotation).
Wear a PFD (the inflatable kind don't get in the way).
If you are carried out, your best bet is to swim (to the extent you can in waders) parallel to the beach with the current until it turns back toward the beach.
Most surf flies are heavy, and are a hazard to your ears and the back of your head, your eyes and to other beach patrons who generally oblivious to the hazard area behind you. So:
Wear eye protection (polaroids in good light, clear safety glasses in low light).
Wear a hat, preferably with a brim to protect your ears and the back of your head.
Stay aware of people and pets walking behind you.
I'm sure that fishing the surf from a rocky shoreline can be very productive. I can't offer any advice on how to do it safely, because I don't think it can be done safely. I know I lack the nerve, strength and agility to try.
Finally, it's probably not a good idea to fish the surf by yourself. When fishing in sight of a partner, I've found that it seems easier to keep my attention on the waves, keep from wading out too far, and stay aware of what's behind me and my partner.