Country Roads, Take Me Home..

Last Fish of the Trip.

As you are reading this, if all goes well, I should be on my way back to West Virginia and my Foggy Mountain. It's always hard to leave at the end of vacation, but it makes it a little easier to know that I have a place down here anytime I want. It has been a great two weeks and has helped develop my new hobby and love for Surf Fishing! The last few days of surf fishing went well....

The last few mornings have began to blur together,  but each morning has been a great experience. With the help of JM of Something's Fishy, I have managed to find a love for a new form of fishing, Surf Fishing. It was an interesting adventure in the salt water! The last four days I've only managed to catch two more sand sharks, but I did load up on quite a few more whiting, with a few that rivaled my personal best (sadly, I didn't get to measure them). The most interesting morning was the morning that I couldn't catch anything but Channel Catfish, when the first one hit I wasn't even close to knowing what was on the end of my line. The bite didn't feel like anything I had reeled in before, but as soon I saw those whiskers I knew what I had caught. With my last bit of shrimp and last cast today, I ended up landing my largest catfish of the trip. I couldn't help but laugh as I returned my that catfish into the ocean, because all I could think was I could be home catching catfish but I had to come all the way to a sandy shore in Florida to do it. I wouldn't have it any other way though!

My last morning fishing and releasing the last fish I caught that day.

Although, I am sad to leave behind the salty shore, John Denver said it best when he said, "Country roads, take me home.. To the place I belong.. West Virginia, Mountain Mama.. Take me home, country roads.."

On the Water: July 22 - 25, 2011

This is a whole new version of an "On the Water" report, normally it is  a post about me running up and down the river banks. That's not what's happening this time, this time I am thigh deep in salt water. I have been a little busy fishing the last few day as well as laying on the beach and just relaxing, since I am on vacation, haha. But I will get everyone caught up with a quick overview of each day I went fishing as well as a few pictures.

July 22, 2011

This day went great and horrible all at the same time, it was the first time I set foot in the water attempting to be a surf fisher. It went well I hooked up with two whiting, but the managed to get off roughly, five to ten feet from me. This was due in part to the fact that I was using store bought rigs, and not the homemade ones JM had instructed me to use when he was giving me advice early last week. This instilled the confidence I need to know I could catch fish, and the need to start tying my own rigs. Since I started using my own rigs, I haven't lost a fish.

July 23, 2011

My First Surf Fish

Armed with my own rigs I gave it another try the next evening after a day on the beach. I wasn't expecting much as the other fisherman around where not catching much, but I was hopeful.  Apparently all I needed was a little hope and dumb luck, I managed to land my first fish only a few casts in that evening. It wasn't a beast, it wasn't even the hardest fighting fish, but it was my first. It was a seven to eight inch Whiting (See picture left). I was ecstatic, yes even for a little fish like that, but what I was about to catch next would put a smile on my face you couldn't wipe off. As the second wave of people came to the beach they slowly started pushing me away from where I was fishing. I decided walk down the beach to avoid the swimmers and surfs and it paid off. I cast in and was starting to wonder how a larger fish would feel if it hit, luckily I didn't have to wait long, I felt something tug on the line, it wasn't much of a fight, but it was a 15 inch Sand Shark (my largest thus far). It was only a baby, but for a redneck from West Virginia it was amazing to catch even a baby shark.

July 24, 2011

First Catch of the Day

Sunrise

After catching my first fish and shark while surf fishing, I was hooked (no pun intended). Cassie and I decided to get up and early and head to the beach for some early morning fishing. It paid for itself, just with the sunrise and calm of getting to sit on the beach with no one around you. I did manage to catch three Whiting and another Sand Shark, nothing very sizable, but it was fun to be catching fish in the ocean with some amount of regularity.

July 25, 2011

Another morning, another beautiful sunrise and another round of three whiting and a sand shark.

First Cast and First Catch all in one.

Another sand shark

My Largest Whiting to date, 13".

On the Water: April 3, 2011

One evening I was on Twitter when Joe (AKA SoCalSalty) said that he hoped and thought that I needed to get out and take some time to relax and fish or at least do something with the weekend. But with the dismal weather reports and my two go-to fishing buddies out of town at Hatfield and McCoys Trails, I wasn't sure much was going to happen. I thought I'd chalk this weekend up to some household chores and try to finish unpacking/organizing everything.

First Catch Magic

As the weekend progressed I thought this decision was for the best due to the fact that the weekend started with thunderstorms and snow, then progressed to an inch and a half of slush, snow and muck on the roads Saturday night. I woke up Sunday looking outside thinking I might be able to squeeze a short trip in this morning, but as soon as I went to get my gear ready a pop up rain/hail storm coated the area, again another sign that I had made the right choice to take this weekend off. But after a few hours of working around the house, I got that ever so gentle nudge and blessing to go out and fish this afternoon since the weather was break and as she put it I was going "stir-crazy" being inside the whole weekend. With Cassie's and Joe's suggestion that I get out this weekend I didn't even let the weather deter me. I was out the door...

And man was it worth it. I headed to one of my favorite fishing hole close my house on the Cheat River. After a fresh stocking this past week, I was slightly worried that my hole would be filled with people, but to my surprise, there wasn't anyone there. The whole stretch that I love to fish was wide open, there was a ton of people out, but I think this stretch was a little to far out of the way for most people to want to attempt to go to.

Another "great" self portrait.

After I finally made to the water, I could have really cared less about catching fish, it was nice just getting out. To my surprise, a little first cast magic hit. It wasn't the biggest catch of the day (measured out at 16 1/4"), but it was the icing on the cake today to have caught a fish on my first cast. Especially on the a weekend that I didn't think or even plan on fishing. The picture to the left doesn't even do this fish justice, but the coloration on this fish was amazing, so lively and bright. After the hooking up on a great looking trout on the first cast, I didn't matter much to catch another trout the rest of the evening. That wasn't the case though, only a matter of ten to fifteen minutes later, I hooked up with another trout. This one didn't hit nearly as hard and I had actually missed it only a cast earlier. I wasn't sure if it was a smaller, more timid trout, but I was mistake, it was actually a larger trout. I was wondering why this fish acted so awkwardly, other than the fact that it was a stocker. Upon further inspection the fish was missing a pectoral fin and had half of its jaw and upper lip missing. I wasn't sure if this fish would even make it. It very well could have, but I would feel bad if I let it go and it died. This is one of my main problems with stocked trout, they are just thrown in there, some in even poor conditions. But in this situation, you must take the good with the bad. And for those of you wondering, I did put that trout to good use. It was delicious. 

Fresh Trout Fillet with Green Beans and Red Potatoes.

On the Water: March 19, 2011

Two weekends, amidst the moving, I managed to sneak out for a morning of fishing. This was the first time I managed to make it out this year, and I must say, even though I only caught one fish, it was a great first outing and exactly what I need to relax a little. I am going to leave you with a few pictures I snapped from this adventure.

Heading out for the morning..

Mile Marker #3

Overlooking the Cheat River..

Self-Portrait: Rainbow Trout - Estimated 19 3/4" 3.75 lbs.

Of course Jay was a half mile ahead of us. Haha.

Lunch: Canned Venison with Barbecue Sauce

Look what I found, a slightly used Carlisle Paddle. 

Heading home..