Fishing with Don!

Fishing  Newport Harbor 

The warm water is producing Cuda’s, Mac’s Bones and Bass.

 

Don went fishing....

in Canada!

The pictures he sent us say it all! Looks like he had a productive and fun outing!

 

 

 

 

 

Don fishing after the rain...

I went out to Los Alamitos last Saturday after the rain.  I have a very good picture me fishing in gray light.  I walked the shore and caught three fish!

Carl's take on the One Surf Fly – Mission Beach

When my alarm clock sounded off at 3am, I popped out of bed knowing that I was headed to the 8^th One Surf Fly on May 2, 2015 at Mission Beach in San Diego.  Approximately 60 fly anglers fly fished this popular event.  There were also over a dozen volunteers who gave up the opportunity to fish and act as spotters and score keepers.

At this event, you bring a fly which is placed in a numbered plastic bag and then everyone takes a turn to draw a fly.  You must fish with that fly and if you lose it; you’re out.  As my name was called to draw a fly, I couldn’t help wonder what I would pick.  Would it be a 5” Clouser that any surf perch would find hard to swallow or a large Deceiver pattern which has no weighted eyes to get it down to the strike zone in the surf?  I was prepared with a small pair of scissors in case I had to give an oversized fly a haircut.  I was relieved to draw a small fly with large dumbbell eyes and red cactus chenille body but with only a few fibers for a tail.  Nevertheless, I was confident that some perch would find it irresistible.  However, when I was fishing I noticed that the dumbbell eyes were rotating.  Whoever tied the fly didn’t tie and SuperGlue the eyes on the shank.  Oh well…that’s part of the fun of this event.

It was an impressive and great sight to see all of the fly anglers lined up along the surf.  Prior to the start, I noticed the piles of kelp and eel grass on shore and in the water.  I knew that it was going to be a tough morning. 

Shortly after I began to fish, my leader became tangled around my rod tip.  It was a mess and quickly decided that it would be faster to tie on a new leader.  I cut off the tangled mess and shoved it in my chest pack.  Then I retrieved my only spool of leader and was shocked to pull 2 feet of leader.  That was the end of the spool!  A time to improvise.  I salvaged as much line from the tangled mess and tied on the fresh piece.  My surf chest pack now has a full assortment of spools filled with leader.  Lesson learned!

At the end of the event, I was skunked as were many other fly fishers.  First fish was caught 12 minutes after the start by a young lady who left Phoenix, AZ at 10pm Friday, drove all night, and arrived early Saturday morning.  Oh…to be young again.  Biggest fish was a 21” corbina on an Al Q Beach Bug.  Most Fish (5 Barred Surf Perch) by one angler were all caught on a Krabby Patty.  There were only 35 fish caught in total (30 Barred Surf Perch, 4 Walleye Perch & 1 Corbina).  The fishing (and catching) was pretty slow compared to the previous year.

The entire group then headed to Peter Piconi’s So Cal Fly Shop for lunch, awards ceremony and raffle.  A great and fun event that brought members from many clubs together to enjoy the sport we love.

Don is back fishing...

Don got to fish Lake Arrowhead again and caught five species from the shore and docks.

Don is still fishing!

Don sent these pictures with this note; Here are a couple of pics of Alan and I this a.m. at Los Alamitos Bay.  Nice Sand Bass.

Local productive fishing!

Don at June Lake! Check out those fish!

Went with my brothers on our annual October June Lake trip.  My two best trout (2# and 4#) were on a 3 wt. with a black woolly bugger.  Fishing was great.   A three weight rod on big trout is crazy fun.

 

Here is a picture from the Sierra Drifters Fish reports on 10/25/14. Still ripping lips at 90 years young! Morton Wakefield, member of Downey Fly Fishers, hit big numbers with his son Don!!! Jerry G. did the netting.

Having fun in Mammoth

Several members, and spouses, of the DFF traveled to Mammoth last weekend to help with the Southwest Council Fly Fishing Faire. Between helping we managed to have fun! Years ago it was common for groups of us to travel to fish, attend functions, and just have fun with like minded folks but with the changes in the economy this was not happening as often.

Last weekend we were reminded how much fun this is and therefore we need to do it more!

Thursday night there was a vendor and volunteer dinner at Lake Mary Marina. DFF helped with set up and busing.

 

Fishing and kayaking on Lake Mary. As you can see the weather and fishing were cooperative!

 
Saturday night our group got together for a potluck dinner... Great food and conversation. Alan treated us to halibut, Britta made her famous Calico Beans, there was a huge salad, we also had before the meal treats and cake for dessert. We spent plenty of time reminiscing about past outings and members that are no longer with us, having laughs about adventures and misadventures of outings past.

A great time was had by all! We have to do this more often!

29 inch trout!

DFF member Alan caught this beauty and said "Here is my largest so far.  It 29 inches long x 14 inch circumference. I've caught more 20 inch plus than I can remember.....  "

Don says "Meet Charlie - our newest addict"

I met Charlie at the DFF meeting last week and set up plans to fish on Sat. in the a.m.  It was his first time fly fishing the salt.  He tried several of my rigs with different line weights etc.  The attached pic show his efforts in the Los Alamitos Bay.  We hit the trough between the tides and had no moving water in the Bay which meant no bass - so we switched to the ocean side.  I picked up one powerful little butt and nothing else.

More fishing with Don!

I wrecked my camera in the salt water, and have finally got a new one that is waterproof.  I have been away on vacations and fished mid-west warm water and took grand kids fishing.

I am trying to post some pics etc. to encourage others to get the blog going. How about it everybody? 

The Surf Perch bite has slowed down, the size is good but I’m only getting a few to hand.   I switched to fishing at Long Beach till November.  The water is warm and the fishing is good.  This a.m. I got five species totaling 11 fish.  My first Spotted Bay Bass!

This weekend! Saturday July 12th

 

Downey Fly Fisher members Todd Suttle and Zino Nakasuji will be presenting an eye

 opening program on Southern California carp hot spots and the techniques used to

 catch these fun and challenging fish. 

Saturday July 12 at 1pm at Marriots, 2700 W. Orangethorpe Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92833

Don's Lake Arrowhead Adventure

Submitted by Don Mulder

Tax season is over so I finished building a new 5 wt. rod and went fishing.  I caught a couple of Perch in the surf and then went on an after tax season get- away to Lake Arrowhead.  From the shore and a dock I caught a personal best Crappie, four small mouth bass and some trout.  I caught my biggest fish ever – twelve pounds on the Boga!  I was planning to release everything and didn’t even take a net along.  The people at the dock said I had to keep the planters because they won’t live.  I don’t know if this is true but I took it. 

Lake Arrowhead is a great fishery but it is private, you need  the Lake Association card to fish or be some ones’ guest as I was.  It is strictly monitored, the lovely patrol lady will ask you very politely but firmly and make sure you leave if you don’t have a card.

Carp fishing the LA River

Downey Fly Fishers March guest speaker, Jessica Strickland of Trout Unlimited bags her first carp on the fly! Sight fishing with a light pink glo-bug did the trick on this nice LA River carp. 

Warm water fishing in cold water

Submitted by Don Mulder

It's still too cold for the warm water bass.  I went to the Hemet farm pond with Carl, Jerry, and Larry.  The fish had a bad case of lockjaw.  Couldn't even catch a sun fish!  Got a double on one cast and that was it.

Two for one!