11/16 OB Legal Hali on the Fly

Hit the sand at 3pm for the low tide incoming switch. Been a few weeks since I fished the fly rod, tides weren't what I wanted last week and fished offshore the week before that.
3rd cast hook a spotty, scrappy little guy. About a half hour in, it happened, after months of targeting halibut and catching them, with a few just-shorts, I hooked a good one. Felt the weight right away, it was swimming in with big headshakes that told me what it was. Soon as I saw the big hali near shore, it woke up and zinged the drag for 80ft of line. Played this game 4 times bringing it in close and it would pull a big run before it was spent, grabbed its tail and beached a 24.5" 6lb halibut. Another dude was fishing up the beach and watched the fight, he was as stoked as me and cheered when it hit the sand. Since I released my last legal hali, I decided to harvest. He was hooked deep and I dont have much white meat in thr freezer. Pulled its gills, bled it, bagged it and got fishing again with its tail sticking out the top of my backpack.
A few casts after, hooked what felt like another keeper size halibut, big headshakes and weight, this once wasnt meant to be and pulled the hook free after its first run.
I'll enjoy eating this halibut, he gave me a great fight, one of the better fights I've experience from shore, had my 7wt bent hard. Called it a day at sunset and scooped some sculpin IPA on the way home. Good times.

 

Skunked last 3 outings with fly rod before today. Skunked last night targeting spotties on baitcaster plastics. Today get a spotty and a legal halibut on the fly. Go figure.
Conditions are everything for me...when I get the tides I want in the times I'm available i have done well on the fly. I love fighting a solid fish. Makes me feel alive

 

One of my long time homies has been making blades, knives, ect as a hobby and gotten pretty good. I shipped him 8lbs of bluefin trade for a couple custom knives made to my specs. One of them is a long boning knife that has been killer to fillet with.

 

Great friend and great trade. Everybody wins hahaha. I had been wanting to look into shipping fish, it worked out.

 

I like the big streamers wooly bugger. Clouser minnows are very popular too. There are numerous other popular surf flies that catch too. I like the bigger bulkier flies to entice the bigger predators.

 

Apparently the other dude fishing got a video of the fight with the halibut, seeing if I can get that from him.

 

You are too kind, my friend.

 

I appreciate that. There are lots of guys that kill on here and maybe dont post reports as often. After a good session I'm stoked and want to talk about it lol

 

Spoils of war...beer battered