Eight or nine years ago I knew only a very few people who had landed a mouth hooked corbina on a fly. And they had no idea how it had happened. For a few of us, in my small circle, it became an obsession to try to figure out how to target them with some regular success.

I fished for them constantly in the summer and fall. I had tying geniuses like Terry Baird and Jim Stallings feeding me patterns to throw at them. There were two problems: How to catch the spooky critters when you could see them. And how to dredge them up when you could not see them. I remember calling Terry Baird with the triumphant news of two corbina in one day on his hula. And sight fishing successfully for four fish between two of us with Jim's sand crab fly. The same summer I caught three one day on my new "gremmie" blind casting in the surf. I was so stoked I had my picture taken in front of the local tackle shop.

Well, the problem is not solved, but we are getting them more often. Don't be discouraged when they don't take your fly. Lengthen your leader, try backing away, using a floating line or smaller more subtle fly. Cast lightly from a different direction. And if they do take it-don't strike too hard in your excitement. The challenge here is what drives us crazy and makes it SO satisfying when we hook up. As Terry says, we have an incredible west coast fishery here and those east coast saltwater fly magazines just don't see it yet.

Southern California fly fishers are starting to though. I get reports almost every day of successful catches. It is always intriguing to hear about which tide, what leader, fly and presentation. I'll never be bored by these fish. Fishing for them and the halibut is easiest after a big low tide-especially in the morning when things have not been stirred up too much yet by wind and waves.

The first week of July looks just perfect on my tide calendar-big lows every morning. The week after the full moon on the sixteenth looks very good also. But I would not hesitate to get out there around lunch time during the second week of the month-not a spring tide week, but if you know of a trough or hole along the shore somewhere things could come together if you try often enough.

Suerte, Gary

d happened. For a few of us, in my small circle, it became an obsession to try to figure out how to target them with some regular success.

I fished for them constantly in the summer and fall. I had tying geniuses like Terry Baird and Jim Stallings feeding me patterns to throw at them. There were two problems: How to catch the spooky critters when you could see them. And how to dredge them up when you could not see them. I remember calling Terry Baird with the triumphant news of two corbina in one day on his hula. And sight fishing successfully for four fish between two of us with Jim's sand crab fly. The same summer I caught three one day on my new "gremmie" blind casting in the surf. I was so stoked I had my picture taken in front of the local tackle shop.

Well, the problem is not solved, but we are getting them more often. Don't be discouraged when they don't take your fly. Lengthen your leader, try backing away, using a floating line or smaller more subtle fly. Cast lightly from a different direction. And if they do take it-don't strike too hard in your excitement. The challenge here is what drives us crazy and makes it SO satisfying when we hook up. As Terry says, we have an incredible west coast fishery here and those east coast saltwater fly magazines just don't see it yet.

Southern California fly fishers are starting to though. I get reports almost every day of successful catches. It is always intriguing to hear about which tide, what leader, fly and presentation. I'll never be bored by these fish. Fishing for them and the halibut is easiest after a big low tide-especially in the morning when things have not been stirred up too much yet by wind and waves.

The first week of July looks just perfect on my tide calendar-big lows every morning. The week after the full moon on the sixteenth looks very good also. But I would not hesitate to get out there around lunch time during the second week of the month-not a spring tide week, but if you know of a trough or hole along the shore somewhere things could come together if you try often enough.

Suerte, Gary