This weekend was as good as it gets for me. Walking miles through an incredible array of beach, marsh, dune and coastal forest and meadow. Seeing birdlife uncounted in one of the best places in the US to do so , the Parker National Wildlife Refuge. I'm not an Audobon guy, but I can still be amazed at the variety and number of birds flitting around you as you hike into fish. Fishing was slow for lots, heard one here and there, a little better if you could get out in the rips with a boat. I caught 50 and never fished within 1/4 mile of anyone. All the years spent learning the fish and the fishery pay off. I helped two flyfishers to at least get one. One was a diehard Church Pool guy (there everywhere!) who calls Clint's Rock, Bob's. I tried to set him straight, but he wouldn't buy it. Sorry, Clint. The other was a girl who had just started salt flyfishing , but could surfcast. In both cases, teaching them how to make the fly dance on the retrieve using fast jerky strips as long as you can make them, as opposed to the usual slow motions I usually see people use. Without a lot of bait to lull them into complacency and eating everything that passes near them, they were biting out of reaction and needed a trigger. They thanked me when I passed by them on my way out. The large fish haven't made it in any numbers past Cape Cod yet, should be a few more weeks. Largest I brought to hand was 28", most were in the 18" range, with the the average around 20. Saw my backing twice with it cranked down hard. Mostly I used a 9 wt. with 17 lb. tippet as the wind was blowing 15 to 20 most of the time. These fish PULL. They just came in from the ocean and are still carrying sea lice. The 50 degree water is ideal for their metabolism . The majority left the Chesapeake in April and have migrated in search of summer food. Hopefully I'll get some of these fish again as they take up residence.
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