Salt Castings

Noah and I tested the boys’ first pair of waders this morning at Carkeek.  John, the old guy from Patrick’s, was just coming off the water after a shutout as we were gearing up in the parking lot.  After he identified my mystery fly as a pink comet, we scampered across the bridge.  My plan was to do the casting and let Noah start getting the feel for managing the rod and stripping in the fly.  I tied on a trusty pink and white mini-ceiver on my 4-5wt with a floating line and leader.  The first cast and retrieve was rough.  The second was a little better.  My third cast was a bomb, the kind when you wish you had another five feet of line pooled at your feet.  Noah stripped it a few times then bam, a little sea run cutthroat hit.  He held the rod while I pulled it in.  It was hard to say who was more excited – me or him – though I think I was the one doing most of the hollering.  Bright fish, about eight inches, but the poor thing was covered in sea lice. 

We worked down the bank a few more yards and saw a fish roll within range but couldn’t get it to rise.  A couple of casts later we had another fish follow the fly in and make a pass just at the surface before spooking at the sight of us.  Couldn’t tell how big but loved the sight of the bow wake.

Noah decided after that he wanted to play with some other kids on the beach, so I picked up my rod and gave the pink comet a bath.  Got one solid hit but that was all.