Cuda Time! Sort of


 The last couple of weeks have promised big Barracuda at almost every turn. For reference Pacific Barracuda do not get nearly as big as their Atlantic brethren, a big one here is anything over 8 or 9 pounds. The sport boats have been tearing it up, so naturally I've been unable to find myself a ride to the Barracuda grounds. That finally changed yesterday.

 We knew that the big body of fish had pushed up the coast from us so we were hoping to find a few stragglers or some fish from the second push, although they tend to be smaller they stick around a lot longer.  A 2:30 AM wake up is not on my list of fond things but when you hear it's an early bite you do what you've gotta do.  I made the drive to my buddies house and we loaded the boat and headed to the LBC.

 Rigged and ready we finally made the Horseshoe kelp around 6ish and started looking around. A big spot on the meter turned up a lone Calico Bass before we drifted off the spot. More running around and a couple of hours later I spotted promising looking bird activity. I grabbed the 8wt stripped off some line and made a cast. A long thirty second count later and I started my retrieve. My head is always on a swivel while I'm chasing fish that can pop up at a moments  notice and I was looking away when I felt the grab. I set the hook and a few runs later saw the color of the fish beneath the boat. There's no mistaking the look of a Cuda when it's in the water; Long and sexy with that bright yellow tail that always seems to be enhanced by the blues of the ocean.

  Sure enough as Rob is getting ready with the Boga, one last head shake and it's gone. I picked up the last of my line expecting to see a clean slice through the 50lb fluoro I was using as a shock tippet. No such luck..my fly was still there I just hadn't set the hook hard enough. Damn. I looked over and said "I sure hope I didn't screw up my only fish of the day." I don't have to tell you that of course I had. We spent another couple of hours searching but no more schools materialized. Rob decided to bang the wall with clousers and I decide to just catch a nap on the deck.


 That's Fishing

DW

 

Have Carp gotten Trendy?

    I recently got involved in a conversation with someone who's married to a fly fisherman. Naturally the subject of Carping with a fly rod came up. I stated that it was nice to see more of the Carp subculture showing up in ads. She then told me that she didn't think that classifying Carp fishing as a "subculture" was accurate. As an example she used her husband whom she described as your typical bamboo-dry-fly-only-trout-snob. Within the last year or so he had taken up fly fishing for Carp, so obviously it must be going mainstream.  I'm not sure that I agree with that logic though. It could just be that I like feeling that I'm once again part of a subculture again. It reminds me of listening to Nirvana in my bedroom wondering why nobody understands me.

 In reality though I still have many customers come in to the store wondering what that funny looking fish is. I've had customers come in and say "geez I need to get you guys some pictures, you've got a Carp on the board for Chrissakes!"   I know, I know, it's hard to find a fly shop that doesn't have a picture of some sun-bleached dude in a visor and shorts holding a Carp bugle first into the camera lens. Blogs hailing the virtues of Carp abound.  Every company now carries a Carp fly selection and most shop rats are wandering brown canals for Carp on their days off. I still don't think it's mainstream. When we see ads with a guy in tweed standing waist deep in some brown frog water maybe I'll believe it. I still think we're a ways off from having some metrosexual admiring the spawning colors of a Carp along the banks of the L.A. River while pondering how it relates to the meaning of life. I'm glad for that!

 Until then I may have to find a fish that's slightly less trendy though....Gar anyone?