Fly-fishing getting popular along coast

JIM NIEMIEC

If you ever thought about learning to fly fish in salt water a good

way to begin is by stopping at His & Her Fly-Fishing Shop, located on

Old Newport Road, in Costa Mesa. The fully outfitted fly shop is

owned and operated by Frank Selby, who has been fishing the surf from

Laguna Beach to Los Alamitos Bay for decades and has a reputation

among novice and veteran fly fishermen as being one of the best in

Southern California.

Selby grew up fishing and surfing along Newport’s vast coastline

and took to fly-fishing early when he found out how challenging it

was and the many rewards of standing waste high in the pounding surf

hoping to hook a fish on a barbless fly.

The writer stopped by Frank’s shop a couple of weeks ago to set up

a surf fishing trip and after looking over the tide table booklet,

Selby set up a date that had a great incoming morning tide that he

hoped would make for ideal fishing conditions. Neither my wife, Toni,

or I had ever fly fished in the surf, even though we both have spent

many days on the rivers, streams and creeks in the western states.

“We should meet at the shop around 7 a.m. and we will be rigged

and on the beach in about 30 minutes,” Selby said. “Mike Boesch of

Newport Beach will be joining us for the outing as he is a good fly

fisherman and isn’t afraid of getting a little wet if he knows there

is a big halibut or barred perch feeding in the foaming surf.”

Clouds hung in over Huntington Beach State Park as we turned off

Pacific Coast Highway, paid the $5 parking fee, and then headed back

to the mouth of the Santa Ana River. Selby is a Fly-Fishing

Federation certified instructor and conducts monthly fly fishing

schools for both surf fishing and float tube fly fishing in Newport

Harbor and comes prepared with fly fishing rods, reels and line to

match surf fishing conditions. All Toni and I needed to bring along

were chest waders, wading boots, Polaroid sunglass and our fishing

license.

The veteran guide put the rods together and tied a couple of

different patterns on 10-pound tippet material and our group headed

down Talbert Channel to the ocean. The waves were crashing pretty

good at low tide and the wind started picking up as Selby pointed out

holes and shallow channels that he hoped would produce a variety of

fish on the incoming tide.

After about 30 minutes of expert instruction from Selby on the

casting of a weight forward, 300 grain, sink tip shooting line, both

Toni and this writer were comfortable with making the necessary

distance casts and read fish holding water. Toni was working a deep

hole at the mouth of the river while Boesch and Selby moved into the

channel. Selby hooked up to a halibut that un-buttoned as he tried to

set the barbless hook on a fish that was swimming at him and even

though his rod bent double the hook pulled.

Boesch made a couple of casts down channel, missed a strike and

then hooked a small halibut for the first fish of the morning. Selby

practices “catch and release” fishing but feels it’s OK to take a

couple of fish home for the frying pan or, if a potential world

record catch is made, he will encourage the angler to head down to

the Balboa Angling Club and have the fish officially weighed and

registered.

The winds continued to blow and the waves gained strength as the

high tide approached. This writer was fishing next to Selby when a

legal halibut sucked in a Sly Fly pattern and came up shaking its

head in about 18 inches of water only to have the small fly pull out

and the rod go limp. “At least you had a good strike and know there

are fish to be caught in this area,” were the encouraging words from

my guide.

Conditions were not improving as we moved back toward a fishable

area just south of Talbert Channel. Boesch was out to his chest

getting pounded by the waves while Selby found protection in a

shallower spot that produced a small barred perch on a fly pattern

designed by Bob Klauzer. I made another 50 casts and decided that it

was time to take a few photos and end the morning’s fishing period

with a promise to myself to return again to the surf with a flyrod

and selection of Selby’s hand tied flies.

The prime time for surf fishing is now through June. Warming water

temperature and traditionally calmer surf conditions make fishing a

little easier. Now is also the time of the year when a wide variety

of small game fish move along the surf looking to feed on sand crabs,

smelt and grunion. The best times to fly fish in the surf are two

hours before and after low tide and traditionally an evening tide

offers up the best fishing. Ideal water temperature is between 58 and

70 degrees and it is currently holding at about 60 degrees. Selby

offers surf fly-fishing schools for groups up to six and private

classes through mid June. Anyone interested in attending a scheduled

class or booking a one-on-one fly-fishing trip with Selby should stop

by his shop or give him a call at (949) 548-9449.