Monterey Surf Fly Fishing Report

Evan Praskin reports on 5.17.18

Surf

We had quite the week of fishing here on the central coast! The Stripers have made their claim down in the Monterey Bay region and are eager to eat! Some nicer fish are being landed over a good portion of the coastline so nows a great time to dust off that 8wt sitting in the corner, grease up that shoulder, and hike the beach! Over the weekend the mornings were overcast and cold which I personally love! On these days the fish seem to hold onto that low light feeding mentality a little longer and feel more comfortable moving around in the surf. 

Sometimes our best outings are on overcast/rainy days. On Saturday we had a couple (John and Tamera) down from the North Bay, both were eager and excited to learn all about what it takes to be successful out here on the beach. As the morning went on the wind decided to pick up, so guess what we did, we adjusted! Out here in the surf, you need to be adaptable and willing to change things up to be successful. In this case, the wind was blowing from right to left and rather than getting hooked in the face, we practiced our backward facing casting technique. At the end of the morning we had missed a few fish, and for some reason, they just were not committing to the fly. 

We had one fish landed by the end of the session, but a lot was learned! John mentioned that he wanted to go out again the next morning and I told him it was a good idea since one day can make a big difference. Well during our Surf Clinic in the city the next morning I got a text from John… of a very, very nice female Surf Perch, his first fish out of the surf! 

My goal as a guide is not only to put clients on fish but to teach my clients how to be successful on their own, and this just proved that John and Tamera were great students. I knew they had it in them from the start, and I think Tamera will be adding a two-hander to her quiver soon!  We have dates available in June through summer, be sure to give us an email/call and get on the books! Hope everyone enjoys their week, we’ll see you on the beach!