Greg Madrigal
10-12-2009, 08:59 PM
I headed out in very nice conditions Sat. morning to Long Pt. on Catalina w/Harvey.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina019.jpg
He is getting big into fly-fishing, so, I wanted to show him a fun way to s/w fly fish and bonies were the natural choice! When we were about 15 miles across from HH, I spotted something ahead-It was dark, VERY LARGE, and mysterious. We could see boats and white water, but I couldn’t make out what was happening. As we got closer, we realized there were 3 jet-skiers milling around a small area. As we get closer Harv spots a whales exhale! Then we see it come up and it’s WAY FRIGGIN HUGE!
At one point, one dived down and I could see its massive reflection (which sort of looked Caribbean blue in color) swim under my boat-I was a bit unnerved at this due to his size! A few seconds later, he surfaces on the other side smimming directly away from us. The sound of their exhale was just HUGE!!!! It was all so cool.
Here is a video of the whale …
[URL=http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/?action=view¤t=CAtalina018-1.flv]
We motored around the general area for 20 minutes looking at baby blues, and their mommas too! We could see about a dozen whales spouting in a 1 mile radius. Here is a lil baby…
[IMG]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina020.jpg
After leaving the whales, we encountered a HUGE pod of porpoise and fooled around for a bit with them for a few before setting off to out destination.
We got there by 8:30 and started by throwing lures-We didn’t have bait. After 5 minutes of no luv, I decided to troll. We trolled a small croc, a Zara Spook,(yes, that right!) and a red Mirr0shad! 5 minutes into our troll we get slammed and all three rods go bend-0!!!
We reeled all in but left two hanging to keep the school around. We could see hundreds and hundreds of bones below us, and it was game on!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina028.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina046.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina047.jpg
They were small but fun and plentiful! I was really here for the bigger models which we never did encounter but it was still fun…Great on the fly! I pretty much stuck with the top water biz since triple h/ups were the norm, and another fly rod would have made a mess. I think we ended up with at least 6 triples, and a few doubles. I don’t think we had one single! Keep in mind I was TROLLING t/w baits!
From then on, our day went exactly like that! We would troll for a few, get a triple knock-down, then get to work on the flies and poppers. It was sick fun on the top water gear!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina024.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina031.jpg
Harvey on the fly
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina032.jpg
During one of our trolls, I tell Harvey, “keep an eye out 4 bald eagles, the last time I was here there were a couple right along this beach here….” Harv replies, You mean like THAT one?” and points just over my head. I glance up expecting to see a gull and sure as Shidizzle, there is a bald eagle flying right over us!
He joined up with his friend a half mile off shore then flew back and landed on a nearby cliff. http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina036.jpg
Cool. Both had wing #’s on em.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina041.jpg
I had a cool lil t/w plug I’ve been wanting to try and the bonies loved it as much as this gull! Safely CPR’d…
Well the bonies hung out to play until around 3 when the wind picked up. We headed home for a punishing and wet 75 minute ride…But even the water was a warm 65 degrees. The water didn’t bother us (except for the chafed nipples. Wazzup w/that anyhoo!?!?!?)
Man what a day.:)
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina019.jpg
He is getting big into fly-fishing, so, I wanted to show him a fun way to s/w fly fish and bonies were the natural choice! When we were about 15 miles across from HH, I spotted something ahead-It was dark, VERY LARGE, and mysterious. We could see boats and white water, but I couldn’t make out what was happening. As we got closer, we realized there were 3 jet-skiers milling around a small area. As we get closer Harv spots a whales exhale! Then we see it come up and it’s WAY FRIGGIN HUGE!
At one point, one dived down and I could see its massive reflection (which sort of looked Caribbean blue in color) swim under my boat-I was a bit unnerved at this due to his size! A few seconds later, he surfaces on the other side smimming directly away from us. The sound of their exhale was just HUGE!!!! It was all so cool.
Here is a video of the whale …
[URL=http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/?action=view¤t=CAtalina018-1.flv]
We motored around the general area for 20 minutes looking at baby blues, and their mommas too! We could see about a dozen whales spouting in a 1 mile radius. Here is a lil baby…
[IMG]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina020.jpg
After leaving the whales, we encountered a HUGE pod of porpoise and fooled around for a bit with them for a few before setting off to out destination.
We got there by 8:30 and started by throwing lures-We didn’t have bait. After 5 minutes of no luv, I decided to troll. We trolled a small croc, a Zara Spook,(yes, that right!) and a red Mirr0shad! 5 minutes into our troll we get slammed and all three rods go bend-0!!!
We reeled all in but left two hanging to keep the school around. We could see hundreds and hundreds of bones below us, and it was game on!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina028.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina046.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina047.jpg
They were small but fun and plentiful! I was really here for the bigger models which we never did encounter but it was still fun…Great on the fly! I pretty much stuck with the top water biz since triple h/ups were the norm, and another fly rod would have made a mess. I think we ended up with at least 6 triples, and a few doubles. I don’t think we had one single! Keep in mind I was TROLLING t/w baits!
From then on, our day went exactly like that! We would troll for a few, get a triple knock-down, then get to work on the flies and poppers. It was sick fun on the top water gear!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina024.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina031.jpg
Harvey on the fly
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina032.jpg
During one of our trolls, I tell Harvey, “keep an eye out 4 bald eagles, the last time I was here there were a couple right along this beach here….” Harv replies, You mean like THAT one?” and points just over my head. I glance up expecting to see a gull and sure as Shidizzle, there is a bald eagle flying right over us!
He joined up with his friend a half mile off shore then flew back and landed on a nearby cliff. http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina036.jpg
Cool. Both had wing #’s on em.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Catalina%2010-10-09/CAtalina041.jpg
I had a cool lil t/w plug I’ve been wanting to try and the bonies loved it as much as this gull! Safely CPR’d…
Well the bonies hung out to play until around 3 when the wind picked up. We headed home for a punishing and wet 75 minute ride…But even the water was a warm 65 degrees. The water didn’t bother us (except for the chafed nipples. Wazzup w/that anyhoo!?!?!?)
Man what a day.:)