Happy Hollow 10/8

Frank, diana, and Daniel and I met early for Bean Hollow experience.  Launch looked a bit dicey, but we decied to go for it/

Prior to launch we were graced with the presence of.........Mr. Fred Savage!!

Anyway, it was a little slow out there if you were anyone but Daniel.  all landed safely.  Great group to fish with today.

Wait, seriously- Fred Savage showed up?

Great company indeed. Thanks to Allen for being such a great host and guide (he graciously dropped his fishing to gaff a couple fish as I had no gaff) .  And thanks to Frank and Diana for letting me join to their trip . It was good to meet Freddy. He swung for the fences and caught the biggest fish of the day

Bean Hollow was certainly an initmidating launch at low tide with a big swell such as we had today. The landing at peak tide was less so--except for the monster sneaker Freddy and I saw after we all landed which broke across the entire cove--no kidding--but that was the only one we saw all day that did that. Frank and Diana did a masterful job of moving their Hobie Tandem through the gaunlet--not once but twice. Skillful paddling teamwork for sure.

I'll post some pictures of the trip and my Bean Hollow Birthday luck later (my birthday was yesterday), but I need eat some late lunch and get to work cleaning fish.

Pics:
The Fog
Allen "Mission Control" guiding us in safely
My catch (lings 26" 8#, 32" 11#) Vermillion (23" 7#)
My favorite: the Vermillion

congrats marmot, nice fish, nice report, nice pics!

J

Fishing was slow today. I targeted butts and got no love. I picked up a nice ling though. The fog killed me and the drift was faster than I thought. I fished south when I wanted to fish a little north. Oh well... that's the fog for you. Had a great time fishing with great company.

Allen-
It was great seeing you and fishing with you again. Don't get to do that too much.

Frank and Diana-
It was nice meeting you two. Look forward to fishing with you guys again. Hopefully, the water will be better and the fish will be biting. No fog would be nice too. You guys did a great job getting out and landing on the tandem. Thanks again for the coffee.

Dan-
Nice stringer... that red was HUGE. Enjoy it... I already ate my ling with some friends... battered and deep fried... yummy. It's all good.

Whenever these days end I think of one thing...the next time out.
 
Allen thanks for the terrific instructions and courtesy you showed Diana and I. You differently made our first beach launch/landing a memorial one. Looking forward to another time in  the swells with you.

Dan you lucky bugger. It was fun watching that look on your face everytime you hooked up and nothing small for this guy today.Diana and I were laughing over dinner at your antics and calls out to Allen for a gaff. Classic.

Freddie I have heard of pepole keeping there cool under fire but brother you were cool in shorts on the ocean at 7am !!! The handle Savage is appropriate and nice Ling to boot.

I hope we can all hook up again soon. Very soon.

Again Thanks Frank and Diana Sacramento

Good to hear that Happy Hollow continues to please even though the veterans say its a little slow.  Bottom line is that you only have to catch one or maybe two "big" ones and you're smiling until the next time you go out.  I was wondering if the full moon was going to keep the scores down but I suspect the swells and the fast drift did most of the damage.

Good to see that Frank and Diana smiling at the end of the day and not looking "wet".  With the company they had its not a surprise that BH will have to wait another day to eat up and spit out another kayak.

Nice fish...although no Cabbie's ???  I'm with Freddie, I'd be targeting halibut if I was out today.  I had some of Craig's BH halibut and it was my family's favorite so far.

Good report and nice pics,

Gary

Great fish to all. The fog looked pretty dense. Very nice Vermilion!! Looks tasty!!

Frank and Diana,

Hey no problem: hard to believe maybe, but I enjoyed entertaining all of you . I kayak and fish for the same reasons I used to climb: for the sheer ecstatic joy of it. Those moments when one forgets the rest of the world and its weight and, zen-like, focuses only on the moment at hand like when that big unknown fish is peeling line off your reel so that is sings while your rod is trying to form the shape of a 'U'. Or more subtley, when you just *know* there are fish there and you are wondering how you get them on your rod and reel: whether it's the tail of a pool on East Carson or a rock pinnacle in the Pacific.The richness and depth of those moments is the fuel that stokes the fire of my soul during the everyday trials and tribulations of my stressful working life. If my antics under that rapture gave amusement to some, all the better, for then I spread some of my joy beyond myself to others. And took home tasty fish to my wife and daughters as well.

What more could I ask ? Yeah I lose myself in such times but that is what I seek after all and I am glad to find it however scarce and fleeting it may be. I revel in the moment knowing full well how fleeting it is and how distant in time a renuion with it might be.

See you at the forebay one day my friends--it will soon enough be your turn to bathe in Fotune's smile  and mine to be humbled like I was when fishless after three days of trying at Lake Mendocino at the Bendo at Mendo 2  .

Good to have you and Diana along. May we wet lines many times again together. 

Oh yeah, P.S. *yes* I need to get a bigger net and a gaff (and learn to use it effectively) so I don't disrupt Allen's fishing in the future

Besides the Rocks, pea soup fog, currents and breaking swells, it was really no problem at all!

Good lookng fish Surf! Way to go!!! 

Z

Smarmot, How did your girls react to the fish? Diana and I  are curious!
When I was bringing your stringer up from the beach I think I should have carried your Kayak instead
Allen thanks for the extra RC we have enough for fish taco's to last a week w/ friends and relatives.
Yesterday was intense, and yet we are up for it again . With the crew we were with  and safety the main factor what a blast. Oh yeah Dan your extra care and concern for the little details (open pockets etc.) and pointing out that we should bilge before landing probably saved us from some grief. Thanks Bud
What a day I would highly recommend and outing with the Scallen

What a day  I would highly recommend and outing with the Scallen

.....some of my most memorable fishng days have been with Scallen 


NICE RED - Marmot 

Frank,

My daughters were thrilled to see such big fish. The Vermillion was 'chunky' I guess is the way to put it they were amzaed by its size, heft, and beautiful color--fish that color are normally associated with the tropcis or Trout in alpine streams. They were awed by those Lings--predators are some of the most intriguing fish and those toothy chomping machines are awesome in size and equipment. They were afraid to even touch them at first and my younger dauther thought they were looking at her.

You and Mooch are right about Allen Bushnell--Allen was my intro to ocean kayak fishing a few years ago and a better guide I have not fished with. I'd encourage anyone lookng to enter the sport, to introduce someone to it, raise their own level, or widen their knowledge of species targeting, techniques, or locales to book a trip with SCAllen. He get's done and is a great guy as well.