Fly Tying · April 18, 2022
(Originally posted in 2018. Updated with much appreciated information from Forrest Oldham.)
Fishy Outings · September 12, 2021
As we roll into mid-September and a fall approaches we start to see changes in the bays as water temperatures start to drop from the mid 70s and even near 80 degrees F in the far south bay the fishing remains great. The catching, which is almost always good, becomes even better in many areas. A lot of hot weather inland this summer has brought with it a bit more wind than is typical, making things difficult for float tubers at times; not so much for casting but for drift management and just...
Musings and other Commentary · May 28, 2021
A 9 foot 5 weight fly rod is the most common first fly rod purchase made by anglers getting into fly fishing. That is because fly fishing is still primarily thought of as a trout fishing technique by non-fly anglers. But for most of the world, nation, and even San Diego County, trout are not nearby or only available in small numbers for a few months of the year. Here in the San Diego area, when we take into account both freshwater and saltwater species, there are dozens more species available...
Techniques · January 02, 2021
Al Quattrocchi came by the shop a couple of weeks ago and dropped off some copies of his new book “The Corbina Diaries”. Al "Q" is well known in the Southern California fly angling community and is recognized beyond California as an accomplished fly angler and enthusiastic teacher. His live presentations on fly fishing our SoCal saltwaters are always great draws with the crowds excited by his energetic and clear discussions of tackle and techniques. Sight fishing for Corbina is considered...
Musings and other Commentary · January 01, 2021
Well, we just finished off 2020. To say it has been a difficult year would be a significant understatement. I’m sure everyone who is reading this has had to navigate their own challenges this year. We have navigated some rocky waters, one reason this blog has been quiet for over a year, but have come through well so far. We all will have additional challenging waters to navigate in 2021. From the business end of things, supply chain issues related to COVID-19 have made it difficult to get...
Techniques · October 06, 2019
Fly anglers often grumble about poor fly line performance due to coils in the line that prevent the line from shooting or cause other issues due to tangles. Many blame the fly line “memory” – that is the fly line retaining the coiled shape from being stored on the reel spool – and think they have a bum line. Very early in my fly angling life I was sometimes running into some aggravating problems, especially with shooting line, due to annoying coils that had set into the fly line....
Product Spotlight · June 28, 2019
Throughout the saltwater fly fishing community a 9 foot 8 weight rod is usually the most commonly recommended starting rod. That is a great choice that will be useful for a wide range of conditions. However, in our Southern California bays and estuaries, the vast majority of fish caught will be less than two pounds in weight and often less than one pound and not as much fun when caught with an 8 weight rod compared to a lighter rod. Trout sized gear will often do quite nicely when pursuing our...
Fishy Outings · January 21, 2019
San Diego has great year round angling, even during mid-winter, and San Diego bay is perhaps the most consistent local winter fishery. Except for when storms are passing through, winter breezes are often less than summer winds. When the ocean has six to twelve foot swells as has been the case over the last couple of weeks, the bay remains comparatively calm.
Fly Tying · January 06, 2019
A couple of years ago, Flymen Fishing Company, producer of the fantastic Fish Skull heads, fish spines for articulated flies, and other great products, introduced Faux Bucktail. Fish Skull Faux Bucktail is an interesting synthetic streamer material that we, along with many of our customers, have found useful for some of their fly and jig making enterprises. Unlike most other synthetic hair materials, Faux Bucktail is tapered. Like many other synthetics, it is slightly crinkly. The most obvious...
Product Spotlight · September 28, 2018
The Rio InTouch Striper 30 foot sink tip line is a versatile integrated shooting taper line that can be used in both saltwater and freshwater environs. With a 30’ fast sinking head, an extended 14’ intermediate sinking back taper and long thin running line, the InTouch Striper line is great for making those long distance casts and getting the fly down quickly. The line is available with head weights from 250 to 450 grains in 50 grain increments and is suitable for 7 through 11 weight rods....