New to the site

[martin trj]

Hello fellow fly anglers. I toss flies in SoCal, mostly surf fishing but I gotta confess that lately I've hung the fly rod because I haven't been very successful catching anything and got a bit frustrated. I've only been surf fishing for a year and a half but my main background is fly fishing still warm water.
I heard very good comments about this site so I decided to join.

See you guys around.
Martin

 

[MoscaPescador]

Hi Martin,
Welcome to the site. We have a small California base here. I live in the hills above Sacramento.

I'm not sure if you are close to Van Nuys, but give Ken and the guys at Fishermen's Spot a shout. They are a fun bunch who can get you pointed in the right direction when it comes to surf.

Dennis aka MP

 

[martin trj]

Hello Moscapescador,
Thanks for the info, I live near Van Nuys and I bought my surf setup from Ken (Redington Crosswater 8wt). I've been fishing around Malibu, Santa Monica, Will Rogers and such but haven't caught much on the fly, reading the waves is a whole lot different than still water so It's taking me some time.
Martin

 

[MoscaPescador]

I am not an expert in surf, so I feel your pain. The wave reading is one of the fun games to figure out. Another one is figuring out the tides. The line game is another fun one. Have fun with it.

MP

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Martin,

Welcome to the forum. I am glad you found us and hope you enjoy your time on NAFFF.

Surf fishing with a fly can be a real challenge and I have never been real successful with it either. It just takes some study and practice. I think the key is knowing when and where to fish. You can't just go out any day and be successful. The fly shop should know when and where certain fish are at certain times of the year. Joining a fly fishing club in the area would be a big help. I would find out what fish are located in your area and when they are present in the waters you are fishing. Your local Fish and Game office should have a lot of information. If you can talk to a fish biologist at the F&G or at the college.

Frank

 

[martin trj]

It is as rewarding as it is frustrating, I'll pick up the fly rod again as soon as I get my Allen fly reel. I found a very nice location today in the Malibu area, I gotta try it out on the fly.
This is a great site, I wasn't even a member and you gave me great customer service helping me with the registering issues I had. Hope I can contrubute in some way.
Thanks

 

[mcnerney]

Martin: Welcome to the forum! Good luck with learning how to surf fish!
I can't help with the surf fishing as the only time I have fished in the surf was as a kid in the Pismo Beach area. That was back when you were allowed to drive on the beach, we would hop on the beach with a dune buggy and drive south to a big rock that jutted out into the see. Back then I was using a spinning reel.

Larry

 

[MoscaPescador]

Let us know how the surf fishing goes. That's one part of the sport that I would like to do more.

From time to time, Fishermen's Spot will hold a surf fishing clinic. If I recall, Ken Hanley or Jay Murakoshi teaches it. Both of these guys are probably the go to guys in this aspect of fly fishing. The next time you visit the Spot, ask Ken Lindsey about it.

MP

 

[martin trj]

You are lucky, you can catch stipers over there! I'll give Ken a call tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[Rip Tide]

I do a lot of surf fishing out here in New England. While the quarry is different, the principle is the same.
As I understand it, surf perch run in schools and once you've found them... you're in.
Fishing with a group, strung out along the beach helps in locating schools.
Other than that the hard part is keeping good control of your line in the breakers and staying vertical and dry
:frogdance

 

[chuck s]

:welcomean glad to see you are aboard and will be looking for updates on your surf perch adventures. John Shewey wrote a comprehensive book on fishing the Pacific surf called, Fishing Pacific Northwest Waters, Trout and Beyond and it's a good one, covering most of the fish found in the surf from your area to the Canadian border and beyond. I've found, in general, that one needs to find the combination of daylight, tides, and waves to be successful in the oceans. Other than that, find out what your quarry eats, and how that quarry behaves. It's a tall order but someone has to do it and you're the man!:thumbsupu What a great way to spend a few hours, a day or a lifetime for that matter! Good luck with your endeavor and challenges!

 

[martin trj]

Hello Chuck S. The main thing here is not even what to throw, perch are not really very picky but when to. To find the ideal conditions for fly tossing is even harder than regular gear so I'm a bit frustrated but not going to give up fly fishing.
I want to fish for warm water species too and I've located a couple of waters near me, I'll report as soon as I get a chance to get out.
Thanks