I have been on a quest to catch Coho Salmon, on a fly rod, from the beach. After 12 or so beach trips, to varying locations, and what seems like several hundred casts later. In varying weather conditions from calm to windy, wet and sunny, cold numb hands to just plain raisin skin from being wet for long periods of time.

Having so many days with very little action, only one Salmon on and lost, a couple of bullhead landed and a good sized Starry Flounder, it was time to squeeze in some time at the fly tying vise, to produce a fly I did not have in my box, a fly much different from what I had been fishing. Based on some helpful tips from half a dozen seasoned beach veterans, the combined information was used from around 10pm to midnight to produce a fishy looking couple of flies.

Armed with those flies, nestled inside my Salmon fly tying box. Off to a well known beach, found my foot steps left in the sand at daybreak. With the tide falling, I took note of the wind direction, and noticed it favored a lefty. After a few casts, a fish was hooked and quickly lost by another angler.

My first couple of casts seem to hit the 60ft mark. Stripping back the fly, I imagined it to act like a fleeing baitfish. Short, fast strips followed by a random long pull. In this fashion, the fly is returned fairly quickly for another cast, followed by many....many.....more. 20 minutes after arriving, and into my 20th or so cast, during a long pull retrieve. There was a unexpected hard pull back. My rod arched, with a heavy pull back, followed by violent thrashing on the waters surface at the end of my fly line. A comment was head coming from my right that sounded like "Whoa". It was then that others connected the violent surface activity was in direct correlation to my deeply arched fly rod.

Surprisingly calm, heart not thumping out out of my chest, I let some loose line, piled at my feet, play out as the fish took it. The rest was quickly reeled back onto the reel. I backed up, the fish took a run. I backed some more, the fish thrashed, violent head shakes. Slowly, line was gained onto the reel. This would be my first fly caught Salmon from the beach, and that entered my mind during the battle. I had lost one before, so that disappointment had sailed in fine fashion having been pleased to have hooked a Salmon on a self tied fly, a couple of weeks prior.

10 feet from the beach, it was do or die, time to put on the brakes, and discover just how well hooked the fish was. Palming the reel and backing until the fishes head was pointing toward the beach, cranking the reel handle until the fish thrashed on the sand. A 5lb Coho Salmon was my reward, for all previous effort.

Bagged, and recorded on my catch record card. Back to casting in hopes of a repeat performance. What would the chances be to catch my first Salmon, and my second on the same day? That is the question I asked myself. 10 or so minutes pass, a few anglers leave the beach. Every other cast or so grabs a eel grass from the receding water. Each time, the fly touches eel grass bed's it feels like a "take" from a fish.

One particular eel grass grab, the line felt different in that I thought the line slipped or reversed back through my hand. Quickly regaining contact with the line, and continuing one strip of line. Resulted in head shakes and another thrashing fish! I hear "wow" come from near by..........and the second beach battle of the day begins. As I fight this fish, I cant believe my good fortune on this day. The chances I land this one and walk off the beach with a limit is............well.............to good to be true.........but a real possibility. With this in mind, the same routine of strategically paying out loose line piled on the waters surface, and regaining the rest onto the reel is performed. Only this time, I don't recall doling so! This fish runes left, then right, paralleling the beach. The fishes head turns toward the beach and the head is applied. Another flopping fish, on the sandy beach. What a morning! I look at my fly in the fishes mouth, and honestly think "it doesn't look like much"! But the fish begs to differ.

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