Damn!
I blew it. The water is so clear, almost invisible because today there is no wind. The surface of the water shows every sub surface disturbance. I’m hiked far out on an oncoming spring tide in an estuary sand flat between rock reefs and I’m hunting Umbrina Roncador or as we know them, yellowfin croaker in the Northern part of the Sea of Cortez.
Earlier in the year I had caught what I had identified as a Corbina, a similar looking fish but they were far more rare and harder to catch, let alone sight fish for. The year is 1997 and the Internet did not yield much in the way of fly fishing for Corbina. I had read entries in forums of others who targeted them in Southern California beaches. It appeared to be a small group but nevertheless, there were others doing it too. I had caught a bonefish or two, but the Corbina was a very difficult fish to catch. I call them the “ghosts of the flats” and that’s just about how I looked when I saw them, like I had seen a ghost.
Move forward almost thirty years into the future and I’m back at it again. I had received a text the night before I was leaving to drive to Bolsa Chica and stay at a motel across the street from the beach.
“I’m going to be fishing at (beach x) Friday morning…”
Upgrade! Change of plan.
I text back, “Ok, see you there.”
The drive over wasn’t bad, it was a Thursday, mid-day, with a stop in Perris to pick up a radio-controlled sailplane. Now at the motel, pour myself a drink, rig up and review the short morning drive on the gps app. Sleep, wake up, drive, stop and wait for the parking guard to open. Ugh, I forgot my fishing license, I text Al after I had purchased it with my smartphone.
I text Al, “Hey, I’m here”
“Go ahead and park, I’ll find you on the beach.”
It was early, the fog was pretty thick, and I walked past the lifeguard tower, unhooked my Merkin, stripped out a bunch of line and flicked a back cast, false cast, back cast tugging the line to load the rod even more, then shoot the seamless density sinking line. Strip the line in, the water cool on my bare feet, the fog, the mist a little chilly, it was 95 degrees already in Phoenix where I’m from, 65 degrees here. Another reason why I love fishing for Corbina.
Al Q appears out of the mist at beach x
Looking to my left, I can see a figure walking out of the mist up to me. We were alone on the beach at the water's edge. Al walked up and we fist bumped.
That’s how I meet Al Quattrocchi, on my own Corbina Patrol, right there in the mist.
Adam Trahan: Thanks for texting me Al, I appreciate it. Good to finally meet someone else that targets Corbina, you are the first as I usually fish for them alone.
Al Quattrocchi: It was nice meeting you on the beach that morning Adam, but it was unfortunate that we didn’t have the best conditions or optimum tide for seeing Corbina, it was extremely overcast and foggy, and we need more water to push those fish up onto the crab beds. We concentrated on looking for nervous water and pushes.
At least you got to see some fish moving around in shallow water. In poor conditions I always try to anticipate their movements, where they want to be and how the waves blanket the shallow sand crab beds to push the fish up before they turn and slide back to the safety of deeper troughs. You have to think like a Corbina.
Adam Trahan: Meeting you was an aha moment for me. For the most part, I had been hunting them on steeper beaches and too far forward. In my return to SWFF, I recently caught one a couple of trips ago, a fair catch but not the type of hunting you showed me. I’m stoked now!
You corrected my vision, and I’ll always have that to thank you for.
My wife says I need to improve my listening skills, I just get so excited talking about my favorite topic but let me do this right and give you the opportunity to introduce yourself.
Al Quattrocchi: Saltwater beach fly fishing and fly tying has been my passion for almost forty years and sight fishing is on the top of my list next to top water with flies or plugs.
Adam Trahan: I’m 63 years old, no longer young. My day job is cardiology, I support the cardiologist with my knowledge of implanted heart monitors. When I’m not at work, I am a husband, a father and your friend. I’m a lifelong fly fisher that’s crazy to dream up DIY adventures, some of which have taken me to distant waters fishing with new friends such as our first meet.
I really learned about fly fishing from spending long hours in old growth forest fly fishing small streams. I moved on to big western rivers, tailwaters like the Colorado and the San Juan. Then I drove South with crazy dreams of fishing the Sea of Cortez with my feathers.
“Al, can you tell us about your fishing, how did you learn, who taught you to fly fish?”
Al Quattrocchi: Well, I’m turning 65 this September, I learned how to fly fish in saltwater through a multitude of ways. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn casting Atom plugs, Creek Chub poppers and metal Hopkins in the surf with spin gear, I discovered saltwater flyfishing in the pages of The Saltwater Sportsman magazine. I read everything I could on saltwater flyfishing from names like Joe Brooks, Lefty Kreh, Lou Tabory, Milt Rosko, Al Reinfelder, Charlie Waterman, Frank Woolner, Hal Lyman, Dan Blanton, and Nick Curcione.
That’s how I meet Al Quattrocchi, on my own Corbina Patrol, right there in the mist.
Adam Trahan: Thanks for texting me Al, I appreciate it. Good to finally meet someone else that targets Corbina, you are the first as I usually fish for them alone.
Al Quattrocchi: It was nice meeting you on the beach that morning Adam, but it was unfortunate that we didn’t have the best conditions or optimum tide for seeing Corbina, it was extremely overcast and foggy, and we need more water to push those fish up onto the crab beds. We concentrated on looking for nervous water and pushes.
At least you got to see some fish moving around in shallow water. In poor conditions I always try to anticipate their movements, where they want to be and how the waves blanket the shallow sand crab beds to push the fish up before they turn and slide back to the safety of deeper troughs. You have to think like a Corbina.
Al’s first Corbina on the fly
Adam Trahan: Meeting you was an aha moment for me. For the most part, I had been hunting them on steeper beaches and too far forward. In my return to SWFF, I recently caught one a couple of trips ago, a fair catch but not the type of hunting you showed me. I’m stoked now!
You corrected my vision, and I’ll always have that to thank you for.
My wife says I need to improve my listening skills, I just get so excited talking about my favorite topic but let me do this right and give you the opportunity to introduce yourself.
Al Quattrocchi: Saltwater beach fly fishing and fly tying has been my passion for almost forty years and sight fishing is on the top of my list next to top water with flies or plugs.
Adam Trahan: I’m 63 years old, no longer young. My day job is cardiology, I support the cardiologist with my knowledge of implanted heart monitors. When I’m not at work, I am a husband, a father and your friend. I’m a lifelong fly fisher that’s crazy to dream up DIY adventures, some of which have taken me to distant waters fishing with new friends such as our first meet.
I really learned about fly fishing from spending long hours in old growth forest fly fishing small streams. I moved on to big western rivers, tailwaters like the Colorado and the San Juan. Then I drove South with crazy dreams of fishing the Sea of Cortez with my feathers.
“Al, can you tell us about your fishing, how did you learn, who taught you to fly fish?”
Al Quattrocchi: Well, I’m turning 65 this September, I learned how to fly fish in saltwater through a multitude of ways. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn casting Atom plugs, Creek Chub poppers and metal Hopkins in the surf with spin gear, I discovered saltwater flyfishing in the pages of The Saltwater Sportsman magazine. I read everything I could on saltwater flyfishing from names like Joe Brooks, Lefty Kreh, Lou Tabory, Milt Rosko, Al Reinfelder, Charlie Waterman, Frank Woolner, Hal Lyman, Dan Blanton, and Nick Curcione.
I am a true saltwater fly fisherman, that’s been my lifelong fishing passion! After graduating college in California, I took a class called The Art and Science of Flyfishing, a UCLA extension course taught by the great Neal Taylor. That got me started on the right foot, I told Neal all I wanted to do is learn to cast a fly so I could run to the beach and fish. He laughed and thought I was crazy. After messing around on my own in the surf, I booked a trip out of Marriotts fly shop with Lefty Kreh, it was fly fishing three days up at Hot Creek Ranch in the Sierras with Lefty; my goal was not to catch a trout but have Lefty teach me how to double haul. It was there I became friends with one of the most influential saltwater fly fishermen of the century. Lefty opened many doors for me in the industry.
The last piece of my learning curve came when I connected with Nick Curcione who was a professor at LMU where I got an AA before graduating Art Center in Advertising Design. Me and Nick connected at an alumni barbecue at LMU one summer sharing our passion of flyfishing. We immediately became friends, and Nick took me under his wing and mentored me in the surf and inshore teaching me the custom shooting head game. Custom making lead core shooting heads attached to Amnesia mono running lines was our jam. They cast a mile and caught fish. I caught my first calico bass with Nick as he rowed an aluminum skiff around the breakwater at Redondo Harbor and instructed me to throw to the foam. There was no turning back! Especially later when Nick invited me to all the major flyfishing shows and I got to rub elbows with the top names in the business like Bob Popovics, Andy Renzetti, Bob Clouser, Lou Tabory, Ed Jaworowski and Lefty Kreh. There weren’t many anglers doing surf fly fishing back in those days, it was a blast learning from the best and exploring my local beaches with a fly rod.
Adam Trahan: One of my first memories of fly fishing as a young boy was on a fishing trip to the mountain streams near St. George, Utah. A friend's father taught me to grip the fly line on the cork and cast just a few feet of line with the leader. We were fishing undercut banks, and I caught quite a few trout which we had for breakfast.
My Grandad taught me cane pole fishing in our family farm ponds where I would tromp through the field and catch grasshoppers, threading them on a gold Aberdeen hook for bream or a worm for catfish.
As a young man, specializing in fly fishing small streams, I learned about tenkara. I ended up researching it and working with Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA to grow Japanese style fly fishing. I travelled to Japan and fished all over in their mountains with experts. I interviewed them much like I am doing with you here.
I love to travel with a fly rod fishing distant water with new friends.
“I know you enjoy travel and fishing; will you tell us a story about your travels fishing?”
Adam Trahan: One of my first memories of fly fishing as a young boy was on a fishing trip to the mountain streams near St. George, Utah. A friend's father taught me to grip the fly line on the cork and cast just a few feet of line with the leader. We were fishing undercut banks, and I caught quite a few trout which we had for breakfast.
My Grandad taught me cane pole fishing in our family farm ponds where I would tromp through the field and catch grasshoppers, threading them on a gold Aberdeen hook for bream or a worm for catfish.
As a young man, specializing in fly fishing small streams, I learned about tenkara. I ended up researching it and working with Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA to grow Japanese style fly fishing. I travelled to Japan and fished all over in their mountains with experts. I interviewed them much like I am doing with you here.
I love to travel with a fly rod fishing distant water with new friends.
“I know you enjoy travel and fishing; will you tell us a story about your travels fishing?”
A Crooked Island permit
Al Quattrocchi: I’ve been blessed to have gone many places with a fly rod and there’s so many stories to tell, but here’s one fun story that I am proud to tell. It was in southern Mexico at a lodge called Paradise Lodge located just north of the border of Belize on the Yucatán peninsula. We fished for baby tarpon, bonefish and permit in the cenotes and along the pristine beaches.
The number one guide at this lodge was called Nacho, he knew he was the best guide for permit and he had a little attitude. Me and my buddy Mike both hooked and lost two permit the day we fished with Nacho. We weren’t feeling it. I wasn’t impressed with Nacho, all he did was talk about himself and say how much he wanted to leave for the weekend.
On the last day of the week Eric, who ran the lodge paired up all the guests with various guides and he joyously told me and Mike we were fishing again with Nacho. Me and Mike looked at each other and agreed there was no way we were fishing with him, so I told Eric to send Nacho home for the weekend, we wanted to fish with the kid in the corner. I pointed to this young kid fixing an engine. Eric said that that kid never guided before. I said does he want to guide someday? He said yeah, ok, tomorrow he’s guiding me and Mike, his name was Alejandro. Well Alejandro didn’t sleep that entire night he was so excited. I told Mike that we need to fish our asses off for this kid and make him feel special. The next morning all the guests left the lodge, we were the last ones out. Alejandro drove us to a nearby cenote off the side of the road to fish for baby tarpon.
Everything was great until due to being somewhat nervous, Alejandro had left the engine back at camp. So me and Mike waited patiently until Alejandro returned. We mounted the engine and bushwhacked our way through the mosquito thick jungle until the small roadside creek opened up to this beautiful inland lake filled with gulping baby tarpon. Needless to say, me and Mike jumped 27 tarpon and landed 14 that day. With every release we high fived and exclaimed Arturo is numero uno! I will never forget his smile.
That night back at the lodge we had a cake for Alejandro and we all gave him a standing ovation for his first day of being a guide. It was a day he will never forget and neither will me and Mike. I hear Alejandro is still guiding and has become one of the best guides in the Yucatán. Sharing is caring!
Adam Trahan: So, I want to explore something with you. Being from Phoenix, big city in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, we aren’t really the fly-fishing capital of anything. That can be a really bad thing or for someone like me, it focuses my drive and purpose. I know one thing it does for me, it identifies the opportunity in fishing, not just in fly fishing.
We chat a little in text. I like it a lot, but I want you to know that if I’m not answering with my usually animated self, it’s because I might be working through a problem at work with someone’s heart or figuring out if this atrioventricular block is first or second degree. I like texts because they can wait or be instant connection.
Those stripers caught on conventional gear were awesome, the pics of them laying there on the sand next to the spinning reel were very cool. Occasionally I share the beach with a surf caster. They are different but we are the same. I specialize in fly fishing and particularly in the small stream world but here I am talking with you about conventional tackle. I have a wicked nice travel beach bait casting rig that I used in the past for those days when it took reach to catch. I don’t want to go any farther than that, this is about you…
“Can you tell us about those stripers you text me about”
Al Quattrocchi: As you know, I’m an old striper fisherman from back east, I love those fish. Without giving away too much hard-earned information, it’s no secret that striped bass populate our So Cal beaches all the way south to Mexico. You have to understand their behavior, tide cycles, feeding habits and have luck to put yourself in a good position to be able to target them successfully. I’m always learning and exploring. If you put your time in, there’s a good chance you can get one off the beach on the fly in Southern California. I have lots of good fly buddies that have! That’s all I’m gonna say.
Adam Trahan: I’m going to approach this a little backward, but I think you will understand. I’ve noticed that the best at any fishing pursuit are quite focused. They do what they do very well, even most excellently yet if you scratch more than just the surface, you will find that they are actually well rounded and somewhat diverse. I read books on our subject and the older, the better in my view. Not so much the Complete Angler olde, but fifties, sixties, old guys books, our grandfathers and fathers age experts. Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin, Joe Brooks, there are others who are younger like Scott Sadil but what I’ve noticed is that they are specialists in fly fishing, but they also are no stranger to conventional tackle.
There are so many approaches to fly fishing! I see the strict catch and release guys that will hound others if they catch and kill. The dry fly snobs, the guy that makes bamboo fly rods and that’s all he does, and he makes a great rod, but he can’t catch shit! I think the best at saltwater fly fishing really know their way around all types of gear and even all types of boats. It’s a recipe that comes with time and most importantly experience.
Adam Trahan: So, I want to explore something with you. Being from Phoenix, big city in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, we aren’t really the fly-fishing capital of anything. That can be a really bad thing or for someone like me, it focuses my drive and purpose. I know one thing it does for me, it identifies the opportunity in fishing, not just in fly fishing.
We chat a little in text. I like it a lot, but I want you to know that if I’m not answering with my usually animated self, it’s because I might be working through a problem at work with someone’s heart or figuring out if this atrioventricular block is first or second degree. I like texts because they can wait or be instant connection.
Those stripers caught on conventional gear were awesome, the pics of them laying there on the sand next to the spinning reel were very cool. Occasionally I share the beach with a surf caster. They are different but we are the same. I specialize in fly fishing and particularly in the small stream world but here I am talking with you about conventional tackle. I have a wicked nice travel beach bait casting rig that I used in the past for those days when it took reach to catch. I don’t want to go any farther than that, this is about you…
“Can you tell us about those stripers you text me about”
Al Quattrocchi: As you know, I’m an old striper fisherman from back east, I love those fish. Without giving away too much hard-earned information, it’s no secret that striped bass populate our So Cal beaches all the way south to Mexico. You have to understand their behavior, tide cycles, feeding habits and have luck to put yourself in a good position to be able to target them successfully. I’m always learning and exploring. If you put your time in, there’s a good chance you can get one off the beach on the fly in Southern California. I have lots of good fly buddies that have! That’s all I’m gonna say.
Adam Trahan: I’m going to approach this a little backward, but I think you will understand. I’ve noticed that the best at any fishing pursuit are quite focused. They do what they do very well, even most excellently yet if you scratch more than just the surface, you will find that they are actually well rounded and somewhat diverse. I read books on our subject and the older, the better in my view. Not so much the Complete Angler olde, but fifties, sixties, old guys books, our grandfathers and fathers age experts. Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin, Joe Brooks, there are others who are younger like Scott Sadil but what I’ve noticed is that they are specialists in fly fishing, but they also are no stranger to conventional tackle.
There are so many approaches to fly fishing! I see the strict catch and release guys that will hound others if they catch and kill. The dry fly snobs, the guy that makes bamboo fly rods and that’s all he does, and he makes a great rod, but he can’t catch shit! I think the best at saltwater fly fishing really know their way around all types of gear and even all types of boats. It’s a recipe that comes with time and most importantly experience.
A DIY rooster fish on the fly landed off the beach in the Sea of Cortez
estimated between 70 and 80 pounds
"But speaking about a recipe, do you have a good one that you would like to share?"
Al Quattrocchi: The recipe for success in California is we fish a lot of sinking fly lines inshore and off the beaches. I always vary my sink rates depending on the depth of where I’m fishing. T-14, T-11 and T-8 custom shooting heads get the job done in most situations. I also consulted and helped develop with Scientific Anglers their integrated in touch surf fly line series which comes in 200, 250 and 300 grains. The 200 grain line is great for light surf and targeting Corbina. The recipe is to match your fly lines to the particular species you are targeting, and you will always be in the game.
Adam Trahan: I’m hoping you can help me with a good one for Sierra. We catch them from the rocks in my area and if you have one, maybe you can send it to me or ahh, right here? No pressure Al. (I’m kidding)
Al Quattrocchi: The best recipe for Sierra is ceviche! My fav! It’s simple, cilantro, lime juice, salt, onions, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and dash of hot sauce.
Adam Trahan: I want to compliment you on your book, “the Corbina Diaries” I think it is damn near perfect. By no means am I an expert, nor do I think I am even though I’ve been after them a lot longer than others, Phoenix fisher here, not a quick 10-minute drive to my favorite beach. Your book targets people similar to me. Someone who is experienced at fly fishing or may not have targeted Corbina or has much experience walking the beach with a fly rod. Where I fish in the Sea of Cortez, bone fish are always on my short list but what I end up catching is Corvina or Leather Jacks. I’m opportunistic yet focused on the prize.
You bring your focus in the pages, and you aren’t selfish about it. You bring a lot of people with you; the patrol and I appreciate that. The photography is phenomenal, and I just want to say, “Wow, you captured an awesome task.” Great work! I enjoyed the photography so much!
I love my iPhone, and it takes great pictures, yet it does not make me smart. It has nearly killed my look at building a shot. So I’m returning to film, particularly slide film and scanning. Film isn’t cheap and neither is the processing. Shooting film slows things down and helps me recognize light much better. I build the shot, snap the opportunity and paint with available light. Film is a different look at capturing the moment. I won’t stop carrying my iPhone however it’s no longer what I grab first.
I’m curious about the photography that went into your book, it’s really good.
Al Quattrocchi: The recipe for success in California is we fish a lot of sinking fly lines inshore and off the beaches. I always vary my sink rates depending on the depth of where I’m fishing. T-14, T-11 and T-8 custom shooting heads get the job done in most situations. I also consulted and helped develop with Scientific Anglers their integrated in touch surf fly line series which comes in 200, 250 and 300 grains. The 200 grain line is great for light surf and targeting Corbina. The recipe is to match your fly lines to the particular species you are targeting, and you will always be in the game.
Adam Trahan: I’m hoping you can help me with a good one for Sierra. We catch them from the rocks in my area and if you have one, maybe you can send it to me or ahh, right here? No pressure Al. (I’m kidding)
Al Quattrocchi: The best recipe for Sierra is ceviche! My fav! It’s simple, cilantro, lime juice, salt, onions, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and dash of hot sauce.
Adam Trahan: I want to compliment you on your book, “the Corbina Diaries” I think it is damn near perfect. By no means am I an expert, nor do I think I am even though I’ve been after them a lot longer than others, Phoenix fisher here, not a quick 10-minute drive to my favorite beach. Your book targets people similar to me. Someone who is experienced at fly fishing or may not have targeted Corbina or has much experience walking the beach with a fly rod. Where I fish in the Sea of Cortez, bone fish are always on my short list but what I end up catching is Corvina or Leather Jacks. I’m opportunistic yet focused on the prize.
You bring your focus in the pages, and you aren’t selfish about it. You bring a lot of people with you; the patrol and I appreciate that. The photography is phenomenal, and I just want to say, “Wow, you captured an awesome task.” Great work! I enjoyed the photography so much!
I love my iPhone, and it takes great pictures, yet it does not make me smart. It has nearly killed my look at building a shot. So I’m returning to film, particularly slide film and scanning. Film isn’t cheap and neither is the processing. Shooting film slows things down and helps me recognize light much better. I build the shot, snap the opportunity and paint with available light. Film is a different look at capturing the moment. I won’t stop carrying my iPhone however it’s no longer what I grab first.
I’m curious about the photography that went into your book, it’s really good.
A self portrait in the eye of a baby tarpon. photo by Al Q
“Can you tell us what went into the copious photographic work in your book?”
Al Quattrocchi: Photography has been a big part of my outdoor experience. I like to use a Nikon 800 DSLR digital camera, and I also use my iPhone. I remember one particular season of corbina fishing I decided not to pick up the fly rod but instead use my camera to capture corbina. It was the best decision I ever made, because it taught me to observe these fish in their natural environment without disturbing them by bombing flies at them. I learned more in that season on how to catch a corbina without my fly rod that any other season thereafter. It was an aha experience.
Adam Trahan: And look at all the people in your book. The last website that I made was like that. Right on the front page, a long clickable list of names that took you straight to the article I mentioned them or to their work they submitted. I enjoy building communities but more than that, I enjoy participating in them.
If I feel welcomed.
I am intrigued by the Long Beach Club and particularly the Double Haul Ball. Oh I long for that sort of facility.
Casting ponds?
Can you tell us what’s going on at this club and its place of residence?
Al Quattrocchi: Photography has been a big part of my outdoor experience. I like to use a Nikon 800 DSLR digital camera, and I also use my iPhone. I remember one particular season of corbina fishing I decided not to pick up the fly rod but instead use my camera to capture corbina. It was the best decision I ever made, because it taught me to observe these fish in their natural environment without disturbing them by bombing flies at them. I learned more in that season on how to catch a corbina without my fly rod that any other season thereafter. It was an aha experience.
Adam Trahan: And look at all the people in your book. The last website that I made was like that. Right on the front page, a long clickable list of names that took you straight to the article I mentioned them or to their work they submitted. I enjoy building communities but more than that, I enjoy participating in them.
If I feel welcomed.
I am intrigued by the Long Beach Club and particularly the Double Haul Ball. Oh I long for that sort of facility.
Casting ponds?
Can you tell us what’s going on at this club and its place of residence?
flying mako on fly. photo by Al Q
Al Quattrocchi: I am not an official member of the LBCC per se, but I know many of their members and have done numerous presentations there. We have held our Double Haul Ball fundraiser there for many years. It’s an educational day put on by local fly fishers, fly tiers, industry professionals and casting instructors. The LBCC has always welcomed me and they continue to be one of the finest fly-fishing clubs in California with a vibrant community of active members. They also have a beautiful casting pond, home to many local and international casting events and will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2025.
Adam Trahan: Is there any room for a guy like me to attend a couple of meetings per year? I think I would like that. I love casting and I’m not proud, I love to learn new techniques. I’ve travelled before to distant clubs and organizations. Mostly to give a talk on a specific topic.
“Do you give presentations?”
Al Quattrocchi: Yep, I do, I have given many presentations to many fly-fishing clubs up and down the coast. Since I have become the west coast editor of tail magazine, the premiere national saltwater flyfishing magazine published out of Florida I tend to be pretty busy these days. I also have a fly-casting program called the Fly Zone with my friend and master casting instructor, Jim Solomon. We specialize in getting anglers ready for success on destination fly trips.
Adam Trahan: I would like to talk about Corbina and particularly, sight casting for them. Not sure if you remember the day we were together and pointing them out. Most of what I saw was the Corbina podded up and actually on the pull back. I could see some on the pushes but far more for me were seen on the pull.
“Can you describe what you are looking for and how you cast and present?”
Al Quattrocchi: In sight casting you generally want to feed the fish as naturally as you can without spooking them. The fly should be discovered and never stripped towards the fish in an unnatural manner. That goes for Corbina fishing, once you located a crab bed, you have to understand how much water will bring those fish to that bed and have your fly moving through the bed just before the fish get there. That takes time, experience and patience. Knowing when to cast is very important. Waiting to cast when the opportunity may not be optimum is key!
Adam Trahan: and let’s say, on an average day of a couple of hours fishing, how many shots do you get at a Corbina?
Al Quattrocchi: It can be one shot, or it can be as many as a hundred shots? Back when first started fishing for corbina there were so many fish it was stupid. There have been a few times where I have caught five fair-hooked Corbina in a one-and-a-half-hour session before work. When the conditions are right and it all lines up it can be spectacular and almost seem easy. Trust me it’s not. Most of the time it’s a grind and challenging, but that’s what keeps me coming back. Just when you think you got it figured out it goes sideways. If you read my book I talk about the magic window. It’s the best time in the tide cycle to throw a fly to a Corbina if you plan on catching one.
Adam Trahan: Corbina sight fishing is a blast! I’m not very good at it yet for me, the early morning at the beach, walking, looking, everything about it is what I want out of my fishing experience. It takes very little equipment to have a good time doing it.
Adam Trahan: Is there any room for a guy like me to attend a couple of meetings per year? I think I would like that. I love casting and I’m not proud, I love to learn new techniques. I’ve travelled before to distant clubs and organizations. Mostly to give a talk on a specific topic.
“Do you give presentations?”
Al Quattrocchi: Yep, I do, I have given many presentations to many fly-fishing clubs up and down the coast. Since I have become the west coast editor of tail magazine, the premiere national saltwater flyfishing magazine published out of Florida I tend to be pretty busy these days. I also have a fly-casting program called the Fly Zone with my friend and master casting instructor, Jim Solomon. We specialize in getting anglers ready for success on destination fly trips.
Adam Trahan: I would like to talk about Corbina and particularly, sight casting for them. Not sure if you remember the day we were together and pointing them out. Most of what I saw was the Corbina podded up and actually on the pull back. I could see some on the pushes but far more for me were seen on the pull.
“Can you describe what you are looking for and how you cast and present?”
Al Quattrocchi: In sight casting you generally want to feed the fish as naturally as you can without spooking them. The fly should be discovered and never stripped towards the fish in an unnatural manner. That goes for Corbina fishing, once you located a crab bed, you have to understand how much water will bring those fish to that bed and have your fly moving through the bed just before the fish get there. That takes time, experience and patience. Knowing when to cast is very important. Waiting to cast when the opportunity may not be optimum is key!
Adam Trahan: and let’s say, on an average day of a couple of hours fishing, how many shots do you get at a Corbina?
Al Quattrocchi: It can be one shot, or it can be as many as a hundred shots? Back when first started fishing for corbina there were so many fish it was stupid. There have been a few times where I have caught five fair-hooked Corbina in a one-and-a-half-hour session before work. When the conditions are right and it all lines up it can be spectacular and almost seem easy. Trust me it’s not. Most of the time it’s a grind and challenging, but that’s what keeps me coming back. Just when you think you got it figured out it goes sideways. If you read my book I talk about the magic window. It’s the best time in the tide cycle to throw a fly to a Corbina if you plan on catching one.
Adam Trahan: Corbina sight fishing is a blast! I’m not very good at it yet for me, the early morning at the beach, walking, looking, everything about it is what I want out of my fishing experience. It takes very little equipment to have a good time doing it.
a quiet place. photo by Al
“Can you describe the overall list of your equipment? What do you use? Do you use a sling or backpack, stripping basket, what kinds of footware? What’s on your list?”
Al Quattrocchi: When I sight fish for Corbina I like to go minimal as best I can, sometimes a sling pack sometimes not, always a stripping basket, a few flies, some tippet and nippers. Oh don’t forget a hat, sunblock, fishing license and polarized glasses! Less is more. I like to use a medium action, 9 foot, 7 weight rod with a 200 grain, in-touch SA surf line for 90% of the time, my leader is around 7-8 foot straight piece of 10 pound fluorocarbon. My fly of choice is a size 6, pink Holy Moley or Surfin Merkin. Most important: a positive attitude.
Adam Trahan: I have really been enjoying the lead line that was suggested to adopt for this type of fishing. I use a Scientific Anglers Stillwater Seamless Density s/5 s/7 sinking line. Once I cast, that thing goes straight to the bottom and is laser straight to the target. It is very tactile; I can feel it really well.
I used to use a bonefish type line with a intermediate clear tip which has the effect of extending the leader. I’ll still use that line where I want to keep my line off the reef or rocks.
I have another all-clear sinking line which I’m hoping works for me.
“If you could design a line for Corbina, or if there is a perfect Corbina line available, what is the name or how would you design it?”
Al Quattrocchi: There are two lines that work great in different situations.
A clear intermediate when the beans are spooky in super shallow water with little side current and the other is that SA in touch 200 grain surf line that i helped design! It’s a 27 foot head that is easy to back cast and lay down. You need to keep you rod tip down close to the sand and point your rod straight at your fly when you strip the fly, if you do not feel the end of your line and feel the fly you are out of the game!
Adam Trahan: I put together a nice rod that had all the attributes I want out of a rod for this type of fishing. 8.5’, glass with a faster taper and good hardware all with aesthetically pleasing color. I really enjoy casting it and at 8.5’ it is on the shorter end of the scale since long casts are not its primary function.
Al Quattrocchi: When I sight fish for Corbina I like to go minimal as best I can, sometimes a sling pack sometimes not, always a stripping basket, a few flies, some tippet and nippers. Oh don’t forget a hat, sunblock, fishing license and polarized glasses! Less is more. I like to use a medium action, 9 foot, 7 weight rod with a 200 grain, in-touch SA surf line for 90% of the time, my leader is around 7-8 foot straight piece of 10 pound fluorocarbon. My fly of choice is a size 6, pink Holy Moley or Surfin Merkin. Most important: a positive attitude.
Adam Trahan: I have really been enjoying the lead line that was suggested to adopt for this type of fishing. I use a Scientific Anglers Stillwater Seamless Density s/5 s/7 sinking line. Once I cast, that thing goes straight to the bottom and is laser straight to the target. It is very tactile; I can feel it really well.
I used to use a bonefish type line with a intermediate clear tip which has the effect of extending the leader. I’ll still use that line where I want to keep my line off the reef or rocks.
I have another all-clear sinking line which I’m hoping works for me.
“If you could design a line for Corbina, or if there is a perfect Corbina line available, what is the name or how would you design it?”
Al Quattrocchi: There are two lines that work great in different situations.
A clear intermediate when the beans are spooky in super shallow water with little side current and the other is that SA in touch 200 grain surf line that i helped design! It’s a 27 foot head that is easy to back cast and lay down. You need to keep you rod tip down close to the sand and point your rod straight at your fly when you strip the fly, if you do not feel the end of your line and feel the fly you are out of the game!
Adam Trahan: I put together a nice rod that had all the attributes I want out of a rod for this type of fishing. 8.5’, glass with a faster taper and good hardware all with aesthetically pleasing color. I really enjoy casting it and at 8.5’ it is on the shorter end of the scale since long casts are not its primary function.
Montauk striper blitz. photo by Al Q
“What’s your favorite rod and what to you want out of your rod?”
Al Quattrocchi: There are so many great rods to choose from these days. I personally like to feel my cast, so a softer rod or medium action rod is more enjoyable for me. Choosing a rod is like choosing wine, very subjective. We are all snowflakes; we all have different casting styles and body types. Choose a rod you enjoy casting, that fits your casting style and that’s the best rod for you!
Adam Trahan: That morning we meet, it was early, the beach was socked in with fog and it was a bit misty, yet you still had your sunglasses on. My eyes are old and have been dealing with the intense sun here in Arizona for many decades. I’ve always used Vuarnet or Julbo sunglasses. They are made for skiing and mountaineering. For fishing, I use Bolle polarized lenses. It’s funny how they make things look but it really cuts through the sheen, and you can see better into the water on certain lighting situations. And when casting, I haven’t hit myself in the face yet, but I do like the protection they offer.
“How important are glasses for the type of fishing you do?”
Al Quattrocchi: Polarized sunglasses are an absolute anywhere I fish, they cut glare, and you will have less eye fatigue while protecting your eyes from UV. I used yellow lens in low light and overcast mornings then change to amber with a green mirror lens for high sun in shallow water, In the ocean offshore I will switch to a blue mirror, grey lens.
Adam Trahan: Good conversation! Very interesting to me.
“Do you have any questions for me? I know it’s a little odd asking for an interview, but if you have a hard question for me, I will enjoy that.”
Al Quattrocchi: I appreciate you wanting to know more about me, but I am intrigued by your exploits flyfishing in Japan.
Al Quattrocchi: There are so many great rods to choose from these days. I personally like to feel my cast, so a softer rod or medium action rod is more enjoyable for me. Choosing a rod is like choosing wine, very subjective. We are all snowflakes; we all have different casting styles and body types. Choose a rod you enjoy casting, that fits your casting style and that’s the best rod for you!
Adam Trahan: That morning we meet, it was early, the beach was socked in with fog and it was a bit misty, yet you still had your sunglasses on. My eyes are old and have been dealing with the intense sun here in Arizona for many decades. I’ve always used Vuarnet or Julbo sunglasses. They are made for skiing and mountaineering. For fishing, I use Bolle polarized lenses. It’s funny how they make things look but it really cuts through the sheen, and you can see better into the water on certain lighting situations. And when casting, I haven’t hit myself in the face yet, but I do like the protection they offer.
“How important are glasses for the type of fishing you do?”
Al Quattrocchi: Polarized sunglasses are an absolute anywhere I fish, they cut glare, and you will have less eye fatigue while protecting your eyes from UV. I used yellow lens in low light and overcast mornings then change to amber with a green mirror lens for high sun in shallow water, In the ocean offshore I will switch to a blue mirror, grey lens.
Adam Trahan: Good conversation! Very interesting to me.
“Do you have any questions for me? I know it’s a little odd asking for an interview, but if you have a hard question for me, I will enjoy that.”
Al Quattrocchi: I appreciate you wanting to know more about me, but I am intrigued by your exploits flyfishing in Japan.
A bonefish circle, photo by Al Q
“Did your love for Tenkara take you there?”
Adam Trahan: No. It was more of an investment in my future. Yes, I do love fly fishing yet I wanted to be able to accurately understand just what tenkara was. For me, that could only be done by visiting the country of origin and learning tenkara fishing from the people there.
I had been to Japan when I was a combat medic in the infantry. Joint training with the Japanese Ground Forces and we were stationed at Camp Fuji, a marine base near Fuji. I was there a few weeks, and the Japanese were protesting our presence outside of the fence. They would come in at 7a and leave at 5p. We would get off at 6p and go party with the same people protesting our presence. Strictly business. That was one of my first impressions of the Japanese. They were disciplined.
Anyway, I knew I wanted to go back. At the time, I was fly fishing and writing my own web site, this one was a secret and august site made for bamboo fly rod makers. I was making small stream bamboo rods and had come from fishing long graphite one weights with a clear fluorocarbon line. I decided to completely quit bamboo rod making (long story) and I wanted to visit the old (120 plus years old) Japanese rod shop that I was importing their tenkara rods.
I was hosted by a Japanese fly fisher, and I was fishing tenkara. I had an old guidebook from the area and my Japanese friend drove us around to a bunch of places to fish like the old tenkara fishers did. I was then passed to a tenkara master where we fished together for a day. We had a great time fishing all over and I flew home. I wanted nothing more than to portray tenkara accurately. I went back several years later and repeated my trip but with another group that introduced me to Yuzo Sebata.
Just like this interview, I did the same thing with many of the Japanese tenkara experts, very difficult to do adding in the complexity of a translator. Those interviews were well received and were published in Tenkara magazine.
Al, we should probably wrap this up. The time I have spent with you has been enjoyable. You are a keen fisher, and I appreciate you.
“Please use this opportunity to say anything you want.”
Al Quattrocchi: I have met some of the most amazing people and life-long friends through flyfishing. It’s really never about the fish for me, it’s about the journey and the friendships along the way, the fish happen to be a sweet bonus. I say this to all the younger guns blowing up social media, greatness whispers it never shouts. Most of the coolest cats I that I have fished with and look up to have never burned spots, they just fish for themselves. Learning and figuring out a fishery is the best part. As Lefty once said share knowledge don’t show off! The more I learn the more I realize what I do not know. Casting a fly over the waves and feeling that tug will never get old for me! I'm just grateful I get to share it with my fishing buddies and the world.
“Please use this opportunity to say anything you want.”
Al Quattrocchi: I have met some of the most amazing people and life-long friends through flyfishing. It’s really never about the fish for me, it’s about the journey and the friendships along the way, the fish happen to be a sweet bonus. I say this to all the younger guns blowing up social media, greatness whispers it never shouts. Most of the coolest cats I that I have fished with and look up to have never burned spots, they just fish for themselves. Learning and figuring out a fishery is the best part. As Lefty once said share knowledge don’t show off! The more I learn the more I realize what I do not know. Casting a fly over the waves and feeling that tug will never get old for me! I'm just grateful I get to share it with my fishing buddies and the world.
The day lightning struck twice, an article on Bloody Decks
Al Q with two IGFA world records in the same morning.
12-pound tippet calico bass record & 20-pound tippet white sea bass record
