December 22, 2017 – He’s Making a List: A Litany of Lessons Learned on My Last Surf Trip of the Year, My First with the Fly Rod – Ocean County, NJ

The last trip, for real....

Twenty-two things I learned today:

1. I need to buy a 9 or 10 weight rod if I really want to attempt this again.
2. Stripping basket
3. Fly lines love the metal hooks on one's gravel guards; this has been true for streamer fisherman on rivers and cricks since the dawn of time, but it is even truer in the surf.
4. Stripping basket.
5. Both pairs of my waders now leak—not awesome in December.  Even though LL Bean has and will again totally refund my money on both pairs, I will be on my third set of mid-priced stocking foots this season, second boot foot for the salt.
6. Simms and Patagonia are $499.99 but when one fishes 100+ times in a year, they may be a necessary investment.
7. There is a reason Simms uses neoprene gravel guards.
8. I know a guy who puts in some shifts at a fly shop that carries the aforementioned brands, and I will have refund money from two sets of LL Bean waders shortly.
9. Kneel less or get knee pads (Wardman inserts joke here).
10. A good saltwater fly line needed, one suited for hard work in winter air and water temperatures.
11. A new bass/streamer line also now needed.
12. Part time job needed or wealthier spouse or adoption by well-heeled fly fisher of both means and generous spirit.
13. Damn!  9 weight rod will require reel, backing, and line, yeah?
14. There’s always a chance a young bull may get up 15 minutes before me and arrive at my “secret spot” and catch two fish before I hoof it up there.
15. Fish the low tide if you need to wade like a hero.
16. Ocean fish, even 25 inchers, are like river fish on steroids.
17. Use heavier tippet.
18. Don’t trust NOAA.
19. In December, a one skunk streak, not my historically self-imposed two skunk rule, is enough to call it quits for the year.
20. I may like this whole fly rod in the surf thing if I am better prepared and better equipped next fall.
21. Work smarter not harder in tough conditions.
22. Stripping basket.

Worth the price of gas, I think.

As you can probably read between the lines above, I took my last surf trip of the year this morning, on a mission to catch even a rat on the fly rod.  NOAA said light NE winds turning SE, and that was true at 10 AM when I was walking home, but it was a snottier NE before sunrise, and I got beat up and moisturized early trying to get out far enough in an incoming tide to double-haul and shoot enough line to likely holding spots.  Standing in the wash meant getting lassoed by fly line in the 3-4 foot swell with barely a 2-3 second wave period, so the only way around the nonexistent stripping basket, was to stand deeper and remember to stay standing.  My waders leaked in both legs.  My SA Mastery Sharkwave line meant to shoot streamers on the Delaware and Susquehanna is toast, cut with 10+ yards missing.  Instead of a rat, I guess I hooked one of those slot size fish whose mouths are just big enough to gorge on Atlantic herring, and it broke my 10 lb. fluorocarbon leader and took my favorite half ‘n’ half teaser, of which I had one with me.  

Did delaying to take sunrise pics cost me fish?  Who cares!

When I arrived it was nearly dark still, but I could see a silhouette up the beach in my honey hole, my shore/sure thing this morning.  When I spoke to him later, he said he caught two there on a black Mag Darter.  When I was sick with surf fishing, I used to quit for the season after logging two consecutive skunks in December.  With the price of gas and fly lines and waders these days, my new rule is two skunks suggested but only one is required, especially when all the signs of life that were present two days ago are now absent, no bait, no birds  Back to the trout once I get a pair of waders.  Happy Holidays to all!  I hope Santa is good to you (Shh…Pete may still think he’s real).  And may you mitches catch mad fishes in the new year…