Saltwater Flyfishing

Although I grew up fly fishing in fresh water, as the nearest salt water was hundreds of miles away, ( kinda far to ride a bike ) When I moved to California I bought my first car for $25, a 1952 Plymouth. Gas was 18 cents a gallon, $2.00 would last for 200 miles. I could rent a rowboat at the Santa Monica Pier for $2.00 for 6 hours.

Back then Bonita were around most of the year. I saw people catching them from the pier with a splasher rig ( a clear float filled half with water to give casting distance, with a Bonita feather tied about 15 inches below the float). They caught lots of Bonita, so I figured I should be able to catch then on a fly rod. The next time down I brought my fly rod and a couple of freshwater bass flys ( white streamers ).

I was so excited as I rented the rowboat and rowed out beyond the area the pier casters could reach with their rigs. After about 10 minutes of unproductive casting, I came to the conclusion that the bubble rig the pier casters used worked because the Bonita were attracted to the plastic bubble splashing along on the surface, then hit the fly trailing along behind. While I was trying to figure out how to get the fish's attention without putting a splasher on the flyrod, I heard some loud squawking behind me, turning around I saw a couple hundred seagulls and pelicans

diving into the water.

There was also lots of big splashes ( boils as salt- water fishermen call them ) I knew a school of fish had chased a baitball to the surface and were actively feeding on them. I rowed as fast as I could towards the commotion, and when I was in casting range I cast the fly to the edge of the boils and started stripping line fast to match the speed of the fleeing baitfish. I was totally unprepared for what happened next!!

On about the second pull there was a big splash where my fly used to be, and the rod was nearly yanked out of my hand. My rod tip was pulled into the water and the line started running off the reel at warp 7. Three seconds later it was over, my leader, fly line, and twenty feet of backing that had worked so well in freshwater was gone. I sat there in stunned silence for a few moments wondering what I could have possibly have hooked, then I saw about a eight or ten pound Bonita come clear out of the water chasing a bait fish. Could these things really pull that hard and fast? I soon learned how hard they can pull when I cast out a silver spoon I had on a spinning reel with eight pound test mono on it.

Again the rod tip was pulled down to the water and the line peeled of the freshwater size spinning reel and in less time than it takes to type this my reel was empty, my spoon was gone, and I sat there with a blank stare on my face not believing what had happened, both rods had been stripped of their line, my lures were gone and I still had five and a half hours left on my rowboat rental and no line on my reels. BUT, BOY, WAS I EVER HOOKED ON SALTWATER FLY FISHING!!!!!