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Fishing in San Francisco BayI had an ideal base in San Francisco to undertake a spot of fishing when I could fit it into our busy holiday schedule.
Our hotel was in the centre of Fishermans Wharf, which overlooks San Francisco bay. See www.fishermanswharf.org for lots of information on the area. Whilst many travellers avoid staying at the commercial wharf area I found it an ideal location as we cycled to the Golden Gate bridge, visited Alcatraz on a early morning start (go to www.alcatrazcruises.com and make sure you book in advance and before you arrive or you’ll miss out), enjoyed Pier 39 and the sea lions and all the other associated tourist attractions.
With a two minute walk to the harbour where the Charter boats are moored I was bound to capture a fishing trip at some time. There are a variety of charter trips available. If you wish to go out and fish in the ocean then it has to be an all day trip but there were plenty of half day trips for ‘pot luck’ catch whatever comes along or trips targeting certain species depending on the time of year. The bay area and ocean charters offered fishing for salmon, rockcod and ling, striped bass, halibut, shark, sturgeon and cod. With a quick walk along the wharf you can obtain flyers with contact numbers for the charter boats. I was a bit less organised and simply turned up at the wharf at 5.30am and was lucky enough to find a boat with a space on board although I wouldn’t recommend this. Book in advance if at all possible. I boarded the Sole Man Sport fishing charter for a morning after sharks, more particularly the scavenging leopard sharks that were providing good catches in the bay at the time of my visit in early August. The trip was a worthwhile $100. See www.solemanfishing.com There were 5 of us fishing and once on board and underway we were each issued with our one day licence that was a requirement and cost $12. This licence had to be worn and displayed at all times in case the fisheries patrol boarded. The one thing I’ve learnt is that the fishing in America appears to be quite strictly licensed.
It wasn’t long before we were anchored up and large chucks of salmon as bait were swung into place. My first success was with a bat ray that used its wingspan and strong sea currents to put up a strong fight. Once it was on board I stayed my distance as it flapped away and I let the crew do the unhooking! I also had a seven gill shark and soup fin shark but the leopard shark proved elusive for me. The others on board managed another bat ray, a seven gill shark and around 9 leopard sharks. Five of the leopard sharks were above the legal limit and were taken for the barbeque. In a few short hours the sport was fast and furious and the marinated steaks cooked on board were beautiful and filled the short time when action was slowing. For more information on the fishing available go to the www.fishermanswharf.org website and look at the sports tours section and you can also see www.flashfishing.net and www.solemanfishing.com Yosemite National ParkAny trip to the San Francisco area would be incomplete without a trip to the beautiful Yosemite National Park, 3 hours drive from the city.
I only had a day trip to the park to see the sights and didn’t have a chance to fish the crystal clear river that runs through the park. I saw a few people fly fishing as we drove around the park and spotted some nice trout laid up when walking around. I’m not sure whether there are huge stocks of fish but there were definitely some there to be caught. If you intend spending a few days in the park then it may be worth trying a few hours fly fishing early morning to tempt the trout in what would be exciting sight fishing. Anybody fishing over the age of 16 would require a licence, once again, clearly displayed. The fishing is fly or lure only and there are stocks of rainbow and brown trout. The trout season is April to November. The lakes are open all year round. See www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing www.nps.gov/yose www.yosemitepark.com Back HomeBack nearer home, I have recently had another good guided fishing trip with Lake District fishing guide Eric Hope. My friends and I have fished with Eric over the last few years for pike on some of the Lake District waters and we’ve always managed a few fish whether it was November, April or August! Our last outing saw 6 pike to the boat on deadbaits and lures with 2 going 12lb-plus. Eleven year old Jan Detko, who accompanied me on my latest trip caught one of the monsters, and his largest fish to date.
Eric is a great angler and has lots of knowledge to pass onto anyone who is learning. He keeps his tactics simple and concentrates, like any of the best anglers, on location and watercraft. My lure fishing skills and understanding (and even my casting after 20 years of practice) have improved under Eric’s guidance. He caters for all sorts of anglers of all ranges and abilities. He can take you out for trout, salmon, pike and perch. If you are looking for a treat for yourself or a friend/relative, want your youngster to learn about fishing or merely want a fun fishing day out check out www.hemmingwaysfish.co.uk
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