Chasing the Tale

It’s April, early season and I’m on a plane to Mountain Home to visit relatives and go see the full eclipse. I subscribe to exactly one magazine, “Tail” about salt water fly fishing. My travel tenkara kit in my small backpack shoved under the seat in front of me, I read Al Q’s piece on Winter SWFF in the Los Angeles area. I’m really looking forward to our family trip there for a week in June. A quick walk to the beach to target Yellowfin Croaker, Corbina, Barred Surf Perch and other hard pulling beach species.

My fishing has changed. No longer am I satiated with the weekend trips to the local creeks, I’m not done yet I’m done with that drug. It has lost its appeal. The high has been replaced with the knowledge that a city of 5 million is near, gone are the days of a pristine stream. Even the secrets have trails, scuffed up moss, rocks turned over, line hanging from limbs, yes, I’ll go on occasion to introduce a friend to tenkara but gone are the endless trips with a 1-weight fly rod hunting elusive browns that were once so plentiful.

Fly fishing fresh water, mountain stream fishing or what the Japanese call, “Keiryu” has become special again. Tenkara, the sewing machine precise brother of lite line fly fishing has become second nature now. I’ve gotten beyond the crowd phase of it, it’s mine now, I don’t have to share it but I still do with just  few friends that have been at it as long as I have.

I’m busy though and have many demands, my work is intense, even though I am nearing retirement, I’ve cut back my time at work, that extra day (Friday) still isn’t enough time back. Back in 2016, I sat in the van with Miwa san talking as we headed to the city of Takayama, “Adam san, I have maybe 15 seasons of fishing left.” It didn’t hit home but now it does, I’m 63, and probably at or on the other side of my game. I’ll never be any better and that’s ok, I’ll be more experienced.

My recent trip to the San Juan for Honryu was fantastic! We had been talking about it for so long, planning. But that too is behind us. It went well, 12 men and one baby (I’m not sure I’ll come back) and awesome fishing although the catching wasn’t so good for some.

Anyway back to Tail, it’s about the best magazine on fishing. The articles target my interest. Recipes that I’ll try, drinks I want to mix and reflective pieces like James P. Spica Jr’s, “Travel Meloncholy” and Jonathan Hsia’s, “The Undertow: In Defense of Fishing Journals” hits home. These men write from experience not to teach the young but to connect, they close the gap through their stories.

I’m sold, not on the magazine, my favorite but on the lifestyle it reflects on.

It’s spring, I’m looking forward to summer, the coast, SWFF, fishing the edge…

I’m always chasing the tale.

I can’t wait.

Imperial Beach - October 7 - 10, 2023

Family Trip

Date: October 7 - 10, 2023

Not a serious fishing trip, a family trip and I brought the rod along as we stayed at a condo literally on the beach. It was windy and the low tide was at midnight. It was crowded at the low during the day and windy. 

Details

Google Maps  - Imperial Beach

Target: Corbina - Barred Surf Perch

Caught: none

Since 2023 Total Count: Corbina 1 -

Conditions: Surf  2' - 3' Wind 1 - 7 kts 

Tide

Low: 

High: 

Low: 

High: 

Sunrise: 

First Light: 

Sunset: 

Tide Prediction

Predicted Surf Report

Equipment

Fly Rod:  G.Loomis IMX-Pro V2S 6wt  - Nautilus 6/8 CCFX-2 - Scientific Anglers Sonar Stillwater Seamless Density Sink 5/Sink 7 sinking line - SA 10 lb fluorocarbon tapered leader

Accommodations: Imperial Beach Condo

Trip Notes: 

Scientific Anglers Fly Lines

 

Seaguar GrandMax FX

 

Seaguar GrandMax FX is what I use for stream - river - lake - sea

I've used it for at least 15 years now.

It's expensive, I order it from Japan.

I don't care.

If I am chasing my dreams, whether it be in Hawaii, Japan, Mexico, high in the mountain streams, I'm not going to blow it using cheap tippet. This is the last connection to my target. It has to knot, handle and hold well. I've found that this is the stuff. My best and biggest fish have been caught using GrandMax FX.

Yellowstone Angler Tippet Shoot Out

Foot Wear

 

I prefer to go barefoot but sometimes I choose to wear tabi. There are several kinds. I go through them pretty fast. My favorites have been from Walmart in Hawaii. I've had felt sole tabi and the above are for surfing. For walking beaches, it's either barefoot or tabi. 

For coral flats, I choose a boot that is much like the jungle boots for combat. I like the Patagonia River/Salt.

O’Neil 3mm Ninja Boot

Nautilus CCFX2 6/8

 

When I first started fishing the beach and flats, I used a full complement of Tibor reels.

Way too expensive now for my taste and the Nautilus I choose now are not cheap.

But I must say, those machinist fishermen in Florida sure know how to make a fly reel for the salt. I really like the brakes on my Nautilus CCFX2, the colors available are pretty cool too. I use the 6/8 for my uhh, you guessed it, for my six and eight weights.

I like the brakes, the weight and the ease of cleaning these up after a good trip to the salt.

G.Loomis IMX Pro V2 6 weight

G.Loomis rods are my jam. The rods that I used before were the T&T Horizon series. I cast a few G.Loomis rods and wow, they are cannons. I have owned a couple of NRX rods and I wanted something a little lighter than the 7-weight in the NRX+ so I ordered the IMX PRO V2 S in a six and wow, this thing casts like my NRX. I really like it. Light in hand, able to pick up lots of line and it casts a full weighted line like nobody's business. 

I match my G.Loomis rods with a Nautilus reel.

G.Loomis IMX V2 S