beach-fisher: Bolsa Chica - August 16

Solo Trip

Date: August 16 - 18, 2023

Wednesday: Left at 2p, stopped at Quartsite for gas, got to the 777 at 7p, pretty smooth drive. Unloaded into the room, made a drink, watching TV and tapping this out on my phone. I’m excited for tomorrow. 5a will come fast, minus tide at 6a.

Let’s do this.

Thursday: Up at 4a, dinking around, bathroom, check e-mail, socials, dressed. Check out my rod, reel, surf bag, I choose a 10lb 6’ leader. It was a 9’ but I cut out the level tip and add in a ring. I add in a section of tippet and I have a 8 to 9’ leader. Fix a bowl of my favorite cereal, “Lucky Charms” and put on my tabi.

Walking to the beach is almost mandatory. I want to be in tune with the ocean. THAT convenience is almost necessary. It’s still pitch black and my everyday flashlight comes into play. The surf report is fucked. It’s 1-2’ and not the thigh to waist high Surfline says. That’s good! It’s hard to see and super misty but I can see the ocean is pulled way back. I thread the rod and tye on a fly and a zombie walks up on me. “Hey bro, don’t I know you?” No. I’m not from around here. “Were you from?” Silence, I can barely see him in the dark. “Oh, okay, have a nice day bro, good luck.” Thanks. I twist on a white Surfin Merkin that I bought from Bob Marriott’s last trip. I took a Sharpie and colored it red.

Every fly I see in socials hanging from a CorBina mouth is red.

The sun is coming up and I can begin to see the micro structure of the sand. I see the crab beds and I begin my hunt.

It’s a new G.Loomis salt six weight so these are my first few casts. Boom! It casts like the NRX so yeah, nothing to do there. I’m able to cast 30 to 60’ with a single or two false casts. The sink s/5 s/7 is doing its thing. I’ve rocked sinking lines from a bucking panga in the Sea of Cortez so in a stripping basket, easy. I move from section to section timing my casts to the pull back and in-coming waves.

(BRB, my G&T is empty)

Where was I?

Oh, the sun still hasn’t broken the horizon and I’m in the zone. I know how to get here. I am a desert rat but I’ve lived on the edge here and there and I know how to strip my attention down to the bone.

Shake shake shake…

Time for action!

The line goes tight!

I’m on!

The rod bends, I wind up and go tight holding the rod tip high. A couple of strips, wind backing up and I AM A CORBINA FISHER!

My skills are good.

I pluck the fly out, push him back under the blanket of water and I’m back in the hotel on my second drink.

It’s 8:38a

Time for a nap, stress is gone. I can do this.

Friday: Low tide at 6:30a, I can relax a little. All the morning stuff. Pulled on my tabi, jointed the rod, threaded the guides, little did I know I missed one. Grabbed my gear and started my watch to measure “Outdoor Walk” half mile to drop in on the sand and three quarters or so to the inlet. It was nearly no wind and glassy, 1-2’ surf and I started the hunt. I rotated the basket in place and started casting. I had to work the rod hard and I kept getting tangled! WTF! Finally the tip of the rod looked like it had a loop over so up on the berm and I see the missed guide. Cut off, thread, re tye and wow, that’s better.

I felt like taking a vid so I got the little tripod out and set it up. I walked out and immediately got butt hooked. Not breaking the skin but bad enough. Cleared, cast a couple of times, back to my phone and just stopped and stared.

I’m in the zone.

Bolsa Chica is a beautiful place.

Not sure when I’ll be back. I had a total of 6-8 hours of fishing over 4 days with only one Corbina in hand. I saw two in skinny water rooting crabs.

I’m thinking Blacks beach next, depends. Or Santa Monica, not sure. I want to get to know the beach by fishing it a few days and I want to get to know the area. I like visiting for a few days. We go to Imperial Beach in the first week of October. I’ll get to know that beach next, we are staying in a condo literally on the beach. My favorite trip is to joint the rod on the first day, be so close that I can leave it in one piece for the whole trip and then break the rod down when it is time to go.

Anyway, I wound up my line, walked back. 3+ miles total on the sand. Relaxed, checked out and gassed up, I’m back home pecking out the last details of the trip. Linking the Soundtrack below took me back, that is reason enough to spend a few minutes for all those links.

Details

Google Maps - Bolsa Chica State Beach Park

Target: Corbina - Barred Surf Perch

Caught: Corbina 1 -

Since 2023 Total Count: Barred Surf Perch 1 - Corbina 1

Conditions: Surf 1 - 2’ - Wind 1 - 4 kts

Tide

Low: 6a -0.1ft

High: 12:10p 3.6ft

Low: 5:35p 1.1ft

High: 11:24p 4.7ft

Sunrise: 6:16a