South Beach 36 pounder

[striblue]

Here is a shot of a 36 pounder, 45 inches taken off South beach in Chatham last weekend by a guy from NY.

[Jim Miller]

That must have been a great fight in the surf!

[Chick]

Guys:

I am the lucky one in the picture. I caught that fish last Saturday sightfishing on the ocean side on one of the S.E. Cape Beaches. (I guess that that is the politically correct way to note the location these days.) Anyway, my wife and I visited the Cape for the weekend and it was a bit cold for her so I headed out by myself for a couple of hours while she went shopping. The Fyfishing the Cape bulletin board noted that there were mostly schoolies so I brought my 8 weight and left the camera in the car. There were many large schools of small fishing running the length of the beach that would attack any fly put near them and I caught many. A few larger fish came by and they seemed to run closer to the waters edge than the smaller fish. I had two large fish turn on flys that I somehow missed hooking up with them so close. A half hour before I had to leave a school of about 4 large fish came by and this big girl took my fly about 15 feet in front of me in clear water. I new it was a big fish, but you never seem to see the whole fish and I didn't realize how big she was until I got her near the beach. Early on I was close to getting spooled and had to crank down on my drag, which I don't think you are really supposed to do, but I got away with it. She then ran back towards me and I had to run back towards the dune to keep the line tight. I got her close to beaching at one point and let up the tension a bit and she took off again. After that it was tug of war as she slowly moved along the beach. I was finally able to use the waves to help beach her. At that point I was like a little kid laughing and smiling from ear to ear. Bob and Ray, two nice guys from NY who were fishing down the beach, provided the camera and scale. After a short pull through the water to revie her the big girl swam away strong and my wife and I went to Squires for beers and some celebrating

Anyway, I was fishing with an 8 weight and 12 pound tippet using a white fly with a cross cut rabbit head, and white marabou, saddle hackle, and pearl flashabou tail, with weighted eyes. It may be a long time before I get it that lucky again. I went to the same spot the next day with my wife in tow and only caught a few schoolies. I'll be back the 3rd week of June for another try.

Chick

[bones]

Terrific! I'll be up there next week for some great action.

How many runs did that fish take? How long did it take to land her?


Bet you were wore out.

[striblue]

Well Bones... that picture is also enlarged and at the Orvis Fishing the Cape store. Bruce showed it to me when I can back from a class and I told him thatI had also seen it on the web.....great Job!

[RJ]

Hey Chick! Outstanding fish,super report and thank yew for the fly description. I've got some epoxy headed wabbit tails and some exotic fuzzy all pearl and all chartruse Clousers that are going in the chest pack for next Friday.

Bones - Y'all better kill a few more jack rabbits at the ranch, so'es we can build them flys!

126-3- :brow

[bones]

[QUOTE=Chick]Guys:

"using a white fly with a cross cut rabbit head, and white marabou, saddle hackle, and pearl flashabou tail, with weighted eyes."

Shoot some more Jack rabbits? Using a crosscut rabbit head? I thought we were going striper fishin', not aligator gar fishin'!! What about the weighted eyes, you using 8oz. egg weights?

RJ: For each of these flies you tie, I'll pour you 2 fingers of Glenlivet or Jack D and ploop an ice cube or to into it. Deal?