Weekend in the Marin surf...

[Wingman]

Mark,

Very nice photos, diagram, and and info. I have been wanting to head over to the coast to try some surf fishing for a long time. It sounds like now is the time to go! I am going to get busy and tie up some of your patterns. Have you fished the beach along Pt. Reyes?

Thanks

Hey Wingman,

I've been fishing Pt. Reyes for many years, generally along 10-Mile Beach & Drake's Bay. It's a very scenic & fairly remote section of coastline with varying land topology & marine habitats - definitely one of my favorite surf fishing destinations.

- Mark

[Adam Grace]

Thanks for the pictures. I have seen so many different surf perch.

[Loren E]

great pics, i lived in point reyes and had good luck at stinson, though not so much on the point reyes beaches. Do you ever fish Limantour, and the surf is pretty rough up at 10 mile, does that make fishing the light rod a bit tough?

Hey Loren,

Yeah, I've fished the entire stretch of sandy shoreline ringing Drake's Bay, from Limantour (& the mouth of the Estero) to Drake's Beach. The beaches along 10-Mile are generally rougher around North Beach & points southward. The shoreline here slopes abruptly into the surf with strong wave hydraulics & currents along the shorebreak - these are not very conducive for fly fishing, in my opinion (OK for conventional or spin tackle, though).

However, the surf becomes very fly-fishable between Abbott's Lagoon & Kehoe as the offshore currents tend to deposit more sand & create good structure to buffer the shoreline from the waves at this end of 10-Mile. There are also some nice sandy coves & short stretches of beach at McClures Beach & along the west side of Tomales Head to the north - it's a strenuous hike between these beaches & the main trail at the top of the ridgeline, but the views & scenery are just spectacular & breathtaking (literally!).

As with all other coastal areas, the fishability of each beach is governed by the prevailing weather & marine conditions on any given day. After exploring & fishing the Pt. Reyes surf over the years in all seasons, I've found that there's usually a patch of water somewhere in the area worth wetting a fly or two (& sometime a few fish that give a tug on the other end!)

- Mark

[mike N]

great info mark, thanks.

I hope you don't mind if I use a bit of it next week while I'm at Dillon beach.

MN

Hey Mike,

I've never fished Dillon - I keep passing it up on the way to Bodega along Hwy 1. Dillon & Lawson's Landing always look so inviting from the top of Tomales Head during the summer. Best of luck out there.

Mark

[mike N]

Well,

if you see someone out there wed- friday next week stop by and say hellow. I recall spring breaks there as a kid, I wathced a guy knock them out with pile worms and conventional gear. I have always fished the surf with an 8wt, but I think I will leave it at home and bring the 1, 3 and 5 wts.

MN

[Loren E]

Mark, i'd like to start fishin that area more often, we could put you up for a night at my mom's bed and breakfast in point reyes sometime if you're ever up for throwin a line with a father and son team out there. Tight lines -Loren

Hey Loren,

Thanks for the kind & generous offer. Surf fishing at Pt. Reyes should improve as winter approaches, so bring a rod or 2 along if you ever get a chance to venture that way over the next couple months.

best,

Mark