A report from SteveL
On a long three-day weekend I spent half of it cleaning out my mom's garage and patio and the other half doing what I like doing best, fishing.
SATURDAY
I had a late start and went out after lunch hoping to catch the tide before it peaked. I was the only one out there on the entire flat. I thought it pretty amazing since it was Saturday.
I worked my way out to the point and had one grab, but it didn't stick. I continued down past the point to flag poles and then had another grab. This one runs toward the reef taking all my loose coils of fly line and then pulls hook. I swore out loud, enough to be heard by some kayakers coming my way.
As the tide rose I was wading in spots up to my chest so I figure I'd better turn around so I wouldn't have to swim while casting. The wind was really whipping up by then and I was wet and cold. As I headed back, I worked my way up wind and kept casting as I went. In front of a sandy channel I finally get another grab and this one runs 60 yards into my backing. But just when I thought I might have a good battle, it pulls hook! I call it a day....
SUNDAY
I went to the same spot again but this time a couple of hours earlier. There were two other fly fishermen on the flats so I headed towards the point to avoid them.
As I walked out in thigh deep water I see three ghostly shapes moving away from me about 35 feet to my front. Nothing I could get a cast to unfortunately.
It was much windier than Saturday--in fact the wind would gust upwards of 30 mph making little white caps and wavelets over the entire flats at times. The other two fishermen were trying to sight cast and stuck near shore which was more sheltered from the wind. I paid no heed to the wind and headed for the point.
After about an hour working that area with out a single bite, I decide to move back to the spot I had hooked up the day before. And sure enough, with in a half hour, a fish slams my fly and takes off. It peels out over 90-plus yards of line before I can start reeling. I worked the fish in and at the same time begin walking towards shore. About a hundred yards from the beach I finally net the fish. I drag it over to a guy fishing from shore and ask him to take my picture and he obliged. My Oio weighed about four pounds. Not a monster but it gave me one heck of fight.
