Gone fishing...

[Mike in Seattle]

The Long Beach Casting Club was established in 1925 and has hosted the likes of Lee Wulf and Zane Grey. We have our own clubhouse in Recreation Park in Long Beach with our own practice pool out in front. In the fall we host a rod-building class, through the winter fly-tying, in the spring beginning casting and through the summer the guys go fishing. All of these are open to the public, membership is encouraged but not required. One Thursday a month we have a general meeting with speaker or event, Tuesdays are for instruction and casting practice (along with shooting the bull and smoking fine cigars on the lawn) the retired members congregate at noon for lunch and more casting practice and every six or so years we host the American Casting Club National competition. One Olympics, we even hosted casting as a demonstration Olympic sport. The club has around 4-500 members and serves as the social center for a goodly number of them. http://www.longbeachcastingclub.org/

Dad used to go there quite often. He was a long-time (decades) member of the L.B. Sportsmen's Club which I was a little surprised to see was still going strong. I've still got a nick on my fingers from one of the pirahhnas one of the members caught and had mounted by the bar.

While we used to spend summers at June Lake or camping Rock Creek and those areas, those were always bait-casting and spin-casting trips. And then I turned 13 or so and got in sailing as my summer sport of choice. Since then, I moved to the Seattle area 17 years ago, and now regret donating all Dad's fishing gear to the club when we were preparing the move north. Several classic bamboo rods that I'm told would've been worth a mint today, and seeing how the modern versions are going for $2000-up... <sigh>

But in the last six months, I've gotten into fly-casting. I took the classes at Orvis and read voraciously and was out front till late hours of the evening practicing casting. And I supposed I should feel a little like I'm fishing in Scotland since the theater I'm on the board of is doing Brigadoon in the great outdoors for two more weekends, and we have 1/3 mile of prime steelhead & salmon river, and rainbows & brows like crazy above the Falls. So I've spent a couple evening "down on the river" with my fly rod hearing the bagpipes drifting down the hills, sipping from a flask of single malt from the shores of the River Spey.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

There is an exceedingly rarified form of fly fishing (I only know about this from hearsay, mind) that is done with a very long, fine bamboo rod and a leader. No line, no casting, just dabbing the #20 fly on the surface or floating the #18 nymph down the current. I suspect that it will be forever beyond me.

Tenkara - a Japanese traditional form of fishing.

 

[Oldsarge]

The LBSC and the LBCC are two different organizations. I don't know anything about the LBSC except that I was there for a couple of Ducks Unlimited meetings and got thoroughly turned off by DU. I won't go of on a rant and I don't blame the LBSC for any group that just uses their facilities, but 'nuff said!

Anyway, thanx a lot for the Tenkara link. It isn't the method I was thinking of but it looks really fascinating for stream anglers. Personally, because I live so close to the beach and so far from the mountains that I am by inclination a surf and still water guy but having a Tenkara setup in my traveling gear is appealing.

 

[Doublegun]

The Long Beach Casting Club was established in 1925 and has hosted the likes of Lee Wulf and Zane Grey. We have our own clubhouse in Recreation Park in Long Beach with our own practice pool out in front. In the fall we host a rod-building class, through the winter fly-tying, in the spring beginning casting and through the summer the guys go fishing. All of these are open to the public, membership is encouraged but not required. One Thursday a month we have a general meeting with speaker or event, Tuesdays are for instruction and casting practice (along with shooting the bull and smoking fine cigars on the lawn) the retired members congregate at noon for lunch and more casting practice and every six or so years we host the American Casting Club National competition. One Olympics, we even hosted casting as a demonstration Olympic sport. The club has around 4-500 members and serves as the social center for a goodly number of them. http://www.longbeachcastingclub.org/

Very cool. Thanks for sharing the link. Glad to know at least one is still in existence.

JDG

 

[PADDY]

About 10lb - wild Scottish Salmon (male). Photo via iPhone.

 

[Chasseur]

Paddy smashing great pictures!

 

[Dennis Young]

Looking forward to warmer weather and getting some Bass fishing in pretty soon. I usually wait until the dogwood begins to blood, so I’m sort of bouncing off the walls right now. J

 

[Renault]

Trying to keep it vintage!

2010 season, after old son and I had elk on the ground we decided for a change in diet. Pulled in these rainbows!

 

[Dennis Young]

Cool! How vintage though? Wooden fishing rods? Antique lures? Id be scared to try that. I’d be afraid I’d break something or lose a lure. J

 

[Tiki Tom]

Old school fishing hat that Hemingway made famous. I own one that is very old and beat-up. I even wear it when fishing occasionally.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/07/quaker-marine-ernest-hemingway-hat/amp

 

[Bugguy]

Signed up and bought tickets for myself and son-in-law to attend LL Beans fly-fishing school in Maine next month. A "bucket-list" experience and time to bond. Cancelled! Now maybe late summer.

 

[Tiki Tom]

So I've spent a couple evening "down on the river" with my fly rod hearing the bagpipes drifting down the hills, sipping from a flask of single malt from the shores of the River Spey.

This sentence paints a lovely picture.

 

[Bugguy]

Took the little one fishing for the first time last weekend for my birthday. She caught all the worms the night before. Three adults and lures... she (2 1/2) caught both fish.

 

[Bushman]

I visited the ol childhood fishing hole and there's one of my lures still stuck in a tree where I left it many years before...

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

Few years ago borrowed a friends "wading chains" sandles. They worked great, but never got around to getting my own til now. Last week with spring on the horizon I called LL Bean customer service to ask about possible getting a pair. They had to do a short search but found some just my size. I'm now ready to try 'em out on South Branch Potomac and many other smaller trout streams. COME ON SPRING!

LL Bean streamside cleats (https://m.llbean.com/llb/shop/91159?page=boa-stream-cleats) are not ice crampons. But are strictly for wading streams.

 

[Bugguy]

I've been out with my son-in-law a couple of times so far this year on the Davidson River in Pisgah Nat'l Forest in Brevard, North Carolina (Blue Ridge Mountains). Beautiful days, cold air and water, but nice smallish Rainbow, Brown, and Brook. This is my first year out without a guide and I'm loving it. I'm working on my form, landing and avoiding trees. All great fun!

 

[MisterCairo]

Sea lamprey, anyone?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sea-lamprey-video-spawning-1.6484828