an assortment of Al Q baitfish flies tied with sf blend. fourth down from the top is the yellowtail slayer! photo by Al Q
the magic patty. photo by randy norris
nice yellow falls to a Q baitfish fly. photo by randy norris
big boy with a Q fly souvenir. photo by randy norris
this report comes directly from my old fishing buddy randy norris who lives in riverside, california. i am so happy that he beat up on some quality yellowtail with these new baitfish flies I have been messing around with, I assure you, he will be receiving a new supply soon…thanks randy!
Magic Paddy- Al I lost all of your flies!!!
Awhile back Al Q sent me some prototype bait fish patterns to try out. I was looking forward to trying them when I had a chance on a paddy with decent YT. Today was the day. I ran solo out of Mission bay through the 101 and tracked the Canyon ridge headed toward the finger bank. Lot’s of life, dolphin, gray whales and even a killer whale were out there. About 8 miles into the route below the 101 and about 40 lies from Mission bay. I come across what we always dream of a beautiful paddy just sitting there in calm water. As I get closer I see that there are boils around the paddy. I figure this is the time to throw Al’s fly. I was expecting small YT but got a surprise. Fist cast got hit immediately and head shakes then right into the kelp couldn’t stop it. Next two casts same results. So I motor off the kelp and re-rig with straight 30 lb Fluorocarbon> I’m afraid I might have out them down. I cast and once again I’m hit head shakes and this time I throw my engine in gear and button down on the reel and pull the fish off the kelp. Now I am able to fight it and it comes to the gaff about a twenty plus pounder. I try again but they won’t take the fly. So I use sardines and get two more this time with my conventional rod loaded with spectra it is no problem when the run into the kelp it just saws it off. One fish well over twenty and a toad YT that weighed just under thirty-five pounds had one of Al’s flies in it. Great start to the season. This should be epic. I hope I can talk Al into sporting me some of his new bait fish flies. I tie but I am not in Al’s league.
flies, sand & surf 
Too bad that fish broke off the fly. What fish wouldn’t eat one of Q’s bait patterns? Jim
Does not look much like catch and release
nothing wrong with fresh hamachi, I am sure Randy has lots of friends and family, like you never killed fish John. (grin)
The first of the season I keep a few. I dont keep small YT. As the season goes on we release most of the YT. When the tuna come in we keep some as well and release a lot of others.