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David Lee
08-05-2005, 10:48 AM
Hello all - :mrgreen:

Since I've managed to finally land one on a fly , and several board members have shown some interest .... I thought I'd pass along the wisdom I've gained from three trips and one fish :roll: :P

http://members.sparedollar.com/fadoe/IM002241.JPG

I have learned that if the water isn't clear (3-5 feet vis.) , you likely won't catch them . They seem to have poor eyesight . Take a very close look at what is going on around you .... You often can observe Leopards hunting or crusing around . If you see one , cast to it (always something to learn from a refusal , right ?) . They can be spooky - try to use a fly that doesn't sink too fast , and lead the Shark when you figure out which direction he (she ??) is headed in .

http://members.sparedollar.com/fadoe/IM002238.JPG

Places to find them include small to mid-sized bays from San Francisco on north , the smaller the better . Get out there at dead-low tide , and watch carefully when the tide starts to come it .... you will likely see those devils crusing w/ dorsal fins poking up thru the surface (insert dark music here) .
Small channels leading into back-bays and large points in larger bays are prime spots to see them . If the bay/estuary you've chosen to fish in has an Oyster farm in it , try there first . Leopards are not difficult to find ....

Your rods should be 8-10 wts. , lines floaters , and leaders from 6 to 12 feet long . I haven't used a wire bite tippet yet , just 15-20 lb. mono . They will get into your backing , so use 30 lb. Micron instead of 20 lb. - there's a lot of 'sharp' things in the water .... don't lose your hard-earned Shark and your flyline .

Landing your Shark is an adventure - they don't have bones , so they are VERY flexable .... grab one by the tail and see just how flexable they are :shock: . I like to grab them BEHIND the head , and at the tail at the same time - that seems to work well on fish up to 4 feet long . While not exactly bloodthirsty , they WILL bite if you give 'em the chance - BE CAREFUL . Twist the fly out and let them go !!

David

flygolf
08-05-2005, 12:09 PM
David that is an Awesome Fish, thanks for all the advise it is definately something that I want to persue hopefully sooner than later. Congratulations!!!

Lee Haskin
08-05-2005, 03:36 PM
David,

Great pictures, and good for you! Sight fishing, of any kind is a hoot, and that looks particularly fun. The area around Moss Landing, where we used to chase leapard sharks with conventional gear, is now closed to fishing. Grrrr!

Some years ago when I was fishing permit, in the Keys, I asked the guide about fly fishing for sharks....well when a lemon shark came in close, he handed me a floater, rigged with a gurgler, and Wham! Very cool to see that shark come up, poke its nose out of the water and eat the gurgler.

That sure looks like fun.

You're the man! Thanks for the post.

Lee

PaulC
08-05-2005, 07:29 PM
Definitely cool to get a fair leopard sight casting of that size. I've only had a couple fair takes and only one sight casting. The other was a blind take, a big fish (half length of rod roughly), and made me late for work.
Most of the time I end up foul hooking unintentionally while fishing for perch, corbina, halibut, etc. Beautiful fish and man do they have some pull to them.
You're right on the flexibility. The smaller ones can make a complete u-turn and latch onto your arm.
-Paul