What a great night! Absolute perfect weather, no yahoos in sight, and even a couple of willing fish.
Hit the usual spots with former spin fisherman Rocky, AKA "Dorf," and my wife, Joyce, who's never even seen a striped bass in person.
Wait just a minute! Did you say, "Former spin fisherman, Rocky?"
Yes I did! Seems that, way-cool reel-timer, Adam Albino, AKA " Double Haul," bestowed upon the hapless Rocky, a loaner LL Bean eight-weight, complete with snazzy Plastico reel, eighty-five year-old floating line, and about six yards of backing. Way to go Adam!
Rocky prepared for tonight's trip by practice casting on the lawn 'till he lost his fly, and shredded his leader. Appears that no-one told Rocky not to lawn cast with a fly on-board.
So, off we go into the night, Rocky with his six-yards of backing, and ten minutes of casting, my wife who thinks the, " Mambo Minnow," is a wacky new dance, and myself, trying to figure out how to stay clear of both of their backcasts on an eighteen foot boat.
First, I get my wife casting away with one of Rocky's spinning set-ups, and then I try to get Rocky's loop under control. About ten minutes into it, my wife gets a couple of hits, speeds up her retrieve and WHAM! Nice fat 22-incher landed, her first bass ever. No sooner do I get her clear, and Rocky's got one on. On a flyrod!!!
I think it took about a full minute to register with Rocky, that he really had a fish on. He landed it too!
I took turns with the spinning setup, and Rocky worked on taming his cast, in time for tomorrows tourney. That's right folks, he's bringing a flyrod!
Everybody got a couple fish, and we were back to the dock by seven, only an hour-and-a-half of fishing. What a great night.
It really is nights like this, when you gotta' say, " Who's livin' better than us?"
Pssst! He's already been to THREE flyshops. I think he's caught the bug!
Good luck tomorrow guys!
Jay