Matt Brown with a fine corbina on the fly. Photo courtesy of Matthew Brown
pink merkin by Matt Brown
this is how the Facebook IM went:
Matt: Howdy Al! I hope that this message finds you well! I’m on my back down to Oceanside this weekend. I’m so stoked to hit the beach again. I know that waters have been quite warm and I was wondering if there is anything interesting happening in the surf because of that? Any opportunities for different species or anything like that? Any insight you are willing to share would be awesome. I’m considering spending a little time chucking flies around the harbor bait dock and see what I can turn up as well. Thanks!
Q: I would consider putting on a surfin merkin fly and looking for corbina this time of year, they are everywhere. they are not easy to catch, but get out there on the early minus low tide, about an hour after the tide turns is when they get active. good luck
Matt: Thanks Al! I’ll let you know if I get into any.
Matt: Well, Neptune was smiling on me today! Was just about to call it quits today and then I spotted this fish. I led it by about 10 feet and then he pounded my fly while riding in on a little roller. Super hard fighter took me into my backing twice but I got it finally. Surfin merkin!
Q: Is that your first one, Matthew? Congrats, can I post your fish on my blog? what color/ size merkin?
Matt: It’s my first on this trip. Last summer I didn’t get one and the summer before was my first year and it was a jackpot of 5 landed corbinas. You steered me right on flies back then and I have been sticking to them.
Matt: If I remember correctly the hook is a mustad stainless size 4 but you can see it there in relation to a quarter. I use orange/black barred rubber legs with a sparkle fleck as antennae, a few strands of pink crystal flash, and then the body is shrimp pink senyo laser dub.
Matt: Please feel free to post my pic. I would be honored!
flies, sand & surf 
Hello Matt: I am recently transplanted to Palos Verdes for some of my year., I have been a Salt Water Fly fisher for many years, but in Florida which is really a different world. I would like to learn how to fish the surf, but have the limitation that the California traffic and long distance drives is almost impossible. (I am a very active 76, but that does not include adapting as yet to the traffic on the 405.) Do you have any suggestions as to where in the area of Palos Verdes I can fish the surf. I have tried the access points in P.V. but they are very steep. Is there an area in or about Redondo or San Pedro that you can recommend. Thanks in advance for any ideas you might offer. Best Nate Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2015 23:30:54 +0000 To: nathanmayl@hotmail.com
Nathan: I would try RAT beach (stands for right after Torrance) there are always Corbina there, fish there early, it gets lots of surfers and stand up paddlers! Good luck!
Thanks for posting this Al! I’ll see if I can manage one more before I have head back home.
Good luck Matt, you got the hardest one, the first one of the season.