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Go Fishing

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41–50 of 101 posts

Re: Go Fishing

#41
post #33

Any recommendation for fishing around the Bay Area? I read that the water's quality of nearby lakes and rivers is pretty low.

All along the Bay Area coast, you can catch surf perch, striped bass, dungeness crabs, and many more. Pacifica Pier and Half Moon Bay jetty are popular spots that doesn't require a license, but please make sure to read up on CDFW regulations.

I would highly recommend Kirk Lombard's "The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast" It details a lot of the species of fish around the bay area, and also non fish species that are foraged like clams and seaweed.

Here's a summary of regulations for the Coastal waters of the Bay Area https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Fishin...

Re: Go Fishing

#42
No other activity settles my mind quite like fly fishing. Contrary to popular belief, fly fishing’s primary objective is to catch fish, but I have to admit that perfecting the cast sometimes takes most of my focus. If I’m catching fish, great! If not, no matter, I’ll be enthralled with trying to gracefully land a caddis imitation 40 feet away over and over and over again. Once I picked up a fly rod I never looked back. The casting is pure poetry.

Re: Go Fishing

#43

My favorite part about fishing is that it has nothing to do with catching fish. As a catch-and-release fly fisherman, the entire point of the exercise is in matching the hatch, tying a perfect fly, perfecting your cast, having the perfect presentation, and finding the exact right riffle. At that point, actually hooking a fish is just a side effect of what you are already doing.

Then why not practice without a fly - with just a pole and a line?

You would not bother any fish, and you would derive as much enjoyment.

(I am not into fishing so I may be missing something)

Re: Go Fishing

#46
post #41
post #33

Any recommendation for fishing around the Bay Area? I read that the water's quality of nearby lakes and rivers is pretty low.

All along the Bay Area coast, you can catch surf perch, striped bass, dungeness crabs, and many more. Pacifica Pier and Half Moon Bay jetty are popular spots that doesn't require a license, but please make sure to read up on CDFW regulations. I would highly recommend Kirk Lombard's "The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast" It details a lot of the species of fish around the bay area, and also non fish…

I second the suggestion for Kirk Lombard's "The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast". One of the most entertaining books I've read in awhile.

Kirk also does tours, sells what he catches and has an entertaining youtube channel.

Re: Go Fishing

#47

It's kind of boring. Fine for a diversion to get away from a desk, I can't imagine it as a lifestyle though.

Im with you on this. Ive been fishing a couple times, caught some dinner, but I've never felt the urge to go fishing. Lots of more fun active outdoorsy things to do that satisfy all the wanting to be out in nature, but are also active and exciting and fun. Might just be sampling bias, but all the people I know who love to fish are in no shape to climb a rock wall.

Being fit is not the most important thing in life (Overweight, but not obese people, have a higher life expectancy than standard weight people.)

Re: Go Fishing

#48
post #42

No other activity settles my mind quite like fly fishing. Contrary to popular belief, fly fishing’s primary objective is to catch fish, but I have to admit that perfecting the cast sometimes takes most of my focus. If I’m catching fish, great! If not, no matter, I’ll be enthralled with trying to gracefully land a caddis imitation 40 feet away over and over and over again. Once I picked up a fly rod I never looked bac…

Fellow HN reader/fly fisher here. I tie my own flies as well. As a friend once said - you get to work on these flies through the year as a way to do something fishing related when you don't have time to fish, then when you catch a fish on a fly you tied you can tell it "I started catching you months ago."

Re: Go Fishing

#49
I spent a lot of time fishing as a child, as my father was an avid fisherman. Some of my best memories are of stream and lake fishing in the Sierras, tuna fishing off boats in Cabo, and bass fishing of the coast near Del Mar.

And yet I can't get myself to do it as an adult, even though I have two young children who I know would love it. It's with very mixed emotion that I decide not to go. My social circle finds fishing repugnant, and while that's a factor, I could just do it and not tell them. But there is also the aspect of hooking a fish and dragging it in for sport. I eat meat and don't even find the act of fishing particular offensive, but I guess I do have some buddhist sentiments lurking in the back of my mind. It seems that if I wish to harvest fish I should do so in the quickest and least painful way, and not as a sport. I do wish I did not have this lingering concern as I would love to go fishing without guilt.

I do not take offense to anyone else fishing for sport, so forgive me if my comment sounds judgmental, as that is not my intent.

Re: Go Fishing

#50
post #42

No other activity settles my mind quite like fly fishing. Contrary to popular belief, fly fishing’s primary objective is to catch fish, but I have to admit that perfecting the cast sometimes takes most of my focus. If I’m catching fish, great! If not, no matter, I’ll be enthralled with trying to gracefully land a caddis imitation 40 feet away over and over and over again. Once I picked up a fly rod I never looked bac…

Fellow HN reader/fly fisher here. I tie my own flies as well. As a friend once said - you get to work on these flies through the year as a way to do something fishing related when you don't have time to fish, then when you catch a fish on a fly you tied you can tell it "I started catching you months ago."

You should try building your own rod as well. You can do it pretty cheap and it's a he'll of a good feeling when you get that fish on your own rod and fly.
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