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the official One Surf Fly poster
Check OneSurfFly for updates. We should have a really nice raffle for Shane this year. There will also be a few silent auction items including one of Shane’s personal Winston 8 foot, two piece bamboo fly rods valued at $1500. Hope to see some new faces out there this year. This may very well be my last One Surf Fly so please come out and show some love…
Another fine event at the Long Beach Casting Club for those who braved the SoCal ninety degree temps. The Double Haul Ball is a free all day event to help promote saltwater flyfishng techniques to those willing to learn. Special thanks to all those who volunteer each year and continue to help us educate our local want to be saltwater fly fishers and helps folks like myself become better casters. Hell, Bob Middo coined the phrase, “The Classic Al” for my forward cast which basically collapses at the very end because I tend to shock the rod on the forward cast. The boys made a few adjustments on me and before long the Qman was back to throwing darts by the end of the day. This is why the DHB is awesome, there is no place to hide, they will find your faults and correct them. I am always learning and grateful.
I want to thank all the excellent fly casting instructors like Bob Middo, John Van Derhoof, Jim Solomon, Michael Maloney, Bill Heard, Ray Bianco and Doug Spieske for making it look easy. I want to thank all our fly tiers: Alex Cady, Mike Centofani, Matt Abrams, Steve Holowell and Kevin Green for sharing their effective fly patterns with us. Thanks to Gary Bulla for joining me on our Surf presentation at the pond and Bob Middo for joining up on the Tackle Talk. Special thanks go out to Alex Ramirez and his lovely assistant Kesley Gallagher. Alex is the regional rep for Smith Sunglasses, Sage and Redington rods. Alex brought his rod racks full of fun flyfishing rods for everyone to cast. The Sage Salt was a crowd favorite this year. Thanks to the Wilderness Fly Fishing Club, Larry & Cecilia Carrol for hosting lunch and Southwest Council FFF president, Michael Schweit for keeping everyone in line, grin. We can’t forget Chris Murphy and his student ensemble, The Black Tree Band who lighten the day each year with beautiful bluegrass music during lunchtime, they are amazing! Check out Chris’s website for touring dates! Hope to see some new faces out there next year.
The One Surf Fly is coming soon! photo by Al Q.
The Black Tree Band. photo by Al Q
from left: Michael Schweit, Kesley Gallagher and Alex Ramirez. photo by Al Q
Lunch time! photo by Al Q
Bob Middo demonstrating the dynamics of a shooting head. Photo by Al Q
The might Quinn showing Jim Solomon and her dad, Al Q how to cast! photo by Janet Chang Quattrocchi
Mike Centofani working the fly tying table. photo by Michael Schweit
Rich Kanner grabbing a casting stick as Alex Ramirez watches on. Photo by Michael Schweit
Bob Middo casting! photo by Michael Schweit
Kevin “Krabby Paddy” Green having fun. photo by Michael Schweit
Lefty has had quite a life, here’s a great Q&A about some of his wonderful memories at 90 years young…
card designed by Al Q
What an amazing life and still going strong at 90 years young. Lefty still continues to drive and fly around the world fly fishing with royalty. He will always be my mentor and the fountain of saltwater fly fishing knowledge. We are all blessed to have had him affect our flyfishing lives in some form or fashion… happy birthday pal.
Mark your calendars. Conway and me will be holding a little carp seminar entitled, Sharpen Your Carpin” at Lake Hodges on Saturday, May 3oth at 9am as a prelude to the Carp Throwdown at Lake Henshaw on Saturday, June 13th. Check in with the boys at The FlyStop in La Jolla for more details. It will be free and it should be a great way to get your game on for the Carp Throwdown at Lake Henshaw which can be a finicky, technical fishery if those hoppers aren’t hopping. LOL
I highly recommend coming out this june to the hodaddy of all carparandum, the bowman/q carp throwdown. this is a feel good, fun event held at lake henshaw. we have partnered up with the fly stop this year so please stop by their shop and show some love. barbecue and live music on the friday day night before. camp out or rent a bungalow. great prizes. this will be our forth one. we try to time it right around the famous hopper hatch, when grasshoppers literally get blown into the lake and are gorged upon by acres of carp. the event is a fly only tournament, and most of the fish are caught believe it or not on dry flies on the surface. wade or boat, it’s sick, it defies logic but it all happens in june, join us! it’s on! www.carpthrowdown.com registration should be up on the fly stop website soon.
Come out to meet some of the top fly tiers in southern california and help support the southwest council fff this saturday, January 31st from 9am to 4pm at the historic long beach casting club. There are lots of great prizes to win in this year’s raffle.
Casting lessons from Federation Certified and Master Certified Casting Instructors will be available for $1 per minute (15 minute minimum).
Tell us which item raffle # bucket you want your tickets put into, and we’ll make sure you get a chance to win some great prizes for showing your support for the fly fishing community and helping out Shane Chung’s son. As a lot of you know, Shane, who was a great supporter of the fly fishing community, and a brilliant fly tyer, tragically passed away way too early last year leaving a wife and a young son.
Our friends at the Fly Stop in San Diego and all-star cameraman Austin “Dirtycarp” Trayser of Beattie Outdoor Productions put together this sweet carp adventure film. Look for it at the Fly Fishing Film Tour this year…
visit the CARPLAND page
watch the CARPLAND TRAILER here!
flies, sand & surf 