SHigSpeed
05-02-2010, 08:20 PM
Okay, have you guys all had enough of Lahontan talk? If so, stop reading! :)
I got lucky enough to get a pass from the boss and a good buddy with a truck more suited to cruising the rutted beaches than my minivan to drive. He's got a group of friends doing the "guys retreat" trip (I can already see the movie trailer now) in a rented motorhome camped out and meeting us there.
We get there not at the crack of dawn and it's a beautiful day, if a bit breezy (see the whitecaps already?):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4569661769_d679953bee_b.jpg
We gear up and haul the ladders into the waves (which seemed big at the time, but they were mere puppy waves! - read on for Big Dog waves):
Morning Line-up:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4570307710_2aa8ebcd23.jpg
I get a slow start, got a couple here and there, but I was at the end of the line and the guys in the middle were doing better - steadily getting fish. After a while, I couldn't take it any longer and I squeezed into a questionable gap amongst friends. Don't try this in a "locals only" line! :)
First fish of the day:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4569663383_b886ff6378.jpg
Well? Still no joy. Everyone around was steadily scoring and I was being left behind! Around noon, the wind started to pick up and the waves got bigger. Fishing got steadily better.
More FP:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4570303476_4dd1d25cf7.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/4570306396_2ccdfbaa88.jpg
Is it just me or does the waves and beach and mountains behind look reminiscent of Waikiki? :) Where are the bikini clad beauties?
We'd just about break for lunch, then rods would bend a-la "the wave" down the line and we'd all scramble back up the ladder to get a shot at the pod. Hysterical! Finally, our hunger got the best of us and we waded back up to shore.
After a quick sandwich, and for some a change of clothing, I was the first to venture back to my perch. The wind had gotten worse and some ladders were starting to fall over in the waves. I mount up. First cast - fish on! Second cast - fish on! I turn around to see a group pounding back out to their ladders! <lol> Few more casts later fish on! It was like this (for me) for a few hours while the rest of the crew were doing pretty well (but I had the magic fly I guess!).
Here's a "small" fish:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4570341888_fbd76380a4.jpg
Here's a "bigger" fish:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/4570344794_30d05e9be9.jpg
Here's what I REALLY wanted to get, but didn't:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4573525362_b16ea677f2_o.jpg
My biggest of the day (the wind at this point had rendered my floppy hat a dicey proposition hence the ninja look):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4572892439_31bf498af0_o.jpg
Well, by 4:00 or so the wind was howling at our faces and the waves were literally breaking on the ladders. People were being knocked off of their ladders left and right. It was nearly as much fun to see the guys in line exercising a balance of fish lust and self-preservation as catching fish in the swell while trying to fling unwieldy multi-fly sinking and shooting head lines into a hurricane.
Exhibit W:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/4572892559_d0062c466a_o.jpg
In the end, light was failing, waves were growing, and it was time. Still managed to outlast most of the idiots out there! :)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4573260035_74979f148a_o.jpg
In all, a fantastic day. Definitely in my hall of fame. The big fish went over 10 for sure, and JBlack had one break off at the net after battling with the fish, a couple overturned ladders, and waves crashing through the whole ordeal that was said to be even bigger.
My final tally was more than 2 dozen averaging about 20" with the largest probably around half a foot or more longer. That's almost twice as many as my first two trips combined! Our "inner circle" of 5 got better than 100. Quite a day. I guess the only thing missing from this trip to fully encapsulate the "Pyramid Experience" was white-out snow. Got everything else - manic fishing, nutty wind, ocean waves, and a party atmosphere. Crazy thing was the talk at the beach said that Friday was even BETTER!
I'm not complaining.
_SHig
I got lucky enough to get a pass from the boss and a good buddy with a truck more suited to cruising the rutted beaches than my minivan to drive. He's got a group of friends doing the "guys retreat" trip (I can already see the movie trailer now) in a rented motorhome camped out and meeting us there.
We get there not at the crack of dawn and it's a beautiful day, if a bit breezy (see the whitecaps already?):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4569661769_d679953bee_b.jpg
We gear up and haul the ladders into the waves (which seemed big at the time, but they were mere puppy waves! - read on for Big Dog waves):
Morning Line-up:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4570307710_2aa8ebcd23.jpg
I get a slow start, got a couple here and there, but I was at the end of the line and the guys in the middle were doing better - steadily getting fish. After a while, I couldn't take it any longer and I squeezed into a questionable gap amongst friends. Don't try this in a "locals only" line! :)
First fish of the day:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4569663383_b886ff6378.jpg
Well? Still no joy. Everyone around was steadily scoring and I was being left behind! Around noon, the wind started to pick up and the waves got bigger. Fishing got steadily better.
More FP:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4570303476_4dd1d25cf7.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/4570306396_2ccdfbaa88.jpg
Is it just me or does the waves and beach and mountains behind look reminiscent of Waikiki? :) Where are the bikini clad beauties?
We'd just about break for lunch, then rods would bend a-la "the wave" down the line and we'd all scramble back up the ladder to get a shot at the pod. Hysterical! Finally, our hunger got the best of us and we waded back up to shore.
After a quick sandwich, and for some a change of clothing, I was the first to venture back to my perch. The wind had gotten worse and some ladders were starting to fall over in the waves. I mount up. First cast - fish on! Second cast - fish on! I turn around to see a group pounding back out to their ladders! <lol> Few more casts later fish on! It was like this (for me) for a few hours while the rest of the crew were doing pretty well (but I had the magic fly I guess!).
Here's a "small" fish:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4570341888_fbd76380a4.jpg
Here's a "bigger" fish:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/4570344794_30d05e9be9.jpg
Here's what I REALLY wanted to get, but didn't:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4573525362_b16ea677f2_o.jpg
My biggest of the day (the wind at this point had rendered my floppy hat a dicey proposition hence the ninja look):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4572892439_31bf498af0_o.jpg
Well, by 4:00 or so the wind was howling at our faces and the waves were literally breaking on the ladders. People were being knocked off of their ladders left and right. It was nearly as much fun to see the guys in line exercising a balance of fish lust and self-preservation as catching fish in the swell while trying to fling unwieldy multi-fly sinking and shooting head lines into a hurricane.
Exhibit W:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/4572892559_d0062c466a_o.jpg
In the end, light was failing, waves were growing, and it was time. Still managed to outlast most of the idiots out there! :)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4573260035_74979f148a_o.jpg
In all, a fantastic day. Definitely in my hall of fame. The big fish went over 10 for sure, and JBlack had one break off at the net after battling with the fish, a couple overturned ladders, and waves crashing through the whole ordeal that was said to be even bigger.
My final tally was more than 2 dozen averaging about 20" with the largest probably around half a foot or more longer. That's almost twice as many as my first two trips combined! Our "inner circle" of 5 got better than 100. Quite a day. I guess the only thing missing from this trip to fully encapsulate the "Pyramid Experience" was white-out snow. Got everything else - manic fishing, nutty wind, ocean waves, and a party atmosphere. Crazy thing was the talk at the beach said that Friday was even BETTER!
I'm not complaining.
_SHig