This weekend I went to my first fly casting class in a little ball field in Santa Cruz. I had self taught myself when I was a teen, getting what I could off the internet and the library, but soon after I stopped fishing for a few decades (for reasons), and only recently picked it back up. A few months ago I found out about surf fly fishing, bought my own setup based off a local fly club’s web page about it, and took it to the beach. The result was a comedy of tangled lines and unsanitary words, and I promptly joined up when I got home.
At the class it took the amazing instructor ten minutes to get me and my six weight going from 10-20 foot long puddles to a nice, straight 20-30 feet, at least until I started getting tired. He started me right away on double haul, and I appreciated why. End of the session I got out the nine weight surf kit to give it a feel with my new skillz (c) and wow! I was able to keep the line UP, and cast. It practically casts itself really. Then the instructor took it to show me what it really can do. He stood there idling a few beats, timing an imaginary wave, then suddenly he’s a flurry of motion: zip went the left hand, back the right, HAUL the left again as the right whipped forward and man I tell you, that line FLEW a good 30-40 feet until the running line ran out. The rod bowed with a ton of stored energy — had we more running line on the ground it would have gone a lot further.
This Saturday is another surf fishout and I am SOOOOO GOING.
Posted by LilStinkpot